3-Minute Skills - Peg Bags and Button Holes

Video HERE

A really nice, simple afternoon make on the sewing machine (or by hand if you really must).

I've demonstrated an encapsulated or bound buttonhole here, but obviously much bigger. You should find it relatively easy to scale down for actual buttonholes. The tutorial focusses on the buttonhole more than the bag, but here are the full instructions...

You Will Need:
Fabric of your choice* (at least 13"x26" 32.5x65cm)
Small Hanger - Wood is easiest to use - about 11.5" (27.5cm) long**
Matching thread
Pins
Sewing Machine
Scissors and Pinking Shears if required

Method

1. Mark out the fabric to the design above. If you have to cut your hanger to fit remember to sand the edges then trace the shape on the fabric to make the right contour.
2. Pin the fabric right-sides together and sew around the slot, then cut through the fabric as shown above - don't cut through the stitching - and pull the lining through.
3. Pull the lining back until it sits flat against wrong-side of the outer fabric and pin in place (Press if you like)***
4. Top-stitch around the opening to leave a neat line.****
5. Fold and pin the fabrics right-sides together, then sew around, leaving a small gap for the hanger. Leave at least 3-4" (8-10cm) at the top of the lining pouch.
6. Pull the outer fabric through the top of the lining and make sure the corners are all pushed out square for a neat finish.
7. Thread the hanger hook through the small gap in the outer pouch, then tug firmly into place.

*Lining and Outer Cover, or you can just use a piece of fabric 1" larger than the slot on all sides.
**If the hanger is short enough you can just add to the width of the bag instead.
***If you're only using a small patch then you might want to fold in the raw edges to make it neater, or trim around with pinking shears if you prefer.
****That's pretty much it for a buttonhole. Remember to make the slot the width of your button + 2x the thickness (and try it out on a scrap first just in case).