Waistcoat buttonholes

[kass]

Hello all.

I've been running into a problem on a 1680s waistcoat I'm working on, but I've noticed the problem on earlier clothing too and wanted to know if any of you had a better solution.

This 1680s waistcoat has buttonholes every inch all the way down the front edge. That's like 5 million buttonholes. Anyway, as I'm making the buttonholes, I'm noticing that the left side of the waistcoat is getting shorter. I realize that this is because of "take up" caused by making buttonholes. I've noticed it before. Thinner fabrics tend to take up more than thicker fabrics. And this waistcoat is silk outer and lining, interlined with linen.

My current solution is to cut the right side shorter to match the left when I'm done because attaching buttons on the right isn't going to cause any take-up at all.

Have any of you a better solution?

[Rumba Rue]

I understand the problem you're having. Solution, use the button hole setting on your sewing maching to do them.

Also, I checked all my patterns I have, (2 frock coat, and 1 Capt. coat patterns) and all the button hole spaces varied from 2 inches apart to almost 3 inches apart.

I think your 1 inch apart is part of your biggest problem, which causes the material to be pulled up tighter. There is no solution other than cutting the other side to match. Also, when doing buttonholes by hand (and I have), the thread doesn't lie flat like it should when using a satin stitch of the machine, and instead becomes bunched.

I absolutely hate doing button holes! It's my worst sewing, but even though they never come out looking good, I still do them on my sewing machine.

Before I went into serious costume sewing I asked all the people I know what kind of machine I should buy and everyone of them said Bernina. So that's what I have, but not the most expensive one, mine's a 1010, it's all I could afford at the time. But it does the job and that's all that matters to me! BTW- I got a bit of a discount on the machine because I bought it at the county fair in Los Angeles many years ago. You can still get discounts today at the county fairs around.

I hope I have been of some help to you.

Rumba Rue

**Sew happy**