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[sewingj]

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[DaisyChain]

I have a lovely Bernina that delivers the most beautiful stitch quality but when it comes to nice buttonholes my answer is simple:

poppers, press studs, hidden button plackets

http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/32382/how-to-make-a-hidden-button-placket/page/all

or bound buttonholes!!!

http://sewaholic.net/bound-buttonholes-my-favourite-method/

 

[Lilian]

Hi SewingJ, If it was me I would try spray starch to stiffen the fabric and press well to help flatten it a bit, it would come back to normal after washing.  Are you using any stabilizer on the back?  Hope you sort it out.

[b15erk]

My old Vintage Singers produce the very best buttonholes, using a buttonhole attachment.  Consistently good buttonholes,  on every fabric that  I've made them on.

Jessie

[Bodgeitandscarper]

My lovely new Pfaff was chosen specifically for it's buttonholes 

[Ravingdoll]

A carpenter friend of mine made me a small (like really small) kind of embroidery hoop as I had the same problems with my Janome and because it holds the fabric taut I get lovely button holes now.

[BrendaP]

I do agree with Jessie, the old Singer buttonholer attachments make excellent buttonholes.

If you have a standard low shank machine I don't see any reason why you wouldn't be able to attach one to it as all that needs to be done is to remove the foot and ankle and attach the buttonholer with the fork over the needle clamp screw (as you do with a walking foot) then drop the feed dogs and make sure the machine is set to straight stitch.  The attachment moves the fabric from side to side and backwards and forwards.

[arrow]

It's only until you have had a few machines you know the difference between them. No machine is perfect, they all require a bit of technique and know how, but some are definitely easier on the user than others.

Does your model have any fine turning for stitch length and a good presser foot for the job? If it's not all auto there might be a way about it. Some machines have a guide on how to make buttonholes manually.

[toileandtrouble]

When the problem is differing thicknesses of fabric, I can sometimes get improvement by putting a small wedge of fabric under the foot to keep it level as it moves.  It's the tilting that stops it moving forward, leading to sewing 'on the spot'.

[Stitchalot]

I share your frustration! I used to have this problem with my Bernina and found this  this was the answer. Maybe there is a suitable alternative for your machine?
https://www.franknutt.co.uk/height-compensation-plate-for-buttonholes-wide

[Manuela]

I'm with Brenda and Jessie in recommending a basic vintage Singer and complementing buttonholer. My latest toy is the Singer Autopilot Buttonholer used with my Singer 338. The buttonholes are beautiful no matter how thick or knobbly the fabric is. The Autopilot buttonholer takes the same cams as the professsional buttonholer, but is smaller and made of metal.

[sewingj]

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[Ploshkin]

I keep an old machine with a 4 step buttonhole function just for that.  Unless I am doing buttonholes on something like cotton without any lumpy seams to get in the way I avoid the Pfaff one step buttonhole like the plague.  It just grieves me that there is no alternative way to do them and believe me, I've tried.

[Elnnina]

If it is not too late, have you thought of unpicking these buttonholes very carefully and then sewing bound buttonholes.  If you do try these, do make a sample one or two first to see how you get on.

[Catllar]

Another recent convert to the vintage singer- mine's a 15.- with its beautifully engineered attachment it makes marvellous buttonholes. My modern computer machine gave up the buttonhole ghost very rapidly - well after about 6 years - unless anyone can find a use for one-sided buttonholes? No?