Mistakes & fixes

A zipper with broken teeth or a track that won't close needs to be unpicked from the garment and swapped for a new one of matching length and type. Baste the new zipper in before final stitching.

Shoulder seams sitting too wide or narrow, throwing off where the sleeve cap falls, are corrected by unpicking the shoulder and sleeve, moving the seam, and reattaching the sleeve to the adjusted armhole.

Velvet or other pile fabric flattened from pressure or storage can often be restored by steaming from the wrong side without letting the iron touch the pile, then brushing the nap back upright.