The Rosy Quatrefoil Dress + How to Sew an Invisible Zipper

Rosy Quatrefoil Dress + How to Install an Invisible Zipper

The Rosy Quatrefoil Dress

Pink is definitely Sophie’s color! I found this pretty quatrefoil fabric at Hobby Lobby and used the McCalls M6018 pattern to make her this dress. I love the full skirt and the box pleats!

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Sophie is tall but thin for her age and it’s often hard to find patterns that fit her properly. Typically, anything that fits around her torso is too short, and anything that’s the right length is too big up top. This dress can be made with a different sized bodice and skirt for a customized fit.

The bodice has princess seams and the skirt has box pleats.

The dress is also fully lined and has an invisible zipper.

On a side note, look at the ringlets in Sophie’s hair. Just beautiful!

How to Sew an Invisible Zipper

Don’t be intimidated if you haven’t used an invisible zipper before. They’re a lot easier to install than you think! This tutorial will teach you the skills you need to sew an invisible zipper so you can make the McCalls M6018 pattern or any other pattern with an invisible zipper.

Start by opening the zipper up and heat up your iron on the cotton setting. Use the point of the iron to iron the teeth of the zipper flat. I totally thought the zipper would melt the first time I did this but it won’t as long as you keep the iron moving. The picture below shows the teeth after ironing.

Then line the edge of the dress where you want to install the invisible zipper with Dritz Wash-A-Way Wonder Tape. You could also pin it in place but I think the Wonder Tape holds it in place better. No need to remove it — it’ll disappear in the wash.

When you peel the backing off the tape, it leaves a sticky strip that you can apply the zipper to.

Lay the zipper face down (i.e. with the pull facing towards the fabric) and lay the right side of the zipper with the teeth facing out along the edge of your dress. Press down gently with your fingers to adhere it to the Wonder Tape. The nub at the top of the zipper should line up with the top of your dress. There may be a bit of the zipper that extends beyond the top and that’s OK. When you’re finished you can fold that over and tack it in place.

You’ll need to use a zipper foot to attach the invisible zipper. A zipper foot has two grooves on the bottom that hold the teeth of the zipper. Which groove you use depends on the placement of your needle.

Sew the zipper in place as close to the teeth as possible. It’s a little tricky when you get to the pull at the end but go around it as closely as you can. Don’t forget to back stitch at the beginning and end.

This is how it’ll look after sewing the invisible zipper onto one side. The right side of the zipper is sewn on and the left side is still unattached.

Then flip the zipper so it’s facing in, and use the Wonder Tape to secure the zipper to the other side of your dress. Don’t forget to line up the plastic nub at the top.

Sew the other side of the zipper in place. Then, zip up the zipper just a little bit and sew the area near the pull again. It’s easier to get closer when the pull is out of the way. Then zip it all the way up and check the waistline to make sure it matches up properly. Don’t hesitate to use your seam ripper if it’s not quite right! Believe me, I’ve had to do it many times!