Originally Posted by luv2learn
Don't most of these older machines sew only straight stitch?
Just curious why so many of them have a buttonhole attachment with them? Or does the buttonhole attachement somehow do the zigzag needed for buttonholes? It just occured to me that a lot of machines that I have seen or called about, the owner will specifically point out that they have a buttonhole attachment with them? ? ?
Right, most of the old machines that you see on this thread only do straight forward, or straight and a backtack, or straight with a true reverse (also straight stitching, just in reverse). Yet the machines could do a lot more, if you purchased the proper attachments and/or feet. I've been amazed and the flexibility of these straight stitch machines. They'll never 'equal' a 500 stitch option, new, computerized machine in that department, but who ever uses all 500 something specialty stitches anyways? You can do about 90% of what stitches you'd use most on these straight stitch machines with the attachments and/or feet. Clever...
A lot of the old buttonhole attachments use cams, which somehow alter the stitch pattern to create buttonholes. You can also find "zig zagger" attachment to fit the low shank straight stitch machines. Some folks either love em or hate them. In any case, you still have to attach a big gommy thing to the pressure foot bar, and set it up... on order to work it. Not a 'one touch, automatic' option like we have today. Still, there are those who say that the button holes made on the old buttonholers are actually 'better' quality than those made on new machines today. I don't know... haven't yet tested out an old buttonholer or zig zagger.
If you Google around, you can find blogs and write ups of Singers various attachments and how they work. You can find them on Ebay too..