Beginner Sewing Series: Buttonholes and grommets

Hey there! Jessica Dodson from Sew Cute Bowtique here, and I’m back for another blog post! This time we’ll talk about buttonholes and grommets!

Ok, I admit, when Terra and the New Horizons team asked me to write a blog post on buttonholes and grommets I kind of freaked. I have never used my button foot or any of the stitches on my machine… I didn’t even own any buttons. But, I dug out my buttonhole foot and my manual, and got to learning!

First, this is what a buttonhole foot looks like.

If your machine didn’t come with one, you can pick one up on Amazon for around $5.

Second, these are the buttonhole stitches my machine comes with. Your machine may have a few less, or a few more.

(#s 34-41)

Now, let me show you how we will do this.

Step 1: use your buttonhole foot to measure your button. This tells your machine how large to make the hole.

Step 2: attach to your machine.

Step 3: there is a lever to the left side of your buttonhole foot. Pull this down. This lever tells your machine a few things. Like the size of your button hole, and when to stop and change stitches. Make sure it is behind the first tab.

Step 4: choose your buttonhole stitch.

Step 5: start sewing!

Step 6: cutting the hole. This is the trickiest part of the whole process. You want to cut the fabric between the twin longer lines, but make sure you don’t cut any of the stitching. You can place two pins before the shorter horizontal stitches this will stop before it gets to the stitching.

 

TA-DA!

GROMMETS

Now, for the grommets. Grommets can be used for a number of things. In fashion they can be used to add a decorative detail, or to create a functional opening. Most often I use them for Hoodie drawstrings, or waist drawstrings. I love the way they add that extra little detail.

One of the most important things to remember is that you ALWAYS want to use a stabilizer. If you do not use a stabilizer eventually your grommet will fall away from the fabric and you’ll end up with a bigger hole than the grommet. I mostly use a fusible interfacing from Pellon that is a felt type material. It has iron on fusing on one side and nothing on the other. But, I recently ran out of that. So I used a heat n bold iron on adhesive, and a matching piece of flannel.

After gathering all your materials you’ll want to make sure you have the location of the grommets marked on your fabric. I usually make a little clip with my scissors.

Step 2: iron on your stabilizer.

Step 3: I use the first clip I made, and make the same clip through the stabilizer. I make a perpendicular clip through both pieces to make an X. This helps the grommet pieces get all the way through. Once your X is big enough you’ll fit the piece of the grommet with the longer stem through the front side of the garment, and the shorter piece on the backside of the garment.

Front:

Back:

Step 4: using the tools that came in your grommet pack fasten the grommet.

The black piece goes onto the bottom. The bottom grommet piece fits in the grooves. You will use the silver piece on the top. Give a few taps and the grommet should be fastened!

Ta-Da! That is how you place buttonholes and grommets!

-Jessica, Sew Cute Bowtique

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