How do you sew on a button?

[dingit]

This sounds very thick, but I have never been taught! Dcs are for ever losing blazer buttons, and I am repairing again ready for September. The way I do it is double the cotton, sew a couple of stiches, then sew through the button holes ( four) and attach to material at same time. Is this right?

.

I don't know if it's the right way but I sewed one on last week and like you i did double thread and the just up and down through the holes in a cross pattern iykwim. I do it several times to make sure the thread doesn't just snap again

Sounds fine to me. Just do it over and over a few times until it's firmly attached and then pull the needle through the material to the underside and do a few little stitches to finish off.

A way of making it stay attached better is: When you've sewn it on and done everything except the last few stitches, under the button you can see the cotton linking the button to the material, let's call it A! Put your needle through from the upper side of the button to the underside, then wind the needle and cotton round and round "A" a few times, then pull the needle through to the underside of the material and do the last few finishing off stitches.

Ignore the second paragraph if it makes no sense. It's easier to show than to explain in words!

I give it to dh

Jan 49' I understand. Marks and Sparks stitching can't have been up much, as the buttons came off after just a few weeks. Or maybe my DC just ruin clothes!

This is how I do it - using a pin or a needle across the top of the button to create a bit of slack. You then remove the pin and wind the thread around the underside of the button to create a sort of stalk.

Use the thread double, and thread that through so you then have for threads in the needle

Always leave a shank ( bit underneath) the thicker the fabric the longer the shank. Wrap your thread round the shank several times and then finish off. If you really want to get technical the length of the shank is related to the ligne (size of the button) in some way, actually I think it's related to the depth of the button.