How To Sew A Button Up Shirt For Beginners | feat. Cameron Button Up by Helen's Closet, by Sewing Therapy on YouTube. 26 min 10 s.
- Video length
- 26 min 10 s
- Time to do it
- 4 hours
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Print the PDF pattern at 100 percent scale, check the test square with a ruler, then tape the pages together and cut out your size.
Wash and press your fabric first so it does not shrink later. Fold it right sides together and lay out the pattern pieces following the grainline arrows.
Cut all the pieces, plus interfacing for the collar, cuffs, placket and facings. Mark every notch and dot with tailor's chalk before you unpin anything.
Fuse the interfacing to the wrong side of the collar stand, collar, cuffs and front facings using a medium-hot iron and firm pressure. Let the pieces cool flat.
Sew the back yoke and shoulders, then build the collar and collar stand and attach it to the neckline, clipping the curves so it sits flat.
Set in the sleeves, matching the notches and easing the sleeve head into the armhole. Sew the side seams and sleeve seams in one pass on each side.
Press the front placket, sew the buttonholes down the right front, then cut them open with a seam ripper or buttonhole chisel.
Mark button positions through the finished buttonholes, sew the buttons on by machine or by hand, then hem the shirt and give the whole garment a final press.
Tips and common mistakes
Always sew a test buttonhole on a scrap of the same fabric with interfacing before touching the real shirt front.
Press each seam as you sew instead of saving it all for the end, because flat seams are what make a homemade shirt look shop-bought.
Clip the seam allowance on curved areas like the collar stand and armholes so the fabric turns cleanly without puckers.
Keep pins in a magnetic dish and cut away from your fingers, since the scissors and seam ripper are sharp.
Questions
Do I need a serger to make a button-up shirt?
No. A regular sewing machine works fine. Use a zigzag stitch or an overcasting stitch on the raw edges, or French seams on the sides if you want a clean inside.
How much fabric does a button-up shirt need?
Most adult shirt patterns need about 2 to 3 yards of 44-inch wide fabric. Check the yardage chart printed on your pattern for your exact size before buying.
What is the hardest part of sewing a shirt?
Usually the collar and the buttonholes. Sew both on scrap fabric first so you get the spacing and tension right before working on the real pieces.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
