The Sewing Place

Fellow Pfaff owners.

Efemera

Fellow Pfaff owners.
« on: July 15, 2017, 11:20:34 AM »
Buttonholes....why do the buttonholes start sewing backwards?.. this means I need to have the bulk of the garment on the inside of the machine to get the the buttonhole in the right position. If I have the garment on the left side and the buttonhole is stitched backwards there's no guarantee that it's in the right place... the top buttonhole on say a shirt or cardigan has to be precise and theres always room for error if you have to stitch from the bottom up.

Ploshkin

Re: Fellow Pfaff owners.
« Reply #1 on: July 15, 2017, 13:30:14 PM »
The only thing I dislike (intensely) about my Pfaff is that awkward great lump of plastic that is the buttonhole foot and the fact that there is no alternative to automatic buttonholes.  It's great on a nice, flat piece of cotton but anything else and the stress levels soar.  I was given a lovely, tough, little vintage machine (a 1970s Lewenstein) with a 4 step buttonhole and I mostly use that.



Life's too short for ironing.

Marniesews

Re: Fellow Pfaff owners.
« Reply #2 on: July 15, 2017, 16:08:00 PM »
Yes, I must admit I use the 4-step buttonholes on my Bernina 1020 in preference to either of my Pfaffs (PP5 & Select 3.2). That is to say - currently - as I've now got a Singer buttonhole attachment and once my Singer 201 treadle/motor machine is working it may soon be the favourite if what I hear from all the vintage gang proves to be the same for me.

I'm not wild about the plastic bodies of the Pfaffs but it's no worse than Janomes or other modern machines and I'm definitely returning to favour the metal bodied mechanical machines in general. At least I can lift the Select up onto the table without bracing myself first though.  :)
Hopefully back more regularly! Ballroom sewing may be permanently paused but bag making is the current focus.

Gernella

Re: Fellow Pfaff owners.
« Reply #3 on: July 16, 2017, 10:36:36 AM »
I've got an Expression 2 and Select 4 but have never fathomed out how to do a four step button hole, although to be honest I haven't really  tried.  The Expression is the easiest way to go and yes it can be a beggar if the fabric is thicker and halfway through it sticks and needs help to move. 

Years ago I got very good at doing bound buttonholes but I think that skill has withered with the spanking new machines when they arrived.
Stash extension 2024- 6.1 meters
Left at the end of 2023 - 66 meters now (includes fabric found hidden out of sight)  Lining fabric not included

Lachica

Re: Fellow Pfaff owners.
« Reply #4 on: July 16, 2017, 12:35:31 PM »
I have the Creative 3 and the buttonholes are great. Yes, it's a little tricky to position the buttonhole foot correctly, I use a water soluble marker to draw 2 intersecting lines to start point. It does always throw me when it starts off backwards though!
Mary
2020 stash: not gonna count, not gonna feel guilty.

Efemera

Re: Fellow Pfaff owners.
« Reply #5 on: July 16, 2017, 13:21:11 PM »
I would have thought it was much more sensible to start from the top!.. I've had Pfaffs for donkeys years but can't remember how the other models did it. Mine is the QE 4.

b15erk

Re: Fellow Pfaff owners.
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2017, 09:29:49 AM »
I have an older Pfaff machine 1475cd, and it does do reasonable buttonholes, and I think they start at the top.

I haven't used the buttonhole facility for ages though, since I re-discovered the lovely buttonholes made by the vintage Singers (of which I have a few  :|).

I particularly like the buttonholes made by the Slant shank 611g, their buttonholers have templates, which make them very simple to use.  I've just done 6 buttonholes before work .... :)

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.