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Buttoned-Up Inari Tee

To create a Button Up Inari, you'll need to make a few simple adjustments to the pattern pieces before cutting anything out. You can use this method to make a button up from most simple woven shirt patterns. Some great choices besides Inari would be the Wiksten Shift, 100 Acts of Sewing Dress #1 and #2 and Tunic #1, Grainline Willow Tank, and the Avid Seamstress Raglan Dress. Anything with a simple neckline and an unseamed front bodice. I’ll show you how to do it!

button up inari hackJust so you know, I had previously done an FBA (full bust adjustment) to my Inari pattern, which adds a dart to the front bodice. If you are interested in a tutorial for an FBA to add a dart to a dartless pattern like the Inari, you can find it here. Now for adding a front button placket!

Materials Required:

Inari Pattern

Swedish Tracing Paper

Scissors

Ruler

Pen (a couple colors can be helpful)

Required Fabric for your size plus an extra ½ yard 

1 yard of lightweight interfacing

6 buttons

Pieces to Adjust:

  • Front Bodice
  • Back Bodice
  • Front Neck Facing
*Note: If you are using a pattern that does not include a front and back neck facing, you can self-draft these pieces using the method described for drafting the front and back hem facings.

    Pieces to self-draft:

    • Front Hem Facing
    • Back Hem Facing 
    • Button Band Facing

      Instructions

      Trace all original pattern pieces for your size onto Swedish tracing paper. *Note - As you trace and draft pieces, leave a couple inches of excess space around them so you can make your adjustments. 

      • Front Bodice
      • Back Bodice
      • Front Neck Facing
      • Back Neck Facing
      • Sleeve
      • Sleeve Facing

          Front Bodice

          Using the Front Bodice as a starting place, add 1¼” to the center front (1A). Remove marks for cutting on fold and add grainline (you will not cut this piece on the fold, giving you 2 pieces.) 

          button up inari hack

          Remove ¾” from bottom hem edge (2a). (Since you will create a hem facing piece rather than folding up the hem, this removes both the excess length and the pivot in the side seam intended for the hem. BUT the Inari is pretty cropped, so you can skip this if you want. If you do not shorten here, remove the slight pivot of the side seam. FYI, I lengthened my Inari two inches.)

          Back Bodice

          Adjust the length of the Back Bodice as you did for the Front Bodice. 

          button up inari hackFront Neck Facing

          Using the Front Neck Facing as a starting place, (1b) add 1¼” to the center front. (2b) Starting at the new top center point, draw a dotted line 45° from the center front as shown. Leaving some excess paper around your piece, cut it out roughly. (3b) Fold on the dotted line, so the center front folds over onto the rest of the facing. (4b) Draw a new line 3/8” from and parallel to the fold. Extend the line to meet the edge of the pattern piece folded below as shown, and then draw a line following that edge to connect this point with the point of the fold. (5b) Open up the piece and darken the final lines of the New Front Neck Facing as shown.

          Back Hem Facing

          Place a piece of Swedish tracing paper over the hem area of the New Back Bodice. (1c) Trace the bottom hem edge. (2c) Trace 2” up along center front edge and side seam edge. (3c) Connect these two points by drawing in the top edge of the hem facing 2” from hem edge. (4c) Draw the marking at center front for cutting on the fold.

          Front Hem Facing

          Place a piece of Swedish tracing paper over the hem area of the New Front Bodice, then (1d) draft a 2” hem facing like you just did for the Back Hem Facing (but do not mark for cutting on the fold). (2d) Starting at the bottom center point, draw a dotted line 45° from the center front as shown. Leaving some excess paper around your piece, cut it out roughly. (3d) Fold on the dotted line, so the center front folds over onto the rest of the facing. (4d) Draw a new line 3/8” from and parallel to the fold. Extend the line to meet the edge of the pattern piece folded below as shown, and then draw a line following that edge to connect this point with the point of the fold. (5d) Open up the piece and darken the final lines of the New Front Neck Facing as shown. Draw in a vertical line for grainline.


          Button Band Facing

          Place a piece of Swedish tracing paper over the center front area of the New Front Bodice, then (1e) trace the center front edge. Trace 2” in along the neckline edge and hem edge. Connect these two points by drawing a vertical line 2” from the center front edge. (2e) Draw a dotted line 45° from the center front at the top and bottom as shown. Leaving some excess paper around your piece, cut it out roughly. (3e) Fold on the dotted lines, so both inner points fold over onto the center of the facing. (4e) Draw a new line 3/8” from and parallel to the fold. Extend the line to meet the edge of the pattern piece folded below as shown, and then draw a line following that edge to connect this point with the point of the fold. (5e) Open up the piece and darken the final lines of the Button Band Facing as shown Draw in a vertical line for grainline.

          You should now have the following pieces:

          • New Front Bodice (Cut 2)

          • New Back Bodice (Cut 1 on fold)

          • New Front Neck Facing (Cut 2, Cut 2 Interfacing)

          • Back Neck Facing (Cut 1 on fold, Cut 1 Interfacing on fold)

          • Front Hem Facing (Cut 2, Cut 2 Interfacing)

          • Back Hem Facing (Cut 1 on fold, Cut 1 Interfacing on fold)

          • Button Placket Facing (Cut 2, Cut 2 Interfacing)

          • Sleeve (Cut 2)

          • Sleeve Facing (Cut 2)

          inari tee hack facings

          Trace and cut all pieces from your fabric. Trace and cut required pieces from interfacing.

          Sewing

          Assemble the top, skipping the step for neck facing, you will stitch the bodice facings last. You should have your Inari assembled with Sleeve Facing finished, but raw edges along the neck opening, center front opening and hem edge. 

          Neck, Button Placket and Hem Facings

          Place the Front Neck Facings and Back Neck Facing right sides together at shoulders. Seam and press open. 

          assembling the center facings

          Place the Front Hem Facings and Back Hem Facing right sides together at the side seams. Seam and press open. 

          Place the Button Placket Facing right sides together with the Front Neck Facing, matching their angled ends. Stitch at ⅜” seam allowance. Seam and press open. Repeat for the other Button Placket Facing and Front Neck Facing. 

          Place the other end of the Button Placket Facing right sides together with the Front Hem Facing, matching their angled ends. Stitch together at 3/8" seam allowance. Press the seam open. Make sure there are no twists in the facings as you sew them into a large loop, in this next step. Then repeat for the other Button Placket Facing and Front Hem Facing. 

          You now should have a loop of facings that match the raw edge of your top. Take your “Facing Loop” and pin it right sides together with the matching edges of your Inari Shirt. Match and pin at the shoulder seams and points. Seam together around the entire edge, pivoting at the corners. Snip the corners, being careful not to snip the seam threads. Grade the seam allowance and clip the seam allowance along the neckline curve. 

          Sew a zig-zag stitch along the raw edge of facing to finish that edgePress the seam allowance toward the facing and understitch the facing to the seam allowance. 

          Flip the facing to the inside of the shirt and press flat. With facing up, topstitch just inside of zig-zagged edge to secure the facing to the inside of the shirt.

          Try on the shirt, decide and mark placement for the buttons and buttonholes. Sew the buttons and buttonholes.  Finished button placket for inari tee hack

          You are now finished! Enjoy your new Button Up Inari! I think welt pockets or patch pockets could be a great addition to my next one...hmmm.

          Comments on this post (4)

          • Feb 16, 2023

            Hi Alli, Amber used a Japanese Cotton Twill for her Inari top here.

            — Fancy Tiger Crafts

          • Feb 16, 2023

            I used this tutorial on a woven fabric but later realized that the Inari is designed for knits. What type of fabric did you use?

            — alli

          • Mar 02, 2020

            This size of the top doesn’t change at all due to the size of the button placket.

            — Fancy Tiger Crafts

          • Mar 02, 2020

            Wondering, does this mean the total width of the front of the top will have increased by approximately 1” (or 1.25” minus the seam allowance of 3/8”)?

            — Es

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