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Customization: Make your own toggles

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If the price of a single toggle closure at the fabric store makes you wince, give making your own a try. Not only is it cheaper, but you might even wind up saving time by not sewing all of those semi-circles.

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1. Cut eight 7” pieces of cotton cording. Thread a toggle onto the center of four of the pieces of cording.

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2. Turn each end of each piece of cording under 1/4’. Make sure that the turned under edges are all facing the same direction. Tack each end down using a straight or zigzag stitch.

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3. Bring the ends the cording with the toggles together and align them so they are even. Use a wide zigzag stitch to sew the two sides together, stopping when the foot of your machine meets the toggle.

If your machine doesn’t have a zigzag function, you can tack the legs together by stitching back and forth a few times at a few points along the cording.

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4. Repeat for the toggle loops, but only stitch for 1 1/2”.

The Albion Sewalong

  1. Welcome to the Albion Sewalong & Contest (5 Comments)
  2. Gather fabric and supplies (49 Comments)
  3. How to fit and adjust your pattern (17 Comments)
  4. Adjusting for wide or narrow shoulders (5 Comments)
  5. Adjusting for arm or body length
  6. Adjustments for women: Giving waist definition (3 Comments)
  7. Adjustments for women: smaller arms (5 Comments)
  8. Adjustments for women: Full bust
  9. Cutting, Interlining, Interfacing, & Staystitching (8 Comments)
  10. Coat (v1): Creating patch pockets (2 Comments)
  11. Creating the yokes (1 Comment)
  12. In-seam pockets and side seams (10 Comments)
  13. Making the hood (2 Comments)
  14. Customization: drawstring hood (2 Comments)
  15. Creating sleeves (6 Comments)
  16. Coat (v1): Body and sleeve lining (4 Comments)
  17. Installing the center front facing (4 Comments)
  18. Customization: Adding a zipper (3 Comments)
  19. Customization: Add a drawstring waist (4 Comments)
  20. Coat (v1): Installing the lining (4 Comments)
  21. Finishing, hemming, and closures (5 Comments)
  22. Customization: Make your own toggles (3 Comments)
  23. How to enter your finished project into the Albion contest (25 Comments)
  24. Beautiful Albions and the winner of the Bernina 380! (26 Comments)

Comments

Amber

The picture doesn’t show how to attach the toggles to the jacket without a half circle. Could someone describe how to do this?

Zete

I’m not sure I understand the question, but as far as i see, these selfmade toggles are attached by a narrow zigzag.

I also did not buy toggles. Instead i bought the buttons, cord and a piece of leather, that i cut up in 8 pieces of my desired shape. Then I securely hand stitched the cord to my coat and covered it with leather pieces that i machine stitched on. That makes it look like propper toggles. Just prettier and cheaper. :) Also on the inside you see only a tidy half circle stitching, that’s why i handstitched the cord just to the outer shell.

Hope it gives some ideas.

These toggles are just stitched on using a zigzag. You could also make the half circle from leather or vinyl and add that. The possibilities are really endless with toggles, there are many ways to do them!