Critique my home made buttonhole

[David Reeves]

How long did they take you?

 

[bloke11]

Originally Posted by a tailor

bring the stitches closer together and your hired.
use a blanket stitch instead of machine to hold everything together.
try a simple bar tack at the end.
you can buy buttonhole twist at any fabric store.
use beeswax on the twist.

What are the benefits of using a simple bartack over the one I did? I did mine with buttonhole stitches.

Originally Posted by inlandisland

OP - That looks pretty good - your stitches are nice and uniform. I'm just curious - when you say you used no gimp, do you mean you didn't use real gimp, or that you used nothing at all? (I think I see a thread running behind each stitch, but it's hard to tell).

I used the same sewing thread to cord it.

Originally Posted by Benjamin E.

bloke11, it looks like you're getting the hang of it. Like a tailor said, you need to keep the stitches closer together. Gimp helps a lot. I used to make mine without and they were flat and lifeless. Since I don't have access to proper gimp, I twisted two heavy cotton threads together and it was a big improvement. It's not really cheating to sew it by machine at first; St. Andrews does this and they make beautiful buttonholes. Keep it up!

gshen, the last two look really nice. From the picture of the white buttonhole on the blog, it looks like the purls are meant to be under the gimp, not to the side. That said, I've had a lot of trouble keeping the purls under the gimp, myself. It probably comes with practice. I'll try and get some pictures of my own up.

Proper gimp is difficult to source here also. I'll try using double cotton thread. Thanks.

Originally Posted by gshen

Inspired by Jeffreyd's blog posts, i tried making some milanese style buttonholes awhile ago. No time to practice more unfortunately! These were done with Gutermann silk twist and proper gimp:

I was inspired by your blog prior to making my own buttonholes, Gshen.

 

[Fishball]

Originally Posted by gshen

Inspired by Jeffreyd's blog posts, i tried making some milanese style buttonholes awhile ago. No time to practice more unfortunately! These were done with Gutermann silk twist and proper gimp:

First two


Next two (accidentally cut a thread!)


Another two, better!




Gshen,
You sewn or your GF sewn the buttonholes?
the last two look great!
I should going to learn needlework too!

 

[gshen]

Originally Posted by a tailor

your doing great.
do a small bar tack at the end. only about 5 or 6 coils at the most.

when your finished.
baste the button hole closed with about 3 stitches. and close the throat of the key hole
with 3 more. then use a pen or pencil point and your fingers to shape the keyhole.
then press the buttonhole first steam then no steam.

Thank you for the pointers! I did a bar tack at the end in fact, with quite a few more coils than 5/6.. less is more perhaps? I remember having some trouble trying to cover up the end of the gimp which was fraying easily - wonder if you have any tips?

Originally Posted by Benjamin E.

gshen, the last two look really nice. From the picture of the white buttonhole on the blog, it looks like the purls are meant to be under the gimp, not to the side. That said, I've had a lot of trouble keeping the purls under the gimp, myself. It probably comes with practice. I'll try and get some pictures of my own up.

I know what you mean! At the rounded end of the hole they seem to go under the gimp, but on the straight edges somehow they end up going to the side. I look forward to your pictures!

Originally Posted by David Reeves

How long did they take you?

Me? Probably 45 minutes per buttonhole on average, including the time to prepare the threads, cut and baste the holes etc.

Originally Posted by bloke11

Proper gimp is difficult to source here also. I'll try using double cotton thread. Thanks.

I was inspired by your blog prior to making my own buttonholes, Gshen.

Glad to be an inspiration. If you need some gimp, i have a ton that i'll probably never finish. PM me and i can arrange to send you some.

Originally Posted by Fishball

Gshen,
You sewn or your GF sewn the buttonholes?
the last two look great!
I should going to learn needlework too!

Thanks - I'm proud to say that i did all the work myself!

 

[a tailor]

BLOKE 11.
the purl stitches were not meant to be used for the bar tack. it makes a very bulky end.
notice how the end of the buttonhole spreads open using a purl stitch finish.

 

[Marshall Anthony]

…….

 

[a tailor]

yes the bar tacks are too bulky, i thought you were using purl stitches. but i think your doing great .
the bar tack is there to finish and hold the ends of the buttonhole together.
the basting is to hold the shape to be pressed in.
i suggested the pen or pencil because you may not have a bodkin.
try bringing your gimp needle up from underneath a half inch from, and then angled so as to come out at the starting point. this will leave the gimp ends buried.

 

[a tailor]

Originally Posted by a tailor

BLOKE 11.
the purl stitches were not meant to be used for the bar tack. it makes a very bulky end.
notice how the end of the buttonhole spreads open using a purl stitch finish.
a bar tack closes the end neatly, and keeps it secure.

 

[bloke11]

a tailor, can you diagnose what went wrong with the thread below? Somehow the purl failed to form nicely. I get this quite often. Very annoying.

My apologies for the terrible quality edit: another picture. Notice the stitches along the end of the fan.

 

[Benjamin E.]

This is late in coming and the pictures are crappy, but it's the best I could do. A while back I took a piece of wool, a piece of wool canvas half its size, and sewed it together to use for practice buttonholes. I was lucky enough to come across some old Coats & Clark silk twist and, while I don't have proper gimp, I've been using thick cotton and it's been working. I've been using a few different stitches and tried to work out the Milanese buttonholes and I've had some success. Some don't have bar tacks at the end, but I need to conserve thread and I feel I'm good enough at them that I don't need to use up more thread to practice them.

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[UnreasonableMan]

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