The responses to Jaime’s post last week about buttons and buttonholes was so fascinating! I was particularly interested to learn that some of you really prefer the look of handstitched buttonholes.
I thought I’d share these diagrams with you from one of my many vintage sewing books. They show three variations on the handstitched buttonhole: the plain buttonhole, the buttonhole with bar, and the tailored buttonhole with a corded edge, which is the most intriguing to me.
I can’t say that I’ve ever done a buttonhole by hand, only machine-stitched or bound. I can see now how pretty it would be in silk thread or perle cotton, as some of you mentioned last week. Given that I’m on a real back-buttoning blouse kick lately, I may give one of these a try soon!
Comments
Oh these are facinating! I love that last one too! Thank you!
I made buttonholes by hand quite often, but as silly as it might be, I’ve realized today that I could have basted the fabric layers together, as shown on the first diagram of each explanation. That is so obvious! Wonder whether I missed one step when the teacher was explaining… :-)
I’d love to try making one by hand, but I don’t think my handsewing is quite up to it yet, if my woeful embroidery is anything to go by!
However, I do love making bound buttoholes. After being terrified of them, I sat myself down with a whole afternoon to learn and found out it was actually very easy, as long as you measure everything up right to start! Surprisingly relaxing even!
I’ve made a few buttonholes by hand, but they were never actually intended for buttons (I was modifying some old shoes into slip ons and wanted to pass an elastic strap under the tongue in the middle, so I used that method to bind the edges of the holes I cut). I was just sort of winging it, but mine were like the ones in Figure 19.
That said, I love the automatic buttonhole function on my sewing machine. It’s so easy it’s practically evil.
[...] Wonderful handstitched buttonhole diagrams [...]
Oh, I’ve got a lovely army issue Greatcoat with corded button holes. It makes for a very good, heavy duty button hole.
Considering the amount of abuse this coat has gone through over the last decade in my ownership, these button holes have held up very well.
I tried to make handmade buttonholes for my Sencha, I practiced, and practiced but I could not do it…. I’ll keep practicing!
[...] Wonderful handstitched buttonhole diagrams [...]
Those are beautiful. I wish I could actually make one that evenly.
Notice that the direction of needle entry is the opposite of blanket stich and that’s what makes the firm, long-wearing bead of knots on the raw edge. I hate it when people do a blanket stitch and call it a buttonhole stitch.