Maria Sewing: How to make buttonholes on double faced wool

Saturday, May 26, 2012

How to make buttonholes on double faced wool

I came up with two ways of making buttonholes for my double faced wool cape. Of course you can use the usual one and make them by your sewing machine, but I really didn't like the idea, of just cutting the buttonhole. I thought the cape would end up looking up cheap and I guess by now you know all the amount of work, time and personal effort I invested in this project. I'm only showing you this simple method because I'm sure you can master it better than I did!

1. First of all mark the buttonhole places on your fabric, according to the pattern. You may use thread or a non permanent marker. I'm using heat disappearing markers.

2. Use an accurate ruler to determine the diameter of the buttons you selected.

Tip : make sure that the buttons you will use are the same size for both sides, because they will be using the same button holes!

3. Use that measurement to shorten or lengthen the buttonhole marking on your fabric.

It's useful to always make a sample of the buttonhole on scrap fabric. Sometimes the buttonhole will have the exact length of the button, sometimes it will be a couple of millimetres smaller, if the fabric is too soft or loosely woven or a couple of millimetres wider.

4. Now slash open the buttonhole right at the marking.

As you've been doing all along, following these tutorials, open the two layer of the double faced wool, carefully with your fingers and cutting the joining threads.

You don't have to go deep, as you previously did for seam allowances. Half a centimetre is enough.

5. Start sewing going round and round, while turning a bit of the edge in. The ideal will be a couple of millimetres, but to be honest with you I found it difficult. Maybe because I was making a sample and I knew I had the bound buttonholes idea to test too. Maybe it was my fabric. Try it out and it could work for you.