Chisel those buttonholes

The good way to tell if a shirt is homemade is to checkout the buttonholes, or so I hear.

I read somewhere recently that you can buy a special tool to cut a clean buttonhole (I should keep better track of my sources since now I don't know where I read that) and avoid that frayed homemade look. Sounded good to me so I set off to Joann's to find one. Of course, no special buttonhole cutter could be found so I left empty handed.

On my way home, it occurred to me that I might have the right tool already. Why didn't I think of it before? I had purchased a Craftool 1-Prong Chisel 3/32" from Tandy Leather last year and added it to my ever growing (and prized) tool collection. I decided to pull it out and give it a shot.

I dabbed fray check inside the buttonholes and let them dry per a sewing tip I read on Pattern Review.

It took two passes with the chisel but made nice, clean buttonholes!

Buttonholes indeed come last

I admit I had to learn the hard way... buttonholes should be done last.

You are wondering what exactly did I do?

First, although they are all in line, they are off center by just a tad. I goofed my placement. Enough that I know and care.

Second, I somehow messed up the plackets. I can't figure it out because the collar fit perfectly. I'm still racking my brain on this one. Inside the shirt I can see interfacing and it must be a huge mistake that I can't put my finger on. When I went to tack down the facing it was too short to cover the seam allowance. Why??

Maybe I need to make another shirt to figure it out because I am DONE working on this one, that's for sure.

I wouldn't have been able to complete this shirt without "Easy Guide to Sewing Blouses" by Connie Long. Excellent reference! I will use these instructions instead of pattern instructions from now on.

On another note, I hate my camera.

:(