CHConscious: Sewing (a button) Basics
In continuing our CHConscious series, we felt it important to share some basics on how to maintain and care for/repair your clothing along the way. Even the highest quality materials and construction can have a moment that requires intervention. Unfortunately, sometimes the most basic of things may not be learned along the way and cause for snap decision of disposing or replacing based on convenience.
We want to equip you with the these basics in order to build your confidence as you capsulize your wardrobe and buy few but better things. So here we cover How to Sew a Button:
CHConscious: How to Sew a Button from Chelli Look on Vimeo.
1: What you'll need: item needing button repair, hand sewing needle, thread (matching the fabric or button of the item), shears (regular scissors will suffice), chalk and a small dose of pride.....hello!...you ARE taking care of your clothing!
2. Measure out about 2 feet of thread; this will be doubled over and it gives a little extra to work with.
3. After clipping your thread, put one end through the eye of the needle.
4. Pull it through to double over your thread
(I am doubling it for additional strength given that the weight of the fabric I am sewing into is thicker/heavier. I would recommend doing the same unless it is a lightweight polyester, linen or silk)
5. Double knot the end of the thread(s)
6. Lay out the item on a level surface to align each part to where the button needs to properly land in regards to the button hole.
(With an item such as a jacket that has other buttons, I recommend buttoning them to have as exact of an alignment as possible)
7. Mark the button placement using chalk (easily rubs off 90% of fabrics with cold water). I use an 'X' to indicate the exact center point of the button.
8. Using the end point of the needle, poke it through the center of the chalk marking to show the center point to be marked with another 'X' on the backside of the item.
9. Time to stitch! Starting from the back side, place your threaded needle all the way through to the front. This is where your double knotted end point will caught on the backside.
10. Once the thread has been pulled all the way through, place the needle through one hole of the button.
11. Pull it all the way through the button and then place the need into the diagonal hole, going all the way back through the button.
12. Repeat step 11, rotating between all four holes so that you have made 6 total rotations from back to front.
13. After your final rotation, ending with your needle coming out the back of the item, place it back through the original first stitch as if to make another rotation except when you push it through to the front, do not have it go through the button, instead have it come through off to the side of the button. Now rotate it, clockwise 4x around the stitches that run between the button and the face of the item.
(This provides a small area of breathing room in order for the button to go through the button hole comfortably and easily without it feeling so tight to the face of the item.)
14. After rotating clockwise 4x, stick your need straight through the area of threads you just created by rotating and finish with a single knot (the same one used when you threaded your needle), forcing the knot to tighten right up against the stitching behind the button. And clip!
15. Test out your work by buttoning and unbuttoning the item several times to make sure it feels secure and comfortable.
And CONGRATS, you just repaired a missing button!
Catch up with the rest of our CHConscious series here:
Re-organize, Refine, Rejuvenate
And let us know any other sewing basics you'd like to see by commenting below or emailing us at info@shopchc.com!
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