Shirt Making Master Class: Part 3: Buttons and Buttonholes
If you’ve been following along in our shirt making master class, we are almost at the end! It’s time to add buttons and buttonholes to your almost completed shirt.
For this step, you will need to consider where you need to add buttons, depending on your pattern selection. You will of course need them on the centre front of your shirt, but you may also need them on the cuffs and tabs.
In selecting your buttons, consider the size and weight of the buttons in relation to your chosen fabric. For example, a large, heavy glass button will not be suitable for a lightweight chiffon shirt.
Start by marking the placement of your buttonholes.
Attach the sensormatic buttonhole foot.
Measure the size of your button, your buttonholes will need to be slightly larger than the button, I like to add 2mm on top of the button size
Set your buttonhole slit length and make sure the red arrow lines up with the marking on the foot. Press the play button or press the foot control to start sewing your buttonholes. Repeat for each buttonhole. The buttonhole will be completed, and the threads cut.
Once you have sewn all your buttonholes its time to sew your buttons on. Sewing on buttons can be a tedious task, but not with the sew on button foot!
Mark the placement of your buttons with chalk or a marking pen
Snap on the Sew-on Button Foot.
Lower feed dogs.
Insert the button between the black metal piece and the presser foot. Make sure that two holes are positioned in the cut-out of the presser foot.
Place the fabric under the presser foot. Select button sew-on stitch or zigzag stitch. Lower feed dogs.
Select the stitch width to match buttonholes. Manually turn the hand wheel to make sure that the needle enters the left hole, then the right hole to make sure you have your stitch width correct, and you won’t hit the button
If using zigzag, sew across button five times.
Now that your buttons are attached your shirt is finished!
The skills you’ve leant making a shirt will come in handy in the making of many garments, we can’t wait to see what you create!
Until next time, happy sewing.
We can’t wait to see what you create! Don’t forget to share them with us on Instagram, tagging @pfaffsewingaus and using the hashtags #pfaffsewingaustralia #pfaffsewing #perfectionstartshere or our Facebook page Pfaff Australia
Julia Mulcair is the owner of Pitt Trading, an Australian online fabric store and the lingerie society, a monthly subscription service for lingerie sewers. She grew up around fabric, and has been sewing for 30 years.
Julia focuses on garment sewing, with a particular love of lingerie making. She shares her makes on Instagram and YouTube and is always working on the next lingerie design!
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