Friday-Freebie_Buttonholes

Need I say more? Get it here.

Asides: Thank you for all your awesome comments on Flamboyant (Knipmode 2008, Jacket 6b) your feedback is most appreciated. Some really interesting information materialised in the comments concerning metal shank buttons (and making them suck less):

Anita uses the u-shaped part of metal hook & eye sets to sew through the shank and suggested removable buttons with bodkins (grommets?) on the back or a removable button strip (this would be totally doable with an invisible zipper).

Vicki Kate suggested using tuxedo snaps and the like. And then posted some action shots of some of her military buttons using Vogue’s eyelet technique combined with an attachment ring through the back (instead of the mysterious bodkin).

I used the information to do a quick sketch in iDraw on metal-shank-button insertion possibilities. No idea if this diagram makes sense to anyone apart from me (metal shank in bold black, eyelet in red, button back in white, button front in blue).

I also had a conversation with Hannah (“-shank buttons do not go on gracefully”, well said Madame, emphasis mine) at her Tumblog about alternate closures (I’ve been into them ever since I first came across that coat) but I’ve never really made any efforts to track ‘em down because I remembered having those sort of closures on an old school lunchbox and assumed (possibly incorrectly) that they would be easily available (at outdoor/ climbing/ boating equipment stores-i.e. portable winches). Haven’t looked into it but any information on it would be most appreciated.

Update: VickiKate posted some shots of military buttons with attachment rings for easy removability here. Thanks VickiKate!

Update (25th September, 2013): Bodkins are available on ebay as Cotter’s pins. Get something heavy duty and you’ll be fine. At worst heavy duty key-chain rings work fine too. No chance of those falling through the fabric XD

Previously on Friday Freebies.

Disclaimer: All non-self-generated images remain copyrights of their original owners and are used here for purposes of review and illustration (the two images in this post are my own; the featured image is from the Vogue Sewing Book).