27 July 2012

DIY Buttonhole Elastic

Welcome to another "Friday Feet!"  Friday Feet is when I share a technique such as how to use a certain presser foot.  Read more about it here.
I think I know what my problem is.  I start too many projects and then feel overwhelmed with what I should do next and then I don't do anything, the supplies from each project pile up and the creativity is squished like a cockroach.  I guess that's why I took Pearl to one of my least favorite clothing retailers as we got desperate trying to find some shorts that fit both our criteria.  She wanted comfort (ie elastic waistband) and I wanted length and design.  We found something that was okay, but then I remembered some shorts I started for her a couple of weeks ago and said to myself (because, as I pointed out to Ryan, I only started talking to myself when I had more than 3 kids) this is silly!  This is what I do! The advantage of sewing your kids' clothes is that you can tailor it to their bodies.  The disadvantage of buying or sewing is that all your kids might not have the same body type.  ENTER: buttonhole elastic!
There are several advantages of buttonhole elastic.  Obviously there is the fit factor.  If it fits in the length you can always adjust the waist.  Secondly, I like the fact that I can easily gather something in just the back of the garment.  For shorts, especially, I really dislike having the elastic go all the way around the waist.  It messes with design and a more tailored look.  And thirdly, I like that I don't have to commit.  When it gets passed down to the next child, I don't have to pull out the safety pins and create unsightly, temporary pleats.
When I went to get some buttonhole elastic, I found that they no longer carry in the store.  I even had the employee come over and study the elastic display and then I sighed a big sigh, wondering why my shorts-making momentum was being thwarted.  You can order it online, she said.  While I do find an enormous amount of cool resources online, I don't appreciate paying shipping costs for something that ought to be in the store.  So, dear readers, what do we do?  Necessity is the mother of invention, n'est-ce pas?  
I experimented with what I had.  I have an unreasonable, though slightly founded fear of running out of elastic, so I have a stash of elastic.  All sizes, many types and a few colors.  The first kind I tried is the most accessibly found: knit.  At first I thought I was going to have to sew a bunch of buttonholes along the elastic, but after cutting a little slit, I pulled it in all directions and there was no hint of fraying or distortion.  And I thought, probably like many of you, well that was ridiculously easy, dare I say stupidly simple?!  That's it!  I folded the edge under and did a quick zig zag stitch.  
Just a few of tips:  
✂ keep the slit straight, along just one crevice 
✂ make it smaller than you would a normal buttonhole since it stretches (duh) 
✂ I would make them a bit closer than what I show in the photo for that perfect amount of cinching option.
My curiosity got the best of me and I tried it on the "no roll" elastic.  Results: A big, fat fail.  A picture is worth a thousand words.  Stick to the regular knit.
Decide where you want your cinching party to take place, fuse some interfacing where the buttonhole and the button will go, sew your buttonhole closest to the center of the back and a flat (no shank) button on the outer portion.
Thread the elastic through and even out the distribution of the fabric.  Sew a straight line down the center to keep the elastic in place.  An option is to also sew the elastic sticking out down on the opposite side of the button so it doesn't accidentally get pulled into the casing.
That's it!

The pattern I used was from this Japanese pattern book:
*update: I apologize, I had the wrong book up earlier, but this is the one with the shorts pattern.

I love these secret, undercover pockets,
but I'm rethinking my button choice.  They look a little too purple.  
What do you think?


I loved hearing from you about the last "Friday Feet" and how so many of you cleaned out your bobbin area and oiled the hook mechanism to reveal a more smoothly running machine!  Hooray for a happy sewing machine!  

54 comments:

  1. Wow Katy! Those are really adorable!!! You did such a great job. Way better looking than anything you can buy!

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  2. Yea for you! The shorts turned out adorable and now we all know how to make buttonhole elastic - thanks!!!

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  3. Those shorts are way cuter than anything I've seen in the stores.:) Thanks for sharing about the using knit elastic to make your own buttonhole elastic. I've needed some for a while and ran in to the same situation at our local fabric store(s).

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  4. I thought I loved those shorts, then I saw the pockets in the back and they are just fabulous! LOVE.

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  5. I agree with your thoughts on button color. I would choose a little larger flat white button, or maybe the orange you used in the piping. The pattern is adorable! I love Japaneses clothing and underwear. My sister lived there five years so my daughter has been spoiled. She has down syndrome so we struggle to find off the rack items that fit. I don't LOVE sewing. But I do LOVE my daughter- this will make next summer more comfortable!

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  6. Oh my.... these are FANTASTIC!!!! Cutest shorts I've seen all summer. Great techniques, you certainly have a knack.

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  7. Oh my.... these are FANTASTIC!!!! Cutest shorts I've seen all summer. Great techniques, you certainly have a knack.

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  8. I am so hooked!!!! I sew for other people and the biggest fear that I have is that the elastic in the waist isn't going to fit or that once they have paid my exhorbitant price (lol) the garment isn't going to fit long enough. Enter your buttonhole elastic!!!!! I love you!!!!

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  9. Buttonhole elastic is a favorite of mine, too. I've even taken apart RTW pants to redo the back waistband with it! I believe Hancock's still carries it, though Joanns doesn't. If you shop around, though, it's possible to source it online for less than the store--even with shipping.

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  10. Great tutorial! Love it. And those shorts rock. Love them. I want a pair myself! :)

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  11. Love the look of the shorts and love to sew for my 2 girls -- make things more modest for them. Quick question -- who manufactures or makes the Japanese pattern? Thanks.

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  12. KT-I don't know since it's all in Japanese characters, but the name of the book, I believe, is Polka Drops. You can find them on etsy and a few on amazon.

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  13. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I've been contemplating just ordering the button hole elastic online...but this is so much better!
    My daughter is tall and skinny -- making her pants is about the only option I have right now for this fall!

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  14. Quick question, do you usually re-draft the front of shorts/skirts/pants to account for the flat front? Or do you leave the pattern pieces as is but only create & fill the casing in the back?

    The one other time I've seen an elastic waist switched to a flat front, gathered back, you had to re-draft. I'm getting better at drafting for my body but I'm still a bit intimidated by the notion of drafting for my 3 year old...That's probably irrational:).

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  15. Rachel--haha, yes that's funny, it's usually the other way around for most people :) To answer your question, it really depends on the pattern and the fullness to begin with. These shorts had the casing all the way to the small front panel, so I wasn't cutting out much fullness, so I left it as is. For patterns where the side seams would hit obviously in the wrong place (more toward the back), I would go ahead and redraft the front. Some patterns already do gathering just in the back, like the Oliver + S patterns which makes it easy to just add the buttonhole elastic without any alterations. Hope that helps.

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  16. I ADORE those shorts. And your girly is too cute! I've had some buttonhole elastic on hand for a while but I've been too afraid to try it.

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  17. I'm guessing that this would actually be better than the buttonhole elastic you buy, because the stuff I buy never feels as strong as regular elastic. Great tip!

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  18. What a brilliantly simple tip, thanks for sharing! And those shorts are so cute - I'm sure you couldn't have bought anything half as nice!

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  19. I love those pants! Just awesome.

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  20. These are super cute and love love love back pocket detail - off to buy that book !

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  21. That's very clever! If I ever need buttonhole elastic, now I know what to do. =)
    As to the buttons.... go orange! White buttons would also work though. =)

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  22. I was just thinking about trying this myself! Thanks for doing all the work and sharing your results. I love the shorts, but I do think the buttons look a little purple. Now I need to see if my library has this book!

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  23. How funny, I used to cut elastic into thinner strips when I didn't have the right width, but never thought to do this...and I've been buying buttonhole elastic! Love the shorts! The cheeky pockets on the back are so cool!

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  24. Love the pattern of the shorts! Have been looking everywhere for a similar cut to make for my son!
    Since you used the contrasting orange piping, you could always use orange buttons. But think they look great.
    http://iliska-dreams.blogspot.com.au/

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  25. Katie are you sure that is the correct pattern book you used for this? I have been flicking through for at least half an hour now and cannot find this pattern to save myself.

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  26. IXAT-you are completely correct, thank you for being a sleuth. I had two books sitting out and grabbed the wrong one. I've put the correct one up, I apologize!

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  27. YAY! I have that one too :)

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  28. The shorts look great! I love your pcitures too!

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  29. ADORABLE!!!!! Loved these shorts. Am gaining confidence with Japanese pattern books because of you - keep up the fantastic work.

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  30. I love the shorts, and I think the buttons are fine. I insert elastic waistbands in all my jeans because they never stay up and belts create pleats and gathers. I have been sewing in button holes in knit elastic. Thanks for shortening the process. My button holer has broken, so I get to readjust the stitch width for each step and it's a pain.

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  31. Oh. My. Stars. I feel like such a ditz now! Here I sit having been hoarding teen boys jeans to rip the BHE out of them when I could have been doing it all along.

    *headdesk!*

    Thank you for showing me an easier way!

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  32. Oh yeay!! I am NOT a sewer, but my daughter got some handmedown jeans where the adjustable elastic was missing. She is a twig so that feature is mandatory in her clothing. I'm so glad this can be done becuase my mom also has a stash of elastic and I was hoping to fix it before school starts! Excellent timing!! Thank you!! :)

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  33. I love this shorts pattern, and your interpretation of it is wonderful. I would like to get a copy of this book, but my Japanese is a little iffy. Can you tell me where I can buy it?
    Thanks so much]
    Joan

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  34. those are awesome! and thank thank thank you for the how to. my skinny tall boys need all the adjustable elastic they can get!

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  35. These are so great, Katy! Love, love the piping.

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  36. I would not change a thing. Great tips on the elastic. Love the piping too!

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  37. Those shorts are to-die-for cute! Love the elastic tips too.

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  38. Wow! Great tip! If I am bold enough, I may take the challenge a few others have mentioned and try to alter my daughter's jeans. In the meantime, this is going in my stash of awesome tutorials! Thank you! Oh, and those shorts could not be more fabulous! Well done!

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  39. Sweet! Thanks for the tip! A great A-HA! moment!!

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  40. I love these shorts! They might just be my favorite thing you've made thus far - simple and classy with good detail! Well done!

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  41. These are just the cutest things ever! Wow! and Hi there :). I've been so out of touch with blogs for two months. Fun to check in on you :)

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  42. these shorts look great! and no, the buttons look blue to me. Blue & cute;) BTW: New follower here! Fellow sewer also! If you get the chance, pass by my blog and check out a few of the things I've made:)

    -Reyna
    http://www.glamglory.blogspot.com

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  43. I love your blog, everything you make is beautiful and your photography skills are outstanding. I have a quick question, where do you buy Japanese pattern books for children? I looked on Amazon, but wasn't able to find one. Thank you very much. Olga

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  44. Olga-There are a few Etsy shops that sell Japanese Pattern Books, just do a search and they'll pop up.

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  45. I love lurking your blog...after I saw this post a few weeks ago I couldn't help myself and had to get a copy of the book. It arrived this week. I have two young boys who could look great in these but I want a pair for myself, too. Now to upsize...I was hopeful that the sizing would go up enough for my 39" hips. But, no;-( I like the flat front version of yours better than the book's elastic-all-around look. Thanks for all the inspiration. aberka AT gmail DOT com

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  46. i love LOVE LOVE these shorts of Pearls. Perfect pattern/fit/fabric/colors, everything. Perfect for picky Pearl? (I think I noticed she got a new/different red+white swimsuit after not liking her first which really was your fave?)

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  47. those shorts are adorable. I only have (4) boys. My 2nd is a twig like I was as a kid, the other 3 all look to have my husband's denser bone structure, so hand-me-downs are a PAIN if there isn't buttonhole elastic in the waist. I've just gone through all the clothes that they have and donated any pants that have waistbands without buttonhole elastic for my own sanity (they also had WAY too many clothes in each size so the donation process was going to happen anyway, that just gave me an easy criteria).

    Your tip is great as I want non-white button hole elastic for a project I'm working on and had been having very little luck sourcing colorful buttonhole elastic ANYWHERE. Now I'll just buy colorful elastic and cut in the darn holes!

    With the no-roll, I was wondering - what if you cut the hole the other way, so it was between the bars instead of crossing over them? I don't know where I put my stash of that to try it myself.

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  48. I love you, I need to replace some in my son's pants that the manufactures sewed in to keep it there, so when it goes completely into the casing you can't get it out to restring it. Well it went it, and the pants are falling down. I looked today at JoAnn's and they couldn't find it, even online you have to buy the whole roll, I only want 16 inches. This will save me.

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  49. I want to thank you so much for the button hole elastic idea!! My son can now wear his brother's hand-me-down shorts and I don't have to buy more! Even better, I don't have to go into Joann's!!!!!!! Thank you!!!!!

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  50. This is an incredible tutorial --- so useful for those of us whose weight changes from day to day!!

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  51. Love this...one helpful hint...for the elastic "fail"... cut the button hole slit "vertical" in between the larger spaces... in the thin space...just another option. ;) btw if you don't have at least 5 projects going at once, your not a truely devoted diva of creating and design....lol

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  52. Not a sewer, I just stumbled across this looking to fix hand me down pants without adjustable waists for my 13 year old's 22" waist. I can totally do this! But what really strikes me here is your photography. That last photo of your daughter's face is FANTASTIC!

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  53. That last photo of your daughter's face is fantastic! Thanks for the tips, need them for my super skinny (as in 22" waist) tween boys.

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