You guys!! This is our last step!! After we finish up all these closures, aka buttonholes and buttons then we’re done and dusted! That deserves a whoop whoop or something :)
Ready to get started? I’ve got a few tricks and tips to show you!
SEWING THE BUTTONHOLES
I think one of the hard things about buttons and buttonholes is making sure that they line up correctly and are properly spaced. There is a button placement guide in your pattern, but don’t forget you can change the placements however you’d like! Make the buttons further apart, closer together, however, you’d like – it’s really up to you! And if you raise or alter the neckline or bodice length in any way, you probably definitely need to.
Whenever I’m getting set up to make buttonholes I like to plan them all out with pins first. I place a pin at the beginning and end of each buttonhole and measure out to make sure they’re properly spaced.
Sew those buttonholes! If your machine doesn’t have an automatic buttonhole function, there’s a post here to show you how to do it without one.
Once you’ve sewn up your buttonholes you can open them up using a buttonhole cutter or a seam ripper.
BUTTON TRICK #1
To get your buttons lined up perfectly with your buttonholes, match up your plackets how they will be when you are done, and pin them in place.
Push a pin through the centre of a buttonhole. Now as you lift up the right placket the pins will be left on the left placket marking the perfect spots for all your buttons!
BUTTON TRICK #2
Hand sewing buttons can be a bastard if you have heaps to do. This is how I sew all my buttons on now – with my machine! Some machines have special button sewing feet and functions (you can see an example in this post), but I’ll show you how to do it without one again here.
Remove your foot from your sewing machine. So you’re just left with the stand.
Set your machine to a zig-zag stitch. Lower your stitch length all the way down to zero – this is important! Since each machine is different, you will have to play around with the stitch width to find out what width will neatly go through each hole in your button. On my machine “3” works perfectly.
Use clear tape to tape your button over the spot you marked previously, and remove the pin.
Now sew!!!! Yep, right through the scotch tape. Isn’t this amazing? Your machine is sewing your button on for you (seriously this excites me so much every time I do it, don’t you laugh hehe). If you have a 4 hole button like me, just do the first two holes first, then move it slightly and repeat with the next two holes.
Pull off the tape.
And now you have a perfectly sewn button in like 20% of the time it would have taken to hand sew!
Do you still hate buttons and buttonholes? Because I have an idea for you :) Even though the pattern calls for buttons, you can get a bit creative and do something else like snaps/press studs. I did that on a dress I made a few years ago and I love how easy it is to put on (and it took 5 minutes to attach the snaps).
LOOKING FOR MORE TUTORIALS?
Here’s the full list of Darling Ranges tutorials:
- Project preparation
- Pattern alterations: full bust adjustment
- Pattern alterations: small bust adjustment
- Pattern alterations: lengthen the bodice
- Pattern alterations: raise the neckline
- Pattern alterations: rounded neckline
- Pattern alterations: fishtail hem
- Pattern alterations: add darts to the back bodice pattern piece
- Sewing & construction: Bodice & darts
- Sewing & construction: Skirt & pockets
- Sewing & construction: Attaching the skirt & bodice
- Sewing & construction: Placket & Neckline
- Sewing & construction: Sleeveless version
- Sewing & construction: Attaching the sleeves
- Sewing & construction: Hemming
- Sewing & construction: Ties & beltloops
- Sewing & construction: Closures
- Sewing and Construction: Sleeveless variation
- Sewing and Construction: Dartless Versions (View B &View C)
We absolutely love seeing what you make, so don’t forget to tag your creations with #MNdarlingranges and @megannielsenpatterns if sharing on social media.
Don’t have the pattern yet?
