So, yeah, there are other button-sewing sites out there. I found a couple of them via Google but was a bit unhappy with the photographs that they used and decided to add another How-To to the interwebs. The pictures still aren’t quite what I had wanted so I’ll update them soon but I think the better thread-fabric contrast and a few more intermediate steps shown is helpful and what I would have liked to have seen when I did my research.
To note is that this isn’t exactly what documentation (Chaucer works as documentation, right?) shows, but it’s pretty close and gives the same look with slightly less finagling in my experience.
I demonstrate this in a cotton muslin but have been making my buttons in 5.3 ounce linen. In fact, I used a scrap of that linen as a background for the photographs since it is oh so pretty. Thicker material makes it a bit harder to pull the material tight in the pursing steps but patience will teach you how hard you can pull thread and when you need to add a few more rounds of stitches to help pull it together. The black thread I used was also pretty light and tended to want to break even with this material. Patience, patience, patience. And if you snap the thread, you can just re-knot the thread and resume (I secretly did that 2 times while doing the pictures). On to the craftiness…
- Start off by marking a circle on the fabric you want to use. If it’s really thin material, or you need a large button, you can do multiple layers. They will all get stuck together in the next couple steps. The size of this circle will ultimately lead to the size of the final button. My circle was traced around a pill-bottle cap and changed from a 1 3/4 inch diameter flat cloth to a 1/2 inch button. Change the size to fit your needs. If the fabric is easy to see through or your marker is dark, make sure to remove that during the next step. It will show through to the outside as mine did in the final product.
- Cut the circle out of the fabric and get your needle threaded. Since you’ll be putting a decent amount of strain on the thread when tightening up the cloth, at least double it up. It doesn’t really take a lot of thread to sew this. Mine was about 30 inches before doubling it up and probably could have made 2 buttons. Again, as you make the buttons you’ll be able to see how much thread you’ll really need.
- Stitch around the circle approximately 2/3 of the way from the center to the edge. That gives you a decent amount of fabric to tuck in the next couple stages.
- Pull on the thread and draw the fabric into a loose purse sort of thing. The outsize edges can be folded over and tucked inside the button. As you tuck this in, pull on the thread to trap that fabric inside the stitch-line.
- Once everything is tucked in and the thread is somewhat tight, back-stitch a bit to lock the pleats in place. Flatten the button down and re-tuck any bits that are trying to escape. You’re the boss of them; make them do your bidding.
- With small, even stitches, go around the edge through both sides. If the material is thicker or you have temperamental thread, you may want to start pulling the thread tight as you go to start yet another pursing of the fabric. These pictures show the front and back of the button when completing this stage.
- Pull the fabric taut again and make it pucker into a purse shape again so that the pretty side of the button starts to look orb-shaped and tighter. This stage is generally a favorite time for thread to break so don’t make it too tight. You’ll be able to firm it up more in a bit. Like I said before, patience is your friend.
- Once the fabric has been pulled up tight enough, do another back-stitch to hold the pleats. You have a squishy button now. However, if you stop now, it doesn’t really live up to it’s full potential of being the best button it can be. We need to tone this button.
- Stitch around the button a few more times as you tighten the purse more and more. You can also do a little back and forth stitching across the opening to bring the sides together. If there are pleats that seem a bit ungainly or the button is lopsided, just use some stitches to bring it back to round. The button will get harder and you can finish when it feels firm enough that it won’t deform when holding an opening closed or whatever you are making this button for. Just do a few stitches to keep the thread from loosening and call it a day.
- TADA! That’s it. You can leave some thread to sew this right on the final destination or snip it and keep the button for that very special occasion you’re planning.
