Directions for making the button-hole.--Measure carefully the position
for the button-hole, lengthwise of the band, so that the end will come
one quarter of an inch from the edge of the garment. Mark the length of
the button-hole on the material by putting in two lines of
running-stitches at the ends. To cut the button-hole, insert the point
of the scissors at the point marked by the running-stitches nearest the
edge of the garment, and cut carefully along the thread of the material
to the row of stitches marking the length at the other end.
[Illustration:
(_a_) Starting the button-hole
(_b_) The button-hole stitch
(_c_) The finished button-hole
_Fig._ 19.--Working button-holes]
To make the button-hole, use a thread of sufficient length to do both
the overcasting and the button-holing. Beginning at the lower right
corner, overcast the raw edges with stitches one sixteenth of an inch
deep. Do not overcast around the ends of the hole. As soon as the
overcasting is done, proceed with the button-holing without breaking the
thread. Hold the button-hole horizontally over the first finger of the
left hand and work from right to left. Insert the point of the needle
through the button-hole (at the back end), bringing the point through,
toward you, four or five threads below the edge of the button-hole.
Bring the doubled thread from the eye of the needle from right to left
under and around the point of the needle, draw the needle through, and
pull the thread firmly, so that the purl is on the edge. At the end of
the button-hole, near the end of the band, make a fan, by placing from
five to seven stitches. The other end of the button-hole should be
finished with a bar made by taking three stitches across the end of the
button-hole, then button-hole over the bar, taking in the cloth
underneath and pulling the purl toward the slit. The thread should be
fastened carefully on the under side of the button-hole.