Sew Along Day 4 - Valentine's Dress - How to Sew a buttonhole VIDEO

Valentine's Day Dress

SEW ALONG

DAY 4

 

VIDEOS are below that teach you how to sew a buttonhole and how to sew a button.

 

This week's Sew Along will show you how to sew this dress:

Are you enjoying this sew along? I love hearing from you and cannot wait to see the dresses you all are making! I told my husband the other night that this SEW ALONG makes me so happy! I love knowing we are all doing this together and I hope that some of you have been inspired to try something new or even start a new project. Some of you told me you have never done sleeves, some of you have never done buttonholes and buttons before, but you all are crafty ladies that are not going to let that stop you! Thank you for being here for this Sew Along!

Today I actually have 3 VIDEOS for you that I made about today's part of the sew along. (NOTE: These are my FIRST VIDEOS EVER! I usually only take videos of my silly kids doing funny things so to put myself in front of a video camera was so different! I know I sound squeaky like Minnie Mouse on the video, but if you can look past that, you will learn about buttonholes! Haha!) I really hope they help you and I hope you can learn something new!

The videos show you how to use your sewing machine and your buttonhole foot to sew your buttonholes and another video shows you how to use your sewing machine to attach the buttons. So much to share today, so let's get started!!

VIDEO 1 - How to sew a buttonhole PART 1 - CLICK HERE

VIDEO 2 - How to sew a buttonhole - PART 2 - CLICK HERE

VIDEO 3 - How to sew on a button with your sewing machine - CLICK HERE

Above: using a buttonhole foot

Above: Using a button foot and a zig-zag stitch

If you're just joining us, here's the line-up for the daily posts so you can see what we will work on each day:
Monday - Day 1 - CLICK HERE - print the pattern / cut out your fabric Tuesday - Day 2 - CLICK HERE - assemble and line the bodice / add the collar
Wednesday - Day 3 - CLICK HERE attach the sleeves / finish the bodice
Thursday - Day 4 - Buttons and buttonholes (with videos)
Friday - Day 5 - Attach the skirt and tie and DONE!

So far you should have this:

 

1. Time to make the buttonholes for the dress. You can use three or four buttons for your dress, it's your preference. Lay your buttons evenly spaced down the front of your dress. You want the top button 1/2 inch to 1 inch below the neckline and you want the bottom button 1 and 1/2 inches away from the bottom of the dress bodice. This will allow you to have enough room to add the skirt tomorrow.

 

 

 

2. Place your buttons 5/8 inch away from the left front bodice's middle edge (when you're looking at it, it's the left side of the bodice). You will make a mark onto your dress fabric at the bottom of each button. I just used a Sharpie (Did that freak you out? Some people cringe when I say that! Just use whatever you want..chalk, disappearing ink marker...etc.)

 

 

Now you will have four marks which mark the bottom of each buttonhole.

 

 

3. Take out your buttonhole foot for your sewing machine.

 

 

 

4. Place the button you are using in the button plate guide at the back of the buttonhole foot. This tells your sewing machine what length to make the buttonhole.

 

5. Attach the buttonhole foot and pull down the buttonhole lever. Place it behind the plastic stopper.

 

 

 

 Select the buttonhole stitch you will use. I am using stitch 26 which is a secured buttonhole.

 

6. Position your fabric so the mark you made lines up between the red marks on your buttonhole foot. That is where the bottom edge of your buttonhole will be when it sews the buttonhole. Press your foot pedal down and let the machine do the work. Do not lift your foot until the entire buttonhole is sewn and the machine comes to a stop. Trim threads.

 

7. Repeat for all of your buttonholes.

 8. To cut open your buttonholes, take a pin and poke it through the buttonhole from the top to the bottom edges. This helps weaken the fabric so the buttonhole will cut and open easier.

 

 

9. Place a pin underneath and parallel to the top stitches of the buttonhole. Your pin will be slightly inside the buttonhole. This will allow you to cut only the fabric in the buttonhole and not accidentally cut up through the stitches and ruin the buttonhole altogether.

 

 

10. Use your seam ripper, poke it into the fabric at the bottom of your buttonhole, right above the stitches. Push upward with your seam ripper all the way until it hits the pin you placed. Now it's open!

 

 

 

 

 

 

11. Repeat for the other buttonholes.

 

12. Overlap your buttonholes one inch over the right side of the dress bodice. You will mark where each button should go. I do this by poking a pin through the MIDDLE of the length of a buttonhole, lift up my left side of the bodice and mark where the pin is touching on the right bodice.

 

 

13. Repeat for the rest of the buttonholes to mark your button placement.

 

14. Sew on each button by hand or machine. I use my button foot and attach it to my sewing machine.

 

15. Turn off your feed dogs so the fabric won't move as your machine sews on the button. You want your fabric still and stable.

 

 

16. Place the button centered on your mark. Switch to a zig-zag stitch and slowly turn your handwheel so towards you so the needle goes through one hole. Keep turning so the needle comes back up and then down again so the needle zig-zags and goes through the next hole.

 

 

 

If it hits the button itself, widen your stitch width or make it more narrow as needed until the needle can easily pass from one hole to another. Once it does, press your foot pedal to secure the button. Backstitch. Trim threads.

 

 

 

17. Repeat for all your buttons.

 

Button your bodice and BE SO PROUD of yourself!!! I'd love to hear if this helped you and I hope it did!

 

Admire your work! Tomorrow we attach the skirt, hem the skirt and the sleeves and attach the ribbon tie and YOU WILL BE DONE! Wahoo!

 

Email me anytime:

Jenny

seaminglysmitten@gmail.com

Sew Along Day 3 - Valentine's Dress

Valentine's Day Dress

SEW ALONG

Day 3

I hope you're enjoying this Sew Along! It's my first one to do and it's wonderful getting emails from you or reading your comments about it! Some of you have said you have never thought of sewing a few minutes a day to finish a project and usually never start something unless you have a whole afternoon or day to complete it. Well I'm right there with you! I usually come up with an idea and want to sew it THEN and there! It's a very bad habit, because usually I don't have enough time to finish. So I do as much as I can and then it has to get set to the side which unfortunately means things come up :) By the time I get back to sewing I lose interest in it because I found something else to sew. Ha!

My sewing to-do list is VERY LONG so after this SEW ALONG I think I am going to have to work on a sewing schedule. Maybe 30 minutes each day for either a new project, an unfinished project,  or researching a new project to do / finding inspiration. How do you all find time to complete your sewing projects?

Okay back to the SEW ALONG! I can't wait to see your Valentine's Day dress that you are sewing! Friday there will be a linky party set up for you all to add your dresses to it. You can also email me your finished dresses and I will feature them on Facebook or the blog :)

 

If you're just joining us, here's the line-up for the daily posts so you can see what we will work on each day:

Monday - Day 1 - CLICK HERE - print the pattern / cut out your fabric
Tuesday - Day 2 - CLICK HERE - assemble and line the bodice / add the collar
Wednesday - Day 3 - attach the sleeves / finish the bodice
Thursday - Day 4 - Buttons and buttonholes
Friday - Day 5 - Attach the skirt and tie and DONE!

Let's get started! Who's excited to make this dress below!?!

 

Time to attach the sleeves. Yesterday we sewed the collar and your bodice should look like like the picture below. If so, let's go!

 

 1. Pin around the armole to hold the lining and main fabric together (only if you used a lining...if not skip to step 3).

 

 

2. Baste stitch around the armhole only to hold your two fabrics together. This will help make it easier to sew on your sleeve.

  

3. ADDING THE SLEEVES:  There are two ways to sew on the sleeve and I am going to show you the preferred method I use which is the flat method. If you want to use the set-in sleeve method skip to step 11. *I'm only showing the flat method, but I give directions for the set-in method. You probably have the method you prefer, so feel free to go ahead and do it the way you like. It's totally up to you which one you chooose.
 

4. Find the curved middle of one sleeve and pin it to the shoulder seam with right sides together.

 

5. Pin the lower edge of the sleeve to the bottom of the armhole curve.

 

6. Go slowly and maneuver your bodice as needed. Start pinning from the top edge of the sleeve down towards the shoulder seam. When you get to the shoulder seam if there is extra material just press your fingers into it to give it a small pleat. Pin.

 

 

 

 

7. Now that half the sleeve is pinned take the top edge of the sleeve and pin it to the top edge of the armhole curve.

 

 

8. Start pinning from the top edge of the sleeve up towards the shoulder seam. When you get to the shoulder seam if there is extra material just press your fingers into it to give it a small pleat. Pin.

 

 

 

9. Sew your pinned sleeve to the bodice using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. **Go slowly and maneuver with your hands, making sure the bodice lays flat as you sew. The sleeve can gather, but you do not want the bodice to gather and bunch up under the sleeve.

Serge or zig-zag stitch the raw edges. Clip into the curves and press seam away from the sleeve.

10. Repeat for the other sleeve.

 

11. Lay your bodice and sleeves right sides together. Pin from the end of one sleeve up the sleeve and down the bodice. Repeat for the other side. (If you are doing the set-in sleeve method, just pin the sides of your bodice right sides together.)

 

 

 *Below you can see it is now right sides together. Then go ahead and pin.

 

12. Sew along your pinned seams using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Trim threads. Serge or zig-zag stitch your raw edges.  If you used the FLAT method to attach the sleeves you are DONE for today! If not, go to step 13.

 

 

13. If you want to set in your sleeves, lay one sleeve right sides together, pin down the length of the sleeve. Sew using a 3/8 inch seam allowance.

 

14. Center a 3 inch basting stitch across the top of your sleeve's curved edge. Pull the bobbin string of the basting stitch to gather the sleeve.

 

15. Turn your bodice wrong side out. With the sleeve facing right side out slide it into the armhole of the bodice. Match up the side seam of the bodice to the seam of the sleeve and pin. Pin the sleeve to the armhole, adjusting the gathering stitches as needed.

 

16. Sew around your armhole using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Trim threads. Clip curves. Turn right side out. You did it! Repeat for the other sleeve.

 

Was it your first time adding sleeves to a dress? How did you do?

 

 I used to only sew items without sleeves, because I was always scared to tackle them. But once you try it, you will see that it actually opens so many more doors for you! I am still getting used to them, but I find that if I just go for it I will get better each time (hopefully, right?!) ha! And...there's always the seam ripper if not! :)

 

 

 

 Happy Sewing! Email me if you have a question or comment below if you're having fun or just wanted to say hello!

Thanks!
Jenny

seaminglysmitten@gmail.com

 

 

 

Sew Along Day 2 - Valentine's Day Dress

Valentine's Day Dress

SEW ALONG

Day 2 

 

Thank you ALL SO MUCH for your sweet comments and emails yesterday! You all totally ROCK and make this worthwhile! I love knowing that we are sewing this together and it makes me so happy that you all are excited, too! So please keep those questions, emails and comments coming, because it just makes me happy! :)

 

If you're just joining us, here's the line-up for the daily posts so you can see what we will work on each day:

Monday - Day 1 - CLICK HERE - print the pattern / cut out your fabric
Tuesday - Day 2 - assemble and line the bodice / add the collar
Wednesday - Day 3 - attach the sleeves / finish the bodice
Thursday - Day 4 - Buttons and buttonholes
Friday - Day 5 - Attach the skirt and tie and DONE!

 

Let's get started! Who's excited to make this dress below!?!

 

 

Yesterday we cut out the bodice, lining, sleeves, collar and skirt. Some of you asked if you had to line the dress and the simple answer is no. But you will need to use bias tape today to attach the collar. I will give you details when we get to it.

 

1. Take your WIDER FRONT bodice and lining (if you used it) and fold them in half lengthwise to make the side edges meet and PRESS with an IRON.

 

2. To lower the neckline measure down 1 inch along the fold and cut a small curve from that point up to the top of the shoulder.

 

3. Cut up the middle along the fold so now you have two lining pieces for the front bodice and two dress fabric pieces for the front bodice.

  

 

4. Lay your main back bodice piece right side up and your two front left and right main fabric bodice pieces right sides together. Match the shoulders and pin. The left and right bodice pieces will overlap and that is exactly what you want.

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Repeat for the lining pieces. Pin at the shoulders.

 

6. Sew along the pinned shoulders only of your main fabric using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Trim threads.  Repeat for your lining fabric.

 

7. Press seams open.

 

 

8. Time to assemble the collar. Lay your collar with right sides together and long edges touching. Sew down the short edges only using a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Trim threads. If you want to give it a slight curve at the folded edge, go for it!

 

9.  Clip fabric up to but not through your stitches. Turn collar right side out and press with an iron.

 

10. Time to pin the collar to the main fabric bodice. Lay your main fabric bodice right side up. Pin the middle of the collar to the middle back of the bodice with raw edges touching. Pin one end of the collar 1.5 to 2 inches away from the left front and pin the other end of the collar 1.5 to 2 inches away from the right front. *I try to lay mine out so the neckline is as straight as it can be.

 

 

11. Evenly pin and gather the collar by finding the middle of the fabric between any two pins and pinning it in the middle of those two pins. Continue until the collar is evenly pinned.

 

12. Sew a basting stitch using a 1/4 inch seam allowance along the pinned collar edge to attach the collar. Remove pins as you sew. Press with an iron. Make sure the bodice lays flat as you sew. Sew slowly and adjust the collar as needed to help it lay flat, too.

 

13. Lay your lining on top of your main bodice piece with right sides together. The collar will be sandwiched inbetween these two pieces. It will be hidden from your view.

 

14. Pin up the left front, around the collar and back down the right front only.

15. Sew up the left front, around the collar and back down the right front using a 5/8 inch seam allowance. Trim threads.

Clip up to but not through your stitches. This will ease the tension in the collar.

 

 

16. Turn your bodice right side out and press very well with an iron. VOILA! You did a collar!!!

 

 

 

**IF YOU ARE NOT using a lining: You will need to do steps 8-11 and then use bias tape to attach the collar. Open up your double folded bias tape and sandwich the collar and bodice in between the bias tape. Sew along the edge of the bias tape to secure it. Trim threads. Hem the left and right front of your bodice 1/2 inch on either side. This will enclose the bias tape raw edge at the top left and right corners and your bodice will be done for today!

 

 

Tomorrow we will attach the sleeves and sew the bodice together at the side seams. Hope you're looking forward to it!!

Comment here if you are having fun or need any help! Have an awesome day, ladies!!

 

Happy Sewing!
Jenny Hall

seaminglysmitten@gmail.com

 

Seamingly Smitten owner/designer

www.seaminglysmitten.com