My First Button Band

If you are not confused, you're not paying attention.

~ Tom Peters

Well, maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but it didn't seem all that difficult...

The first steps were to interface the 2 button bands and then fold and press 5/8th inch along one long edge:

Next they get folded (inside out) along the mid-line:

Then the bottom was stitched closed and trimmed:  

And they were turned right-side out again - finishing the bottom edge:  

Then it was time to attach them to the shirt.  The unpressed, raw edge was aligned along the raw edge of the front center of the shirt and stitched:  

I graded the seam and pressed it in towards the band (away from the front of the shirt):  

Finally, the band was folded over onto itself and I stitched in the ditch to complete it.  (Slip stitching was another option.)  

It generally went pretty easily and came out pretty good.  The only issue I had was that the bottom didn't line up quite as nicely as when the shirt is self-faced...  

I don't know why I've dreaded these and avoided them for so long - it really wasn't too bad.  Tomorrow I've got pictures of the final shirt being modeled by a certain handsome someone...  ;)

What about you?  Do you prefer a button band or a pattern with a self-faced shirt front?  What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of the button band?