I’m am going to start off by apologizing… this post just might be photo-heavy, but don’t worry that won’t strop me from talking too much!
I am so happy! I have finished my denim skirt – finally! It has been a slow process, but for the most part, enjoyable. I loved all the different techniques involved and I was pleased that I could turn my favourite pattern, a Sewaholic Hollyburn, into a denim skirt. If you missed some of the posts, I worked on sewing and topstitching the back pockets and the flat felled seams here; I sewed the fly front, front pockets, faux flat felled seams and belt loops here; and I pretty much spent this whole post here agonizing over whether to sew on my back pockets or not!
But before I get all bent out of shape over the back pockets again, let me show you one of my favourite sewing tools – The Hammer. Perfect for attaching jeans buttons and rivets and letting go of all that stress bottled up inside you!
My supplies today, besides a rivet kit and a jeans button kit from the store, are a small clean piece of wood to put under the garment I am hammering, a corkscrew to pre-make the holes (although I would prefer a brad awl), a hammer for pounding the living daylights out of things and masking tape, just in case. Sometimes I use the masking tape to tape parts of my garment out of the way from my hammering or to cover a part of my garment that is too close to where I am hammering – I want to protect my denim!
First my jeans button. I use my corkscrew (I would prefer a brad awl) to make my hole in the proper place. (Yes, my corkscrew is crooked. I hammered it once too many.)
The jeans button goes on the big post and the button back goes on the holder – just in case, like me, you don’t want to bother reading the instructions that come with the box!
I poke the button back, which is on the holder, through my pre-made hole.
I put my jeans button on the big post and hold the works together. I have never ever been able to attach a button using only the gizmo (this thing) that they give you in the box from the store. Did they mention anything in the instructions about needing to hammer this gizmo together? (I myself really wouldn’t know, being a person who doesn’t want to bother reading the instructions!)
This took about 10 or 12 good taps. Just hard taps, don’t go crazy now or you might nail your jeans button (and your garment) to the piece of wood.
Presto!
Next, the jeans rivets. Pretty much the same process, except to start with the holder looks different.
I still pre-make my hole.
I still put the rivet back in the gizmo and through the pre-made hole and the rivet top is held in the other side of my gizmo and the gizmo is held together.
Still 10 taps with the hammer or so and the two pieces of my rivet are joined!
The only difference I can think of with the rivets is that the ones that are placed lower and aren’t close to the edge, like near the waistband, you have to use the rivet holder completely open. Poke the rivet back through the pre-made hole. Place the rivet top in the holder.
Place the rivet top over your rivet back, tap with the hammer a few times and you’re done! Actually, I would do the same if I was putting a jeans button on in a lower, hard to reach location, like this, too.
Any more tips and pointers out there re: jeans buttons and rivets, let us know!
It was a beautiful day yesterday – sunny, no clouds, no wind, 24 C. I finally got home from work and the West Coast winds started up and the fog (seriously!) rolled in. But it was time for some photos! Oh Gee! Me holding my skirt down!
Second shot – hair is a mess, the wind is blowing through my top and puffing it out.
Third shot – so you’re asking… did she put those darn pockets on or not???
Nope! I just couldn’t do it. The fabric is light. The pockets are interfaced and topstitched. They were too stiff and heavy for this gathered skirt. (Another windy shot!)
That’s ok! I can live without the pockets on this skirt. Last night I fell asleep thinking about what kind of top I am going to make with the remainder of my denim and where am I going to place my pockets on that top? (Am I the only one that dreams of sewing?)
I thank you all for reading along and throwing in your ideas … now which project should we tackle next?
Happy Sewing!