7 commonly-asked questions about the vintage Singer buttonholer

Since posting these little video clips (clip 1, clip 2) about my vintage Singer buttonholer, I have gotten so many questions from people interested in getting one. Today, I am answering 7 commonly-asked questions about the vintage Singer buttonholer and sharing some things to know about this vintage sewing machine attachment.

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7 commonly-asked questions about the vintage Singer buttonholer

1. What is it? 

This is the vintage Singer buttonholer model 489510, also known as the Jetson model because of iconic oval case.

2. What machine does it work with?

This buttonholer is designed for vintage Singer sewing machines with a slant shank. I use it with my vintage Singer Touch and Sew 626, which is a slant shank machine with zig-zag capabilities.

There is another green version of this case and that buttonholer is for vertical/low shank machines. The green version is model 489500. 

Both of these buttonholers work for both straight and zig-zag machines. The attachment does not require zig-zag function to work. This is because it creates buttonhole stitches by moving the shank of the sewing machine. 

3. Where can I buy one?

You can find these everywhere online! I bought mine from eBay, but you can also find them on Facebook Marketplace and Etsy. If you’re lucky, you might even find them on Craigslist or in specific vintage sewing buy-and-sell groups. 

Some search terms to use are:

• “buttonholer” OR “buttonhole attachment”

• Singer

• vintage

And if you want this specific model, add these search terms:

• pink 

• Atomic case OR Jetson case

In my opinion, adding the term “pink” suffices. 

4. Will it fit my machine?

I can’t tell you if it works with your machine but I can say with much certainty it’s not for modern machines.

Like I mentioned above, this model in the pink case is designed for slank shank machines with or without zig-zag functions.

Keep reading to get more information about other Singer buttonholers at the end of this post!   

How much does it cost?

The cost for one of these really depends on a few factors like:

• The state of the case

• The completeness of the set

• The state or the buttonholer

• The knowledge of the seller

So, you’re gonna find a wide range of prices for this piece of technology. 

I got mine for 15 USD excluding shipping. It is a complete set in pristine condition and even came with the original receipt from 1965!

Mrs Kelly got it for 10.45 USD in 1965. That’s 28.08 USD in 2022 with inflation (using this inflation calculator)! 

At the point of writing, there’s one available on eBay for just 6 USD. The catch? It’s an incomplete set.

5. What does a complete set contain?

So, what does a complete set contain? A complete set of this vintage Singer buttonholer in pink Jetson oval case comes with the following:

• The iconic pink case

• 1 instruction booklet

• 1 buttonholer attachment

• 1 screw (for attaching the attachment to the sewing machine shank), also named “slotted clamping screw” in the instruction booklet

• 1 throat plate cover

• 5 templates:

Note: When looking at listing photos, you may find that only 4 templates are displayed. One of the 5 may be sitting inside the attachment. Not all sellers know where to look. 

6. Does it work well?

So far, I’ve only used it once for sewing the buttons for my maroon vest. It took a while to set up but it worked beautifully. 

Watch the vintage Singer buttonholer in action here (at 18:02):

https://youtu.be/kwYUnvD_hjA?t=1082

Many people have also told me how much they love the buttonholes these make compared to modern computerised sewing machines! 

More resources

AndyTube has a great video on the different types of vintage Singer buttonholer attachments. The information in the video helped me to decide the right buttonholer to purchase for my Singer Touch & Sew 626. There's also a couple of discussion threads on PatternReview.com like this one where people share their personal experiences and questions about this buttonholer.

I hope you find all this information helpful! Leave a comment and let me know if you have plans to buy a compatible buttonholer for your sewing machine!