Random information about pressing seams, buttonholes, and hatpins from the April, 1912 issue of Needlecraft Magazine.
The seams of a garment require careful pressing, as on this depend its appearance and, to a certain extent, the fit. For a thick material like cloth coating, the seams should be spread out on an uncovered round wooden surface, opened with the iron or the finger, and then covered with a cloth wrung out of cold water and ironed over this until dry. In the pressing process the iron should not be too hot, but great stretch and weight should be put upon it. Lighter=weight materials should be pressed over a soft cloth laid over the pressing-board and the opened seams should be slightly dampened by dipping the finger-tips in water when necessary. Very delicate materials, like crepe de Chine, mousseline and satin do not require dampening at all. Velvet and plush may be pressed by placing the material with the open seam slightly dampened by the fingers, over the bristles of an ordinary clothes-brush or by setting a hot iron on end and drawing over the face of it the dampened seam on the wrong side of the material.
Buttonhole Thread- Expert needlewomen have an invariable rule in determining the number of thread to use when making buttonholes. If the thread used in sewing the garment is No. 80, the size to be used for buttonholes should be 60; in other words, the thread for the buttonholes should be coarser by 20 than the thread used for the garment proper.
Hatpins- The newest hatpins have tops very small in comparison with those which have been worn for many months past.