Tutorial: Close the Button Gap

Alternate Post Titles:
- The one where I post close-up photos of my chest on the internet.
- No more Peek-A-Boob!

Listen, let's just put it out there. I'm chesty. And when you're chesty and you wear button front shirts it's always there. That annoying and embarrassing gap between buttons. You've tried a safety pin on the inside, but that's just awful. Well my busty friends...here's the solution.


- a button front shirt- thread and bobbin to match seam threads on shirt- a marking pencil/chalk or straight pin

1. Launder your shirt. Iron if needed.2. Try shirt on.  Use a pin or marking pencil to mark where the top of your bra touches your breast bone.

3. Take shirt off over your head keeping it fully buttoned to where you marked.  This assures that you can still take it off and on once sewing is complete. If you can't get it over your head, lower your mark by 2 inches and test again. 4. Put shirt into sewing machine to sew just the top layer. Place presser foot at mark.  5. Adjust setting on machine to make the needle off center to the left.  On my Brother machine that setting is 00.

6. Back stitch at beginning.  Sew right on top of your closed seam, matching the existing seam exactly.

7. When you get to a button carefully ease the presser foot on top and continue sewing your seam, very very slowly.  

8. Continue to sew along seam until you reach the lowest button on your shirt. Back stitch to end.

 Voila!  You're done!

Note:  Obviously, ever after this you will put this shirt on over your head. If it's a shirt that needs ironing you'll find it's pretty easy to iron with the closed front.  The gap at the neck should remain large enough to slide a hanger inside easily, but depending on the shirt you may have to put your hanger in through the bottom.

But seriously...never worrying about someone seeing your bra again!  Priceless.