Collar Band, Cuffs, Hem, and Buttons

The last two days are mostly careful finishing, much of it by hand.

The band collar

A busserull has a simple band collar, no fold-over points ¹. Folkwear’s method ²:

1. Interface one half of the band (the outer half).
2. Sew the outer band to the neck edge, right sides together, matching the centers.
3. Fold the band up, turn its short ends, and press the inner half’s raw edge under.
4. Slipstitch the inside edge down by hand over the seam.

Finishing by hand keeps stitching off the outside of the band. The band takes one button at the throat.

Cuffs

Before the cuffs, finish the sleeve slits, short openings at the back of each wrist, with a narrow hem ². Then:

1. Sew the cuff to the pleated sleeve end, right sides together.
2. Fold it over, press the raw edge under, and whipstitch it down inside by hand ².
3. Work one buttonhole and sew one button on each cuff: museum shirts have a narrow cuff with one button ^{3 4}.

Hem

Turn the hem up 1/4 inch twice and stitch ², carrying the narrow hem up each side slit and back down. Bar-tack the top of each slit.

Buttonholes and buttons

Six buttons in all, in Folkwear’s version: placket, collar band, and cuffs ². Work buttonholes by machine, or by hand with buttonhole stitch for the authentic look, and sew buttons with a thread shank so they sit above the placket’s thickness. Plain metal, bone, or shell suits the old shirts; pewter came later ¹.

Fit the next one

North House’s class has students adjust the pattern as they go ⁵. With the first shirt on, note what to change: body length, sleeve length (pleat more or less at the cuff), chest ease, and the depth of the placket. Because the pattern is all rectangles, each change is a single measurement on a single piece.

Try it

Wear the shirt for a day of real work, splitting wood or gardening, and notice where it binds or flaps. That’s the information for the second one, which is where a busserull becomes yours.