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Buttonhole Skills Workshop
Master perfect buttonholes in this approachable online sewing class! The Buttonhole Skills Workshop teaches you how to sew 4-step, automatic, and manual buttonholes, use gimp for corded buttonholes, and troubleshoot on any fabric. Learn placement, length, and finishing techniques while practicing with Seamwork patterns. A must-have skill for polished sewing projects!
Seamwork Members: Free!
Non-Members: $49
Class opens to members on July 1, 2025.
Available to non-members August 1, 2025.
What if I ruin everything at the very last step?
You’ve spent hours sewing your project, and now it’s time for buttonholes—the final step that feels like it could make or break everything. Will your machine cooperate? Will the fabric pucker? Will the button even fit through the hole? When so much work has gone into the project, it’s no wonder buttonholes cause stress.
That’s why we created the Buttonhole Skills Workshop. This class gives you the knowledge, confidence, and techniques to sew clean, functional buttonholes—on any fabric. From stabilizing tricky materials to troubleshooting machine issues, you’ll be ready to tackle buttonholes with calm instead of panic.
Introducing
Buttonhole Skills Workshop
You’ll learn how to sew a variety of buttonholes with confidence, troubleshoot common issues, and apply your new skills to any project you choose. Whether you’re brand new to buttonholes or looking to refine your technique, this workshop will help you feel prepared and in control at your machine.
By the end of this course you’ll be able to:
- Identify the types of buttonholes and how to use them.
- Determine your buttonhole length and placement.
- Sew 4-step, automatic, and manual buttonholes.
- Use buttonhole gimp to make corded buttonholes.
- Sew buttonholes successfully on different fabrics.
- Properly open a buttonhole.
- Troubleshoot if things go sideways.
- Choose Seamwork patterns that are great fit for learning these skills.
Meet Your Teacher
Erica is the Head of Education at Seamwork. She’s been sewing since she was 10 and taught sewing at a fabric store for 12 years. She loves the endless possibilities sewing your own clothes offers, and she's excited to share her knowledge with you.
Course Lessons
Lesson 1: Class Overview
Master one of sewing’s most intimidating details with the Buttonhole Skills Workshop. This month, you’ll learn how to sew a variety of buttonholes...
Lesson 2: Anatomy of a Buttonhole
In this lesson, you’ll learn the anatomy of a buttonhole and explore the different types you can sew, from everyday machine-sewn versions to...
Lesson 3: Buttonhole Size and Placement
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to determine the right size, orientation, and placement for your buttonholes. We’ll walk through how to measure...
Lesson 4: Get Prepared
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to properly prepare your fabric for buttonholes by using interfacing and stabilizers to prevent distortion and puckering....
Lesson 5: 4-Step Buttonhole
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to sew a 4-step buttonhole using a manual process that gives you full control over each stage....
Lesson 6: Automatic Buttonhole
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to sew an automatic buttonhole using your machine’s built-in settings for consistent, perfectly sized results. You’ll walk...
Lesson 7: Manual Buttonhole
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to sew a fully manual buttonhole using just a zigzag stitch and your own precision. This method...
Lesson 8: Corded Buttonhole
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to sew a corded buttonhole — a simple technique that adds structure and durability to buttonholes. You’ll...
Lesson 9: Buttonholes on Different Fabrics
In this lesson, you’ll learn how to get clean, stable buttonholes on tricky fabrics like lightweight wovens, heavyweight materials, and knits. You’ll explore...
Lesson 10: How to Open a Buttonhole
In this short lesson, you’ll learn how to carefully open your sewn buttonholes using tools like a buttonhole chisel or seam ripper, with...
Lesson 11: Troubleshooting Tips
You’ll learn simple troubleshooting tips to fix common buttonhole problems in this lesson, from puckering and size issues to machine foot adjustments and...
Lesson 12: Put It Into Practice
This lesson highlights Seamwork patterns that offer great opportunities to practice buttonholes and confidently use your newly learned techniques.
What’s Included
You’ll get:
- 12 video lessons that take you through all you need to know to create beautiful buttonholes.
- A live event where you can ask questions, share tips, and watch a demonstration on how to sew buttons on by machine.
- A downloadable troubleshooting tips guide, so you know how to handle it if things go sideways.
- A downloadable guide to buttonhole styles and when to use them.
- Practice swatch cards you can reference later.
About our Skills Workshops
Each month, we create a new 30-day live Skills Workshop, focusing on helping you improve one particular sewing ability.
We alternate these with our seasonal Design Your Wardrobe program, and all these resources are available for free to our members.
It’s part of our SEAM method, to help you learn as you sew:
- Seasonally plan the wardrobe you want to wear
- Explore unlimited access to 250+ patterns
- Advance your skills through targeted workshops
- Make connections in our supportive community
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a skill workshop?
- Each month, we focus on a single sewing skill, helping you build your expertise step by step. Over time, you'll create your own skills library with technique samples you can reference again and again. You can apply these skills to any pattern you choose, allowing you to learn while making something you truly want to wear!
- How does it work?
- The workshop is made up of self-paced video modules you can watch whenever it fits your schedule. Go at your own pace!
- We will release the workshop on the first day of the month, and then it will be available to you as a member anytime moving forward. There will be video lessons and downloads that you can access anytime, and you’ll be able to go at your own pace through the course material.
- During the month the workshop is released, we will be posting about it in the community and sending emails to keep you motivated so that you can share progress and inspire each other. A new Skill Workshop will be released each month, except for the months where we are doing Design Your Wardrobe.
- You will be able to access this skill workshop anytime starting on July 1, 2025.
- Will I be able to interact with other people who are also in the workshop?
- You’ll receive weekly email reminders and forum prompts to keep you motivated and connected with fellow sewists. You’ll be able to ask questions and get feedback to build your skills even more. We’ll also have a live Zoom event for even more interactive learning.
- Which pattern should I use to learn the skill?
- We’ve designed these workshops so that you can learn the skill AND pick a pattern that works for you and your style. Unlike a sewalong, you don’t have to make one specific project.
- What if I’m not ready to make a pattern? Can I still learn the skill?
- Absolutely! Cut out some test fabric and practice, practice, practice. Use the handy downloadable sample cards to keep things organized and easy to reference later.
Buttonhole Skills Workshop
Master perfect buttonholes in this approachable online sewing class! The Buttonhole Skills Workshop teaches you how to sew 4-step, automatic, and manual buttonholes, use gimp for corded buttonholes, and troubleshoot on any fabric. Learn placement, length, and finishing techniques while practicing with Seamwork patterns. A must-have skill for polished sewing projects!