Strengthening a button band

Button bands are put to severe tests : strands of yarn can be stretched, button band can extend under the weight of buttons or pulled by little fingers…

To prevent it, it is possible to sew a ruban or biais on the wrong side of the button band. buttons are then sewn through yanr and fabrics : they hold not only on yarn, but fabric also, which makes the buttons band more resistant to weight and pulling. The button band cannot be deformed anymore.

Material

To strengthen a button band, you will need : your knitted project : fully blocked at desired measurements, biais or ribbon, longer than the button band, thread, needle and buttons.

Sewing the biais or ribbon

Preliminary step

You need to fully block your project before sewing the ribbon and the buttons.

Wash or just soak your knitted project. Wring out the exceess water delicately with a towel. Let your project dry, laying it flat and pinning it down if necessary.

doing so will allow the yarn to bloom and “take its place”. Your knitted project will have its final measurements.

The ribbon can then be sewn on the wrong side of the button band where the buttons will be sewn.

Step 1

Fold the end of your ribbon and put it on top of the button band (on the wrong side), so that the end is caught between the button band and the ribbon.

Here, I used a biais that is as large as the button band itself. but you can use a less large ribbon. In this case, place it in the middle of the button band.

Step 2

Sew the top of the ribbon with small stitches, then get down the sides of the ribbon.

Be careful to sew the ribbon only to the wrong side of the button band, so that the sewing thread doesn’t show on the right side.

In order not to distort the button band, put the ribbon on top of the button band, laying flat and sew them together without pulling on one or the other, alternating small sections on both sides of the ribbon.

Step 3

When you are almost at the bottom of the button band, cut the ribbon 1 or 2 cm longer than the button band. Fold the end so that it is caught between the button band and the ribbon. Sew with smal stitches.