Using A Vintage Sewing Machine: The Old Style Buttonholer

This is one of the older style Buttonholers that Singer made. I think this particular one dates to the 1930's. There is another style with a curvier top that's very similar. You can download a manual for it here -- scroll down and click on the older style one. The manual is only about six pages long but full of details such as the oiling spots.

Unlike the more modern Buttonholer this one doesn't use any templates (when I say modern I mean the one from last week's post --it's still vintage). All the settings must be done on the attachment with all those wing nuts you see. I'm going to show how to use all these but for technicalities like lining up the markings for buttonholes, holding the threads, and stitching the buttonhole refer back to last week's post or the manual.

There should be a feed cover plate with the Buttonholer. Don't use the attachment if you don't have the feed cover plate! The plate screws down onto the bed of the machine. Pull the bobbin thread up through once it's on.

The length of the buttonhole can be set from 3/8 inch to one inch long. To do this move the thumb nut that is in the vertical slot on the back. Upward for shorter buttonholes, down for longer ones. It has an S and L marked on it to help you remember this. I've set mine near the middle for about a 5/8 inch buttonhole.

The thumb nut in front of the length setting one is like the Adjusting Knob on the modern Buttonholer. It moves the Cloth Clamp in the front.

On the opposite side of the Buttonholer are the settings for the Bight and Space. These are both marked. The Bight is the width of stitch and can be changed by moving the thumb nut to W for wider or N for narrower. When you change the bight, the cutting space in the middle of the buttonhole is changed --this space must be changed too. This is done by moving the thumb nut on the Space setting. Again, W for wider and N for narrower. (More on this further down).

Once all your settings are made attach the Buttonholer onto the machine by hooking the fork arm over the needle clamp. There should also be a long slotted screw with the Buttonholer to clamp it to the presser bar. Tighten this screw with a screwdriver --not too hard though. You can readjust any settings with the attachment hooked to the machine.
Once it's on. Put the fabric under the Cloth Clamp and lower the presser bar. As I mentioned, refer to last week's post for all the details on sewing the buttonhole. I'm not about to type all that again! Sewing the actual buttonhole is the same as with the more modern attachment.


Here I've made three buttonholes with the Bight set near the middle (it fell on the g in the word Bight). Using the word Space that is printed on the attachment, I've set the first buttonhole space to about the a. As you can see there is too much space. The second one I've set the marking point under the thumb nut to the s. Now there is not enough space to even cut the buttonhole open. The third one I've set the space setting to the p. It looks about right.
I thought the zig zag in the previous buttonholes was a little too open. This Buttonholer has the ability to adjust the spacing of stitches. See the screw in the middle of the side with the little pointer? There are markings above it --L for larger space and S for smaller space.

I moved this from the middle setting over to the S. I left the Bight and Space settings where I had them. Here are the same three buttonholes on the left and another one on the right that I made with the new setting. The buttonhole I made with this adjustment looks tighter and a bit nicer than the rest. I rather like that the old Buttonholer has this ability.
There might be a lot of settings to play with and get used to on this Buttonholer but it's worth the time. With all the little settings you can really adjust the buttonhole to your liking. I made all the examples for my tutorial then continued to play with the attachment; the more it loosened up the better the buttonholes began to look. I don't think this thing had been used in sixty years.


I don't know that I would go out looking to buy one of these old Buttonholers but if you have one or come across one for cheap they are rather nice.