Hand sewn button hole

On By CarynIn Craft

I have hand sewn my first button hole. I bought a linen skirt to be a petticoat for my 1800s outfit for spinning demonstrations, and it was a bit big in the waist. One side of the waistband had elastic, but the other had a plain waistband. A machine sewn button hole would go through both layers of fabric and be useless, so I hand sewed the edges of the button hole with a satin stitch in just the inside layer of fabric.

Photo description: white linen waistband folded to make sewing the satin stitch in a straight lone easier. Needle in place, cat on lap.
Photo description: sewing on the button hole complete, a little wonky, but serviceable. Cat still there.
Photo description: seam ripper used to cut the threads between the lines of button hole stitching. Cat hasn’t moved.
Photo description: button hole elastic run through the newly accessible waistband and secured with a small white button. Calico cat is still on my lap. She was glad for the nap time, but unhappy that I wouldn’t let her lay on the linen.

The elastic is not historically accurate, and certainly not the button hole elastic, but I’m not doing reenactments, I’m doing spinning demonstrations and purchased look-a-likes are acceptable at this venue. I’m hoping the linen does its job keeping me cooler.