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Sewing
Closures:
Velcro and Buttonholes
Often times we hear the word
closures and panic at the difficulty. These two closures
are the easiest. Yes, that's right, buttonholes are easy -
even for the beginner.
Velcro
First, let's talk about
Velcro. They have recently come out with a fantastic
product called fusible Velcro. It is a little more
expensive than regular Velcro but it is well worth the added
expense. Why? Because you simply iron it on and your
done!
However if you can't find the
fusible type, attaching Velcro is simple.
There are two types of sew-on
Velcro. The easier one to work with, has an adhesive back
that will stick in place in order to position it for sewing.
This is very helpful because you are not dealing with pins.
The other type is just plain Velcro, which you have to pin in
place.
There are two sides to Velcro.
The loop side is soft, while the hook side is made of plastic
that feels rough to the touch.
| A. Once you know where the
Velcro
needs to be placed, cut the size you need.
Separate the two pieces, and either pin or stick
in place. It doesn't matter which side you
work with first, loop or hook. |
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| B.
Simply sew
along each edge, beginning and ending with a backstitch,
OR you can pivot at each corner.
Make sure you remove your pins
before sewing over them. If
you look at the bottom picture, top left, you can see a
stitch that is out of line - this is what will happen if
you sew over a pin! |
These pictures show you what the
front and back will look like when completed.
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C.
Repeat Steps A-B for the other
piece.
Buttonholes
With the way
machines are made today, this process can be extremely easy.
I had a mother over recently sewing with her daughters, who had
never attempted a buttonhole. After we set her machine up,
and she sewed her first buttonhole, she couldn't believe that
she had been so intimidated by this process. It is simple,
as long as you know the tricks to making them look
professionally done!
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1. First,
and foremost, you must read YOUR sewing machine
manual on how to make buttonholes with your specific
machine. This will tell you the proper
tension, and settings. |
Three types of
machine-made buttonholes.
1. Automatic
- This is the one my dream machine has! These are on
computerized machines, in which the machine knows the size of
the buttonhole needed, by placing a sample of the button in the
buttonhole foot, or programming the size of the button on the
screen. Then you press a button, and you sip your tea,
while the machine makes your buttonhole.
Okay, you might have to guide the fabric a
little, but you could do that with your free hand.
2. One-step -
This one is similar to the
automatic, in the sense that you can determine the buttonhole
length by placing your button in the buttonhole foot, and the
machine completes the buttonhole in one step. The
difference is that you will need to change the dial to a
buttonhole setting.
3. Four-step -
This is what I have, and it does work great! You
sew your buttonhole, also by changing the dial, however, there
are 4 different settings on the dial in order to sew the 4 sides
of the buttonhole.
| 2.
If your machine
didn't come with a good buttonhole foot, invest in a
Sliding Buttonhole Foot. They are easy to use and
work great on all thicknesses. |
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| 3.
Buttonholes should be placed, at a minimum, 3/4 inch
from the edge of the finished garment or project. |
For clothes,
buttonholes are usually on the right side for women, and on the
left for men.
| 4.
Even if you
are following a pattern with buttonholes, determine the
length of the buttonhole on your own. This will
ensure that they are the right size for the exact
buttons you are using.
Although my machine allows for me to place the
button in the buttonhole foot to determine the length of
the buttonhole, I have found that when I measure the
length on my own, my buttonholes turn out more accurate. |
Measuring
Buttonholes
| A.
Cut a small strip of paper
B.
Wrap the strip around the button
C.
Pinch the paper together
D.
Slip the button out and press your paper in half.
E.
Measure from the edge of the paper to the pinched mark,
and add 1/8 inch. |
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| Warning: If
your button has a shank on it, make sure you do not
wrap your strip of paper over the shank.
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Marking The Buttonholes
| A.
Make sure your buttonhole markings are either perfectly
horizontal or perpendicular to the edges of your
project.
B.
Mark the position of
the opening, as well as the
ends, as shown |
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| 5.
Always back your
buttonholes with interfacing. |
Interfacing will
keep the buttonhole from stretching and sagging. Use
interfacing that is the same weight as the fabric you are using.
**If you are working with a darker fabric,
I have used a permanent marker that matches the thread of the
buttonhole, to color in the spots where the interfacing is
showing. Cut out a piece of interfacing
approximately 1 inch larger than the buttonhole, on all sides.
Fuse or baste interfacing to the fabric.
| 6.
Always sew your
buttonholes with a new needle. Usually this is one
of the last steps in completing a project.
Therefore it is highly likely that you have been using
the same needle for a while. This new needle can
help eliminate missed stitches and tangled threads. |
**It
is worth making a sample buttonhole before you sew one onto your
finished project, in order to better understand how your machine
works with your particular fabric and to
ensure that it is the correct size. When you do this, make
sure you use the same fabric, interfacing, and layers.
Follow your
manual to Sew the Buttonhole.
Finishing
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7.
Nothing
is worse than having beautiful buttonholes, and when you
open them up, you slip and cut through the bar tacks
at the end (yes, experience is speaking)!!!
To prevent this, insert pins at each end, in front of
the bar tacks BEFORE you cut the buttonhole open. |
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Two ways to open
your buttonhole:
| A.
Use a ripper. Insert it into the center, and slit the
buttonhole open to the pin. Repeat in both directions.
B.
Fold buttonhole in half,
matching bar tacks, and with sharp small scissors snip an
opening. Unfold buttonhole, insert scissors and cut all
the way across. |
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| 8.
Because buttonholes can fray, add a dab of liquid
fray preventer on the back of the buttonhole. Just
remember, only a little bit! (Test
fabric first for discoloration.) |
The next article
includes a project that is
perfect for practicing both of these closures! Until then,
Happy Sewing!!!!
Kristi
P.S. For any
questions or suggestions, email me at
kristi@sewingwithkids.com.
2007 Cord of Three Enterprises, LLC
All Rights Reserved
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Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which
difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. A little knowledge
that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle.
John Quincy Adams
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