Five baby dresses. I got three bolts of fabric and started to make dresses for charity. I used one and the same pattern but varied it for all of them. They close with 5 buttons on the back and I am not particularly keen on making buttonholes.
So I digitised one (5 min) measured the pattern, digitised a placement line, copied and pasted the buttonhole 4 times, put the first and last at the right place then let the software sort out the placement of the others and after some 12 min my design was ready. I started by embroidering the first at the left side of the hoop, moved the design to the right for the next and this way was able to do all 5 in the hoop - sewing time 4 min per dress. I would never have been that accurate and fast doing it on my sewing machine.Now all I have left to do is sew on the buttons.
[2]
[3]
145302now that is smart! And the dresses look darling! Aren't you nice to be doing this.
2179
62461
23282That is just plain awesome!! I hate to do buttonholes too! But since I have grand daughters, I have to! Until they reach that age that Granny's dresses aren't in the current style! (They really are, but aren't what other teens are wearing. But they ARE current patterns.) Great job!
1 comment
by mops
26 Jul 2014
Thank you. As a rule I don't mind doing them, but I thought I could speed up the process considerably by doing 5 at a time ITH.
They have that stage where they don't want to stand out but follow the herd as far as clothing is concerned.
35675Fantastical, and you my dear lady are AMAZING!! Martine I do so admire you/Lillian
1 comment
by mops
26 Jul 2014
Thank you, I amaze myself at times :) And I do want to exercise those grey cells.
145791475818140Martine - you are just tooooo clever. What a fantastic idea. Love your little dresses. Sarah
1 comment
255050Dear Martine, you are one clever cookie! I love the way you think outside the box so to speak. Very ingenious of you to do this instead of using the normal sewing machine. I, on the other hand love doing buttonholes and don't mind, but if this ever comes up as a design one could purchase I think you've got a winner here with hundreds of cuties wanting it. As they say necessity is the mother of invention and if you put your mind to something there's always a solution. Well done and the dresses are such a lovely gift for underprivileged girls, you are so kind. Love Chris
3 comments
by airyfairy
edited 26 Jul 2014
We are too alike Chris. I also love making buttonholes as my machine does all the work.
by mops
26 Jul 2014
I love making the more elaborate buttonholes that need bias strips and so on, but 25 small, simple ones - I loved to speed up that process.
234496Lovely dresses. This is a well done thought out project.
1 comment
86901Well done on the lovely little dresses & for such a good cause. You are so lucky to be able to know how to digitise the button holes & to have come up with the idea.
1 comment
12407very sweet little dresses Martine , they look so nice and cool for summer
1 comment
2358166908Way to go Mops i make but hate button holes from away back lol
1 comment
3606413270These are really cute, and so refreshing, great idea. :-)
1 comment
35301Lovely work Martine and what a excellent idea with the buttonholes. This is a great post as there is so much of interest here. Thanks and *4u
1 comment
115749
113904
140717Fantastic idea Martine! The dresses are just darling & you are amazing! ~hugs~ & one more for such a big & wonderful heart that you care enough to share your talents with those in need! ~hugs~
1 comment
299559Mops, I love your little baby dresses and your generous heart. Whomever gave you the fabric probally realized that. As you know this is my favorite thing to make, baby clothes, although with school being out, I tend to Avery, most days. I would love to sew for Nora more, but she is wearing things I made for Avery,as they are not hurt. Smart of you to take the time to digitise the buttonholes. Like you say, in the long run, you save even more time, not having to measure each time. Did you serge the little pleats too, or is that the fabric pattern, I can't see well enough to tell?
1 comment
by mops
25 Jul 2014
Thank you.
I topstitched the pleats along the edges to let them keep their shape.
109780
72397Love these sweet little dresses!!! You are a smart lady - let your EM do those button holes for you!! You are such a good digitizer!! Hugs, Laura*
1 comment
96266This is a clewer way to do buttonholes, but for me will be the hoop to small:-((
1 comment
by mops
25 Jul 2014
I am lucky, I have a 360x200 hoop for my Ruby. Not the most easiest hoop to work with as it takes up so much space, but for project like this it is great.
26010we do have a GENIOUS amongst us... Who else could have thought up such a plan???!! wow, am I ever impressed!! I won't make buttonholes at all, because I never could place them right. You are so sweet to do these dresses. Thank You. ***FLOWERS***
1 comment
by mops
25 Jul 2014
Thank you. Well you know genious is 10% inspiration and 90 % transpiration. And the transpiration part took 15 min, so there was not much inspiration involved :)
All ITH projects are a matter of thinking how you would sew them, then apply it to embroidery.
13216An innovative way to make perfectly matched buttonholes Martine!
Give the lady a Bells!! Will you be marketing this design? A 'must' for a dressmaker. And the little dresses are lovely and will bring pleasure to the children. Patricia
1 comment
by mops
25 Jul 2014
Every size would have different distances between the buttonholes, and every button needs their own size of buttonhole. These dresses were all the same size. And I planned to re-use shirt buttons. Next batch will be a lot bigger - otherwise I'll never get through that roll of fabric :)
297423577They are so sweet and kudos to you for doing this for little girls who need a dress.
1 comment
169064That's the way to go! Those dresses are adorable!
Hugs, Lidia
1 comment
78118What a beautiful soul you are to do such a charitable thing!! Digi'ing the button holes was a perfect & brilliant solution!!
1 comment
by mops
25 Jul 2014
Thank you. I got the material as an unexpected present and I've got the time to use it.
26116366021Wow.....can I just say what a smart pants you are! How smart that was and how adorable they turned out. I want to sit next to you and let some of that rub off on me.
5 comments
by basketkase
25 Jul 2014
I don't care where I sit, I just want some of your talent to rub off on me too!!
by mops
25 Jul 2014
Smart pants or Lazy Lizzie - I think the latter. A little digitising meant a lot less repetitive measuring and sewing.
by pldc
25 Jul 2014
I want to sit anywhere here too you have the most creative mind! wonderful idea!
158715How clever you are would never have thought to use emb machine to do the buttonholes.. Thankyou for the idea
45918You are brilliant! The dresses are lovely too! Excellent work and I am certain the recipients will adore them.
1 comment
by mops
25 Jul 2014
Thanks and I hope so. Locally they collect items for an orphanage as well as an old people's home in Albania. And as I like sewing ...
57675