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Member since 4/22/07
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Posted on: 5/9/15 3:20 AM ET
Reading material:
The Sewing Lawyer on Bound Buttonholes by Kay
The Vogue Sewing Book

On my jacket I wanted bound buttonholes. I made a lot of mistakes, so maybe you can learn from my mistakes.

Before you start: practice making bound buttonholes.

1. When you change your pattern, make a muslin to find out where the buttons and buttonholes are going to be placed.
2. Cut the front and facing of the front
3. MARK everything on the front and facing with thread basting with the position of the buttons and buttonholes
before doing anything else.
4. Make buttonholes and anti buttonholes (the backside of the buttonholes) on the facing BEFORE you start putting the garment together. This may sound strange, but it works best.
5. Read THE SEWING LAWYER while doing this, by far the best instructions, Thank you Kay!!
6. After you made the bound buttonhole part on the front and the anti buttonhole part on the facing, work on the garment.
7. When the garment is almost finished, you close the facing towards the front, bast in place, finish the lining.
8. Everything ready except buttonholes? Sew buttonholes and anti buttonholes together, place the buttons, ready!

Now, this order seems strange, and I didn't do it! I thought that I could be faster by not basting the markings everywhere, and starting to sew the garment before making the buttonholes. BIG mistake, it took me so much time to find the right position of the buttonholes! So don't do that.
Sometimes, a slow way to operate is the fastest! Also, people before us did things for a reason, they probably found out the hard way.

My first attempt to make bound buttonholes. Acceptable, not perfect, especially the inside is not perfect. But: I know that , but other people won't. If someone comes close enough to see that the buttonholes are not perfect, that person is very impolite, right?


Link:
the sewing lawyer






-- Edited on 5/9/15 at 3:42 AM --
-- Edited on 5/9/15 at 3:45 AM --



-- Edited on 5/9/15 at 10:06 AM --

Finished buttonholes plus anti buttonholes
-- Edited on 5/9/15 at 10:09 AM --
  
Member since 3/29/14
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Posted on: 5/9/15 3:43 AM ET
I just don't 'get' bound buttonholes. I have read up and followed video tutes, but have failed miserably. I LOATHE fiddly detailing and don't have the patience or dexterity for this sort of work.
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'We are such stuff As dreams are made on; and our little life Is rounded with a sleep'. The Tempest - William Shakespeare
  
Member since 4/22/07
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Posted on: 5/9/15 3:46 AM ET
Well, I just wanted to try, and I find it very rewarding that I did. Nobody will notice, except my sewing daughter!
-- Edited on 5/9/15 at 3:47 AM --
  
Member since 3/29/14
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Posted on: 5/9/15 3:59 AM ET
I am glad you were able to crack this. There is something wrong with my brain as I really can't follow the steps unless every single tutor has missed a vital point which leads to my failing.
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'We are such stuff As dreams are made on; and our little life Is rounded with a sleep'. The Tempest - William Shakespeare
  
Member since 6/14/14
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Posted on: 5/9/15 4:14 AM ET
I LOVE bound button holes! Since doing it on my last coat, I am going to do all my future coat button holes by bounding. The finish is amazing and really glam up a garment.

I don't find them any harder to make then any other part of a coat. Having a mathematical mind means that as long as there is a formulae and a direction I have no issue with construction.

Nanneke, your button holes are coming along great, and yes, if anyone can see your imperfection then they are too close.keep practicing! You will be pro at it soon enough.

Edit: spelling
-- Edited on 5/9/15 at 7:55 AM --
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Posted on: 5/9/15 4:21 AM ET
Oh, and I used this sew-along instructions to complete my bound button holes.
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Member since 5/14/05
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Posted on: 5/9/15 5:51 AM ET
Nanneke if that's your first attempt at bound buttonholes, they are OK. As Birdy has suggested, just keep practicing as that's the way to improve.

Heavier, loose weave fabrics are often more difficult and in this case I used a contrast colour in a light leather, then covered the buttons in the same leather. Added a nice feature that was totally unplanned, but proved the time spent doing practice buttonholes was worth the effort.

A few days ago I came across a site with triangular bound buttonholes!! Something else to practice someday.
;-)
  
Member since 1/5/08
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Posted on: 5/9/15 6:39 AM ET
I find it easier to treat my button holes the same way as welt pockets. Less material to fiddle with. Use strips of material 4 times the width of the lip that is showing in the button hole. That means using a 1" strip of fabric fused wrong sides together for a 1/4 inch lip showing in the button hole.

Since I started doing this all my coat and jacket buttonholes have turned out exactly as I wanted them to.

Jill
  
Member since 10/18/04
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Posted on: 5/9/15 9:36 AM ET
In reply to NanaAnna
I've made many triangular bound buttonholes. If you know how to do regular bound buttonholes and understand the process, these aren't hard and they look great! You can also make welt pockets using this technique.

Anne
  
Member since 4/22/07
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Posted on: 5/9/15 10:12 AM ET
I saw those triangular bound buttonholes too, might be nice to try one day!

Bound buttonholes are my favourite subject at the moment!

I placed some more pictures in my first post, of the finished buttonholes. They look ok, if you don't come too close!
  
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