Technique for Handmade Shirt Buttonholes

[krudsma]

I've seen several good videos and guides on handmade buttonholes for tailored garments, but I'm having a hard time finding a how-to for shirts. I'm sure the principles are the same but I'm looking for guidance on materials, and just watching someone do it from start to finish on a shirt would be helpful for my own understanding. Does anyone have a good reference for this? I've done some searching on the forum but can't find anything.

[Schneiderfrei]

There are a few masters of handsewn buttonholes for shirts on this forum. In particular I hope peterle responds, because his methods are excellent. There was a French member, Gramountoto, who posted superb photos of his shirt buttonholes.

It takes a lot of practise and care.

Mine are cut with a 15mm chisel. I like to bind them with sewing thread first, to secure the edges. Following peterle's recommendation, I use Coton Á Broder #25.

There are several descriptions of the buttonhole stitch, such as Abildung 75 page 24 Das ABC des Schneiderhandwerks:

https://movsd.com/BespokeCutter/index.php/topic,1615.msg12956

Don't worry it's in German, the illustration is pretty good.

My only real difference is I make two loops around the needle, because it gives amore defined edge.

A trick is to really place the needle insertions very close together, only one thread of the garment stuff.

Always check the back side of the hole to make sure you are getting good depth of stitches where you can't see them.

After that, remains very neat and acurate sizing and a good sequence from the end bars.

Graham

I didn't say I was a master...

[Gerry]

These videos were posted in the shirt construction thread:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlSiS6Wzq-U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm2V4YYylN0

The second one is in Russian and therefore requires youtube's autotranslate function if you're not a native speaker. Enable captions (the white, rectangular icon at the bottom of the screen), click on the cogwheel next to it, then select subtitles> auto-translate and select your language.

Another recent vid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eluiEDwF3Y8

[peterle]

The first is done with sewing thread, the second one (traditional Austrian shirt) with cotton a broder.

I like my shirt buttonholes as unobtrusive and flat as possible.
When I do them by hand I usually pre trace the marked hole with a row of running stitches, strictly on grain. Than I cut the hole in between the stitched rows. Than I overcast the edges using a simple overcasting stitch, including the running stitches. I don't do knots on shirt button holes, but that's a matter of taste .
As material I take the sewing thread for nearly invisible button holes. For a bit more raised ones I like cotton a broder. This is a soft and round thread especially for white work wich gives nice results.
Don't use a doubled thread like recommended by the self crowned buttonhole king in the last video. It results in messy buttonholes and untidy knots.

[Gerry]

Don't use a doubled thread like recommended by the self crowned buttonhole king in the last video. It results in messy buttonholes and untidy knots.

I agree, when doubled it's very easy for the thread to knot before being pulled fully through. Very fiddly and, as you say, not as clean. Machine embroidery thread can be used for a slightly thicker look. There's no need to double thread.

[Schneiderfrei]

I like my shirt buttonholes as unobtrusive and flat as possible.

That is a great ideal too.

G

[Gerry]

PS for a belt-and-braces approach you can lightly machine your buttonholes, cut them and then go over them by hand. The buttonholes tend to look a little more uniform and the machine stitching holds the cut opening together while you're doing the hand stitching. That's particularly useful when working with shirting that isn't so tightly woven: the buttonholes can disintegrate as you sew them by hand (the stitches simply pull away from the cloth). As always, make samples with the cloth you're working with before committing to the actual garment.

[DrLang]

PS for a belt-and-braces approach you can lightly machine your buttonholes, cut them and then go over them by hand.

My mind is blown. This is so obvious, how have I never realized it before?

[Gerry]

My mind is blown. This is so obvious, how have I never realized it before?

Some people call them 'half-and-half' buttonholes (they're nothing new). You can leave out gimp, which is useful when flatness is paramount, such as in button flies (these buttonholes are a little worn, plus I used perle cotton instead of silk, so don't judge them too harshly):

[jruley]

My mind is blown. This is so obvious, how have I never realized it before?

Another way is to machine sew a box shape around the buttonhole before cutting open the slit.  This also stabilizes the material and is a bit less obvious than the zigzag stitching.  Make your buttonhole stitching wide enough to include the stitch lines.

[Schneiderfrei]

I used perle cotton instead of silk, so don't judge them too harshly):

I will judge them. They're great! Even stitching, neat bar tacks, excellent! 

G

[Gerry]

I will judge them. They're great! Even stitching, neat bar tacks, excellent! 

Thank you for the complement Schneiderfrei, but my buttonholes are merely adequate, at best. That's good enough for me, but professional finishers who do these day-in, day-out, are in a class of their own.

In my defence, since making those buttonholes I have corrected my tendency to make the 'return leg' slightly wider. When working the second half it's harder to get the correct angle with the needle, because the first half has been worked and is stiffer. I now compensate for this, so my buttonholes are neater. I had the above trousers to hand (I'm altering them) so they were the easiest to take snaps of.

It's also a lot harder to get the appearance neater when working with obviously contrasting thread. A closer matched thread hides a multitude of sins. This video highlights that very well [edit: 5:18 mark onwards]:

I'd also add that half-and-half buttonholes tend to be neater on the underside. You can feel with the needle where the edge of the machined buttonhole is, so width spacing is easier to judge and more uniform. I can't really show that though, because the fly in the above photo is bar-tacked in the middle to compartmentalise each pair of buttons. It's something I noticed on a pair of Edwardian trousers; though they had a bar-tack in between each button (they had wider button spacing, which facilitated this). The tacks keep the fly from splitting open, so things are nice and flat.

I did have a shirt with half-and-half buttonholes, but it was junked last year. They turn out well IME.

[Greger]

Skimpy cloth? A narrow tight woven cloth, between the two outer layers, makes a world of difference.
The knots can be pulled to where you want them. Just tight enough to latch. If it is going to shrink, maybe less. Knots are larger than the thread widths. I make the stitches as far apart as the width of the knots.
Between my fingers I shift the three layers of cloth and push the needle through. Release the cloth and the thread lines up front and back the same.
When learning making wider button holes is easier. When these are good and skill is good then begin making them a little narrower, a little narrower, a little narrower until you find a width you like.
"Gimp" its purpose is to add strength. Go around the hole two-three times. A strong thread. Thin, medium or thick is your choice. If you want to twist a couple.... maybe a strand(s) of a piece of yarn.
Length is at least an 1/8th inch longer than the button. Don't want large buttons wreaking small buttonholes.