[Tamara]

Righto! I made a denim hopscotch for my daughter last year and she wore it for the first time (because she was disliking denim last year) last Friday to visit the eye specialist. I made the skirt up quick and all was well with the buttons etc but unfortunately we lost two in our endeavours around town – to both of our dismay!

I had hesitated in making this skirt because of the liklihood of this happening – we had a dress that would consistently lose buttons around the upper leg area when she was a bit younger but I didn’t really imagine that a 9 year old would still find it difficult to keep her buttons firmly attached to the garment!

I admit that they were smaller than I had thought of using but they were pink and the only pink ones in my stash at the time so of course they were it.

For those of you (and I know there are plenty) who have made this skirt, have you experienced the same issue and what size buttons did you use if you had?

I have a green corduroy skirt that is currently sitting (for a year) waiting for buttons so I am going to try a different tactic this time and make the lower ones look as though they are fully functional. It is the only thing that I can think of that would possibly work apart from using larger buttons and sewing up the front part which would essentially defeat the purpose of the style itself I think..

Any suggestions at all?

Tamara

[Nicole]

I have only made this once and have not had a problem BUT it has only been worn for best!

I do know Anna Sofia sewed the placket front of little Miss M’s up as she found with the elastic in the back and undoing the top button it gave her enough ease to dress.

It would still look like a placket front and you could unstitch it as she gets older.

I hope that is some help.

~Nicole~

[Mama_Knowles]

Sarah has worn her lots with no problems but I made her’s when she was about 1 1/2 so I “over” sewn the buttons on when I hand stitched them on. I have always worried about buttons coming off when the kids are babies so I always tried to sew them on a bit more than I would the older boys. I used smaller buttons on her skirt too. All from my button stash. I not sure if this makes a difference or not. She still wears her skirt too.

Here is a picture of it so you can see the size of the buttons.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mama_knowles03/5977987334/in/set-72157629131927430/

~Sharon~

[Liesl Gibson]

I think it has a lot to do with how you sew the buttons! I used to lose them, too, until I started leaving a shank and wrapping the thread around the shank. I think I demonstrated this in our second video–I use a matchstick to keep some space between the button and the fabric, and that helps a lot. If the button is too tight or the threads are exposed, they wear quickly and fall off. I’ve never lost a button since I started using this method.

[sayiamyou]

On the Hopscotch skirts I’ve made for my daughter, I’ve sewn the buttonholes, but then the buttons on top (as Ana Sofia has done as well) because I use adjustable elastic for now. She’s only 3 and is perfectly fine pulling her skirt up and down, but does like to choose buttons (plus it’s a great detail and look). I do tend to “over sew” these probably, but with everything else, she does pretty well with keeping buttons. However, I can say from experience that the right size button is key. The few times when I began sewing that I accidentally made my buttonhole too large for a button it’s been lost OR refuses to stay closed.

[Emily]

How are you sewing on the buttons? I’ve found that when I sew them on with a machine, they invariably fall off at some point down the road. If I sew them on by hand, I can make sure that it’s much more secure. I use the same method as Liesl – leave a shank, wrap thread around the shank, etc.

[sarahb]

I always hand sew buttons because I haven’t had good luck with machine attached ones (always have to hand sew them eventually). Buttons on the hopscotch skirt here have been fine, but they don’t get unbuttoned either.

[Tamara]

I generally prefer to handsew my buttons on as doing it by machine, although saves time initially, doesn’t in the long run – I only do it with the machine if I am extremely time poor (like the pj’s for the kids having buttons put on the day they leave for a visit to the grandparents!).

Over the years I have found that doing a shank is the best way to go although, I do this method just slightly differently to Leisl – no matchstick – and I have found that they have never fallen off once in the wash of through play or anything.

I think this is why I’m a bit flumexed over these falling off but with remembering how rather unladylike she is getting in and out of the car (crawls in instead of sits and slides) no wonder the poor skirt is losing out!

The buttonhole I use on my machine is automatic with the foot and lever and a space to place the actualy button so that it is measured. I could source out pink buttons that are slightly bigger yet fit the buttonhole I guess and that way we could experiment. The buttonhole is always in the same direction as the button that is sewn also – although I am yet to prove that this would make a difference.

Thanks for your suggestions ladies. Do keep them coming as anything would be helpful.

Tamara