I've sewn quite a bit in my life beginning when I was a teenager on a vintage Singer sewing machine. Well, it wasn't vintage at the time but you get the idea. I so badly wanted a Touch and Sew so that I could make buttonholes! I even tried hand sewn buttonholes and my Mom - bless her heart - said they were perfect but I wasn't satisfied.
Today while I was sewing my granddaughters headbands, they were so interested in my sewing machine and the stitches. They stood beside me - and I mean close beside me - and watched the whole process. Kids after my own heart! They are only five and six years old and proceeded to put in their orders for blue and purple dresses! So cute!
Getting back to the zipper and button issue - I avoided buttonholes like the plague. Lapped zippers too and refused to make anything with either. You know how that limited my choices, right?
This time around, I've made up my mind to not only master lapped zippers but fly front's too and I'm going to become a buttonhole master. I'm going to practice on fabric = knits, woven's and stretch woven's and I'm going to do a darn good job - at least, I'm going to practice until I can. No more avoidance for me!
There's no excuse for either. I have a variety of machines with different types of buttonholes - from 4-step to fully automatic. If I can't master it now, I never will!
The best tutorial I've found for buttonholes is at youcanmakethis.com and it's called buttonholing basics. Regarding the fly front zippers, everyone kept mentioning Sandra Betzina's directions in Power Sewing so I ordered the book off Amazon. She also has a video but in case I didn't have internet access - I wanted written instructions.
I've just read Fashion Incubator and her Core Skills post. Before I can be a sewist (almost wrote sewer) who produces fine quality garments, I'll need to practice a few things. Zipper installation and buttonholes are two of those. The rest I'll get by garment construction, hopefully not producing too many wadders in the process. I've purchased most of the notions I need to start, God knows I have the machines now and also have just received fabric. On to sewing I think!
I'll be moving soon and I'm packing and am determined to become a minimalist. It might take me a while but soon I'll have tutorials here for zippers and buttonholes. After all - they say if you want to learn it, teach it - right?
Have a great day!
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