Hi Martha's Mum.

Yes I quite agree - hand sewing is very theraputic indeed - and after all there is no rush! If you have a corduroy dress these fray very little and so the zig zag stitching is really not necessary.  If you don'twant to leave the seams as is, you could trim the seams with pinking shears or altenatively fold the seams into each other and sew together on the fold to make a sort of french seam.  Do let us know if you need more info on this method. And as for buttonholes - why not use poppers instead and sew the buttons on for decoration?  Hope this helps!  Best regards, Kay