SINGER 1288 - Manual (Page 67)

6. Buttonholes
and Buttons
Buttonholes can be made easily with the manual four-
step method. Before sewing on your garment, always
make a test buttonhole duplicating the number of
thicknesses of fabric and interfacing if appropriate.
Garment Preparation
Buttonhole Position
Accurate guidelines are essential to keep buttonholes
at a uniform distance from the edge of the garment,
evenly spaced, and on the grain of the fabric.
1. Mark the centre line on the garment. This guideline
can be made by machine or hand basting or using
tailor’s chalk.
Be sure that the space from the centre line to the
finished edge of the garment is at least equal to
three-quarters the diameter of the button. With this
spacing, the button will not extend beyond the edge
when the garment is buttoned.
Make sure that the centre line marking follows a
lengthwise fabric thread.
A. Centre line
B. Buttonhole
C. Finished Edge of Garment
D. Diameter of Button
2. Mark a position guideline for each buttonhole.
Horizontal buttonholes B are placed to extend 3mm
(1/8 inch) beyond the centre line A of the garment, as
shown, so that the buttons will be in the centre of the
figure when the garment is fastened.
Horizontal buttonhole guidelines should follow a
crosswise fabric thread.
• Mark the horizontal buttonhole guideline for each
buttonhole. If should be longer than the finished
length of the buttonhole.
• Mark the starting point for each buttonhole 3mm
(1/8 inch) beyond the centre line (see illustration).
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