I sew on a Bernina mechanical. Have sewed on many different brands/models. I've never been happy with any straight stitcher's buttonholes! No matter how careful I am, one doesn't match the others, I get a lump of thread, I cut into the body when opening etc. I've gotten my best results on my berny doing corded buttonholes, using pearl cotton for the cord. That would look nice on upholstery. When I make clothes now, I usually use Snap Source snaps (they work very well, plus they're right here in my tri-county area, & I like supporting local folks!)

If you're going to do a lot buttonholes in the future, maybe look for a used dedicated buttonholer? At the drapery workroom I worked in ages ago, we sent our grommet work and allover quilting out since the owner didn't want to invest in the equipment for occasional work.

One last thought, I've heard tell that old Singers with the buttonhole attachements work like an absolute dream, some heavy sewists keep an old singer just for buttonholes. I found this link on google, looks like the attachment ( I know nothing about the person selling it, this is just an example to look at!) Good luck with your project.

http://www.april1930s.com/html/singer_buttonholer.html

I have the Viking Rose now and it has a great buttonholer.You set it for the size and style you want and each and every buttonhole sews exactly the same as the one before and after.
Kathi

Thanks, Kathi. Would it work as well on heavier fabrics? I just finished velveteen ghost covers for dining room chairs and the button holes made with my Pfaff look awful. It could be the nap issue of the fabric.

I didn't know ghosts needed chairs! I thought they just floated anywhere they want to go.

Seriously, what on earth are ghost covers?

I love my Bernina for buttonholes but also have Viking 1+ and a Designer 1. When my dd made a moleskin jean jacket the 1+ drove us nuts but on regular fabric it works okay. We have not used the Designer for heavy material but it sews a buttonhole like the Bernina. I have some old Singers and purchased a Singer "buttonhole attachment" which did not come with machines but I have heard great reviews about at a yard sale.

EVERYONE deserves a chair! Even ghosts. A Ghost Cover is a design industry term for the loosely constructed slipcovers that slide right over a dining side chair. Pottery Barn makes them, Crate & Barrel probably too. I do custom ones with buttons on the back, lacing, you name it. These velveteen ones were for ME this time. I got a great deal on Craigslist for 4 upholstered side chairs, they were once white.

Peg,try it on a scrap first.I'm not a lover of velvet,so rarely use it.Having said that,the one problem i can see possibly happening is with the velvet,it's kind of testy to sew on.Try covering it with waxpaper b4 stitching.But try it both ways on scrap before you start.

I know when i did sew velvet i had to use the even feed foot for stitching for the best results with moving the layers along at the same time,and you don't have that option with velvet and buttonholes.HTH
Kathi

Kathi, I did try them on scraps of DOUBLED velveteen (!) first. Luckily it was dark brown and the buttons are 1.5" long wood inlay teardrop shape that hide the buttonhole stitches. That is what saved me, but a paying client would not have been happy! I make custom duvet covers and shower curtains with 10-12 buttonholes each, so I DO need each one to look the same on those. They would be lighter weight fabrics in general.

Like i said with the viking,once you program the size in ,every buttonhole will be the same size.I've also made shower curtains and duvet covers,as well as covers for futons.I'm very happy with my buttonholer.By the way it comes as a separate foot with the viking,very easy to install and choose the size you want.
Hope your project turns out well,show us pictures when you are done.Ya know we all like pictures!!! LOL,LOL
Kathi

I have a Bernina that I use in my business and think it does a fantastic job on buttonholes. I just finished a shower curtain valance that had two layers of heavy duck canvas, buckram and a single layer of lighter weight duck fabric and the buttonholes were all perfect. I used a size 16 needle and heavy thread and got great results. The Bernina has a separate button hole foot and can be programmed to make any size you need, automatically.

Nanny2A: thanks for your input! I have a "deceased" Bernina 931, which DID make good buttonholes in it's day. The new Bernina's are so expensive, I can't justify the cost right now. I have a Janome 6300 coming this weekend, after reading many good things about it. I will report back about the buttonholes. My Juki dealer sent me a link to an attachment that makes buttonholes, that seems scary at 10,000 stitches a second ;)