Ziplexia

Ziplexia:  one of the many forms of dyslexia in which the afflicted person is incapable of figuring out which way to install an invisible zipper so that the outside of the zipper is lined up on the outside of the pants.

As you may be able to surmise, no pants have been sewn.  Both pairs are still stacked neatly on the end of the ironing board smiling expectantly every time I walk into the sewing room.  We still hope that construction is in their immediate future although given the time constraints they may remain in limbo, neither pant nor mere fabric for some time.

Yesterday I attempted to start the linen pants and lined up the invisible zipper, put in the zipper foot and started to sew.  Four stitches later my lovely Bernina stopped and flashed me a very ominous message "main motor failed, check hook system".  It didn't sound good but I did find the appropriate action in the manual and I cleaned and lubricated the hook.  Still the sewing machine did not work.  Same message.  I see that the nice Bernina will be going to the hospital on Monday.

I set up the Elna and promptly sewed in the invisible zipper, upside down.  This is not unusual.  I have put in how many invisible zippers over the years, hundreds? Thousands?  I have probably put 90 % of them in backwards before gettting them right. 

I can only assume that my general zipper failure is related to my mild variant of dyslexia where I have trouble telling right from left.  In order to say "turn right" I have to first look at my hands and figure out which is my right hand so that I know I am saying to turn the correct direction.  Unfortunately zippers are not this simple.  I can't look at my hands.  I do look at the fabric; I look at the zipper; I put them together and imagine zipping up the zipper; then I sew it in backwards.  Yesterday, between the sewing machine and the zipper I decided that the goddess of sewing was not smiling on me and moved on to other things.

Today, I have sewn the zipper in backwards, twice.  How can I do that you ask?  Once, yes, take it out, turn it over and it should work.  Not so.  Who can tell how my twisted mind works.  Well I am ready to keep trying.  Three's a charm they say.

Comments

[Liana]

Mardel, I have to look at the directions that came with my IZ foot every time, and lay my pieces just like theirs, then put a pin in to hold it correctly, otherwise it's impossible. For some reason, it seems like you're sewing it in backwards to get it to turn out right. Hope you get them done for your trip!