Sewing door zipper (any advice?)

Hi Matt, what CAD software are you using for this? Looks neat

Hi Rob,
the program I use is called google sketch up. It is free from google and quite a few people on these forums use it. You just draw what you want and SU tells you the dimensions. Then you just add on seam allowances and make a pattern, or cut, or whatever. I think you can get dedicated fabric design software, but judging by some of the results on this forum, it would be overkill.
Matt

http://video.about.com/sewing/Zipper-Sewing.htm

Maybe this can help with general zipper sewing.

For the door, maybe you can use a scrap piece to make a tail at the top of the zipper like in the link below, except all the way to the top of your tent:

http://thru-hiker.com/projects/using_continuous_zipper.php

Don't worry if the zipper doesn't come out perfectly.

Matthew – a couple ways I have done it:
1) make your cut, then at the top you cut a short 'Y shape so that yu have two short cuts at 45 degrees either way from your main cutline. Then when you sew in the zipper, having first determined the right amount to fold over and the right point on the ziper tape to line up with so that the exposed zipper equals the amount of fabric that is folded under (hope that makes sense), when you get to the top you'll have a little triangle that folds up instead of off to the side, and that finishes it off pretty well.
2) Even better is to continue your cut to the top of the fabric panel, and from the top of the zipper to the edge of the fabric, you insert a narrow strip of fabric(same width as the zipper) with a hemmed bottom end that laps down over the top end of the zipper. That gives you a cleaner termination.

Many thanks for the advice, some good tips there. As ever, once its explained it all seems quite simple and logical.
Matt