Sewing a Button with a Sewing Machine

[SmileCavy86]

sewing buttons by hand is a great idea, but that still requires a steady hand and good eye coordination. For me it is safer to do it by machine. The last time I tried to do this by hand the needle ended up in my nail bed, and thats simply because I made a mistake. Just sayin, its safer.

[ekirscht]

I cannot wait to try it on my sewing machine. I might have to get that presser foot and attachment.

That lady rocks!

[ekirscht]

You rock lady!

[luminaeus]

Aw, that's awesome. I'm a mechanically inclined car guy getting into this stuff mostly because the mechanics of the machine itself is fascinating. That, and it's a lot cheaper to tailor my own shirts and sew on my own military rank, lol.

[sewmarm]

@luminaeus I agree about the fascinating mechanics! All the best and may you stay safe!

[almantaite]

Hi, I cant put the button between the fabric and button sewing foot because the button is too thick. is that means that I wont be able to sew buttons using machine? :( or is there any way to lift the presser foot on my brother machine?

[cherjujuy]

Very helpful, thanks :)

[sarouelala]

THANK YOU!!i hate to sew buttons by hand..this was very, VERY useful for me!

[hummingbirdgrammy]

I also prefer sewing flat buttons by sewing machine...I find it faster than hand sewing. Your video may appear to go slower because you're showing how it's done, which is a good thing that it seems slower.

The close-ups and your verbal instructions are very good.

[tytyminh]

awesome, i dunno a sewing machine can do such thing ^^

[Alypally1]

Thank you for doing this I love using my machine and I always wondered how buttons should be done. I wish all new SMs came with stitch by stitch instruction videos like this it would be so empowering. Now I know how to do it all buttons will be machined lol thanks again xx

[sewmarm]

@Alypally1

Happy sewing!

[cbgfx]

Very nice thank you!

[10000PK]

Well I liked it! Thanks! Very usefull.

[KOSMITAify]

Good

[CTWcauseiMissyou]

mines the basic machine i dont have the attachments like that. only the button hole maker. but it shouldnt be too hard to figure out wheni get the attachments.

[KWalsh554]

I'm not buying it. It seems like a rather overly complicated process to machine sew a button when it takes me about a minute or less to do it by hand.

[sewmarm]

You don't have to buy it, but I really hate sewing buttons by hand.

1) I am already at an age where it is MUCH harder for me to thread the needle, and if there's more than one button, I often need to thread it more than once.

2) I almost never escape without poking my finger at least once when sewing the button on by hand.

3) For some reason I don't get into procrastination syndrome when I know I can use the machine instead of hand sewing. ;)

[quadraphonicfreak]

You don(t need any special foot to sew on a button. Start with your basic old cast iron sewing machine and a regular presser foot. Lower feed dogs. Position button on fabric and align needle to go through one of the holes in the button and repeat the first stitch 2 or 3 times to lock the stich. Lift the presser foot move to next hole and back and forth until 5 or 6 passes over the button hole. It takes all of 1 minute to do this ...everyone wants to sell a presser foot these days!

[MrsSarb]

Actually my button foot came with my machine. But yeah I don't bother changing the foot. You can do it with the plain presser foot just as easily.

[sewmarm]

I have a hard time with the regular foot not holding down the button well enough, so I go ahead and switch the foot. Kind of like household cleansers, I used to only use one, then found that when I used the specialized ones, the job really was easier.

[bobco303]

thank you. I always wondered how to do this. I will have to give it a try now.

[LouNGeR83]

huh, did I just watch this? XD

[vrambo]

I actually find sewing on a machine easy and sewing with my hands hard... loll but then again i have very little knowledge of either

[sewmarm]

Me, too, and I have been sewing for over 30 years.

More importantly, I am not a good girl about mending. So I make myself do some of the mending pile before getting to whatever sewing project I am working on. Of course, much of the mending pile is buttons to be replaced. Mending them by machine is faster and easier for me, and then I get to sew something fun!

[Rustyrunaway]

why dont you just do it by hand?

[ChowZeb]

its for lazy people obviously but yes i agree with your statment

[Odenkay]

faster with a machine most of the time

[sewmarm]

1. Because if I have more than one button, I end up having to re-thread my needle multiple times. I HATE threading my needle. With the machine, thread it once, sew tens of buttons if needed.

2. I never poke my finger.

3. Faster.

Happy sewing!

[sewmarm]

Because I hate sewing on buttons by hand. ;)

See the other replies I've made as to why I prefer the machine.

You don't have to prefer the machine, but I do.

[luvlucky101]

@sewmarm plus its fun with a machine!!! ;)

[rainmechanic]

@Rustyrunaway

A good reason to do it with a zig zag machine is when you have more then one button to sew back on... Plus if you sew alot the machine is usually sitting there ready to sew something or other...

If you only have one button and your machine, if you even have one, is buried in the back of closet then yes.... Hand sewing the button on will be easier and take less time.. Also, some people simply look for any excuse to sit down in front of their machine and use it..

[lennonemelia]

thank you so much for these very helpful videos! just what i've been looking for. :)

[pinkheartshades]

I really needed this ! Awesome Video! ThankYou!!!!!!!!!!!1

[sewmarm]

Happy Sewing!

[mattychavira]

Thank you for your help, I really appreciate it!!

[sewmarm]

You're welcome! Happy sewing!

[0502210]

yeah i have tried to do that on my own machine but i can't get the flat button to fit under the presser foot!! so i think its wonderful that my machine has such functions but i would hope that they would also work... (my machine isn't singer though, it's EVA M 300 and it was cheap so i can't expect it to do wonders)

i want to thank you for your videos because of them i have been learning "sewing english" lol..

[nappynullipara]

You rule, Sew Marm! This video just made my day. Now I won't give my husband dirty looks when he asks me to replace a button. A very clear, well done video. Thanks.

[akyramoto]

I totally want to sew some buttons now! this video was a lot of help, you make it look easy!! Thank you!!

Just recently started sewing, got my first 'own' machine yesterday - I think the only reason I felt confident getting into it was the wealth of knowledge on the net, like your videos!

[sewmarm]

Great! Welcome to the world of sewing! I've favorited a lot of good sewing videos by other YouTube users in my favorites on my channel, too.

Happy Sewing!

[akyramoto]

so you start on straight stitch, then switch to zig zag once you've lined up the second hole?

[sewmarm]

Yes. Make sure you're also set on 0 stitch length!. The straight stitch just anchors your button, then use the zig zag to get the right stitch width for your button.

[TheGraceDiaries]

Thankyou so much, I have just started sewing (I am making a dress for my so to be born daughter) and it has buttons. I am going to practice sewing buttons with my machine and then hopefully sew them on the dress. Very good video.

Grace

[sewmarm]

Happy Sewing for such a wonderful reason! As the kids grow, mending can get to be a real chore. Using my machine to sew buttons gets the mending pile down much faster!

[wonderboy121314]

do you have to use the presserfoot because i dont have that specific foot i only have the regular foot

[sewmarm]

I was never successful without that presser foot. The regular foot isn't made to both hold down the button and stay out of the way of the needle.

You can usually find the button sew on foot on ebay for cheap. I use it all the time.

[wonderboy121314]

ok thank you i will defiantly go to the sewing shop and get one...thanks

[antijelly]

thanks.

alot!

i didnt know you could do that.

[sewmarm]

Happy Sewing!

[puffboo79]

thank you so much for this. I sew a lot of buttons on by hand and it gets to be a pain. I am making a coat for a friend and it has 20 buttons on it. You made it look so easy thank you again. SaBrina

[sewmarm]

Do some practice buttons on scraps slowly until you feel confident. As my eyesight wanes, it becomes more and more a part of my sewing to machine sew on buttons. Thread the machine once (or have a kid do it!), and sew on all the buttons!

Happy sewing!

[Henryhi123]

catchy tune. thanx for the help with that!! it really had me stuck for a while

[sewmarm]

YW, happy sewing!

I purchase my stock music at Chris Worth Productions. You can buy a loop for less than $10, which is a much better price than most stock music loops available on the web.

[sewmarm]

Yeah, whenever I'm not sure about it, I just use the hand crank. It's still easier for me that way than hand sewing on a button!

[sewmarm]

You could always do it with a scrap and an old button.

[808FlyBy]

a very informative video. just got a new machine & wondered how it was done. thnx

[sewmarm]

Happy sewing!

[roadjournal]

Nice Job thanks.... Maybe you should use a lighter color fabric for better contrast

[sewmarm]

That's what I have to remember to do every time! Thanks for commenting!

[zhemlja]

thanx from me too :)

never done a button using a machine, although i sew since i was like 5 :D

next time i get my machine out, buttons will be sewn :D!

[briontube]

Wow. I know a little girl who is 11 and she knows how to sew by hand, and by a sewing machine. She can do the shank, four hole, two hole, and the one hole button. She is excellent but so r u!! This helped me to learn since the 11 year old wouldn't teach me. I will dazzle her with my knowlage.

[sewmarm]

Well, when I was 11 it was a lot easier to thread a needle, lol! Since I only have to thread once for machine sewing, it gets two thumbs (without thimbles!) up.

You can use this method on four hole buttons also.

Happy sewing (buttons)!

[dezerain]

Thanks for the great video. I do not have a sewing machine and never used one either but now I have hopes to alter some of my nice shirts to fit me better. I wish I could find a good taylor like you near where I live. :)

[sewmarm]

Thanks for the compliment! I actually don't like mending and altering, lol. To motivate myself to get my mending and alterations done, I cut out a new outfit to sew!

Good luck to you.

[doricebaty]

thank-you

[jarhess]

Thank you for the video. My granny gave me her brother sewing machine and I am very new at this.I have never seen a button done. That was a great period of instruction.

Thanks,

Lori

[sewmarm]

You're welcome! As my eyes get worse at threading needles, saving the time of threading the needle once on the machine is one reason I prefer machine sewing on my buttons.

[beguiledchild]

aww thank you so much. I love to sew button I didn't know how to sew a button! THANKS! =D

[sewmarm]

YW!

[WebTVfan]

great video class!

[flipthecoin888]

i really hope you could make a tut on blind hemming.

i went through your website, and i realized I'm a Singer baby too! My grandparents only had Singers, so I decided to follow suit, even if people were telling me Singer has "too much plastic" or that "the company has gone downhill." I have a 90 dollar Singer I got from Target, apart from a Model 66, and they serve my purposes really well.

[sewmarm]

I've heard the same types of comments, and can't imagine buying anything but a Singer.

I have a lot of family obligations the next couple of weeks. Someone asked for a gathering tutorial, and the blind hemming is really helpful. I HATE hand hemming, and now I finish my garments since I can hem by machine. I hope to find time soon.

[Celticswynd]

Call me the odd one out. Willcox and Gibbs fan myself. They don't make them anymore, but the Willcox and Gibbs is just an all around beutiful sewing machine. Pain in the butt to find needles though.

[flipthecoin888]

Wow, you have a gem right there! :D

[Celticswynd]

Yeah, but my Willcox and Gibbs suffers from bad Ebay packing. I was able to get it to work, but the needlearm got bent in shipment due to someone just using newspaper as packing. (the nightmares!) I'm looking for a new Willcox. I think that modern sewing machine makers should make their sewing machines not only functunal but beutiful to look at. (this could be done by applying more art to the plastic casing)

[flipthecoin888]

your tutorials are helping me out a lot! thanks!

[sewmarm]

You're welcome! I'm glad.

[sewmarm]

Gotta find time to sew, then I'll just video everything!

[neha301977]

I learned how to use my machine for sewing buttons, earlier i was sewing them by hand. Now i can try machine. Thanks. keep posting plz.

[sewmarm]

You're welcome! I have to admit that making the videos has made me read my sewing machine manual and really improved my use of accessories and techniques!

[poshspice19]

Thank you for these videos! I'm just getting into sewing & I really need videos about it.