Now let’s move on to making the buttonholes :
- Switch to the buttonhole presser foot (this usually comes with your sewing machine)
- Before working on your garment, test the buttonhole settings on a scrap of your fabric, using two layers to mimic the real conditions
- Set your machine to the buttonhole stitch and adjust the stitch length between 0 and 1, fine-tuning as needed based on your tests.
➡️ Our heart-shaped buttons are 1 cm tall, so your buttonholes need to be slightly larger to allow the button to pass through easily. Find the notch on your presser foot that works best; for us, it’s the third notch. If this is your first time making buttonholes, we recommend watching our tutorial video to see the process in action and ensure you’re using the right technique
💡 Good to know : These instructions are for making buttonholes on a standard home sewing machine. Many higher-end models now have an automatic buttonhole function, which makes the process even easier—just press a button and the machine does the rest. We won’t cover those machines here, as if you’ve invested in one, you likely already have some experience with buttonholes
- Once you’re happy with your test buttonholes (and only then), return to your actual garment and proceed
- Place your needle at the mark for the first buttonhole, in the top left corner. Set your machine to buttonhole stitch mode 1 and position the buttonhole presser foot so that the opening matches the size you want for your buttonhole
- Gently press the foot pedal and guide the fabric without pulling or forcing it, letting the machine sew down to the bottom left corner of the buttonhole. The machine will complete this step automatically :
- Once you reach the bottom of the buttonhole, with the needle fully raised, switch your machine to buttonhole stitch 2. Sew a few back-and-forth stitches to secure the end. You will now be at the bottom right corner of the buttonhole :
- Next, switch to buttonhole stitch 3. Sew up the right side of the buttonhole, carefully stopping when you reach the top right corner :
- Finally, switch to buttonhole stitch 4 (which is the same as stitch 2) and sew a few back-and-forth stitches to secure the top of the buttonhole. This will complete your buttonhole at the top right corner
- Finally, raise the needle and trim any excess threads
- Place two pins at the start and end of the buttonhole to prevent accidentally cutting through the bar tacks
- Using a seam ripper, carefully open the buttonhole by cutting along its center, following the marked line. For best results, insert the seam ripper into the middle of the buttonhole and cut towards each end separately, stopping at the pins to avoid damaging the stitches at either end
💡 Good to know : These two pins act as guides to prevent the seam ripper from going too far and accidentally cutting through the bar tacks at the ends of the buttonhole. This helps ensure you don’t tear or damage the buttonhole while opening it
- Remove the pins—the buttonhole is complete!
- Repeat these steps for the remaining two buttonholes, then press everything with an iron to finish
