Magic button sewing tip - it works!

I first came across this simple tip a couple of weeks ago via Emmie on My Oh So Vintage Life and it's now my favourite sewing tip EVER! It's a trick to eliminate gaping between buttons on shirt dresses, specifically at the waist. This is at its most noticeable when you sit down and invariably end up displaying the two inches of flesh you'd rather never saw the light of day again. 

Emmie's tip is sew an inward facing button in the offending area - the trick is to sew it on the inside of the button band so it's invisible from the front. Gahhh!!! Such a simple tip, but so effective! 

Secret button sewn on the inside of the button band (LHS), with buttonhole on the opposite side

I can also confirm that it works for the dreaded boob gape - as soon as I discovered this tip I put it to the test on my Granville Shirt. I absolutely love this shirt, but thanks to my own slapdash methods of button placement (trying to eyeball them rather than measuring properly), it's always gaped at the bust point. It hasn't stopped me wearing it and it's not actually that noticeable, but it is a pain to keep fiddling and pulling the front of my shirt.

Here I am, helpfully pointing to the offending area….

Here's the BEFORE picture…

And here's the AFTER picture….

Yay, no gaping!

When the shirt is buttoned up, the internal button and buttonhole are completely invisible from the front. Just to remind you, the hidden button is between the second and third button down.

 And here's what it looks like from the inside….

This solution may be blindingly obvious to lots of you, but it certainly wasn't to me, so please indulge me! Sorting out a dreaded waist or bust gape is just so satisfying! Two further shirt dresses have also been given the same treatment at the waist with great results. Thank you Emmie, for showing me the light! 

What were the sewing tips that changed your life? Please share, I'd love to know! x

Tips for sewing with denim (and a giveaway!)

Today I've put together a few simple tips and hints on sewing with denim. Denim really isn't difficult to work with, all you have to do is to use a bit of common sense. These tips have all worked for me with good results, so hopefully they'll work for you too. Enjoy! 

Preparation

- My number one tip is to always, always, ALWAYS pre-wash denim fabric before you start sewing. Pre-washing denim will allow for any shrinkage of the fabric, and will also remove a lot of the dye that comes out on its first wash. It may sound obvious, but initially it's probably safer to wash it separately from other fabrics, unless you want everything blue tinged. Ask me how I know!

- Denim can sometimes hold quite noticeable creases from being washed. Pressing the fabric whilst it's still damp will really help remove them.

- Denim is notoriously prone to fraying, so there's no scrimping on seam finishes I'm afraid. Overlock or zigzag all those pesky seams as you go along, it will be worth it after the first wash, trust me!

Tools for the job

- I always use Denim or Jeans needles, they're stronger, with a sharp point and will make the job much easier. Up until now, I've always used regular thread for sewing denim and it's performed fine. For my current project however, I used Gutermann's Jeans Thread and am now a total convert. It's slightly stronger than standard thread and has a two colour effect which blends right in with blue denim. Magic!  

Ways to minimise bulk

- One of the problems you may encounter when sewing with denim are areas of bulk because of the thickness of the fabric. You need to minimise this as much as you can:

- Use a lighter weight fabric such as cotton lawn, for areas of your garment that aren't visible e.g. pockets, internal waistbands, yokes etc. If you choose a contrasting fabric these areas can become design features in their own right.

Pockets on Gertie capri pants

Waistband facing on my denim Ginger skirt

- You don't need to interface areas that need support such as waistbands and buttonholes. Some of you may disagree, but I've never interfaced when sewing with denim as I find the thicker fabric already provides in-built structure.

- Press all darts flat and all seams open unless absolutely necessary. If seams really do have to be pressed in the same direction then grade them. This is done by trimming them into layers so they're not lying right on top of each other.

Seams trimmed and graded by size

Tip for sewing bulky seams

- Take your time and slow down when sewing through thick layers. If you're worried about your needle not being able to cope, then use your hand wheel for difficult/bulky areas.

- One reason needles break is because the foot tilts at an angle when encountering thick layers or seams. An easy way to counteract this is to keep the foot level. To do this, just fold a piece of denim to the same thickness as the seam or hem you need to sew through and position it behind the foot. This will keep the foot level and not put any stress on the needle.

See how the foot is forced to tilt at an angle?

Folded fabric behind the foot ensures it stays level

- When you get to the end of the seam, remember to position the folded denim in front of the foot to prevent the needle angling down again. Easy peasy!

I hope these tips prove useful and if you have any additional gems of your own for sewing with denim, please let me know in the comments section.

We're not finished with denim just yet in this post though. Oh no! To set you up on the road to denim enlightenment, Annie from The Village Haberdashery has very generously offered one of my readers 2.5 metres of this gorgeous striped Railroad Denim by Robert Kauffman. Isn't it fab?! I can really see this as a cute A line skirt worn with coloured tights, or a fitted blouse.

To enter, just leave a comment on this post telling me what you'd make with the Railroad Denim if you won it. You can also get an extra entry if you follow The Village Haberdashery's Daily Stitch blog on Bloglovin'. Just let me know in your comment if you're a new (or existing) follower. The giveaway is open worldwide and closes at midnight GMT on Wednesday 22nd January. The winner will be chosen at random.

Thank you to Annie at The Village Haberdashery for such a generous giveaway and happy sewing with denim everybody! x 

Strange but true sewing tip

Right at the final stage of making my Juniper trousers a few weeks ago, a funny old sewing tip came magically to my rescue. I had occasion to use this tip again yesterday, which reminded me to share it.... As I was sewing the last cream button onto the waistband, I suddenly noticed that the button and thread were turning pink. I'd only gone and pricked my finger on the needle and was bleeding all over the button and thread. Doh! I used two metres of bright red fabric, red thread, even red interfacing, but I had to go and bleed on the one tiny non-red area of my trousers. What are the chances?! Now I know what you're thinking, it wasn't an absolute disaster. The button was plastic and could wipe clean and I could have easily removed the now pink thread and re-sewn the button on. But it was the very last stage, almost the last stitch on my make and I was desperate to get them on and photographed whilst the sun was out. So without even stopping to think what I was doing, I found myself repeatedly spitting on the button thread. Oh my god!!! 

Apologies if you're easily offended, but that's what I did folks. I was putting into practice a sewing tip I'd read on a sewing blog yonks ago and filed away in my subconscious waiting for just the right moment. Apparently it has to be your own er spit (sorry), something to do with the enzymes in the saliva breaking down the proteins in the blood. Anyway, I'm delighted to report it worked like magic - it was pretty amazing seeing the thread turning colour from pink back to white right before my very eyes!!

I discovered this tip on Sherry's blog - Pattern, Scissors, Cloth*. Apparently, a more experienced seamstress colleague taught her the trick when she worked in the garment industry and she's been good enough to pass it on in turn. And despite the grossness, this sewing tip actually worked like a dream for me. Have you ever found yourself automatically putting into practice a weirdo sewing tip you've read about and stored in your brain? And did it work?? I'd love to know!

That's it for now, I have an urgent appointment with some piping and a pair of PJ bottoms. x

* As an aside, does anybody know what the story is with Sherry and her blog? She suddenly stopped blogging last summer and I for one have missed her dearly. Her blog was one of my favourites, absolutely packed to the gills with wonderful tips and tutorials as well as her own beautifully stitched wardrobe. Whatever the reason for the blog break, I hope you're well and happy Sherry, we miss you!