[NFB-Krafters-Korner] Sewing on buttons and sewing machine questions.

Fri May 8 15:34:14 UTC 2020

Ari, Amy's instructions about sewing on a two-whole button are spot on.

It sounds to me as though you received a self threading needle in your kit. That means that the end closest to the eye is slightly split. You can put the sharpest end, the point, of the needle into a pin cushion and pull the thread across the very end of the needle, and it will pop into the eye. You can also use a needle threader on any needle. The wire loop threader is the cheapest and most widely available. If you decide to go that route, let an experienced sewer know if you need help.

Seams on machines: Remember that the needle goes down into the machine to make a stitch through the presser boot. You can use the presser foot as a guide. It is essential that your fingers do not get on top of the presser foot, just in front of it. Many machines also have a seam guide with them or available for them. The seam guide is made of plastic or metal and is screwed into the sewing table of your machine. These can be set for #enst? or one half inch seams and other widths. You can baist the seams, but pinning works. I like to place the pins with the heads to the right-hand edge of the fabric so they are easy to remove as you sew. Most modern machines are supposed to sew over vertical pins, but then you have to go find them after you finish the seam. It seems easier to ramove them as they approach the presser foot.

Good luck. Let us know how you are doing. 
Ramona

On May 8, 2020 8:02 AM, Amy Stannard via NFB-Krafters-Korner <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
> Hi 
>
> For sewing. On buttons i usually get a pair of eyes to thread the needle for me and then if you lay the tow hole button on top of the fabric that it needs to be sew to . Bring you needle thrugh the bakc of the fabric. If yo cna put a knot in the end of the piece of thread before bringing it thrugh the fabric that does help to hold it in palce. Just pull the thread all the way through then once you have done that poke the needle through one of the holes, does not matter which one pull it through and then put the needle back down through the hole and bakc thorugh the fabric that you need to put under neath as you do this and pull the needle thorugh the hole and through the fabric. You keep pulling the needle through form the bakc and up thrugh the button and bakc down again severla times unto the button is secured tightly against the fabric. 
> In easy steps 
> 1. Thread needle and tie a knot in the end, if you have eyes aks them to do this 
> 2. Pull the needle through the fabric and through one of the holes in the button and pull thread all the way through 
> 3. Make sure you start first by pulling the needle and thread thorugh form the bakc of the button, coming up form underneath and pulling thread form one of the button holes 
> 4. Poke the needle bakc through the second hole going in the opposite direction pulling thread all the way through 
> 5 repeat coming up form the bakc through the button hole and bakc down through the second hole two or thread times until the button feels like it is securely in place 
> 6 when you have finished your last stitch you will end up with your needle with thread on the bakc side of the fabric the button in attached to. If you have eyes ask the to tie is off for you for this is was way. If not then you  can instead pull the needle with thread bakc and forth thrugh the piece of fabric under the edge of the button by piercing the fabric just edge of the button you have sewn so that the thread is univ. invissable out the outside of the garment. Pull the through from the bakc through to the front of the fabric and bakc thorugh to the bakc again, doing this severla times and ending up with the needle at the bakc of the fabric once done. Then just a i of the thread and this should hold it all in place. 
> Hope that is of help t those who need it 
> Amy 
>
> Sent from my iPhone 
>
> > On 8 May 2020, at 12:55 pm, Ari via NFB-Krafters-Korner <nfb-krafters-korner at nfbnet.org> wrote: 
> > 
> > Hello, everyone, 
> > 
> > 
> > I've been tryingt to find tutorials for sewing on two-hole buttons. I purchased the starter kit from WayAround some time ago, which includes some two-hole buttons. I also had a button on a pajama top come off last night. So, I'd like to be able to learn how to fix my pajama top, and also be able to add WayTags to my clothes. I could use the oval-hole buttons that you use a safety pin for attaching them to your clothing, but I'd like a more permenant solution. Not that the pins aren't permenant, exactly, but I have had one time where the pin came out of a work shirt of mine (which had one of those aluminum Braille tag attached) and both the pin and tag came off. Luckily, I was able to find both, but this is why I'd like to attach tags by sewing them on. Besides, knowing how to sew on a button is just something good to learn. 
> > 
> > Anyhow, I've read some tutorials on-line, and I'm still confused. I'm planning on buying the sewing kit from WayAround, which comes with thread that's invisible (I wonder how that works), 25 two-hole buttons, a needle with a hole in the eye to make threading easier, and a cork to stick the needle into. The instructions say to cut a piece of thread, bring it down through the eye, and then double it and knot the ends together. Why do this? Does it make things stronger when you sew on the button? 
> > 
> > The other questions I have are about sewing with a sewing machine. I have a Brother XM2701. We purchased it before I really considered what features might or might not be useful for a blind sewer. It's not computerized, and has a dial on it, but the knotches that it clicks into are pretty small. I'm hoping each knotch on the dial corresponds to a setting, or I'm going to be in trouble. Anyhow, I've heard of screw-in seam guides, and I've been trying to figure out if this machine can use one, but either it can't, or I'm having a really hard time searching Google. So, does anyone who has this machine know if there is a screw-in seam guide? If not, could a magnetic guide work, if one is available for the machine? How do you like the magnetic guides? I'm worrying about the possibility of a magnetic one sliding, which is why I thought a screw-in type might be better. 
> > 
> > Also, I'm trying to figure out if this machine has a needle guide, since I think that would be safer for someone who's totally blind. I mean, I can't see to guide the fabric, so I'm going to have to really touch it, not just hold it, which means getting rather chummy with that needle, which is wicked sharp. If their isn't a needle guide, could one be added? Could I just use a thimble? 
> > 
> > Okay, so now for my last set of questions. This is about seams again. I know that you pin fabric together to keep it together while you sew. Do you pin along the entire length of the seam, leaving, say,  an inch or two between pins? I know the point of the pins is to keep the fabric together while sewing--but I'm worried about keeping the seam straight. Do I have the right idea with the pinning? Also, how do you know where to put the pins to make a specific seam, like, say, a 5/8-inch seam? How do you know that as a blind sewer? 
> > 
> > Sorry for the interminable questions, but I'd like to get started sewing. It seems like such an exciting craft to get into. Besides, we've had our machine for months, and I haven't done a thing with it. This is primarily because the Brother video that shows you how to set things up is shot in 2D, and my husband is having a hard time figuring out how to use the needle threader. We're going to see my mother in-law tomorrow for Mother's Day, complete with carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, which I have to bake today, and we're taking the sewing machine with us. She has some experience with sewing machines, to see if she can help us with that. 
> > 
> > 
> > Thanks, 
> > Ari 
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