Sew on a button - PEP BB textile.straw.sewbutton

My sons school blazer dropped a button - I immediately thought of this badge bit.

Here are my photos:

My daughter wanted a new dress for her doll, so I sewed her one! And, in the process, I had to sew on a button. So I took pictures!

Here's my button.

I lost a button on my wool Christmas vest. Fortunately, it came with extras!

Missing button with spares sewn into the seam.

Sewing on one of the replacement buttons. I didn't have matching yarn so I used red cotton sewing thread.

Button repaired, garment back.

Button repaired, garment front.

Had a couple loose buttons on a jacket that required sewing before they fell completely off.

This is part of a larger project so I'm trying to use what I had available. The thread shown is silk. My great, great, +/-great Aunt worked in a silk thread/tassle company in England. So that bobbin's been passed down! When I wanted to try hand sewing a cotton shirt from material I was given using an 18th Century pattern, I decided to try using the silk thread. For sewing the shirt, I split the 3-ply into it's parts - it actually is 3 bits of 2-ply spun together. However, I felt that the split bits wouldn't be strong enough for a button, and I couldn't remove just 1 of the 3 plies easily, so I went with the straight thread - in other words, the thread's too thick, and looks a bit ugly, but it is *very* strong and will do the job. I need to sew two buttons on the cuffs, so if some of you textile pros think I should try using the split thread for that, I'll try that.


This picture really shows how the thread is on the large size for the tiny button - it's a salvaged button, and the only one I had that I really liked with the fabric.

Here comes the ugly part:

Thankfully, I'm the only one that will see that when wearing the shirt.

The silk thread has been great to work with - nice and slippery to pull, but it's sooo... slippery that it doesn't hold knots, so I've done back stitching to start a thread, and I slide through the seam for at least an inch and back in the other direction an inch when using it. It's been an interesting learning experience.

Finding a button.

I like my knots to be hidden, so I start with a knotted end long enough to tie, from the side that the button will cover.

I make a couple of crisscrosses, to be sure my button will not escape, but the threads are not yet pulled tight. Next, I insert an upholstery needle or other spacer so I can create a "shank". A matchstick or other similar item will also work.

Then I tightened my stitches, and finish the number of crisscrosses I desire.

Now I remove my spacer and wrap the stitches, bring my thread back up under the button, and tie a knot.

Now I can cut the ends off, leaving enough that they do not work themselves loose. I used to cut these too short when the knot I tied was visible on the waistband.

shows stitching inside the waistband.

Pants, buttoned.

I had a button just about ready to fall off, so I nipped it off and re-attached it with heavy cotton thread. Once I go in and out of the holes several times, I wrap the thread around the base well, take one more stitch above the button and then come back down through the shaft created by the wrapping.

DH picked me up a pair of pants from a neighbor’s free pile. They are a perfect fit and a color I like, but had a loose button, so I removed and reattached it.

I sewed on a button!
I used a shank button and cotton thread.
The following tutorials were helpful to me: