Constructing the Fly of Your Jeans
Take the right fly facing and fold it in half with the outside of the fabric showing. | |
Then fold in the lower left corner as shown and pin in place. | |
Surge down the right side. | |
Take the left fly facing and surge up the left side and bottom. | |
Place the zipper on the left fly facing. | |
Use the right fly facing as a guide to help you know where to place the zipper on the left fly facing. To do this first make sure that the zipper is placed over the left fly facing zipper side down. Then align the right edge of the zipper with the right edge of the right fly facingonly let the facing slightly overlap the zipper. Also make sure the left edges of both facings are lined upas shown in the picture bellow. This will ensure proper placement of the zipper. | |
Pin the zipper in place on the left fly facing down the left side of the zipper. | |
Sew in place using a zipper foot.
Sewing close to the zipper handle is difficult so when you get close to it lift the foot up and unzip the zipper to get it out of the way, then you can finish sewing down the side of the zipper. |
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Pin the right side of the zipper down to the left side of the facing to keep it out of the way for the next step. | |
Pin the left fly facing the wrong way onto the left front piece.
The top of the left fly facing should match up with the top of the left front piece. In many cases the front of jeans are cut sloping down towards the fly. It is critical that the left fly facings slope down at the same angle. |
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Use simple basting stitch and stitch the facing onto the front piece.
I usually use regular weight black polyester thread for the stitches you can't see and a heavy weight gold or silver thread for the stitching you can see. I like to use two sewing machines so I don't have to switch thread. |
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Fold the left facing the right way around (into the inside of the pants) and press along the edge with an iron. | |
Sew with a heavy weight thread down the edge from the outside.
It is important that all visible stitching is done from the outside of the pants because if you do it from the inside the stitching will appear slightly different because of how the sewing machine works. Also only sew down to the end of the facing. Any time you make stitches you can see in jeans you will want to set your sewing machine stitch length so that the stitches are far apart. This makes it look a lot more professional when you are using heavy weight thread. |
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Pin up the lower right flap of the zipper out of the way so you don't sew over it in the next step.
It is important that you don't sew over it so you can sew it onto the right side of the front part of the pants. If you do by chance sew over it then don't undo your stitches just snip it off above the stitches as shown. This will save you a lot of bother and the jeans will look the same anyway. |
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Pin the fly facing down from the inside along the edge of the facing.
You are placing the pins in a trail where you want the fly stitching to appear. This gives you a guide to follow so you can do the stitching from the outside. |
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Follow the pins on the inside placing pins on the outside in the same location. Once these pins are in place remove the ones in the inside.
You need to do this because you can't easily remove the pins on the inside when you are stitching on the outside. The inside pins simply tell you where to place the outside ones. |
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Sew following the pins (removing them as you go) using a plain straight stitch. | |
Using the first row of stitches as a guide adjusts your needle position and stitch a second row beside it.
Some sewing machines have three needle positionsleft, center and right. Some machines just have two or just one if its old enough. On these machines you will just have to move the foot. It all depends on what you have available to use as a guide to follow the first row of stitches. |
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Lay the right fly facing over the left fly facing and pin the right side of the zipper to the right fly facing then sew it down with a basting stitchusing the zipper foot. | |
Pin the right front side of the jeans to the right fly facing (the wrong way like you did with the other side). | |
It's not that easy to see whats going on here in the pictures so pay attention. Then use an over the edge stitch or a zigzag stitch along the edge and sew down until the end of the metal part of the zipper. |
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Leave a flap about œ to 1 in length depending on where the zipper ends. | |
Use an over the edge stitch and sew along the remaining portion of the fly part of the right front piece.
Make sure to keep a flap of the fly facing loose and keep the left side of the jeans out of the way.
You are not sewing the right and left front pieces completely together yet. You are just finishing the edge of the right front piece. This step isnt necessary and manufacturers never do it. I just find that it helps avoid fraying while working with the fabric and makes it easier to press over in the next step. |
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You may need to turn the piece over and sew down from the other side to sew right up to the flap. | |
Turn the pants the right way around and pin the left edge of the right piece down close to the zipper. Then using a zipper foot and heavyweight thread, sew it down from the top.
You want to make sure that the fabric is folded in such a way that both the fabric and the stitching come very close to the zipper, though you do not want to overlap it. |
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Make a very small cut at the edge of the fabric just bellow the loose flap of the fly facing on the right front piece. This enables you to easily change the direction the fabric lays.
Some manufacturers simply press the fabric in the other direction instead of making a cut. |
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Fold over the edge of the left front side and press it down with an iron.
You are making a fold for the right side of the jeans to slide into. |
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Put the right front side in place under the fold you just made and sew it down with lightweight thread starting from the cut.
At this point the jeans should be folded in half with the good side on the outside. |
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Unfold the jeans and fold the seam over again and sew down the flap from the top using heavyweight thread. Start from the base of the crotch and sew up until your new stitches meet with the old ones (at the base of the fly). | |
Using the first row of stitches as a guide, sew a second row from the base of the crotch to the base of the fly.
You will want to make sure the stitches are close enough together so they go through all the layers of fabric. The seam you just made is called a flat fell. This is the first seam of this type you will have to make, though we will sew the others in a slightly different manner. |
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Sew a row of dense zigzag stitches at the base of the fly where the stitches meet, and another row near the edge of the fly facings between the two rows of stitches.
The purpose of these stitches is to act like rivets to provide a strong bond between many fabric layers at points of stress. Jean manufacturers used to use rivets in this area (and they still do sometimes) but they have largely been replaced by tight zigzag stitches. |
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Placement of these stitches varies with brands and styles and some jeans only use the lower row of stitches. | |
Outside view of fly after completion | |
Inside view of fly after jeans have been completed and washed. Notice that the zigzag stitches are holding the fly facing in position. These stitches also prevent putting stress on the zipper and seams when the pants are unzipped. |
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