Sewing Pants Zipper : An Easy way to zip the fly

A Pant Fly refers to the short opening over the crotch line in pants. A zippered fly has a zipper fastener securing the opening of the fly; this opening has to be sewn in such a way that the zipper is concealed and fixed to the inside.

I read countless tutorials to learn it but somehow I couldnot make head or tail of it.Now at last I have found the easy way to do it. 

“Count on you to find the easiest way, lazy goose“, said the fly to the spider!

How to sew a Pant fly Zipper

Step 1

Cut out the front pattern pieces of the pants

You also need two pieces of facing fabric ; length = length of the fly opening + 1/2; width = 3″ ; fold this by half so that each is 1.5 inch wide

You also need pant zipper, ofcourse.

Step 2

Take the left pant piece; keep it right side up

Keep the folded facing piece along the crotch edge. Pin in place and stitch in place

Step 3

Take the right pant piece; keep it right side up

Keep the zipper along the edge, right side down

Keep the next folded facing piece along the edge on top. Folded side to the inside.

Stitch in place; you may have to hand baste in place or pin so that everything will stay in place while you sew it.

You will also have to use a zipper pressure foot so that you can stitch really close to the zipper tooth

Step 4

Make a small snip at the seam allowance on both the pieces where you mean the fly to end

Step 5

Turn the right pant piece to the front; Keep the facing to one side and stitch from the top along the edge. Here the facing is to be placed so that it is extended beyond the zipper.

With the left pant piece, turn the facing to the back of the piece

Top stitch in place along the edge.

Step 6

Keep the two pieces right sides to the inside together.

Sew the curved seam of the pant pieces together ; look at  the picture for guidance

The pant will look like this from the right side

Step 8

Now turn the pant back side up. Open the zipper; remember one edge of the zipper is unstitched

Keep the facing on the other side and the zipper teeth unstitched edge to the left side seperate from the pant pieces ie bring the zipper and the facing to one side. 

Place the unstitched zipper edge on top of the facing at an angle as in the picture. Pin in place (to the facing).

Stitch the zipper in this position to the facing with the zipper foot- very closely along the zipper teeth.

As a final touch you can top stitch  over the left side of the pant ( when you wear it) along the zipper in a  curved line over the facing, fixing everything in place. Look at the fly in the jeans for an idea.