My wife received a birthday gift of a used Kenmore 158-481 sewing machine when she was about 17 years old. She has now used it for the last 48 years. Other than the occasional visit to the shop for lubrication, adjustments, belt, etc. it has worked great all these years.

She remembers that with the machine there was a tool (my word) which would resemble one of the stitch cams with a metal handle for making button holes. She would open the little door in the top of the machine...insert the tool...sew (and I am not sure of the order) down one side of the place where she wanted a button hole, move the metal handle and thus the came one notch (thereby rotating the cam), sew across the bottom, move the metal handle, up the other side of the button hole, move the handle and finish across the top of the button hole (again, I don't know the order, but you get the idea.) All that remained then was cutting carefully inside the button hole (the sewn sides) and viola.....a button hole. She remembers the cam as being attached to the small metal handle.

The cam with the handle turned up among the missing a few years ago.

Recently she decided to make some things for a grand daughter and lamented that the button hole "tool" had turned up among the missing.

I have looked high and low online....been into a local sewing machine repair shop that has been around for a long, long time...and haven't found one, anything like it, or anyone that even knows what I am describing.

Any help...the name...a picture...would be appreciated.

Do you have a manual? I couldn't find a free one, but there might be one available on the Vintage Kenmore Sewing machines Facebook page (I don't do Facebook). Kenmore sewing machines has had many different ways of making buttonholes. I believe the machine is a high shank and sometimes you can find a Greist buttonhole attachment for (I prefer the attachment) high shank machines.

We like pictures. In order to post pictures on Quilting Board, you will probably need to reduce or compress the picture to a file size that is smaller than 2MB. How to post images can be found at https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...020-01-17-.pdf and on an ipad at Posting Pictures From an iPad

Don't forget to scroll over to the far right to find and click on the "Upload" button. As shown at Standard Sewing Machine Co. Paragon

I have found that only the big red "Reply" button or "Quote" work to give me the paper clip icon to work for adding pictures.
https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...p-location.jpg

Some additional info regarding reducing images at post #4 and images for the scroll and upload button can be found at #5 of quilt block ID?

Another way to post pictures can be found at 2021/2022, 2.5” Birthday Swap
And how to use an ipad to post pictures can be found at Uploading photos and Posting Pictures From an iPad

Or simply - Make sure pictures are smaller than 2MB
Click on red "Reply" button
Click on the paper clip icon
Click browse - choose picture/s. (only 5 allowed per post)
Once they show up as being loaded, Scroll over to the right side and click on "Upload"
After the pictures show up as being attached, you can close that window and go back to the screen to finish posting your post. This sometimes takes a while and is indicated in this image by the red arrow. https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...8-uploaded.jpg

Some additional notes -
The photos generally need to be reduced to less than 2MB in size. I have heard of people sending an email to themselves as it will ask if you want to reduce the size.

I have an android phone and when I tried to reply on Quilting Board while in mobile view None of the options for adding pictures was available. However, there is an option down at the bottom left of the page that is for Full Site when I tapped on "Full Site" It then looked like the way it looks on my lap top. So it would have the Red Reply and the Go Advanced options.

Do Not Preview post.

Hi Janey,
I have always wanted to ask...
Why not Preview post?
Thanks,

I'm not sure. For some reason it just does not actually post the images. I go ahead and post and then I have 20 minutes to edit (or delete), if I need to.

Another question that does not have an answer is why when it says file size limit is 5MB for attachments, but will not post unless they are less than 2MB.

I have a Kenmore Model 158-161, according to the manual, you use a "buttonhole cover plate" with Cam #1, which is the basic zig-zag stitch on this machine. This one is square, oblong, with 3 holes. I would try to check on Ebay or online vintage dealers, to see if you can find one compatible with your model number.

Thank you!

You might also check out
"Vintage Sewing Machine Garage" on You Tube
I used this a long time ago to try to get information on Kenmore machines

According to https://tumorfarmer.blogspot.com/202...chine-cam.html the cams that came with the 158.481 are shown at https://blogger.googleusercontent.co...g+machines.JPG I don't see any that have metal on them.

I am unable to find out for sure if your wife's machine would be a high or low shank machine. I'm guessing the manual has gone missing as well as the "tool." Looking at the above blogspot, there is an advertisement and is possibly for your wife's machine. It mentions a built-in buttonholer. If you could post a picture or more (can only attach 5 per post directions given above) it would help tremendously.

As mentioned before, I prefer the attachment. I have a few machines with built-in buttonholers. My main machine for many years had a dial to turn to make buttonholes. I ended up getting a couple of buttonhole attachments to make buttonholes, as I didn't like the built-in kind. There were lots of buttonhole attachments over the years to fit many different machines. If one does get the buttonhole attachment, you need to make sure it will fit the machine. Even though many look the same they are not all the same. Again a picture of the machine's needle area would help determine which buttonhole attachment would work.