So I volunteered to make a tutorial on how to use my buttonhole foot/attachment for Sew, Mama, Sew’s awesome Sewing Machine Month. I didn’t know until I had volunteered that I get a free yard of fabric for it, so I’m totally stoaked about this little tutorial you’re about to enjoy.
My buttonhole foot is called the XC2691051 Snap-on Buttonhole Foot for the following Brother models: CS8060, CS8100, CS8150, CS8200, NX200, NX400, and NX600.
The first thing you’ll want to do when making a buttonhole, is to mark the placement of the buttonhole on your project:
This special foot does the entire buttonhole for you with no stopping and even knows how big to make the hole. In order to make the correct size buttonhole, you need to put the button you’ll be using into the foot. Pull the plastic tab as shown here until the button is snugly sitting in the foot:
Remove your presser foot from your machine and snap the buttonhole foot on:
Next choose the type of buttonhole you’d like to make from your choice of stitches. Mine all have the letter “A” above them so that I know the buttonhole foot is used to make that stitch. I’m using the regular, run-of-the-mill buttonhole for this project (stitch 27).
Now you’re ready to make your buttonhole! Center the open part of the foot over the end of the buttonhole that is CLOSEST to you. The buttonhole is made backwards, which I find very odd, but it is important to remember this or you’ll be pulling a lot of threads out! There are red and green tick marks on the foot that serve as guides for centering the foot exactly where you need it.
The next step is crucial in getting your foot to work! You need to pull down the gray lever with the buttonhole picture on it and push it behind the plastic tab on your buttonhole foot. The machine won’t do anything without doing this step:
Make sure your threads are underneath the foot and start sewing! All you need to do is watch and press on the pedal. It will make the whole buttonhole (as well as some stability stitches underneath the final stitching) by itself. You’ll know it is done when it slows down automatically and stops moving. At this point it is making some anchor stitches, so let it make two or three before letting off the pedal. Lift your foot and clip your threads. Voila!
I do like to pull the threads from the beginning of the buttonhole to the back of the project and make a square knot for stability. Use a seam ripper to open up the buttonhole (or scissors if you, like me, have misplaced all four of your seam rippers).
That’s it! Easy Peasy, Nice and Cheesy! Next up: the button foot!
Oops, I forgot one thing! Don’t forget to take the button out of your buttonhole foot:) I always forget and spend the next five minutes looking for that “lost” button. . .heh.
