The buttonhole and the designer’s job

Garments that fit close to the body have fastenings so they are easy to put on. On clothes with a central fastening the buttonholes are horizontal, vertical or slanted. A buttonhole’s length is the button diameter plus 0.3 cm (flat button) or 0.5 cm (domed button). For example, for a flat button of 1.5 cm diameter the buttonhole is 1.8 cm. The buttonhole line is horizontal and its ends are marked with vertical dashes. The buttonhole is cut with sharp scissors or a special buttonhole opener; for a keyhole buttonhole a 0.2×0.2 cm square is cut out. Order of hand edging: 1) mark the place and cut; 2) reinforce the start with 2–3 stitches; 3) edge one side, 0.2 cm wide, with buttonhole stitch in silk thread; 4) reinforce the end again; 5) edge the other side. On a zigzag machine it is edged from the top end, 0.5 cm wide, with a zigzag width of 0.2 cm; several stitches are made in one place at the start and end, and it is cut with the machine’s blade or sharp-pointed scissors. Note: the book cuts first and then edges, while many practices edge first and cut afterwards, which is more reliable because the fabric does not fray; follow the method the teacher shows. Safety: cut with pointed scissors or the opener with the fabric lying on the table, away from yourself and others; keep fingers out from under the cutting spot; close the blade after cutting; on the machine follow the rules of lesson 48; only one person works.