How To Keep Clothes Clean At Dinner - Handy Tip Learned Whilst Travelling

Problem
How do you keep your shirt or blouse front clean?

Answer
I was dining at the Tanglin Club in Singapore when I noticed a man had a diamond shape white napkin attached to the front of his shirt. I thought, "How does he attache that?"

Obviously, had had to have attached the top of the napkin to the top button of his shirt. You can buy devices, silver plated clips like large safety pins or hair clips. But his was attached to a button. I thought: the only way he can do that is if the napkin has a buttonhole.

I looked at the nearest napkin and, to my surprise, found that it had a buttonhole in one corner. I checked another napkin. So did the others on my table and the next table.

Clearly, you can buy napkins, or order them to be made with a logo for a large organisation such as a hotel or a club, with buttonholes.

Buttonhole. Photo from Wikipedia. User Maksim.

DIY Buttonholes
If you were handy you could make your own napkin with a button hole and carry it with you.

If you made your own clothes or had a shirt made, you could ask for a spare square of fabric to be made with a buttonhole.

You can add a buttonhole to your exisiting set of table napkins if you have a buttonhole attachment on your sewing machine.

Failing all else, make a buttonhole the old-fashioned way. You cut a slit the width of the button or just slightly larger. Sew the two edges with tight bottonhole stitch, with long  overseweing at both ends of the hole to seurue the button hole against tearing. The usual way is to draw the button hole in pencil or wipe-off tailor's chalk. Sew the two sides of the buttonholer first (keep the cotton attahced and don't sew the wisdes seaparately but proceed clockwise so you have no loose endds. It is safer to cut the centre out last, but this requires care.

If you have never hand-sewn a buttonole before, practise on another piece of fabric first. Using the same colour cotton as the fabric lookes neater. If you don't have matching cotton, you might be able to pull out a loose thread from a seam. Alternatively be bold and if you sew neatly, use a contrasting colour.

DIY buttonholes
Some modern sewing machines have an automatic button hole sewing computirised mechanism. It is not as complicated as it sounds. You may have to attach a buttonhole device around the needle. You simpley screw this on to the place behind the needle for attachments. The device forms a barrier. the needle does button hole stitch along to the end of the designated area. You turn the fabric. You might need to reverse stitch a couple of stitches to secure the loose end of your thread. You don't need to do this full speed. You can do it slowly, one thread at a time, turning the wheel on the side of the machine and turning the needle up and down by hand.

Buying or 'Borrowing'
You could buy a napkin with a buttonhole from a hotel or club which has some. The chances are that if you offer to pay the head housekeeper will tell you, "Just take it".

I would only take something if I had been told it was ok to do so. You would not want the embarrassment of being challenged for having gone off with a napkin. Nor would I want to take something which would ruin my reputation, or damage the establishment's set or their profit for the week or year or even bring their staff under suspicion.

Thinking about it, a heavy napkin might pull off a button or hang heavily on a modern woman's lightweight blouse or dress. However, it is more likely to be supported by a heavyweight man's shirt with a stiff collar.

Tips and Tricks For Travellers
That is one of the joys of travelling and visiting new places. As the saying goes, learn something new every day.

Club Visits
If you are not a member of the Tanglin club, how could you get to visit it? See next post.

Useful Websites

visitsingapore.com
signaporeair.com

Author
Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. I have other posts on the Tanglin club and other clubs.

About the Author

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer. Please see my other blogs and share links with your friends

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com