Buttonholes...

[Efemera]

How does your machine do buttonholes?...mine starts at the bottom straight stitches to the top and then zigzags back down. I find this really odd, I like to start at the top, that gives me a better idea of placement. To do this I have to have the bulk of the garment on the right of the needle, that is upside down.

[Tamnymore]

My Singer does it the same way but my Janome sews the bottom bar tack then zig zags up.the left side and so on. I was very puzzled by the Singer at first until I realised. It does do lovely buttonholes but they are a devil to unpick so you have toget it right first time.

[Manuela]

I usually use Singer buttonholers, got them for my straight-stitchers as well as for my zig zag machines. I preferthose button holes from the 4-step (or in case of Berninas 6-step ones).

[Radiofan]

All the 5xx series Singer sewing machines from the 70s with built-in 4 step button holers do the right hand side first, top-down.

Touch and Sew models in the 700 series (from the 60s) with 2-step button-holer do the top-bar first, followed by the right hand side, top-down.

The Singer buttonhole attachments start at the top-right point. Seems logical to me, I don't see a reason for changing it.

[b15erk]

I use my buttonholer attachments for the Singers by choice, they do by far the best buttonholes of all of my machines.  The ones with the templates are quickest, you just drop the template in, and go.  The manual ones take a minute or two to adjust. 

At a push, I will use the Pfaff 1475 automatic buttonhole function, but strangely, this works better without the buttonhole foot.  The Bernina 730 I have never got on with, it's a bit of a fiddle for me.

Jessie

[Efemera]

I love the buttonholes my machine makes (Pfaff QE4 ) but just not the order it sews them in...it just seems wrong to me. I have several vintage machines with buttonhole attachments but it’s a faff getting them out and set up.

[Radiofan]

I just had a thought on why manufacturers may have reversed the order.

For a good buttonhole, the second side needs to be perfectly parallel to the first. I draw a guide line close beside the presser foot to follow.

It is easier to guide the material to stitch parallel in a forward direction.

[Canarybird]

Yes both my Pfaff and Brother start from the bottom when sewing a buttonhole, and I agree that you get a better idea of placement if you mark the top position. But since I always do a test sew out I know the size of the buttonhole and so also mark the bottom of the buttonhole. That way I can start at the bottom point of the buttonhole. This works for me because both machines do really good repeat buttonholes.

[b15erk]

I think this is the advantage of the old Singer buttonhole attachments, you can start sewing where you want.

I've just finished half a dozen beautiful buttonholes, on really fine fabric, with no unpicking needed.  They were done on my old Singer Slant shank, with the template buttonholer.  Easy Peasy!

Jessie

[elisep]

My huskvarna also starts at the bottom and goes backwards. It makes a neat buttonhole but it does make it difficult to physically see my markings to stop at the right point.
That, and I don't do buttonholes very often, so when I do them, I very often forget that it doesn't go forwards 
It's lucky I seem to have developed a habit of always working a practice one before doing any buttonholes!

[Ohsewsimple]

@elisep you got there before me.  Both my Husqvarnas go backwards first with a row of straight stitching.  This actually gives a bit of stability to the buttonhole so I like that.  Also, if you’re sewing horizontal buttonholes, it’s very easy to line them up from the edge of the garment.  I’ve never really had a problem with vertical ones.  Of course, now you folks have mentioned it .......

[Efemera]

I'm confused, why would it matter what way the garment is up to do the buttonhole? You can do it either way.

Because to get it to start at the top of the buttonhole ...say the top buttonhole of a shirt band you have to have the bulk of the garment to right of the needle. It would be much easier for the bulk to be on the left of the needle but that way it stitches up towards the top of the neck first..I’d like to position it precisely staring at the top and going down.

[Efemera]

I know how to sew buttonholes!...I’ve been doing it for over 50 years, I’d just like it to start at the top of the buttonhole not the bottom..nothing odd about that.

[BrendaP]

I'm still confused. Why can't you just turn the garment around and do the buttonhole from the bottom going up?  As long as the buttonhole is symmetrical it doesn't matter what end you start from?

If it's a keyhole shape with a round bit one end and a bar tack the other end it makes a big difference.

As Jessie said, with the old buttonholer attachments you can start anywhere.

[b15erk]

From a purely personal point of view, I prefer to see where the first step is going, and if you go backwards, you can't see your marks easily, and there is more possibility for error.

I've used various machines with automated buttonholes - granted not very modern machines  , but I have found none to equal the quality of the old Singer buttonhole attachments.

Jessie