Zipper To Lace Up | A Zipper Replacement Tutorial
- Posted on 15 August, 2019
- Lace Closure
- By Anonymous
Did you buy a dress and it's just a little too tight or too loose? We've all been there. I know I've had to alter quite a few dresses for that very reason. So, by popular demand, here is my first official tutorial video! I'll show you the quick and easy way to replace a zipper with a lace up back using the Laceeis Corset kit! This whole process took less than an hour. (It took longer to records and edit the voice over!) I hope this video is helpful to you!
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Resources:
Laceeis Corset Kit: https://amzn.to/2Qt5o0G
Equipment and Notions:
Main Sewing Machine (High Speed Straight Stitch): https://amzn.to/2CTzH8t
Secondary Sewing Machine (with 60 Stitch Options): https://amzn.to/35eSCGT
Serger: https://amzn.to/2KN831l
Embroidery Machine: Brother PE500
Embroidery Hoops: https://amzn.to/2r4AdxG
Iron: https://amzn.to/2Oo4wYb
Ironing Board: https://amzn.to/33WHkHl
Pressing Ham: https://amzn.to/2Qp3oWW
Seam Turner: https://amzn.to/2KulmU9
Ball Point Bodkin: https://amzn.to/32T62qD
Measuring Gauge: https://amzn.to/2r5RMgT
Seam Gauge: https://amzn.to/2pmXUAW
Dress Form (Adjustable): https://amzn.to/2NUalO1
Dress Form (Decorative Top): https://amzn.to/2XkUNGe
Fabulous Fit Dress Form Padding: https://amzn.to/2Ku6a9O
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Hi I'm Melissa case from hats ahem and today I'm going to show you the quick and easy way to replace a zipper back with a lace-up back for this tutorial. I'M using the laces corset kit, first off they're, not sponsoring this video or anything, I've just used their kits a couple of times. I send them very easy to work with, and I thought they may be able to help you. If you need to do a some more project, they come in a range of lengths and colors and hopefully you'll be able to find one that works for you. If you're interested I'll be sure to post the Amazon link in my description to get started, you'll need the dress, you're altering the kit, which includes the boning with the corset loops, the modesty panel and the lacing thread it in the color of your choice, scissors and A seam ripper you also need either pins or these little Clippy things which one you use is up to you to start off. I completely remove the zipper using my seam ripper. This is a bit of a tedious process, so I'm just gon na speed things up. A little okay, there we go next, you need the loop boning, it's not the official term, but it's what I'm going with and you want to pin or clip it to the back opening of the dress. You want to leave a small space between the top of the dress and the top of the boning, and the loop should be facing away from the back opening. Typically, you would want to pin these at a bit of an angle to emphasize the lacing, but the top of this dress doesn't really allow for that. So I'm just gon na do it right along the edge, if you have a little extra at the bottom like I did just snip it away if your scissors and try to cut that loop as close to the edge as you can now for the other side. Now we're going to take this over to the sewing machine and we're going to stitch the boning down using a simple straight stitch. You want the first row of stitches to be in the middle of the bone. The second row of stitches is going to be as close to the edge with the loops as possible. You can probably use a zipper foot for this, but I was too lazy to switch over, so I just used my normal pressure plate instead. Next, you can flip the bone to the inside and top stitch close to the edge. This is optional, but I like having extra security because it just makes me feel better, so I always do it at this point. You can also give this a quick press. I did, but it was off-camera. I would keep it at a low heat, though, because these bones are plastic and you really don't have to worry about them. Warping or anything like that. Next, I pop the dress onto a dress form, so I can get idea of where the mazi panel should be. If you don't have a dress form, you can do this directly on yourself with help or you can do it directly on your client. This is another point where I had to deviate a little bit from what I would normally do. I would typically whip stitch the edge of the modesty panel to the dress. However, this dress has no lining, so if I did that the stitches would show through which is not ideal instead, I decided my best option was to attach the modesty panel by doing a straight stitch right on top of my top stitching from earlier. Is it the ideal way of doing this? No. Does it work? Well enough. Now, it's time to lace up, you want to make sure the length of your laces are even just to make the lacing process be a little easier. Once I got to the end, I snipped off the excess laces and there we are, you can leave the bow out or you can tuck it into the dress at the bottom of the opening. It'S completely up to your preference and that's it if this video was at all helpful for you, please feel free to either like it or leave me a comment telling me that it was helpful if you're interested and any other tutorials, please let me know in the Meantime I will see you in two weeks with a new video bye.
Comments
Marlene Pein: Wow, this is such a good idea, perfect if the dress doesn't fit anymore or the zipper is broken. Thanks for sharing this :)
Apollonia Neumer: Never before had I considered just replacing the zipper. This is especially helpful to me for garments I make myself because to me zippers are about the same level of horrible as sleeves. Thank you so much!
Mrs.K Necro: This is so helpful!!! I have a dress that I love and can’t seem to part with and I’ve been looking to do this to make it for me again and this is by far the most simple way I’ve seen!
Princess Roxi: Thank you so much for this video - I bought the same corset kit and needed to see how to do it!
Margaret Aldrich: Nice and simple, great help, thank you!!!
Hunter RL: finaly, now i can wear my dress without covering my open back zipper with a jacket or something!
Ann in-DurhamUK: Perfect. Just what I was looking for. Have a beautiful dress with an ugly zip. Decided to remove the zip and do a corset back. Am in the UK but found the kit on Amazon from a different Seller in about 30 colours!
Lady Kayla: Very helpful. I'm doing this for my daughter's bridesmaid dress for her best friend's wedding... it was bought pre-pandemic and the wedding was postponed. She's now 8 months pregnant! Hopefully the dress will fit much better than it doesn't now :)
Shekinah Williams: This video is soooo helpful! I am thinking of switching from a zipper to lace on my wedding dress and this saved me so much times
SeanMcGCostumes: This was such a big help, Melissa! I’m glad you ended up making it.
Suzart: I loved how simple and straightforward your tutorial was ! I had this jumpsuit that I bought and the zipper was terrible to begin with so it eventually broke. Instead of replacing the zipper, I wanted to make it a corset back. It currently is form fitting tight and I want to have the option to loosen it up more as well. This video was very helpful !!
Campbell Family: Thank you for sharing this method its been so helpful. I guess I could even add my own loops to some boning that I already have to customise. You given me some great ideas. Thank you so much from Derbyshire U.K
Sara Danicic: you make it look so easy!! i cant wait to try it on my dress
Judy Mina - Ballard: Simple and informative. THANK YOU!
Valentina Parker: This is sooo helpful. One of my bridesmaid dresses has become a bit tight and rather than having to replace it we can change the zipper back to a corset and save the dress. Thank you this was very informative and easy to follow.
•Cookie world•: High five for the vid, girl! This got me creating! Thank you!! I'll post when finished! Thanks Hat & Hem! ~GRTB
Ann Tachovsky: Great video!! I did this with my daughter's wedding dress & her flower girl's. Now (10 yrs later) I need to alter her 5 yr old twin daughter's flower girl dresses, as the wedding will now be next Nov (Covid) and the dresses fit them perfectly right now! All I can find on Amazon is Women's Corset kits. I'm guessing they will be too "big". The dresses are, also, burgundy. So I need a child's size (6->8) in burgundy. Any suggestions as where to purchase? If not, I guess I can get some burgundy satin cording. Lots of fabric to cut off the bottom of the dress, so no problem creating a panel.... just hoping to save some time with the loops. Looking forward to watching your video a few more time before I take a deep breath & start cutting!! THANKS!
n getzova: Thank you for making and posting this educational video. Can I do the lacing replacement on a skirt?
Emma Miller: This may be totally out of the blue, but I couldn’t get past 5 seconds of this video without noticing how endearing & beautiful you are! You have such a sweet face and a kind voice.
Scarlett Wehr: I went ahead and ordered a dress when I was younger because the shop did limited productions of the style. I’ve mature more and am bigger than I was then. This video was helpful in adding a lace up.
Kaitlyn Roberts: Just baught a cheap prom dress that I'm altering into my wedding dress and literally had the thought this morning that changing my back to a lace up would help make it more whimsical. Thank you for the tutorial and handy kit link!
barb mcmahon: This was very helpful.. thanks so much!
Daina-Glamm Genius: I loved it. It was just what I needed
Monica Walker: Thanks for the Amazon link! And another great video ❤️
Brandi R: Absolutely fantastic
Pratibha Singh: This video was very helpful..... Thanks
Sew Forgiven: Very helpful . Thanks
Rotten Ralph: Very helpful thank you
Susanna Penland: Can you use this same method but without removing the zipper? Trying to figure out how to convert my wedding dress myself!
Katie Tomasello: Hi … thanks for your video. I know how to make & install a corset bk but sometimes you don’t have time to do it from scratch… gals that go mos … not trying their dresses on, gain wt & can’t zip up. Anyway this is quick & easy. Again thanks for sharing. Katie
Alexis G: Would this be a good solution for a wedding dress that just can't quite get zipped up all the way? Because of covid, my area is in a stay at home order till the end of May and I can't get an alterations appointment until mid June and my wedding is mid July lol so its really cutting things close. My dress has a ton of bead work that will have to be taken out and re beaded if its taken out at the sides. My dress is only slightly too small so it needs to come out by about an inch. The only person doing alterations is charging an arm and a leg for the work which I understand because its labour intensive. But I'd love to find a solution that would cut the part out of having to unbead everything.
Abigail Connell: Where did you buy the boning from? Been looking everywhere!
Jennifer Wilde: So do I just remember the one side of the zipper or both sides? And then sew the piece in and fold over and sew again for a clean look?
Mila: I just bought an adorable dress but it is way too tight in the chest area so I want to make it bigger with lace-up on both sides but I don't have a sewing machine to add those loops.. Can you give me any tips for hand sewing them pleaseee
LaChelle McCombs: Wow thanks for the tip
Thanos - The Raisin With Anger Issues: Is it possible to remove just part of the zipper? I have a dress that has a low zipper but it's too small to completely zip and it would be ideal to have the bottom half zip and top half lace
ly tran: Thanks. I very like
Jessica Cole: I like it!!!!!! Clever idea.
Christabel Zoe Bansah-Egor: Superb
Jacqueline Davenport: Can this be done if the top is mesh and not satin overlain with mesh? What sort of reinforcement would you need to do with the first piece?
Babische: Hi. I want to do this but don’t have a sewing machine and don’t know how to sew! Is the a way that I can attach the loop boning to the dress by another method....fabric glue???
Isabel henriquez: thank you
sookie1357: Can you do it by hand if you don't have the sawing machine?
Rosemary R. Long-Morgan: What if Ball Gown (thrift store find) has a built-in tulle petticoat ... I have to check again if it's attached to waist as well or runs up to neckline (which will be a bigger pain). Should I stitch rip out as I remove zipper & just cut away near waist if that's where it ends or zig-zag/blanket stitch it just below waist and sew to waist seam then cut it out? That way bodice area has a liner? Thanks great video, appreciate You sharing it.
Leslyyy: the dress that i had is constantly getting stuck in this one area because the cloth part is too thick i just don't got a sewing machine ima ask my grandma for help lmfao
George Mamas: Go Melissa!
Carol Stinson: What is the name of the kit?