Sewing machine for a beginner

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Re: Sewing machine for a beginner

New postby DorothyL on Tue Sep 20, 2011 6:43 am

A 1-step buttonhole for a beginner? No! Everyone should have to suffer with buttonholes the way I did when I learned to sew.


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Re: Sewing machine for a beginner

New postby lendube on Tue Sep 20, 2011 10:22 am

You mean the 4-step buttonhole? They were on machines when I got my first in 1977. I didn't think they were hard at all and turned out quite decently. How exactly did you suffer, Smilie?? Just asking...... :whistle:
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Re: Sewing machine for a beginner

New postby LeapFrog Libby on Tue Sep 20, 2011 4:25 pm

Old Faithful , (my singer 221, purchased in 1957) came with an automatic Buttonhole attachment so I never knew any other kind. The instructions on my Janome are tricky for making the 1 step automatic buttonhole and I have to read and re-read every time I use that on the Janome. Most times I just haul out Old Faithful and make the buttonholes I need, as long as I have the right color thread. (enough to put on another bobbin and then thread the machine.) That is so much easier than figuring out the instructions in my Janome Manual. That part seems to be a word for word translation from the Japanese Language and is very hard to understand. I find a part here and there in the manual that is like that.. I need to just sit down and re-write those parts, but I never seem to have the time.
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Re: Sewing machine for a beginner

New postby MartySews2 on Tue Sep 20, 2011 9:06 pm

I learned to do bound buttonholes & handmade buttonholes as I hated the 4 step process. Now, I have a 1 step auto buttonhole feature on 2 of my machines so they don't bother me anymore. I love doing eyelet buttonholes for a decorative effect on a hem. I use embroidery thread for the top & bobbin thread for the bobbin with a stabilizer & it looks great.
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Re: Sewing machine for a beginner

New postby DorothyL on Wed Sep 21, 2011 6:26 am

A zig zag stitch so I could make buttonholes was a wonderment to me after making them by hand for so long but they were never really great until I got the one step.

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Re: Sewing machine for a beginner

New postby sewingmom on Wed Sep 21, 2011 7:50 am

The old Singer buttonhole attachment with little cams/dies for different types of buttonholes, I have makes the pretiest buttonholes I have ever seen. I have a terrible looking old Singer that a dgs picked up for $2.00 at a yard sale and I have a buttonhole attachment for it. It takes up so much room, but the buttonholes are to die for so I have hung on to it.
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Re: Sewing machine for a beginner

New postby LeapFrog Libby on Wed Sep 21, 2011 9:57 am

Sounds like the one I got as a bonus with my 221 Featherweight. (Old Faithful) You cannot beat those buttonholes ! !
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Re: Sewing machine for a beginner

New postby keljo60 on Wed Sep 21, 2011 10:40 am

LeapFrog Libby wrote:Sounds like the one I got as a bonus with my 221 Featherweight. (Old Faithful) You cannot beat those buttonholes ! !


I got a buttonhole maker for my 221 on ebay but haven't tried it yet. I'm going to have to just to see how they turn out!
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Re: Sewing machine for a beginner

New postby LeapFrog Libby on Wed Sep 21, 2011 3:32 pm

Kelly , Unless I am working on thin fabric, I go around two times for each buttonhole. Do a test or two before you decide. You will love them ! !
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Re: Sewing machine for a beginner

New postby SmilieFace on Thu Sep 22, 2011 5:52 am

lendube wrote:You mean the 4-step buttonhole? They were on machines when I got my first in 1977. I didn't think they were hard at all and turned out quite decently. How exactly did you suffer, Smilie?? Just asking...... :whistle:

The 4-step buttonholes never looked that great to me. If I only needed one that was okay, but I could never get three in a row to be the exact same size. In general, measuring for the buttonhole size was complicated. And then so was making sure I stuck to the measured lines. [sigh]
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