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Member since 12/27/17
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Posted on: 12/27/19 9:01 PM ET
What are your favorite tools for cutting a buttonhole?
Any other must know button hole advice or links?
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Member since 10/21/05
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Posted on: 12/27/19 9:23 PM ET
In reply to S.Marie
I use an automatic buttonhole foot, so you might get better tips if you’re using another method, but my tips for improved buttonholes:

• Always interface the area where you will make a buttonhole.
• I change my machine stitch settings so the stitching is denser and sits more towards the face of the buttonhole. I learned how to do this from my machine’s manual, in the section about sewing buttonholes.
• After stitching, add Fray Check or Fray Block.
• I got a Buttonhole Chisel Set and it was a game changer for me. Cleanly and accurately cuts them open every time. I can’t find the exact one I have, but Here is a similar one.
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Member since 3/24/04
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Posted on: 12/27/19 10:34 PM ET
I usually cut buttonholes with a seamripper, both ends toward the middle, but it's not the best practice... a sharp chisel does a safer job, as do old fashioned buttonhole scissors.

My best tip for better buttonholes? Use a brand new needle.

If you have a machine that can use the Janome R buttonhole foot, there is a stabilizer plate for it that is quite useful.

Otherwise, on washable fabrics, in addition to interfacing, consider starching or school-gluing the fabric to about the stiffness of cereal box cardboard. Or for faster preparation, use a layer of self-stick washout embroidery stabilizer -- I like Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy. Bonus: it is white and you can pencil your guidelines directly on the stabilizer. All of these will dissolve in the first wash, leaving a nice buttonhole on your interfaced fabric.

I was taught, 60+ years ago, to go around a buttonhole twice. That is all too often poor advice, as the dense stitching has a tendency to cause the buttonholes to "fishmouth", or even can cause the bead to pull off the fabric. Instead, consider learning how to cord a buttonhole for better or more prominent coverage -- it is very easy and probably explained in your machine manual.
  
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Posted on: 12/28/19 0:18 AM ET
In reply to S.Marie
I use Famore scissors with the really pointed tip at my Ott light that has a magnifying glass attached to it. These scissors allow me to VERY carefully get between the stitches. Too many times when using a chisel, I ended up cutting some of the threads; especially on thicker fabrics. Since I changed to these nifty scissors, no more buttonhole cutting disasters.
  
Member since 12/2/08
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Posted on: 12/28/19 0:44 AM ET
I place a straight pin at each end of the buttonhole, inside each bar tack, and use small sharp Gingher scissors or a small sharp seam ripper from the center of the buttonhole to each end. I also use my magnifying LED light to see clearly. The pins keep me from cutting though the bar tacks. If there are frayed threads remaining I turn to the underside and trim them off. I've been thinking about getting a chisel though. I do love notions!
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Posted on: 12/28/19 3:21 AM ET
I have the world's fussiest machine when it comes to buttonholes. It took me YEARS to understand that it's not me, it really is the machine. That said, a couple of years ago, we reached an agreement and established conditions under which it will *actually make a buttonhole,* about 75% of the time (which is, um... most of the buttons on a blouse. Ha!). That is, believe it or not, a considered improvement over its previous record of giving me a buttonhole in about 1 in every 5 tries, so I'll take it!

In addition to all the tips already given (stabilize both sides of the buttonhole, cut carefully, etc), these two things made a WORLD of difference:

--I started using an extension table for quilting. It reminded me that Kayl had once mentioned a machine she'd worked with where the buttonhole foot would get hung up on the edge of the accessory tray--that seems to be EXACTLY what was happening to me! That nearly imperceptible edge between the machine bed and the accessory tray was enough to throw off almost every buttonhole I tried. As soon as I tried with the extension table, voila! BUTTONHOLES! It was like magic!

--I had also switched from using the horizontal spool pin, to the vertical spool pin. I had read that this would give better results with free-motion quilting... and honestly I haven't noticed any difference there, but for whatever reason, once I switched, I never went back to using the horizontal pin. Apparently thread winds off the pins differently, causing just enough of an issue in tension or... something.... PR members have speculated that this could have been a contributing factor, too.
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~Elizabeth in the prairie
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Member since 8/28/08
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Posted on: 12/28/19 4:45 AM ET
Good advice here, but just a word of caution: I used to put pins at both ends of the buttonholes but one time somehow the seam reaper managed to go past the pin! Luckily, it was near the top and the large bow covered it. It may never happen again, but why take a chance?

Now, I still put pins at both ends but use the seam reaper to make a slit just large enough to use scissors to cut the buttonhole open.
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Member since 3/26/16
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Posted on: 12/28/19 5:59 AM ET
In reply to S.Marie
I’ve been using a boxcutter for machine-sewn buttonholes. I start a little below the stitching on one end, cut 1/2 or 2/3 of the way, then flip it around and do the same to the other end. I’ve had no “accidents” (yet) doing it this way. And for bound welt buttonholes and windows, I punch a hole in the centre using my rotary cutter, then carefully snip the corners using my regular sewing scissors.

Edited to correct typos.

-- Edited on 12/28/19 at 6:01 AM --
  
Member since 12/15/12
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Posted on: 12/28/19 6:13 AM ET
In reply to S.Marie
Making Pretty Buttonholes - Threads Magazine
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Posted on: 12/28/19 7:48 AM ET
In reply to kevinsews
Thanks for posting the link. :)
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