Sew A Button: The Gateway to Bigger Sewing Jobs

A man with class should have a sewing kit, a nice one, with a cloth measuring tape, needles, spools of thread, a seam ripper and a tomato shaped pin cushion. (What's a sewing kit without a tomato pin cushion?) Put everthing in a nice wooden cigar box and it will demand respect. We are living in a disposable age. If something rips, we throw it out. If a button falls off, we throw out the whole jacket. If a seam unravels, we throw out the whole coat. The man with class knows better. At the root of class, lies respect. With proper attention, care and respect, the clothing around you will be healthy and happy for a very long time. The same can be said for everything in a man's life.

There are two points I would like to make clear. First, the skills required to sew on a button, are very similar to the skills needed to make more complex repairs; By learning to attach buttons, you are learning to sew. Second, prevention is as important as repair. A stitch in time saves nine, right? Make the repairs when they first become necessary and the repairs will take only moments. One of the joys of making quick sewing repairs is the knowledge that those are the little types of jobs that so often go undone in other households. But not on your watch. You are not intimidated by those little projects. You are the guy who gets those jobs done.

Threading the Needle-- Pick an appropriate colored thread and cut off a very long length (about a yard). In the beginning, you'll want to use a needle with large eye. Over time, as you become better at threading needles, you can decrease the size. Do not use those wire needle threaders. Stick to tradition. Personally, I can thread a needle behind my back (I'll teach you to do it a little later). One trick to threading a needle is to hold the end of the thread so it only just barely protrudes from between the tips of your pinched index finger and thumb. Think about putting the eye of the needle over the thread instead of the other way around. With a little practice you'll be doing it in no time.

Got it yet? Pull the needle to the half way point, so that the ends of the thread are even. You'll be using a doubled up thread to attach buttons, meaning that you can get by with half as many stitches.

The Pick Stitch-- Another point to keep in mind is that if the material you are attaching the button to is double layered, such as the wool in a suit jacket or overcoat, then it won't be necessary to go all the way through both layers of the fabric with the needle. Instead, use the needle as a "pick" so that it only passes through the top layer of fabric. This way there will be no evidence, from either side, that the button has been reattached.

If you are following very very closely, you might be thinking. "But, if I just pick through the top layer then won't that leave the knots and the loose ends of the thread on the topside of the coat?" Wow, you are very observant! That is an excellent question. If you were to fix a hole in a sock, for example, you would begin by turning the sock inside out (thus, when you are done, your knots and loose ends will be on the inside of the sock). But buttons are a little different because you don't want to leave any "work" showing on either side of the coat.

Bury the Loose Ends-- First, do not cut the threads near the knot. If you trim too near to the knot, sooner or later (probably sooner), it will come untied. If you trim further away from the knot, the ends will forever poke out screaming, "amateur!"

So, this is what you'll do. Thread both loose ends through a needle (both together or one at a time). Next, run the needle under the first layer of fabric (starting at a point directly under the button), then run it for a length of several inches and then back to the surface. Then, pull the threads tight, so that the coat bunches up a little bit for the length of those several inches. Now, snip the threads where they are emerging from the coat. The ends of the thread will vanish into the coat, between the two layers of fabric, never to be seen again.

That method will be useful anytime that you wish to bury loose ends of thread. If you are attaching a button with a stem on the back, then the above information should be all you need to get you started. If you are sewing on a classic button with holes, then there are a couple of more points to consider.

Make a Stem-- Typically, on coats and jackets, these buttons are not sewn flush with the jacket. They usually have a little slack, making them a little more functional. So, adjust accordingly. Leave the button securely fastened, but a little wobbly. Then, take your extra length of thread and wind it (many times) around all of the other threads between the button and the coat, forming a stem. Secure this by winding a large loop around the stem, threading the needle through the loop, pulling tightly, and repeating. Afterward, bury the loose ends as before.

Types of Stitches-- You can attach a four hole button with two parallel stitches, two cross stitches, or turn the button diagonally and makes a chicken's foot stitch. In the event that you use a chicken's foot stitch, the foot should always be "climbing up." But unless you want to reattach all of the buttons, it's probably best to just match the stitch on the other buttons.

Thread a needle behind your back-- I have heard of legendary tailors who could thread a needle behind their back, but I'm not so sure that they didn't just cheat like I do. Here's my cheat method. Thread a needle, and hold the thread between the tips of your thumb and index finger, with the needle concealed in your curled lower three fingers. It should look like you are merely holding a piece of thread. Pick up a needle with your other hand and place both hands behind your back. Now "pin" the loose needle to a safe place such as the inside of your jacket or the waistband of your trousers. Bring your hands forward to reveal the threaded needle. Accept the applause that you don't deserve.

Eventually the guilt will burden you, and you will probably just learn to do this trick legitimately. Don't forget to remove the extra needle at some point before you sit down.

The Moral to the Story-- Sewing buttons is fun!