“…let me do these buttonholes real quick…”
I should have stopped.
DEEP SIGH
I
should know by now, after almost 20 years of sewing, that I should not
sew anything “real quick.” Those two words are a recipe for a five-course
meal of disaster. Ugh.
Let’s talk about this jacket. I was SO close
to finishing. All I had left to do was hem the sleeves and add buttonholes/buttons. It was getting late and I wanted to do a bit of sewing before I retired for the night.
Enter: “Let me do these buttonholes real quick.”
The first buttonhole went mostly okay. My machine didn’t like the thickness, but it managed. The
second buttonhole did not want to cooperate. It was too far from the edge and I
had to stitch it twice. Even with stabilizer, my machine pitched a fit.
I picked the stitches - thankfully the thread blends really well with
the fabric because you can’t see the disaster that is the first two
attempts. I stitched it a third time and let it go. Wasn’t going in for a
fourth try.
After I was satisfied with both buttonholes, I opened them with my chisel and…stared at the jacket.
SIIIIIIGGGGGHHHH.
I put the f*****g buttonholes on the wrong damn side.
Listen.
LISTEN. I was crushed when I realized what happened. The jacket was
looking so good on the dress form. I had all these ideas for shirts and skirts to pair with it. Now it’s ruined.
Okay, maybe I’m being dramatic. It’s not
ruined, but it’s not what I want. Womenswear buttons right over left and
that’s what I’m used to. Sure I can wear this, but I’m not going to
be happy with it.
And you know what? I had it pinned right over left on my dress form THE WHOLE TIME.
See? "Real quick" always chooses violence.
And and and, even though I used smaller seam allowances, the jacket is still too small. It’s not going to button anyway.
So
off to Area 51 it goes. I’ll keep this for a few months and see if I like it
later. Maybe I can try to save it by darning the buttonholes closed and sewing buttons on top. Or something. If not, off to the earthmound it goes. Or maybe a thrift store -
if someone will take it.
No more woven clothes for a while; I'll stick to knits for a bit.
And handbags. Rectangles and circles don’t need to be fit nor do they need buttonholes.
L
Think about doing a creative buttonhole on top--check this out: https://www.threadsmagazine.com/2010/12/22/unconventional-buttonholes
ReplyDeleteThis article has some good ideas for future buttonholes (mine are on the wrong side). Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeletei did this once on a shirt. My fix: sew your buttons over the incorrect buttonholes with a flat spacer button behind on the inside. This should cover and hide the incorrect buttonholes. Then proceed to make new buttonholes on the correct side.
ReplyDeleteOh this is a good idea. I was thinking of darning over the openings and sewing a button on top. Adding a space will give it extra support. Thank you!
DeleteZigzag them closed and sew the button on top?
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of that too! Thanks Kyle!
DeleteOr sew the buttons on the inside of the right side? maybe try that on the buttonholes you've already opened and see if you can button it that way? (just thinking of an old coat I had that had a button on the inside)
ReplyDeleteOoooh, this is interesting! I will sew the buttons to the inside and see how it works/looks.
DeleteYou could just get over it.. I've been closing buttoned items this way for decades, they're just easier for right-handed people. And nobody's ever noticed. It's a good-looking jacket, what a waste not to enjoy it for a strange social convention most people have to think hard to recall
ReplyDeleteFor me, it is more muscle memory than a recalled social convention. In the end, I have to be comfortable and happy with what I'm wearing.
DeleteThose truly are famous last words. It never ends well...ever!
ReplyDeleteI hear you on the utter frustration over this type of sewing error. BLEH! I hope when you revisit it in Area51 that it will jump into your arms, happily :)
Oh no!!! I can imagine how you must have felt ...
ReplyDeleteWhat if you sew on the buttons but don't button it at all..
or maybe - add a small rectangle patch, in leather or another fabric or even same fabric and make it a design element on both sides..
Fancy closures or frog closures
ReplyDelete