If you remember,
the HOMEWORK was to:
- Try out the five variations of the stitch, taught last Sunday's lesson
- Pick a favorite
- Work a row on the Aida sampler
- Fill in a square on the Sunday Stitch School Reference Chart
- Make a couple of button holes or
- Play around with free form embroidery
1. Several readers have commented that they work the stitch in a different way from the five I showed.
So I thought I should check out how professional tailors and dressmakers make a hand stitched buttonhole, as it might differ from the embroidery Tailor's Buttonhole Stitch.
Here, videos turned out to be very informative and interesting. I found a number of different ways. Here are two:
The Yorkshire Tailor
Aluminiumfish/Mr Pasquale
Mr Pasquale used a stitch that reminds me of the basic Hedebo Stitch, used in Danish Hedebo Whitework.
After this research, I tried out my five stitches, and the two professional ones.
I tested them both in the middle of the fabric,
and on the edge.
2. So which is my favorite?
Well, I really like the two professional ones, Mr Pasquale's 'Hedebo Stitch' is the easier and quicker, but the Yorkshire Tailor's wasn't difficult - once you pay attention - more on that later!!!
As for looks, the version shown in Reader's Digest Complete Book of Embroidery, really gives a nice knitted edge, but it is tricky to do and time consuming.
3. On my Aida sampler I worked a row of The Yorkshire Tailor's Stitch
4. On the Sunday Stitch School's Preference Chart I made two versions,
Mr Pasquale's 'Hedebo' Stitch in brown
and the one with the knitted top from Reader's Digest Complete Book of Embroidery in blue.
5. I thought I would try to make a tailoring buttonhole according to the Yorkshire Tailor's video, with the basting,
oversewing serging,
waxing of the thread (I used real buttonhole silk!)
and gimp (didn't have any red, though)
then I made the blunder of stitching the lower edge towards me, instead of the upper edge away from me! This proves that I will not be accepted as an apprentice in Savile Row!!!
More proof of my incorrect stitch direction
and uneven stitching....
Well, I made one handmade buttonhole.
The gimp and the knot of the YT's Stitch made it a very strong buttonhole, albeit my untidy stitching is an eyesore.
So I'd like to redo my homework.
I'd like to have a holiday on Sunday and hand in a new buttonhole on Friday.
OK, good luck with your next 'keyhole'.
5. I thought I would try to make a tailoring buttonhole according to the Yorkshire Tailor's video, with the basting,
and gimp (didn't have any red, though)
The gimp and the knot of the YT's Stitch made it a very strong buttonhole, albeit my untidy stitching is an eyesore.
So I'd like to redo my homework.
I'd like to have a holiday on Sunday and hand in a new buttonhole on Friday.
OK, good luck with your next 'keyhole'.
12 comments:
Really interesting, I think I prefer the Yorkshire tailor's method, but that could be to do with the perfect tension. I admire Mr Pasquale's skill with scissors though—how he manages to make a tiny keyhole with shears—amazing!
So much fun here today.
Both the video's are very informative. I've made buttonholes by hand before,on
baby clothes with very fine fabric, the YT is right, with practice you get better.
Thanks for sharing Queenie, look forward to see what you come up with next.
I very much doubt than an apprentice's first buttonhole would be any better than that - and your second would be ever so much better, if you ever did one!
It is always fascinating to watch a pro at work - the shears would feel too heavy and cumbersome in my hands to cut anything, especially a tiny rounded hole like that.
I will enjoy doing the stitch again, correctly, and compare the result.
I was wondering why I had not searched stitch directions on Yutube before! A video is so much clearer than a set of pictures or a written direction.
I am sure I will have fun with the next tailor-play-acting, too!
Oh, yes, I will give the Tailor's Buttonhole a second chance, even if the MT wouldn't have given me one.
On another video, the tailor said he had made about 400 buttonholes before they began to look good!
You’ve put a lot of work into this week’s stitch! Very interesting.
I really love studying needlework and embroidery, the academic and practical side. This was good homework - I learned that bespoke hand tailored clothes require a lot of skill and plenty of practise.
Only another 99 then you'll be professional! I have done hand stitched buttonholes but they weren't very good. I can see where I went wrong after looking at the videos.
Way back in the late 1960's, when I was doing my training in fashion, this is what they started me on in the workroom to see if I knew the difference between a button hole stitch (Blanket stitch) and tailor's buttonhole. Mine was the tailors for York's method. Taught to me by my grandmother. It got me a great big tick. My grandmother insisted on perfection.
Ha, ha! Should I make it a daily chore to make one tailored keyhole?
It does need practice but I think it is like riding a bicycle, one you have learned it you can do it in your sleep. Your grandmother taught you well.
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