Bound Buttonholes on Bags - A Tutorial

I've been working up a new pattern for a quick and easy little ribbon trimmed bag. You can find it here. It's called Sweet Thing, and it's a quick and easy bag! (Only $1.99 for a PDF download!) 
Bound buttonholes are actually very simple to make but look complicated.

 

Find where you want your buttonhole and mark it lightly. I put the button behind the center and felt it through the fabric to get a good idea of the size hole I needed.

Next a cut a rectangle of the fabric you choose to use for the buttonhole. For a 1" button, I cut my rectangle 2" x 3". It is always easier to trim it down, but impossible to add more fabric!

Mark the center of the wrong side of the fabric where you want your buttonhole. Center it over the mark on the bag, right sides together.


Although hard to see, I have sewn over the pencil mark!

Sew by machine over your mark. I left a space a tiny bit less than 1/4" between the top and bottom mark. You need a little bit of space in there, but the thickness of your button will make a difference in how much space to leave. You might want to test this first on a scrap!

Using very sharp tipped scissors, cut down the middle of the rectangle, starting and stopping about 1/8" before the ends. Then cut diagonally up to each corner, being very careful to not cut through the stitches.

Put the fabric through the hole to the back.

Make a little pleat on the back so that a little flap of fabric shows through on the front. Do this for the top and the bottom. Press it in place well.


Turn the raw edges under and press well. Then sew either by hand or machine. (I chose to sew it down by machine to give added strength. I also liked the added detail it gave.)

Because my button was to be sewn on cotton and I didn't want to sew through to the front of the bag, I chose to reinforce the button with a piece of canvas, which was the other fabric used in the bag. I was careful to sew only through the canvas and cotton and not through to the front of the bag.

All done! Give it a try some time! I think you'll be surprised at just how easy this is. It gives a nice tailored finish your buttonholes!


Just for the fun of it, I am having a giveaway again! I will choose by random number generator someone to win the Sweet Thing pattern (PDF will be emailed to the winner). (Sorry, no substitutions this time.) Just leave your comment. If you want to follow by GFC or on my Craftsy site, or both, leave separate comments telling me that! I will announce a winner next Tuesday, so you have a few days to send your friends by. Thank you so much for sticking around through all my computer troubles this summer.
Bee blessed!