Go With the Flow Dress - Button Loops

I have started putting together the Go With the Flow dress. The first goal I set for myself was to complete the bodice, which has a row of 10 buttons and button loops at centre back to act as closures for the dress. You can see them in the line drawing of the back view of the pattern:









I want to show you how I install individual button loops. I'm not sure how others do it, but I have found this to be the easiest way.

• Cut a long rectangular piece of fabric on the bias.

• Stitch the long sides, right sides together (do not stitch ends closed) to form a long, skinny tube. Turn right side out.

• Pull the resulting tube taut and iron out any stretch.

• Cut the long tube into several pieces of the required length.

• Mark the loop positions on the right side of the fabric. In the picture below, the loop positions are marked with black dots. The loops will fit in between each pair of dots.
  

• Butting the end of a tube piece up to the edge of the fabric, pin one end of the tube at each of the upper dot positions. Repeat until all pieces are pinned to fabric.
  

• Stitch just in from the seam line (at 1/2" for a 5/8" seam) to secure all the pieces.

• Bend the tubes around and secure the other end at the lower dot position. Repeat until all tubes are bent and secured properly. Stitch along the same line to secure all the pieces.
  

• Stitch the lining and the fashion fabric right sides together. Turn right side out and press. Viola! Perfect loops just waiting for buttons.

I am almost finished the entire halter top bodice. I just need to tweak the fit for my small bust. The small bust adjustment needed for this pattern is different than the one I have posted before, so I will elaborate in my next post.