I hate measuring button and buttonhole placement and have nearly quit doing it.  Here’s what I do instead – this is one of those things that’s a lot easier to do than describe:

• Complete the top except for buttons/buttonholes and try it on.  Using straight pins, pin the center front closed at the neck and at the fullest part of your bust (the top is likely to gap if there’s no button there). With other straight pins, mark those locations on the right front and remove the pins holding the top closed.
• If you have a long, loose fitting top that only needs four buttons, fold the right front down at the bust-level pin; the place on the center front that now lies under the neckline pin is the location for button #3; the place under the bust-level pin is the location for the bottom button.  You now have four evenly spaced button locations marked and you never picked up a measuring tool!
• If you need more closely spaced buttons, fold the top so that the neckline pin meets the bust-level pin and put a mark at the fold (dividing distance between the two original marks).  Now, fold the top at the bust-level pin mark the front opposite the neckline and second pins.  You can keep folding and pinning button placement until you get as many as you need and they will all be the same distance apart.

Submitted by Lisa Laree

This tip is from 1,000 Clever Sewing Shortcuts & Tips.

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