Here it is with its clothes back on.
It came in a plastic box (only slightly cracked),
along with all the extra bits and pieces.
I love these little half cams.
But it is still a bit of a mystery. There is no clue as to who manufactured it or where. I got in touch with Helen Howes because she has a similar buttonholer on her website - it's the one in the brown tin, which looks like an earlier version of mine. She very kindly sent me a copy of the instructions. These confirmed what I suspected - no details of the manufacturer there either, otherwise Helen would have said who made it in the description of the item. Also I was pleased to see that I had been getting everything right when I had been trying it out the night before.
Now I have to do some serious practising on some scrap material. I haven't tried it out again since cleaning and oiling it. Before I cleaned it the bight adjustment lever made no difference whatever position it was in, even though when I had the cover off I could see it was moving freely. It all remains to be seen...
Hi Muv, I have this exact same buttonholer. Mine is an ALFA.
ReplyDeleteClare
Good morning Clare!
DeleteYou get the prize for the quickest comment ever - four minutes after I put the post up!
Interesting to hear that you have the same model buttonholer. The fact that mine is anonymous suggests ALFA might have contracted out to another manufacturer. Anyway, in the long run, who cares as long as the gadget works!
Love,
Muv
Hello Muv
ReplyDeleteThe metric measurements on the cams might suggest continental origin. That would fit with ALFA wouldn't it? Does it have a feed dog cover with it? I expect you know how to drop the dogs on the 201 anyway if you need to.
Hugs
G
Hello Gavin,
DeleteNo, it didn't have a feed dog cover with it, but I've got a cover that came with my Greist buttonholer. I'm not really a fan of the covers, sooner or later they will slip so you will bust the needle. I tried out the Greist buttonholer on the old 28K - the one I passed on a few weeks ago - and I just did a bit of dentistry and took the teeth out altogether. But then I switched from making clothes to quilts so it all got neglected a bit.
I realised the 201K can drop the dogs but haven't done it yet. I've been using the 15K hand machine to test this buttonholer. The dogs don't drop so I have set the stitch length to zero. I'll let you see the results some time next week!
Love,
Muv
Half cams! That's different. Why a need for half a cam? And where would half a buttonhole be placed in a garment? Does it go close to a seam?
ReplyDeleteHello MQuilter,
DeleteThe other half is fixed inside the buttonholer.
There again, I could make a half a jacket, but I'm only halfway there in sorting out how to do good buttonholes...
Love,
Muv
Too Cute! Once you played with this gadget, you will always use it to make beautiful buttonholes. The vintage buttonholers are simple the best!
Delete