J Miller

I wouldn't have described them as "funny", but that's OK I guess. I just added a chrome plated Greist one to the collection. Got to clean and polish it's outside, then oil it's innards before I test run it.

Joe

Alkeld Williams

It's good but i think funny also to collect so many button hollers if they are not in use. Anyways happy to see your antique collection.

J Miller

Same with a collection of cars or fountain pens or guns or sewing machines, or anything really. You can't use them all at once. They are a collection of different examples of the object.
They'll get used, each and every one of them. Eventually

Joe

Alkeld Williams

I think you can well maintain all these button hollers at same time and they are useful to you.

thepolyparrot

If I've only got one or two buttonholes to make, I just use the automatic one on my newish Brother.

But the buttonholer attachments make gorgeous, hand-made looking buttonholes, so I have to do a whole shirt, then I'll go to the little bit of extra trouble of setting it up, testing it and marking the fabric, etc.

I usually go around each buttonhole twice - I think that's what gives them the look of hand-stitched with buttonhole twist.

LynnVT

I have posted this before, but humor me. My father worked for Greist many years ago, so I grew up with them. He was a tool maker and would bring home rejects from the dump pile and fix them up. My mother had many, many cams. Greist made the ones for Singer and for Kenmore, just used a different plastic outer part and case. Dad introduced me to a young guy he worked with there, and we've been married 45+ years, so it's dear to my heart. My Janome 9000 has an attachment where you put your button in the back and it makes a buttonhole to fit. I like that. But I still have that oval green box you have under the pile. Have given away or trashed a few extras, and lots of duplicate cams . Didn't realize they were collectors' items. A neighbor had another of that green set on the "free" pile on her porch after a yard sale. I almost took it, but didn't bother. If I see any more free ones, I'll keep you in mind!

J Miller

Lynn,

What happened to Greist? They made some of the very best sewing attachments and accessories.

Thanks for thinking of me. Keep your eyes posted for a set of the high shank feet attachments. Or slant shank if they made those. I have machines for both but so far I've only found low shank and top clamp feet.

Joe

tenngal

I agree with you, Joe. I do Goodwill online and have gotten several different attachments (and boxes of them, too). Don't want to get involved with Ebay and Paypal.

ArchaicArcane

Holy Crap! I have one sitting here I don't see pictured or mentioned. I will take pics of it in the next day or so. It's called the "Universal Sewing Machine Attachment That Makes Buttonholes" by London Specialties Co in Chicago Ill. Circa 1946

Personally, I think they could have shortened the name a bit.

They say it "sews on buttons, darns - mends, attach zippers, quilts, overcast seams" and fits any sewing machine.

It's the weirdest attachment I've seen yet for a sewing machine.

Contents of the box are:
2 elastic bands
2 pieces of twisted metal
2 sheets of instructions
a "small hoop"

I have a special place in my heart for these things too. Don't know why, but I seem to want to collect them too. I've got about a dozen of the things. Some are duplicates that may one day hit fleabay or bonanza.

Candace

I have that. I really wouldn't consider it a buttonholer, but a darning spring.