Make samples Waist Finishing BOUND BUTTONHOLES Buttonholes are easy if made according to professional methods. They offer an excellent trimming for many dresses and often give that center of interest so desired. As materials are handled differently, it is advisable to make two or three buttonholes in the material of the dress before the buttonholes are made on the garment itself. The secret of quick, perfect work is in the pressing. Basting back the buttonhole on most material is very tedious when the iron will do the work with speed and perfection. It is not necessary to baste any part of the buttonhole unless so desired. Easiest method The easiest way to make a bound buttonhole is to make it with one piece of material rather than to bind each side of a slash. If the slashed opening is bound, it makes heavy ridges in the binding and is made in this manner only when bias seam binding is used. When made Bound buttonholes are made before the dress is assembled, while worked buttonholes are made after the garment is finished. The buttonhole is made through but one thickness of the goods, and the facing is applied later. It is easier to stitch, turn and
finish a buttonhole on a small section rather than on the finished garment. Length Bound buttonholes are seldom made less than one inch long. If the buttons are small, tailored loops are then used as on neck closings and the backs of sleeves. These loops are applied to slashed opening while buttonholes must lap over the button. Marking The pattern usually marks the line for the buttonhole, but when remodeling a garment plan to make the buttonhole slashed with the straight thread of material. If on a lapel, follow the straight thread of the goods when cutting rather than making the buttonhole at right angles to the edge. If it must be made on the bias, then baste a straight piece of cotton material under the buttonhole before it is made.
Do not guess at spacing Buttonholes should be carefully measured and marked before they are made. A crooked or poorly spaced buttonhole is very noticeable and often ruins the appearance of the garment. There is a rule for spacing buttons and buttonholes and this rule should be followed rather than to guess where they are to be placed. Edge placement The button will rest at the end of the buttonhole and not in the middle. The buttonhole will also be made on the garment before the facing is applied and a seam must be allowed at the edge. Press back the sewing line for marking until this rule becomes fully understood, otherwise the buttonhole may be cut too close to the edge of the dress. After the edge seam is pressed back to mark the sewing line at the edge, place a button on the edge and mark back the width of the button, placing a pin at the mark. Then place the button at
this pin and mark another button length for the length of the opening. The shank of the button, or the threads that hold it in place, will take up an eighth-inch on all but large buttons. Add this eighth-inch at the front of the buttonhole toward the edge seam. This will make the opening one-eighth inch larger than the button. Very large buttons will require a quarter-inch for the shank. Rule for spacing When there will be a row of buttonholes, mark the first and last before spacing those in the center. After the first and last are marked, place the section on a table; with the ruler, draw a chalk line down both front and back edge of all the row. They will be evenly spaced unless unevenly grouped, and the general rule to follow will be to space them twice the width of the button apart. This rule will vary to a trifle wider width but not narrower. Mannish tailored garments such as shirt waists and coats have the buttons spaced wider. Long rows of buttons without buttonholes are placed quite close together.
Marking a row After the first and last buttonholes are marked, cut a strip of paper the length between the two marked buttonholes. Mark on the paper twice the width of the button to be used, and fold it up accordingly. If it does not come out even, widen each space a trifle until the folds are even. After the correct width is found, place the paper on the material, and place a pin to correspond with the creases. This will space the buttonholes quickly. Marked on both sides Measure both the back and the front line of buttonholes so that they will be straight. Chalk mark the line for each buttonhole. Then baste through each chalk mark, as the line will be used on the right side to place the binding material and the basting must go through to the back as a guide for stitching. The buttonhole will be stitched from the dress material and not over the binding.
If the material is loosely woven or is cut on the bias, it is advisable to baste a straight stay down the line to hold the stitching firm. This stay must be placed before the buttonholes are basted through from the right side, for the stitching will be done from this side. Baste and stitch through both dress and the stay. Binding material The strips for the binding are generally made of the same material as the garment and can be cut on the lengthwise, crosswise, or bias. The bias and crosswise may make a more attractive trimming, but the lengthwise will make the firm edge and will be easier to handle. Each strip should be cut separately, as one continuous strip will make each section too small. Large separate sections must not overlap the next buttonhole. Cut the scraps as wide as possible, at least one inch longer and two inches wider than the finished buttonhole. It does not
pay to skimp on the size of the material used, the larger scrap will work much quicker. It will be trimmed off after it is finished. Stitching It is customary for dressmakers to mark all the buttonholes, then baste on all the scraps, then stitch them all, then slash them all, turn them all and finish. Do not finish one at a time. After all the buttonholes are marked through to the reverse side, the binding material is ready to apply. If the material had a definite line on the lengthwise thread, all the scraps should be pressed down the center on this line. This center line will mark the visible part of the binding and the line should not be crooked. Apply this scrap to the chalk mark and basted line on the right side of the garment, matching the fold of the crease to the basted line, placing it exactly in the center of the line with an equal amount extending at each end.
Pin to place carefully with several pins. The pins will hold it for stitching. Stitch Turn to the wrong side with the scraps down on the machine. The basted lines will now be followed on each side. Start stitching to the side of the center of one of the lines and not at the point. Stitch one-eighth inch from the edge. (It is advisable for the amateur to practice on large buttonholes with a quarter-inch of stitching from the line until the rules are learned.) Stitch to the end of the line, keeping on even width from the center. When the end is reached, lower the needle into the goods, lift the presser foot and turn the goods. Lower the presser foot and count the stitches across the end. The narrower the buttonhole the better it will look when made correctly. Four stitches are usually sufficient unless the larger practice buttonhole is being made.
After the end is stitched, turn the corner as before and stitch down the other side, keeping an even distance from the center. Turn the third corner and count the stitches of equal number on the other end. Overlap the stitching when the end is reached. If the material is loosely woven, stitch around the second time closely. Check to determine if the straight thread of material was followed on the right side of the material. Remove the bastings or pins, fold back the scrap to be sure that the thread is straight before slashing the opening. After the buttonhole is cut it cannot be changed, a remade buttonhole is always larger and longer. Clip open After it has been checked slash the center mark with sharppointed scissors along the basting. Start to cut at the center of the line and not at the end. The end must be clipped into a V- shaped section to be used later to hold the buttonhole together. Clip from the center slash to each of the corners at the end of the line, but be sure not to clip the stitching. If it should accidentally be clipped, be sure to restitch it before turning. Pull through The binding is now ready to pull through to the wrong side, drawing out the corners. Have the iron ready and press open the opening into a rectangle. Be sure to press the corners perfect.
Press to shape Each edge of the binding will now be pressed to shape. This will eliminate the basting and will make the line more perfect. The seam remains on the outside of the binding. Bring one side of the binding up to fill exactly half of the space; fold back and press. Lift the other side to fill the remaining space and press back. If the pressing has been made even, the lines will be perfect and there will be two tiny inverted box pleats at the end of each line. Moisture should be used when possible.
Stitch the end Lift the box pleat and stitch it to the point with the binding side down on the machine. This completes the buttonhole unless a facing is used. The edges can be caught to the seam if so desired. The edges are then trimmed off. On wash material they are turned back in a finish. The buttonhole is not stitched around the edges from the right side. Facing finish The buttonhole is made free from the facing which is later finished to the buttonhole. Press the finished buttonhole flat and trim off the extra width of binding. After the facing is stitched on and the edge seam is pressed open, it is basted to the dress at the edge and around the buttonhole.
Clipped from the right side After the facing is basted over the opening, it is clipped through from the right side. It is then turned to the wrong side and clipped to the end of the buttonhole. Push under the raw edges with the needle and catch to the buttonhole as far back as the binding at the center. Graduate to a point at the end. Lapel If the buttonhole is on a lapel, and will be visible from both the right and the wrong side, the facings must be finished with square corners, clipping the ends to two points as in the binding. Push under and slip stitch to the buttonhole on the exact sewing line, using small stitches, then press. Commercial seam binding When using bias binding for buttonholes, the line for the buttonhole must be opened before it is bound and must be applied skillfully. It can be done beautifully with practice.
Clip open the buttonhole to within a quarter of an inch of the end. Clip to the points. Baste on the binding with it extending one-quarter-inch on the wrong side. The binding must cover onehalf of the opening. Make the other side and press flat. Turn and stitch the points at the end on the wrong side to the two extended ends of the binding. Practice making several buttonholes. Questions Bound Buttonholes What is the secret of making a quick perfect buttonhole? When are they made? Are they made through facings? What length are they made? On what thread of material are they cut? If made on the bias thread, what should be done? What is the rule for placing? How far back from the edge should buttonholes be placed? What line is used from which to measure? How is a corner buttonhole measured? When making a row, what two are marked first? How far apart are they spaced? How is a row spaced after the first two are marked? How are they marked, on wrong or right side? Why? Are buttonholes stayed? When? On what side are they stitched?
How is the mark placed through to the wrong side? How is most successful binding cut? How large should the pieces be cut? Should one long piece be used? What is the dressmaker's method of stitching them? How is the binding prepared? Why? On which side of the garment is it placed? How is it stitched where started and ended? How are perfect points made? How are the ends stitched perfectly matched? What is done to loosely woven material? How are they slashed? Where should the stitching start and end? How does the end look after it is slashed? If threads are clipped, what must be done? What is the next important step, usually omitted? How is each side then handled? What is done with the side seams of the buttonhole? How is the end treated? Where is the end stitching made? When is the buttonhole trimmed off? How are wash buttonholes handled? How are the buttonholes in facings marked? From which side are they clipped through the facing? How are they finished? What shape is the facing buttonhole?
How is a lapel buttonhole made? Buttonholes Made with Commercial Binding How are they cut? When? What width are they cut? How is binding applied? Is the machine stitching visible? How are the ends finished?