The raised buttonhole band is a raised band of embroidery created by working the buttonhole stitch over a foundation of straight stitches. Like the raised stem stitch or the raised chain stitch band, the raised buttonhole band works well for adding texture to your embroidery.

The raised buttonhole band can be worked on straight lines or on curves. The key to a neat and attractive finish for this stitch is even spacing in the foundation stitches.

Raised Buttonhole Band on a Curve

When you’re working up a straight line, it’s easy enough to equally space the foundation stitches, but when you’re working a curve, it becomes more difficult. On a curve, the foundation stitches need to be fanned out, so that they are closer together on the inside of the curve and farther apart on the outside of the curve. As long you take care to keep the spacing equal between the stitches, the curved band will look terrific.

Tips for Working the Raised Buttonhole Band

A few points to keep in mind when working the stitch:

1. When it’s time to work the buttonhole filling on the foundation stitches, switch to a tapestry needle. The blunt tip of the tapestry needle will help you avoid snagging the previously worked stitches.

2. Work from the top, towards you, for every row. If switch directions from row to row, working top to bottom then bottom to top, the buttonhole edge will change its orientation from left to right, and this will mar the look of the finished band.

3. If you’re going to run out of thread, change threads at the end of a line of buttonhole stitches. If you think you don’t have enough thread to fill the next line, go ahead and start a new thread. Changing the thread in the middle of a line can be done, but the change in thread will often be visible and mar the look of the finished band.

4. Fill from left to right, when working from the top down towards you. Even though this will require you to pass your needle over the previously filled rows, it is easier to pack the rows towards the left, towards the twist of the buttonhole.

Left Handed Stitchers

Left-handed stitchers would work the stitch from the bottom up, filling the foundation from the right to the left, and packing the stitched lines of buttonhole stitch towards the right.

Raised Buttonhole Band Video

Here’s the video. I hope you enjoy it!

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