Sewing the most simple products sewing on a sewing machine does not require special knowledge and skills: if you want to sew knitted pants, you will only need to select the right materials and monitor the evenness of the stitching. But before sewing more complex things - classic trousers or, for example, an ordinary shirt - you will need to get the hang of making neat buttonholes. We will tell you how to make a buttonhole on a button in this master class!
Materials and tools:
- A finished part in which you need to make a loop (the waistband of pants or the placket of a shirt)
- The right size button
- Thread ripper
- Tailor's pin
- Automatic buttonhole foot from a Janome machine (included in standard set"spare parts" for modern cars)
It is also better to stock up on a test piece of fabric on which you can practice. This fabric should be the same density as that used for sewing the entire product. In addition, the fabric will need to be folded as many times as there are layers in the prepared part (in the placket of a shirt or the waistband of pants).
How to make a buttonhole on a Janome sewing machine?
1. The special foot for automatic buttonholes has a buttonhole. Using the plastic lever sticking out on the left side, open the slot slightly and place a button in it. Use the same lever to secure the button so that the machine can correctly determine its diameter. You can put in the foot not necessarily the button that you will sew (and buttons in the form of a “mushroom” will not be attached there), but it must be a button of the same diameter as the one that you will sew to the product.
2. Install the automatic buttonhole foot on your sewing machine. The button should remain in it until the end of the work. Bring both working threads (top and bottom) under the foot and point to the left.
3. Set the machine to the values shown in the photo. In the line with different seams, select the very first value, under which it says “VN”.
4. Set the stitch size to level 5 (according to the rules, this value can range from 4 to 6), and the stitch length to between 0 and 1.
5. From the upper left part of the machine, lower the stopper - a metal stick with a plastic tip - down to the foot. Having lowered it all the way down, move it towards you - then the stopper will rest against the plastic foot stop. This stopper will stop sewing the buttonhole when the machine has sewn the entire buttonhole in a circle.
6. Important: before making the first loop (and also between loops, if you need more than one), turn the machine’s handwheel located on the right side of the body, one click forward (away from you), and then one click back (toward you). This will set the machine to start making a new buttonhole. Next, place a test piece of fabric under the foot and simply press the machine pedal. She herself will sew the outline of the buttonhole, based on the size of the button.
7. Try sewing loops on the “draft” using different stitch widths (from 4 to 6). Having chosen the most suitable option, proceed to making a loop on the prepared part of the product.
8. Place the trouser waistband under the presser foot and stitch the outline of the buttonhole in the desired location. The machine sews a loop in a circle: first the front narrow crossbar, then the left side, far cross member and right side.
9. Bring the ends of the threads to the wrong side of the product and tie them to secure them tightly.
10. All that remains is to cut the loop outlined by the machine! This is very easy to do using a steamer. But the problem is that this tool is very sharp, which means it can tear apart the excess. To prevent the ripper from cutting the stitching of the loop edge, limit the loop with a tailor's pin, inserting it as shown in the photo.
11. Cut the loop with a ripper towards the pin stopper.
12. Check if your button fits into the loop you made. If the hole is still small, cut it a little further with a ripper.
Even a novice seamstress can make a buttonhole on a Janome machine, because the process of edging a buttonhole of the required size occurs automatically! The main thing is that before this operation, do not forget to lower and press the stopper to the foot: without this, the machine will make a basic loop minimum size, which is unlikely to fit your button.
In performing this operation, no seamstress working by hand can compete with a sewing machine operating in the zigzag mode. If you have good command of the machine, it only takes a few seconds to sew one buttonhole.
Install a special buttonhole foot in your machine. It differs from a regular zigzag foot in that it has a longitudinal groove running along the sole. This groove ensures an even and parallel stitching. A convex, frequent "zigzag" stitch, once in the groove, will no longer allow the foot to deviate from the course. In addition, this foot has an additional small round hole through which you can pass the cord for better processing of the buttonhole. We'll talk about this a little later. If your machine does not come with a special foot, you can get by regular foot for the line "zigzag".
Here is the simplest option for processing a slotted loop. Set the stitch length to very small (turn the knob closer to zero). If the fabric is of medium thickness, set the zigzag height to approximately 2 mm. For thicker fabric and, accordingly, thick threads, increase the height; for thinner ones, reduce it. The loop is not cut before stitching, but is only marked on the fabric with chalk or basting thread.
Holding the top and bottom threads behind the presser foot with your hand, sew the first line along the basting. Having reached the end of the intended segment, stop the machine at the moment when the needle is deflected in the zigzag stitch to the right and lowered into the fabric. Raising the foot, turn the fabric around the needle, as if around an axis, clockwise. The stitch will be forward, in the direction of sewing, but will be offset to the left of the needle. Now we have to lay a second one parallel to it, exactly the same. But first you need to make a strong transverse fastening, which will not allow the loop to tear when worn. To do this, set the zigzag height twice as high - approximately 4 mm and make 5-7 stitches across the entire width of the future loop. Having stopped the needle in the raised position, return the zigzag height knob to its previous position and sew the second seam (Fig. a, b). When the needle is at the level of the beginning of the first line, leave it in the upper position, double the zigzag height and make a second transverse bartack (Fig. c). All that remains is to secure the thread so that the stitch does not unravel. To do this, set the zigzag handle to zero and sew 3-4 stitches with a straight stitch. 
The final operation is to cut the fabric between two rows of stitching with a safety razor blade or a special tailor's knife - a flogging knife.
How to cut a loop
1. Pin two pins at the ends of the loop, before the securing cross stitches. They will not allow the scissors to cut past the ends of the loop.
2. In the middle of the loop, insert the tip of the scissors blade into the fabric at the cut line. special tool for cutting loops and ripping seams. Carefully cut the loop all the way through, first one way, then the other.
3. Strengthen the edges of the loop with special glue so that they do not crumble. Check in advance how the glue will work on a loop sample.
To obtain a durable and beautiful embossed loop, you can thread a thin cord or twisted thread into a special hole in the foot. Loosen the upper thread tension slightly. Pull the cord behind the foot and hold it, pulling it, along with the top and bottom threads. Start stitching the loop in such a direction that the bend of the cord is facing the edge of the product, then the loop will be stronger. Otherwise, the procedure is the same as already described. Thanks to the design of the foot, the stitching itself will lie on top of the cord. However, with good skill, you can lay a cord under the basting without a special foot.
Relief loops can be obtained without an auxiliary cord. To do this, slightly loosen the tension of the thread in the shuttle (catch the moment when the threaded bobbin, suspended on the thread, begins to slowly slide on it due to its own weight). On the contrary, tighten the upper thread. The sequence of operations when stitching is normal. The relief is obtained due to the ratio of tensions and selection of thread thickness.
Of course, before sewing loops on a product, it is worth practicing on a scrap of the same fabric in order to select the size of the zigzag stitch, the tension of the threads and their thickness.
To sew buttonholes with a continuous stitch, special feet are used. The width and length of the loop are usually set before stitching, but in principle they can be changed during processing. Buttonhole stitching can be done either semi-automatically or automatically, it all depends on the type of presser foot installed.
On the automatic foot, adjust the length of the buttonhole by inserting the button into the holder. When processing a buttonhole with this foot, it will completely match the size of the button, which is very convenient. When using thick buttons, you need to manually increase the length of the loop slightly on the machine. Each machine has different adjustments; to do this, read the user manual that comes with the machine.
The semi-automatic presser foot has markings on the left side for adjusting the length of the buttonhole. Before you start stitching a buttonhole, mark its length on the product and move the sliding gate, matching the bottom marking on it with the beginning of the buttonhole on the product. When sewing, keep the ends of the threads on the left side of the foot.
These loops are worked with a zigzag and secured in the corners with long stitches. You can process “built-in” loops in 4 or 2 stages, it all depends on the functions of the sewing machine. In the second case, a machine pass is made in one direction, then securing stitches are made, then a pass in reverse side and again transverse securing stitches are made. Overcasting in 4 stages is more versatile, since during the processing of the loop it is possible to adjust the frequency of stitches.
- Place the stitch line in the center of the foot, and its beginning directly under the needle. Lower your foot and start stitching.
- Do the stitching slowly. Place the loop marking slightly to the left of the center line. When finished, raise the needle, move the fabric slightly to the left, lower the needle and raise the presser foot.
- Rotate the fabric 180°. Move the needle to the right, make a stitch and raise the needle. Make 6 wide securing stitches. Finish the stitch with the needle position on the left.
And again we are in touch with you, dear sewing lovers, blog site. Hello!
Clasp essential element any model. I personally treat the clasp with special trepidation. And when the time comes to make welt loops, I always tense up internally. Will it work this time? And, despite the fact that during my life I have made a countless number of such loops, and every time I still doubt whether they will turn out neat, whether they will not be crooked, as in that proverb “One eye on the Caucasus, and the other on Arzamas”...
Today's post will be about how to make a slotted buttonhole on a machine.
It’s good in sewing factories, I inserted it into the machine and “zhik zhik zhik – take away what’s ready”...
Manufacturers of modern sewing machines have made an amazing gift to sewing lovers by giving us the ability to make cut-out buttonholes on their sewing machines.
It is very good when your household work stitch has a function for making loops in automatic or semi-automatic mode. This will give your product a completely professional finish.
Types of slotted loops.
On different machines, from different manufacturers, you can make different loops. For example, these are: 1) a loop made with a cross (a loop for beautiful elastic fabrics (decorative loop)); 2) a rounded loop with a longitudinal fastening (a loop for shirts, blouses and any other clothing; 3) an ornamental loop (a decorative loop for shirts, blouses and any other clothing).
The more types of loops your sewing machine, the more opportunities you have for creativity.
The most common ones performed by modern sewing machines are: 1) a linen buttonhole for blouses, shirts, bed linen, and 2) a buttonhole with an eye for jackets, outerwear or trousers.
There will be no problems with making these types of loops if you have instructions for the machine.
But even if your sewing machine is not replete with such functions, with just one at your disposal, you can also make a slotted buttonhole.
How to make buttonholes on a household machine manually?
To find a place where the slotted loop will “settle”, you need to follow a number of very simple rules.
- On female models the loops should be on the right shelf ().
- Vertical slotted loops are placed strictly along the grain thread. Horizontal along the weft thread (perpendicular to the line of the middle of the front). 1/3 of the loop length extends beyond the line of the middle front to the edge of the fastener, 2/3 beyond the line of the middle front to the side seam.
- The first (top) loop is placed at a distance equal to the diameter of the button from the neckline.
- You definitely need to calculate it so that there is a loop + button on the chest line.
- The distance between the loops depends on the size and number of buttons (according to the model).
- We decide what the loops will be:
- Loop length.
- Loop width.
- Loop stitch density.
All these values depend on the size and shape of the buttons, as well as the texture of the fabric we are working with. The length, width of the loops and stitch density are determined experimentally.
Well, we’ve taken everything into account, marked it out, decided on the permanent residence of the loop, now we proceed directly to making a slotted loop for the button.
Along the line between the two marks (loop length), there will be a cut (entry for the button). Leaving a strip 1 - 1.5 mm wide along the cut line, we place the needle in the corner between the line of the middle of the loop (shelf) and the intended segment (on the right side).
We sew a line with a zigzag seam. We lay the line close to the next transverse mark and stop in the far right corner.
We increase the width of the zigzag stitch without changing the density of the stitches, and make the first loop tack. The width of the tack is equal to the width of the 2 sides of the loop + 1-1.5 mm allocated for the cut.
When finishing the bartack, leave the needle in the left bottom corner(remember, we turned 180⁰). We stop and again change the width of the zigzag seam to the previous one, without changing its density. Sew the left side of the loop and leave the needle in the material at the far left point.
We turn 180 degrees.
Again we change the width of the zigzag seam, without changing its density, and make the loop tack similar to the previous one. We stop at the far bottom right corner.
You can fasten the loop stitches by bringing the ends of the stitch threads to the wrong side, and then knit them and cut off the excess, or by zeroing out all the dimensions, “dance” in place with a needle.
All that remains is to open the “door” for the button and cut the loop. Of course, if you have a special knife - a ripper for such cases, then there is nothing to talk about. And if not, then cut the loop with small sharp scissors, a blade, a scalpel (yes, you can use a scalpel for such a thing), placing something hard under the material - cardboard, a ruler, a board, etc., so as not to damage the table. And in order not to damage the loop fastenings, pins are stuck in front of them.
And in conclusion, a few words about which side is better or more correct to start making a loop from the right or left (for vertical loops).
It is better to start from top to bottom (along the part on which the fastener is made), no matter to the left or right of the future entrance (cut) to the loop. Because this way, you start going along the edge of the fastener down and the entire product, sleeves, back, left shelf, collar, etc. is located to the left of the machine, and you can control the situation. Nothing bothers you. The zigzag seam, that is, the side of the loop, should be smoother.
And having turned 180 degrees, you will already have a landmark, a path along which you should go back up. And the entire product, which is now located to the right of the machine, will no longer interfere with the stitching (making loops).
Sew along the line of the middle front, “with an eye” on the completed loops.
It would seem that there is nothing difficult about making a slotted loop. Moreover, an entire article is dedicated to its production. But depending on how we approach their implementation, slotted loops can either decorate the product or hopelessly disfigure it. I think such a publication will not be superfluous to replenish the knowledge base of sewing lovers.
All the best to everyone! Sincerely, Milla Sidelnikova!
