In this post we have a few tips for sewing your buttonhole and your blouse hem. I prefer to sew the buttonholes and buttons of the dress before attaching the skirt but you can always add them at the end as well.

Hem Blouse with a Double 1/4″ (0.6 cm) Hem

Prep the blouse hem by stitching a fold guide at 1/4″ (0.6 cm). Press the hem up 1/4″ (0.6 cm), wrong sides together. Fold the hem up again at 1/4″ (0.6 cm) and pin in place.

Tuck in the center front edges so they are neat when sewing your hem.

Sew from the wrong side, edgestitching the double folded hem in place. Make sure your bobbin thread matches your main fabric. Press the hem.

Sew Buttonholes

Try on your blouse or dress bodice to test the buttonhole spacing provided before sewing your buttonholes to the wearer’s right side. You will want a button at your full bust and then spaced evenly, anywhere between 3″ (7.5 cm) to 3.5″ (9 cm) down the center front. The template included is for 1/2″ (1.25 cm) buttons; you can adjust based on the size of your buttons. A SlimFlex sewing gauge can be helpful for spacing your buttonholes evenly but I find that my seam gauge works great too.

Make sure the top button starts about 1/4″ (0.6 cm) from the neckline to keep the top edge from folding open.

Then use your seam gauge or SlimFlex to space out the rest of your buttonholes based on where you want your bust button to be.

Sew your buttonholes and use fray check before opening the buttonholes.

Attach Center Front Buttons

Sew buttons on the wearer’s left side. Use the buttonholes to mark the placement of the center front buttons. I like to set the buttons just slightly above the center of the buttonholes. This helps to lock the buttons in place.

Sew and Attach Cuff Buttons

For long sleeves, sew one or two buttonholes on the cuff, on the side closest to the front bodice. I like to mark my buttonhole placement with a safety pin and confirm I like the finished width. I prefer one button about 3/8″ (1 cm) from the slit placket seam.

If sewing the blouse view, you’re done. Give your Wren Blouse a final press. Continue sewing the dress view here.

Wren Sew Along Posts: Getting Started | Staystitching, Sewing Darts & Shoulder Seams | Sew the Facing | Sew the Short Puff Sleeve | Sew the Long Sleeve & Cuff | Hem Blouse, Sew Buttonhole & Attach Buttons | Sew Dress Skirt & Hem