How to make a button back Trinity Tee

For those who hate zippers, or just want something different on your Trinity Tee, I have a new hack for you - How to make a button back Trinity Tee. It's super easy!

These illustrations demonstrate how to make the button opening for a Trinity Tee with an invisible neck binding. But with a small tweak you can also make it with a visible neck binding. I will let you know of any changes when we get there ;)

You will need one button in any size and a piece of round elastic long enough to go around your button + 3/4".

We are going to start much like we did when making the zipper option.

1. Measure down the center back seam allowance 3-4" and mark it. 

2. Starting from the bottom of the shirt, sew up the seam allowance (right sides together) until you reach your mark. Back stitch, then continue up the rest of the way using a basting stitch.

3. Press seam allowance open.

4. Using your seam ripper, carefully remove your basting stitches.

5. Topstitch seam allowance 1/4" to both sides of seam. Stop where seam opening begins.

6. Fold neck binding in half with wrong sides together and press.

*If you are making the visible neck binding option you will prepare your neck binding the same as the zipper option in the pattern tutorial.*

7. Sew neck binding to right side of neckline. Fold out the seam allowance and match the short end, raw edge of neck binding with raw edge of seam allowance. Place elastic between neck binding and shirt just 1/2" from the top edge. Sew the short end with straight stitch, using 3/8" seam allowance. Your stitch should land in the fold line on the seam allowance.

*For visible binding you will attach binding to wrong side of neckline. Do not attach the elastic yet. We will come back to that.*

8. Clip corners and trim back elastic if you have extra sticking out. Careful not to cut too close to the seam or your elastic may come out.

9. Turn corners right side out and push out corner. Press neck binding up, away from shirt, then down to inside of neckline. 

*For visible binding you will press seam allowance down, press binding up away from shirt, then down to right side of neckline.*

10. Topstitch around opening 1/4" from edge and across the bottom. Topstitch neck binding 1/8" from  lower edge. 

*With the visible binding you will now tuck your elastic (folded in half) between the binding and shirt before topstitching. *

11. Attach your button and you are done!

This is a fun, different way of making the Trinity Tee. I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial.