With all the details, I focused on the open seams. For some reason it seems to me that stitching in the seam over and through the seam thread would cause it to break up. As having been poor which necessitated many frugal sewing decisions, I too had to use what was available in remnants and cheaper in the thread department. Looking at pictures of our first daughter as she turned 50 this month, some of those dresses from the 70's look pretty good...even without the expensive zippers and enhancements.