buttonholes – Ink, Yarn & Beer

It Had to Go! (Bye-Bye Passport, Hello Presto!)

Yesterday, in a moment of pique, I packed up the Pfaff Passport 3.0 sewing machine and took it back to the dealer. Time to trade it in for something better, even if a bit heavier for taking to classes. I’ve tried to like the damned thing, but too many little frustrations mounted up. After only two months, it was time for it to get lost. I felt no love for it, only a liking for the fancy, decorative stitches. I had a problem with too-flexible plastic presser feet and a bobbin cover that was capricious, sometimes jumping out of its holder in the middle of a seam. As well, the reverse button would work sometimes – and other times it would not. Why bother? I hate to say it, I gave it a two-star review somewhere on the net . . .

Enter the Baby Lock Presto II. My dealer gave me full credit on the Passport, and I walked out with a brand new machine, marked down incredibly to be a very good deal. To me, that is great business. And, I really am liking the Presto II. It’s not full of decorative stitches, which I admit I do like and imagine using them to create some interesting things in the future, but the practical side of me finds that a machine that works, has solid feet, a good stitch, and a good reputation is more important than fancy stitches. (Oh, the Puritan speaks!) It also has damnably good buttonholes!

There are 7 buttonholes on this machine, some of which I did multiple times to check out their quality. The default ones are very good as they are, but I prefer the ones where I lowered the pressure on the presser foot from 4 to 3 and shortened the distance between the stitches, for example from 0.5 to 0.3. My trimming is not spectacular as I just cranked them out after putting some medium weight Pellon between two layers of a fine, soft natural muslin. The buttonholes are actually quite nice . . . I wonder if computerized sewing machines produce some of the best ones? I know that my Berninas do a really fine job and they are mechanical machines.

Anyway, this machine is probably 5 lbs. heavier than the Passport and does not have a case. I have a turquoise Tutto trolley (say that 3 times real fast!) to transport the Presto II. The machine also has a handy dandy handle on top to make carrying it easier. Classes will not be a problem as far as weight.

Below is a frontal view of the Presto II, a promo image from Baby Lock. There is a Presto (I) prior to this one – the II has the addition of a thread cutter.

Image result for presto ii babylock promo image

The promo picture below gives you an idea of the location of various buttons for your sewing convenience. On the right is the digital display, which is very easy to use. A few things aren’t intuitive, but you can read, right? Easy peasy afterward.

Beneath the index finger is the thread cutting button, to the left of that is the needle-up / needle-down, then a button to push to terminate a pattern when it is complete, and the reverse stitch. One thing the Presto II has that the Passport does not is a sensor which won’t let you sew if the presser foot is up. What is not shown is the fact it has an absolutely fantastic automatic needle threader! Oh, how my old eyes like that! To the right of the index finger is the speed control – slow to fast, up to 850 stitches per minute (faster than I need!).

Image result for presto ii babylock promo image

Finally, in the Baby Lock promo picture below, you see under the top of the Presto II. The top of the machine flips up. In the picture I took above, you can see the 100 stitches printed on the lid. The spool holder and bobbin winding mechanism are also under the lid, and the bobbin winder sports its own thread cutter. Under the lid and along the thread paths are clear markers on how to set up the upper thread (solid line) and how to set up the thread to wind the bobbin (broken line). The bobbin case itself has a picture showing how to place the bobbin it it.

Image result for presto ii babylock promo image

I’ve never sewn or used a Baby Lock prior to yesterday. I know their sergers are supposed to be phenomenal, so why not their sewing machines? There are a lot of thoughtful little conveniences – small touches – which make this an outstanding machine, more so considering that this is not one of their fancy embroidery machines or even top of the line sewing machine.

After having the Presto II in my possession for a little over 24 hours, I can honestly say that I have “bonded” with it – I like it a lot! – and do not regret getting rid of the Passport 3.0. It’s sad that I feel that way as there is a lot of potential in the Passport, but the poor quality of its plastic feet and the bobbin cover coupled with the reverse button’s finicky quality were not worth working with. Sewing should be a pleasant experience, not a wrestling match with faulty equipment and shoddy materials.

The Flamingo Shirt

This project took me a fairly long time to complete, much longer than my normal shirt-sewing excursions. The reason is simple – I took my time, and did things as I knew they should be done. The result is better than my usual rush job, and my sense of satisfaction is certainly there. I also finally have a new, 100% cotton blouse that is well made.

To complete this project, I did a number of things I have not done in the past. The first is I sewed bias tape to all the seams except the shoulder seams; since I had forgotten to do those, I zigzagged them. I worked on the sleeves slowly, and they turned out without too much stress. The buttonholes, though, required a lot more work.

How many of us have ruined something through inexperience, fatigue, or impatience? For me, buttonholes have always been a point of sheer frustration, and the cause of a garment in ruins. Consequently, I often have made loop buttonholes instead of ones cut into the fabric. To conquer this, I pulled out all stops – I have my old Singer buttonholer with the bight and width adjustment. I also have a clamp-on for straight stitch machines with templates. I have another clamp-on with templates for use with zigzag machines. And finally, my high-end Janome MCP 6500 has a buttonhole attachment. In the end, I decided on the latter, and practiced making buttonholes. I think I made fifty or so. But, the blouse does have buttonholes on it that I do like, but the reverse side always looks better to me . . . maybe I’ll just do them upside down next time.

Lampshades and Buttonholes

What do these have in common? Both are useful, both are usually ugly.

Given this, these past few days I have been on the quest for a good buttonhole. I’ve found that the classic eyelet buttonhole is by far the easiest, and attractive. Unfortunately it is not going to gracefully accommodate a large button if you are using fine yarn.

I have tried a number of them, and none have pleased me, though some have intrigued me. The best one, beyond the eyelet, is the “Two Lip” or “Tulip” buttonhole by TechKnitter, a genius in the ranks of the knitting world. It is a bit of work, but I think I can get it. It was featured in the Summer 2010 issue of Interweave Knits, and it is presented here by Eunny Jang.

In trying out a number of buttonholes, it becomes pretty obvious what their major failing is: to complete the buttonhole, you turn your work, creating one extra row of new stitches, over which you then work another row. The result is lumps and holes, and uneven stitches. Very, very ugly.

This does not occur with the eyelet, nor the Tulips buttonhole. The eyelet is straightforward – k2tog, yo – and continue on your merry way. The Tulips buttonhole requires some wraps, unwraps, fiddling with a crochet hook and a double-pointed needle, but it works. The upper part of the buttonhole is continued in the same direction as you are originally knitting, adding the stitches by doing a yarn over and making a loop with the crochet hook. Kind of messy to do initially, but it will get graceful later on.

In sewing, I hated buttonholes so much I would make loops for everything. I have only made eyelets for sweaters because everything else was so dreadful. As I am designing a sweater for Josh, an eyelet buttonhole will not accommodate a button an inch in diameter. Necessity forced me into the search – I’ve ripped the sweater out twice now! – and I hope that I will get it down. Meanwhile, I plan to practice, practice, practice!