tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670213486548123819.post4069250321038708471..comments2024-03-24T21:42:17.025-04:00Comments on Loose Threads: <small>Yet Another Costuming Blog</small>: Nalbinding in Unexpected PlacesCathy Raymondhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04580681386443534011noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670213486548123819.post-57871319581993695122016-10-12T21:24:30.883-04:002016-10-12T21:24:30.883-04:00Actually, John, part of the point of my post is th...Actually, John, part of the point of my post is that the "simple" buttonhole stitch is not so simple; it can be very decorative (e.g., made into a bit of looped trim or a background for embroidery) as well as practical (strengthening the naked edge of a piece of fabric). <br /><br />Historically, stitches used on garments were practical first and foremost; the uses of buttonhole stitch I talk about above are the first flamboyantly decorative stitch I've heard of on early garments. But then, as more archaeological remains of early garments surface, it becomes clearer that early garment making (and by early I mean anything before the Renaissance) combines the decorative and practical. For example, Viking age remains of a woman's garment at Hedeby feature two-colored cord being sewn over the seams. <br /><br />Buttonhole stitch's cousin, blanket stitch, adds a nice touch to edges and strengthens them as well. In fact, buttonhole stitch wasn't typically used for buttonholes until later in history. Until about the 14th century most garments closed with pins or by being belted.Cathy Raymondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04580681386443534011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2670213486548123819.post-27747451991293725092016-10-12T19:22:00.745-04:002016-10-12T19:22:00.745-04:00Clueless sewing n00b here (my wife Kathi has to st...Clueless sewing n00b here (my wife Kathi has to stifle a laugh every time I try to sew on a button, and I delegate every other more complicated task to her):<br /><br />Is there any <em>pragmatic</em> reason (strength, durability, etc.) for using anything more than a simple buttonhole stitch in places where people have historically used fancier stitches? Or is it just decoration beyond the merely functional?John D. Bellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13360180149381278168noreply@blogger.com