Exam piece...

from my apprenticeship; it has several types of pleats and also pintucks on it, as well as pocket flaps and the infamous bar tack at the pleats, so they don’t rip upward. The embroidery on it is done with buttonhole thread; we had to do things like that too. Unfortunately, the whole piece is very dark; I’ve edited it a bit now, so you can see it a little better

Best, Inge

It’s great, Inge, that you kept this piece. I imagine the exam assignment with all the different flaps and pleats was very difficult. Everything has to be just right and precise. In an exam, you only get one shot and can’t redo anything. You’ve learned a wonderful trade—admittedly difficult in terms of the work and probably the pay as well—but you can still do so much with it today and sew beautiful clothes for yourself and your family.

Thank you for sharing.
Best regards—Ina

Wow :-)
What is buttonhole twist?

Josefa, it’s also called star thread; it’s stronger and sturdier than regular sewing thread, and is usually used on coats and traditional jackets when the buttonholes are sewn by hand. On jeans, the waistband buttonhole or the button placket in the crotch is also usually sewn with this thread. This thread comes in shiny and matte finishes, depending on what it’s used for.

Best regards, Inge

Do you mean Sternzwirn? I only know Sternzwirn as Sternzwirn.
I thought it was just for sewing on buttons that are actually supposed to stay on. I didn’t know that Sternzwirn could also be used for buttonholes. But I’d imagine Sternzwirn isn’t the best choice for embroidery.

@ I imagine that Sternzwirn isn’t the best choice for embroidery, though.
No, it isn’t—I always kept a bar of soap handy to run the thread through so it wouldn’t keep twisting or curling into a braid. It was a bit of a hassle, but since the thread is relatively thin for embroidery, you can use it to create some really delicate designs.
Back then, I sewed a traditional children’s outfit for my godson and embroidered lucky motifs on the pocket openings.

Best wishes, Inge

It’s the little extras on your designs that always make your creations so distinctive. :-)