Buttonhole

“ The goods should be cut to a thread, for it is impossible to make a neat buttonhole if it is improperly cut. In cutting a round end buttonhole for thick goods, a punch may be used for the end, after which the remainder of the buttonhole is cut directly on a line with the center of the circle. ”

“ Barred Buttonhole—Round-End Buttonhole—Tailors' Buttonhole—Simulated Buttonhole—Loop Buttonhole—Bound Buttonhole—Eyelets—Sewing on Buttons—Covering Button-Molds—Sewing on Patent Fasteners—Sewing on Hooks and Eyes—Blind Loops
A WELL-MADE GARMENT that is otherwise perfect may be greatly injured in appearance by badly made buttonholes. They should always be properly spaced and marked before they are cut. ”

“ Now you are ready to commence to work the buttonhole. Thread a sewing needle with white cotton (say No. 40) , make a knot, and just to fasten your thread to your work put your needle in on the wrong side just below the running stitches, at the inner end of the buttonhole, picking up one thickness of material only, and bring it out on the right side of your work between the edges of the buttonhole.
MAKING A BUTTONHOLE.
Buttonholes are always worked on the right side of the work, and are worked from left to right. ”

“ This will be seen clearly by the detail C, which is very much enlarged to show the working, but the rows of buttonholing are not usually much more than 1⁄16 of an inch deep. It combines admirably with chain-stitch for leaves, flowers, and even figures, the stems and small details being worked in chain, and the filling in this solid form of buttonhole, while features and the folds of garments may be clearly indicated by voided lines. ”

“ After very large buttonholes are finished, their straight edges should be closely basted together by an over and over stitch and then pressed under a damp cloth. Before they are dry, a bodkin or stiletto should be pushed vigorously up through each eyelet until that opening becomes perfectly round and the stitches on its edges are regular and distinct. When the basting is removed, the buttonhole will be symmetrical in appearance.
Buttonholes which are to bear a strain are cut in the direction of the pull, but sometimes they are cut in the opposite direction, as for a shirt waist. ”

“ Continue along one edge until the corner is reached. Remember all stitches are to be the same depth and to have about the space of a thread between stitches, and the purl is to lie exactly on the edge.
Fig. 30.—The buttonhole stitch.
Turning the corner. There are several ways of finishing the corners of buttonholes. They may have two fan ends, or one fan and one bar, or two barred ends. How can we tell which way to plan? A barred end is stronger than one which has only a fan. One must judge how the buttonhole is to be used, and then make the proper combination of ends. ”

“ In the assembling and making up of narrow elastic fabrics, particularly suspenders, it is often necessary to use buttonholes in the finished products. Sometimes the buttonholes are cut and worked on the ordinary buttonhole sewing machines, but on account of the difficulty arising in the controlling of the strands of rubber when it is cut for working, a very unsightly buttonhole often results. ”

“ BUTTONHOLING AND WALLACHIAN EMBROIDERY Embroidery buttonholing is a little different from the buttonhole stitch used in sewing. It is a stitch that is most used to finish the edges of centre pieces, scarfs, and, in fact, any article where embroidery is wanted to finish the work. ”

“ It is almost impossible to make a perfect buttonhole in the ordinary manner by hand without a guide. The illustration shows a very simple guide that can be easily made by anyone. Procure two pieces of tin, or sheet brass, cut them as shown, and drill holes in them large enough for a needle, so that it will be easy to fasten them to the cloth with basting thread. ”

“ The twill or purl of buttonholing, as the little ridge on the edge is called, serves as a resistance for the material from fraying out.
The buttonhole stitch is the most popular in embroidery. It is the foundation for many other stitches. Feather-stitching is really an open form of this stitch.
As a usual thing it is necessary to pad before working buttonholing. It raises the work and makes it much more durable as an edge. The padding can be done in either running-stitch or chain-stitching. ”

“ Learn to use the machine attachment for making buttonholes. They are stronger and easier for you to make than hand-made buttonholes. Have your leader, mother, or a neighbor set it up for you and show you how to use it. After you have made a few sample buttonholes, make some in your apron or on your skirt. If you have a machine with a zig-zag stitch, learn to make buttonholes on it.
Pin the band together and mark place for buttons. See page 2 for instructions for sewing on buttons. ”

“ Overcasting the buttonhole. You have not all learned the overcasting stitch. Practice it on a scrap of cloth. Look at the picture (Fig. 28) carefully. The overcasting stitch is used on edges to prevent raveling. Hold the buttonhole along the top of the first finger. Begin without knot, and at the end farthest away from a finished edge; as at the end of skirt band or edge of waist. Work over end of thread. Point needle toward left shoulder to make a slanting stitch. Make about three or four stitches on each [42] side of the buttonhole (Fig. 29) . ”

“ Repeat the stitches until the button is securely fastened. Remove the pin, draw the button away from the material as far as possible and wind the working thread tightly several times around the threads between the button and the material, thus forming a thread shank for the button. If a button is too closely sewed to the garment, it will not have room to rest easily in the buttonhole and will crowd the latter out of shape and make the spacing seem irregular. The loose sewing and the winding increase the durability of the work and lessen the strain on the button. ”

“ There are buttons on the back of the waist of the morning coat to which the tails of the coat used to be fastened up, and there are buttons, occasionally with buttonholes, at the wrist which were once useful in turning up the sleeve. The same is true of man's body, which is a veritable museum of relics. ”

“ The same general principles are applied to the cuff as to the collar, and are simply adapted to suit the design of the cuff.
The cuffs may be closed with buttons and buttonholes, or with buttons and loops. (Chapter 24, page 114.) Or the buttons may be simply ornamental and the closing made underneath with hooks and eyes or tiny snap fasteners. (Chapter 24, page 116.)
THE CLOSING OF THE BLOUSE depends on the degree of softness and dressiness that you want to give to the blouse. The closing of the waistline is always made secure with a hook and eye, or button and loop. ”

“ Slashings of this reign, though in fashion, had commenced to go out; and those retained were of a large character, mostly from the neck or shoulder to the breast. The favoured sleeves were cut into straps to the elbow or wrist, and were often edged with braid, either side meeting together and lining the forearm, the body being treated in the same way. The open-fronted sleeve was set with buttons [144] and loops or long braided buttonholes with frayed or knotted ends, though these were not generally fastened. ”

“ Be careful to see that the heads of the pins are on top. Now catch the pins to the case with several long stitches which are taken below the points of the pins. Stitch a ribbon to flap of envelope and one at the bottom. Close the case and tie the ribbons and you have a handy pin case (Figure 69) .
[58]
V
MAKING BUTTONHOLES, CUTTING FROM A PATTERN, A DOLL DRESS To make a good buttonhole is an accomplishment that any girl can be proud of, as it is the hardest thing in sewing. ”

“ His dress was a mixture of oriental and English fashions—a pair of baggy blue pantaloons, bound around the waist with a rich shawl, a splendid scarlet waistcoat buttoned close over his spacious chest, and a robe of a very fine snuff-colored cloth something like a loose dressing gown without a collar. A cap of silver cloth, and a brilliant blue-satin cravat completed his costume, unless in his covering should be reckoned an enormous turquoise ring, which almost entirely concealed one of his fingers. ”

“ You know what the evening dress of men is here, from the costumes in our museum, and you can well believe that I never put on those ridiculous black trousers without a sense of their grotesqueness—that scrap of waistcoat reduced to a mere rim, so as to show the whole white breadth of the starched shirt-bosom, and that coat chopped away till it seems nothing but tails and lapels. It is true that I might go out to dinner in our national costume ”

“ The hat, the boots, the waistcoat are far less ephemeral than the body they protect, and indicate almost as much of the wearer's character as his hands and face. So I am not ashamed of my silk pajamas or of the geranium powder I throw in my bath. They are part of me.
But is this "me" limited to my body and my clothes? I drink a cup of coffee or a cocktail: after they are consumed they are part of me; are they not part of me as I hold the cup or the glass in my hand? Is my coat more characteristic of me than my house—my sleeve-links than my wife or my collie dog? ”

“ ARMENIAN WOMAN. In the country they wear shoes with toes turning upwards, full silk trousers, white under-dress, open at neck, made of thin muslin; a silk scarf round waist; full white sleeves; velvet embroidered sleeveless coat, opening wide in front; round cap of velvet; hair in plaits, and a yachmush out of doors. For a fancy ball, handsome silver clasps are added to the belt; a silk brocaded jacket and tunic often replace the over-dress. Long gauze veil and plenty of ornaments admissible. ”

“ The dress of the men amongst the higher ranks is a white vest of silk, muslin, or cotton, girt with a sash; the sleeves are very long; and the upper part of the garment contrived to fit, so that the wearer's shape may be seen; their trowsers descend so low as to cover their legs; they wear slippers down in the heel, and peaked at the toes, into which they put their naked feet. The dress of the women amongst the higher or middle ranks, is a piece of white calico tied about the waist, which reaches to their knees ”

“ Afternoon dress consists of a double-breasted frock coat of soft cheviot, vicuña, or diagonal worsted with either waistcoat to match—single-breasted or double-breasted—of fancy cloth, Marseilles duck or piqué; trousers of different material, usually cashmere, quiet in tone, with a striped pattern on a dark gray, drab, or blue background; boots of patent leather, buttoned, not tied; a white or colored shirt with straight standing white collar; a four-in-hand, puffed Ascot, or small club tie; silk hat and undressed gray, tan, or brown kid gloves. ”

“ The peculiar garment, or rather, this garment peculiar to a certain time, runs through its various degrees of cut. It is, at first, a loose body garment with skirts; the skirts become arranged in precise folds, the folds on the skirt are shortened, the shorter they become the tighter becomes the coat; then we run through with this coat in its periods of puffings, slashings, this, that, and the other sleeve, all coats retaining the small piece of skirt or basque, and so to the straight, severe Cromwellian jerkin with the piece of skirt cut into tabs, until the volume ends, and hey presto! ”

“ To return to Eton again, we might mention one or two fashions in the ordinary dress which are curious. It is ordained that the lowest button of the waistcoat should be left unbuttoned and the bottom of the trousers should be turned up, while it is part of the performance to thrust the hands deeply into the trouser pockets. If a boy elects to wear an overcoat, and he does not occupy a certain definite position or status in the school, public opinion forces him to keep [171] the collar of his top coat turned up. ”

“ In the system of under-clothing which I advocate, and which is illustrated by the above figure, combinations should be worn next to the skin; or, if the objection to these, which I spoke of on p. 131, is raised, a vest of woven wool, coming well down over the hips, may be worn next the skin, and drawers, either of the same material or of flannel, can be buttoned on to the bodice. The thickness of the material of which this and all the other garments are made can, of course, be varied to suit the temperature of the air. ”

“ Fashioned Goods Fashioned goods are garments which, while being knit on the machine, are made the proper shape to fit the wearer.
If the garment to be fashioned is a sweater, the fashioning or shaping to be done is the sleeve, the neck opening, the collar, and at times in the better class of sweaters, the arm holes are narrowed back from the lower part to the shoulder in order to shorten the shoulder length, thereby insuring a better fit. When making underwear not only the sleeves have to be shaped but the legs of the drawers are shaped also. ”

“ Length of fall in the material was desired, the figure creating its own folds with every turn, but a belt was often placed rather high under the breast. There [36] is little reason with nature of fine form to make dress into sections by a corset waist. A long, lithe, complete curve in outline—much happier unbroken, except by the girdle—is certainly the most artistically useful conception, not breaking the rhythm (as does the harder belt) , while it also induces much beauty in lifting and arranging the drapery. ”

“ These buttons and button-holes left their marks in the coats of a century later in the form of gold lacing on either side of the slit of the tails.
In about the year 1700, it began to be the fashion to gather in the vest or coat at the waist, and it seems that this was first done by two buttons near the hips being buttoned to loops rather nearer to the edge of the coat, and situated at about the level of the waist. Our soldiers much in the same manner now make a waist in their loose overcoats, by buttoning a short strap to two buttons, placed a considerable distance apart on the back. ”