Sometimes it all starts with a print.
This particular fabric is a heavy upholstery weight, but I could not resist the cheery print. I have had luck with upholstery fabric in the
past, in particular, this vintage reproduction suit.
But when this showed up at my doorstep from fabric.com, I
thought I had made a huge mistake.
I decided to forge ahead with a skirt. And here was the perfect opportunity to
finally pull out my first Colette Pattern, the Beignet.
The fabric was quite a bit thicker than I had anticipated,
so I used a mid-weight black cotton for my facing pieces and eliminated the interfacing
altogether.
The pattern really does not allow for print matching. I decided to get over it, and enjoy the abstract look it created. And it turned out better than I was expecting.
I did not have any suitable
lining on hand, so I went to JoAnn Fabrics. Of course, their stock of rayon lining is extremely limited. They were out of black, so I picked up a
cranberry red color, and it turned out to be a lovely contrast.
It would seem that my fear of machine made buttonholes is
alive and well. So add another 12 bound
buttonholes to the tally. They really look nice on the front of the skirt with my contrasting pink buttons.
I am quite certain that this pattern is going to get a whole
lot of use in the near future. The options are endless! Thank you Colette Patterns!
Skirt: Made by me,
Colette “Beignet”
Blouse: Banana
Republic
Shoes: Anne Klein
I love your Beignet! The bound button holes are FABULOUS!!! I really love the dots. They are so fun and girly.
ReplyDeleteGreat job! I really love the way the bound button holes look against the print. I really should make this pattern. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteSuper cute!
ReplyDeleteWow, you have totally mastered bound button holes. I am just about to tackle my first ones! Can you tell me what fabric you used for your squares, and maybe a link to a good tutorial??? Or have you done a tutorial???
ReplyDeleteThanks in advance!
For this project, I used the same black cotton that I used for my facing. The upholstery fabric would have been a nightmare to work with.
DeleteThere are several ways to create bound buttonholes. I usually use the first technique I came across that most of the Vintage Vogue patterns include in their instruction sheets.
I cut a square of fabric, apply it to the right side of my garment, sew a rectangle with small stitches, cut open the fabric within that rectangle and pull it through to the wrong side of the garment. That square is then folded and pressed so that the rectangular window is filled with fabric lips.
For thick fabrics this will not work. Gertie has an excellent tutorial which uses that first square of fabric (organza or something just as lightweight) to create a window, and then two pieces of fashion fabric create the lips of the fabric. I have used that technique with quite a bit of success as well.
I would imagine that there are quite a few online tutorials with clear diagrams that probably do a better job of explaining.
Have fun! They really are a fabulous finishing touch!
They are! I'm just about to start sewing a coat in gorgeous red wool with a red polka dot satin lining. I don't want to put in all the effort on the coat only to do crappy machine button holes. I think I'll look up Gertie's tutorial and practice a couple of times on some scraps before I tackle the cut fabric pieces.
DeleteThanks for the advice :)
Looks fab! As always!
ReplyDeleteOh I love the fabric! Such a smart choice for a fun skirt.
ReplyDeleteI luuuuurrrrvvvvvveeee this fabric! <3
ReplyDeleteWhat a great skirt. Your bound buttonholes are a wondeful addition to it. Kudos to you!
ReplyDeleteSuch a super fun, cheerfully vibrant pattern! I love the hits of pink in particular, and could really see this skirt being dressed up or down in a number of wonderful ways.
ReplyDelete♥ Jessica