Which is the best sewing machine to sew buttonholes?

At some stage, while using your sewing machine you will need to sew a buttonhole, to fix a gaping dress, to add a button fastening to a cushion, while dressmaking, or sewing a simple closure flap for a bag. Having an option to sew a buttonhole, quickly and with ease, is what most people prefer. Computerised sewing machines can sew fantastic buttonholes, easily, and with just a press of a button. 

One common challenge for novice sewers is sewing buttonholes that are not only the correct size for the buttons, but also in a consistent, uniformed length. That’s why we recommend using a sewing machine with an automatic buttonhole feature, especially handy when your design calls for 6 or more buttonholes, like on a detailed dress. 

Using a domestic sewing machine, three buttonhole options are available:

• 4-Step sequence buttonholes and found on base models, they take a little more care and sewing machine setting up to is required to sew a 4-step buttonhole. You would need to set the machine to satin stitch, by adjusting the stitch length, fit the sliding buttonhole foot, mark the buttonhole size on the fabric, turn the dial in 4 steps, while taking care not to go past your markings on the fabric.
  
  
• 1-Step auto sizing buttonholes, available on many mid-range mechanical, or computerised models, which use sensors to measure the button and sew the correct size buttonhole every time. Place the button in the special buttonhole feet, it is placed in the sliding space at the rear of the foot. Select the type of buttonhole you require and press the foot control, hey-presto, you have sewn a buttonhole.
  Buttonhole options; keyhole, eyelets, stretch, fine for a shirt, or stronger, wider and thicker sided coat buttonholes, tailored round ended buttonholes.
  
  
• Advanced auto-sizing buttonholes, on high-end £800+ models, the buttonhole foot may have a metal plate, attached to the auto-sizing foot, you place the fabric between the auto-sizing foot and the metal plate, which clamps the fabric tightly, to produce professional type buttonholes every time. On the touchscreen, the user may be able to type the correct button size in mm, or inches and the sewing machine will sew a buttonhole to that exact measurement.
  
  

What are the different types of buttonhole?

The image shows 19 different buttonholes, some are for decoration, stretch materials, heavyweight, medium and lightweight fabrics. There is a buttonhole for every type of material. Computerised models offer the most options.