Love Sewing — Issue 45 2017

for stretchy fabric and a universal sharps for

wovens.

Use the same general-purpose thread in both

bobbin and as top thread for most garments.

If sewing a heavyweight coat however, you

can opt for special-purpose buttonhole thread

that will create a very strong buttonhole.

Once stitched, feed thread tails back through

stitching before cutting off.

POSITION AND SIZE

3

Transfer the buttonhole position from

the paper pattern to the fabric. If creating

your own positioning, ensure that the start

and end will be no closer than 15mm from

the fabric edge.

You don’t have to determine the size of the

buttonhole required if your machine has the

automatic buttonhole foot – usually a long

white foot with two protruding lugs on the

left side. Open out the recess and pop the

button in place, then push to hold the

button firmly. This sets the size for the

buttonhole needed.

If your machine doesn’t have this foot, you

can stitch a buttonhole with a tight satin

stitch but will need to mark the length on the

fabric. To determine buttonhole size measure

across the button and add 3mm. Note

unusually shaped or domed buttonholes may

require larger buttonholes. Test the size on a

scrap of fabric to save heartache.

• Mark buttonhole placement with chalk^
  lines or basting stitches. For horizontal
  buttons, draw two parallel lines the
  buttonhole size apart down the length
  to be buttoned. For vertical buttons,
  draw a vertical line from top to bottom
  of buttonhole placement and then mark
  buttonhole size with tiny horizontal lines. I
  use a different colour to mark the top and

bottom of each buttonhole.

• On average buttons should be placed
  approximately 2-3” (5-8 cm) apart on
  garments and 4-5” (10-13cm) on soft
  furnishings. On lightweight fabric, position
  them slightly closer.


• To open buttonhole, place a pin at one^
  end close to inner edge of bar tack and,
  starting from other end, push the seam
  ripper towards pin, between side stitching.

BOUND BUTTONHOLES

Often found on tailored garments, coats or

jackets, a bound buttonhole has flaps or lips

each side of the opening. They can be fiddly

to complete and are best avoided on fabric

that frays easily.

1

To make a bound buttonhole, first cut a

rectangle of fabric 5cm longer than the

buttonhole. Fold it in half to create a crease

through the centre. Then centre it over the

buttonhole position on the RS of the garment

and baste around the edge.

2

Mark buttonhole line along the centre

crease, then mark a rectangle about 3mm

away from the line all the way around.

3

Starting in the middle of the top line,

machine-stitch the rectangle, counting the

Follow Wendy’s simple steps that make sure you

achieve perfect results every time

BUT TONHOLES

Beautiful

T

he buttonhole strikes fear into the

heart of many sewists. With my handy

tips you shouldn’t be screaming at

your sewing machine but instead will achieve

beautifully made buttonholes.

MACHINE BUTTONHOLES

STABILISING

1

It is essential to stabilise the buttonhole

area to prevent stretchy or baggy

buttonholes. With the correct stabiliser

buttonholes can be successfully stitched

in any fabric, from lightweight sheers to

heavyweight or stretch knits. The aim is

to prevent the concentrated stitching of

the buttonhole puckering the fabric if it

is lightweight or stretching it out of

shape if it is a knit fabric. Most areas

that require buttonholes are already

interfaced,

but if not, add a small square of

tear-away stabiliser behind the

area to be stitched to provide the

stability needed.

NEEDLE AND

THREAD

2

As the

buttonhole is

made of dense

close stitching,

penetrating at least

three or more

layers of fabric,

you need a good

sharp needle that

can pierce through

the layers easily.

A new 80/12 is

ideal for most

woven fabric. But

do remember to

use a ballpoint/

stretch needle

A beautifully stitched

buttonhole can make a

garment look so much

more professional

Vogue pattern 8333

84 http://www.lovesewingmag.co.uk

LS45 pp84 wendy gardiner.indd 84 19/09/2017 16:10