How to Use a Buttonhole Foot

Button closures can be added to everything from garments to accessories and even fun home decor projects. Using a buttonhole foot on your machine can be a quick and easy way to accurately stitch buttonholes that will be the correct size for any button. Nicki LaFoille shows step-by-step how to attach, set up, and use a buttonhole foot.

Buttonhole Foot

Nicki begins by showing what the buttonhole foot looks like off of the machine and explaining the basic parts. There are notches on the side of the foot that work with your machine to know how long to stitch the buttonhole and an area in the back that allows you to insert a button. Nicki shows how to insert a button into this area on the foot and adjust it to fit snugly around the button and hold it in place. Because the buttonhole foot is able to adjust larger or smaller it can accommodate nearly any size of button.

Nicki also shares several tips for selecting buttons and buttonholes.

Once the button has been inserted into the foot, Nicki shows how to attach the foot to the machine. While the foot itself attaches much like any other foot on the machine, the important aspect of making a buttonhole foot work is pulling down the small bar on the machine that fits between the notches of the foot. Once this is in place, Nicki shows how to select the desired buttonhole stitch on the machine.

With the machine and foot set up and ready to go, Nicki shows how to mark the area on the project for the buttonhole to ensure that it is in the correct position and then shows how to stitch it. Once the buttonhole has been stitched, Nicki explains several different ways that it can be cut open in order to be used.

While using a buttonhole foot to accurately stitch buttonholes makes it quick and easy, it isn’t required. Buttonholes can be stitched using a regular presser foot and zig-zag stitches, or different buttonholes entirely can be made, like bound buttonholes.