March 2024
sewn, the buttons and button holes were still done by hand. Take a seam ripper and pick out the buttonhole stitches and handwork them using the “buttonhole stitch.”
The stitching around the buttonhole is a bit tricky. Working from left to right, bring the thread out on the lower line, position the needle through the upper line and take a straight downward stitch. Keeping the thread under the point of the needle, pull up the stitch to form a loop and repeat. In fact, it is suggested that you remove all exposed machine stitching and hand stitch those areas. Try to use a spacing of about six or seven stitches per inch. When finished, you have now made your “off the rack” shirt much more authentic. Those with a sharp eye will also note that this is the stitch often used around the perimeter of “issue” blankets.
If these instructions are confusing to you, it is because sewing by hand is
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largely a lost art in modern times. Most of us sew well enough to put a cover on a canteen but perhaps would not classify ourselves as quite ready to perform this kind of handiwork on an off-the-rack shirt, much less tailor an entire period correct garment.
Craig L. Barry was born in Charlottesville, Va. He holds his BA and Masters degrees from UNC (Charlotte). Craig served The Watchdog Civil War Quarterly as Associate Editor and Editor from 2003–2017. The Watchdog published books and columns on 19th-century material. He is the author of several books including The Civil War Musket: A Handbook for Historical Accuracy (2006, 2011), The Unfinished Fight: Essays on Confederate Material Culture Vol. I and II (2012, 2013). He has also published four books in the Suppliers to the Confederacy series on English Arms & Accoutrements, Quartermaster stores and other European imports.
