Anyone who have ever tried to make a buttonhole on thick fabric, in this case a coat, knows it is a real struggle to make a beautiful buttonholes without getting the machine jammed or the very least a not satisfying buttonhole you can live with. We've all been there.
With that in mind I found the Bernina fabric feeding aid - I don't know if every sewing machine manufacture have anything similar, that's up to you to look for that info, but that's what I found for my Bernina.
I was very excited to give this little gadget a try! Because it does disappoint me that I cannot make a nice "fully" rounded buttonhole, even with my Bernina which quite a nice heavy machine.
I must say that when I first tested it looked VERY processing! But as we all know you it can a different story once you get to sew on the final garment. The weight of the final piece can interfere with the how the machine pulls the fabric, and a coat is probably the heaviest garment to make a buttonhole.
After a few tries and unpicking I did managed to sew a very acceptable buttonhole. Would I recommend it, maybe! It did make a nice buttonhole but not before I had to unpick a few times.
For those how don't have something like this gadget or for the ones who have it nevertheless, DON'T DRIVE YOURSELF CRAZY - the best thing is to forget about it, because once you are wearing it you won't even remember the buttonhole experience - who am I kidding? I wish (laugh).
Of course there are alternatives to scape the buttonholes, what are they Bella?
Well not making them for once - joking! - You should always face what scares you in sewing, that's my motor!
- You can take a professional buttonhole place, some cities have it - I know London has it, although I never taken there, I have seamstress friend of mine who does it for her clients.
- Bound buttonholes
- Hand sewn buttonhole
- Poppers - there's a time and place for it, if the area will have a lot of pressure it might not hold it in place. Also on a coat/jackets exposed metal doesn't look nice, the nicest way and more professional is to cover them with a matching lining fabric. (I'll make a video on this!)
Anyway! I have also made a Youtube video where you can see the fabric feeding in action click here to watch.
