Brother Super Ace 3 Manual

							49
3
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c
Use a chalk to mark on the fabric about 5 mm 
(3/16 inch) from the edge of the fabric, and 
then baste it.
dFold back the fabric inside along the basting.
eUnfold the edge of fabric, and position the 
fabric with the wrong side facing up.
fAttach blind hem foot “R”.
gSelect a stitch.
hRemove the flat bed attachment and make 
free-arm sewing possible.
 For details on free-arm sewing, refer to 
“Stitching cylindrical pieces” (page 44).
iSlide the part that you wish to sew onto the 
arm, make sure that the fabric feeds correctly, 
and then start sewing.
aArm
j
Position the fabric with the edge of the folded 
hem against the guide of the presser foot, and 
then lower the presser foot lever.
aWrong side of fabric
bFold of hem
cGuide
k
Adjust the stitch width until the needle 
slightly catches the fold of the hem.
aNeedle drop point
When you change the needle drop point, raise 
the needle, and then change the stitch width.
Stitch width
aThick fabric
bNormal fabric aWrong side of fabric
bRight side of fabric
cEdge of fabric
dDesired edge of hem
e5 mm (3/16 inch)
fBasting



aWrong side of fabric
bRight side of fabric
cEdge of fabric
dDesired edge of hem
e5 mm (3/16 inch)
fBasting
gBasting point



aWrong side of fabric
bRight side of fabric
cEdge of fabric
dDesired edge of hem
eBasting point
fBasting



12 1
2 356
4
12
1 3
6 5
1 12
7
4
5
11
11
12 63
4
R
R
1 
						

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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
■If the needle catches too much of the hem fold
If the needle catches too much of the hem fold, 
adjust the stitch width so that the needle slightly 
catches the fold by pressing the “+” side of the 
stitch width adjustment key.

■If the needle does not catch the hem fold
If the needle does not catch the hem fold, adjust 
the stitch width so that the needle slightly catches 
the fold by pressing the “-” side of the stitch width 
adjustment key.


 For details on changing the stitch width, 
refer to “Selecting a stitch” (page 37).
lSew with the fold of the hem against the 
presser foot guide.
mRemove the basting stitching and turn the 
fabric right side up.
aWrong side of fabricbRight side of fabric
12
aWrong side of fabricbRight side of fabric
aWrong side of fabricbRight side of fabric
12 
						

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3
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BUTTONHOLE SEWING
Buttonholes can be sewn and buttons can be sewn on.
*Auto Rfc.: Automatic Reinforcement
The maximum buttonhole length is about 28 mm (1-1/8 inches) (diameter + thickness of the button).
Buttonholes are sewn from the front of the presser foot to the back, as shown below.
Stitch NamePatternPresser Foot
Pattern 
No.Application
Stitch Width
[mm (inch.)]Stitch Length 
[mm (inch.)]
Twin NeedleWalking FootReverse 
(Rev.
)/
Reinforcement (Rfc.) 
StitchingAuto
Manual
Auto
Manual
Buttonhole stitchA34Horizontal buttonholes on thin and 
medium weight fabrics5.0 (3/16)
3.0-5.0
(1/8-3/16)0.5 (1/32)
0.2-1.0
(1/64-1/16)No No*
Auto 
Rfc.
A35Secured buttoholes for fabrics that 
have backings5.0 (3/16)
3.0–5.0
(1/8-3/16)0.5 (1/32)
0.2–1.0
(1/64-1/16)No No*
Auto 
Rfc.
A36Buttonholes for stretch or knit fab-
rics6.0 (15/64)
3.0–6.0
(1/8-15/64)1.0 (1/16)
0.5–2.0
(1/32-1/16)No No*
Auto 
Rfc.
A 37 Buttonholes for stretch fabrics6.0 (15/64)
3.0–6.0
(1/8-15/64)1.5 (1/16)
1.0–3.0
(1/16-1/8)No No*
Auto 
Rfc.
A 38 Bound buttonholes5.0 (3/16)
0.0–6.0
(0–15/64)2.0 (1/16)
0.2–4.0
(1/64-3/16)No No*
Auto 
Rfc.
A39Keyhole buttonholes for thick or 
furry fabrics7.0 (1/4)
3.0–7.0
(1/8-1/4)0.5 (1/32)
0.3–1.0
(1/64-1/16)No No*
Auto 
Rfc.
A40Keyhole buttonholes for medium 
weight and thick fabrics7.0 (1/4)
3.0–7.0
(1/8-1/4)0.5 (1/32)
0.3–1.0
(1/64-1/16)No No*
Auto 
Rfc.
A41Keyhole buttonholes for thick or 
furry fabrics7.0 (1/4)
3.0–7.0
(1/8-1/4)0.5 (1/32)
0.3–1.0
(1/64-1/16)No No*
Auto 
Rfc.
Zigzag stitch
(for quilting)J46Appliqué quilting, freemotion quilt-
ing, satin stitching, button sewing3.5 (1/8)
0.0–7.0
(0–1/4)1.4 (1/16)
0.0-4.0
(0-3/16)No Yes
Rfc.
●Be sure to turn off the main power before replacing the presser foot. Otherwise, injuries may occur if 
the foot controller or   (start/stop button) is accidentally pressed and the machine starts sewing.
CAUTION
1
1
11
aReinforcement stitching 
						

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UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
The names of parts of buttonhole foot “A”, which is 
used for sewing buttonholes, are indicated below.
aButton guide plate 
bPresser foot scale
cPin
dMarks on buttonhole foot
e5 mm (3/16 inch)
a
Use chalk to mark the position and length of 
the buttonhole on the fabric.
aMarks on fabric
bButtonhole sewing
b
Pull out the button guide plate of buttonhole 
foot “A”, and then insert the button that will 
be put through the buttonhole.
XThe size of the buttonhole is set.
■If the button does not fit in the button guide 
plate
Add together the diameter and thickness of 
the button, and then set the button guide 
plate to the calculated length. (The distance 
between the markings on the presser foot 
scale is 5 mm (3/16 inch).)
aPresser foot scale
bLength of buttonhole
(Diameter + thickness of button)
c5 mm (3/16 inch)
Example: For a button with a diameter of 15 mm 
(9/16 inch) and a thickness of 10 mm (3/8 inch), 
the button guide plate should be set to 25 mm 
(1 inch) on the scale.
a10 mm (3/8 inch)
b15 mm (9/16 inch)
c
Attach buttonhole foot “A”.
dSelect a stitch.
ePass the upper thread down through the hole 
in the presser foot.
A
1
2
5
3
4
12
A
1
3 2
1
2 
						

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f
Position the fabric with the front end of the 
buttonhole mark aligned with the red marks 
on the sides of the buttonhole foot, and then 
lower the presser foot lever.
aMark on fabric
bRed marks on buttonhole foot
 When lowering the presser foot, do not push 
in the front of the presser foot, otherwise the 
buttonhole will not be sewn with the correct 
size.
aDo not reduce the gap.
g
Pull down the buttonhole lever as far as 
possible.
aButtonhole lever
The buttonhole lever is positioned behind the 
bracket on the buttonhole foot.
aButtonhole lever
bBracketh
Gently hold the end of the upper thread in 
your left hand, and then start sewing.
Note
●If thick seams are being sewn and the fabric 
does not feed, sew with the coarser (longer) 
stitch.
XOnce sewing is completed, the 
machine automatically sews 
reinforcement stitches, then stops.
iRaise the needle and the presser foot lever, 
remove the fabric, and cut the thread.
jRaise the buttonhole lever to its original 
position. 
A
1
2
2 
						

							54
UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
kInsert a pin at the end of the buttonhole 
stitching to prevent the stitching from being 
cut, and then use a seam ripper to cut towards 
the pin and open the buttonhole.
aSeam ripper
bPin
For keyhole buttonholes, use a commercial 
eyelet punch to make a hole in the rounded 
end of the buttonhole, and then use the seam 
ripper to cut open the buttonhole.
aEyelet punch
 When using the eyelet punch, place thick 
paper or some other protective sheet under 
the fabric before punching the hole in the 
fabric.
Memo
●Before sewing buttonholes, check the stitch 
length and width by sewing a trial 
buttonhole on a scrap piece of fabric.
■Sewing buttonholes on stretch fabrics
When sewing buttonholes on stretch fabrics, use a 
gimp thread.
aHook the gimp thread onto the part of 
buttonhole foot “A” shown in the illustration 
so that it fits into the grooves, and then 
loosely tie it.
bAttach buttonhole foot “A”.
cSelect a stitch   or  .
dAdjust the stitch width to the thickness of the 
gimp thread.
eLower the presser foot lever and the 
buttonhole lever, and then start sewing.
fWhen sewing is finished, gently pull the gimp 
thread to remove any slack.
gUse a handsewing needle to pull the gimp 
thread to the wrong side of the fabric, and 
then tie it.
hWith a seam ripper, cut the middle part of the 
gimp thread remaining at the top end of the 
buttonhole.
Trim off any excess of the gimp thread. ●When opening the buttonhole with the seam 
ripper, do not place your hands in the cutting 
path, otherwise injuries may result if the seam 
ripper slips. Do not use the seam ripper in any 
other way than how it is intended.
1
2
1
CAUTION 
						

							55
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Button sewing
Buttons can be sewn on with the sewing machine. 
Buttons with 2 or with 4 holes can be attached.
aMeasure the distance between the holes in the 
button to be attached.
bRaise the presser foot lever, and then slide the 
feed dog position lever, located at the rear of 
the machine on the base, to   (to the right 
as seen from the front of the machine).
aFeed dog position lever
(as seen from the rear of the machine)
XThe feed dogs are lowered.
cAttach presser foot “M”.
aButton fitting foot “M”d
Place a button between the presser foot and 
the fabric.
 When attaching four-hole buttons, first sew 
the two holes closest to you. Then, slide the 
button so that the needle goes into the two 
holes toward the rear of the sewing machine, 
and then sew them in the same way.
eSelect a stitch  . (With models not provided 
with stitch  , select stitch  .)
fAdjust the stitch width so that it is the same as 
the distance between the holes in the button.
gSet the stitch length to the shortest setting by 
pressing the stitch length adjustment key.
1 
						

							56
UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
hTurn the handwheel toward you 
(counterclockwise) to check that the needle 
correctly goes into the two holes of the 
button.
Adjust the stitch width to the distance between 
the button holes.
iStart sewing.
 After sewing for about 10 seconds at low 
speed, press  (reverse/reinforcement stitch 
button) to sew reinforcement stitches.
jPull the upper thread at the end of the 
stitching to the wrong side of the fabric, and 
then tie it with the bobbin thread.
Use scissors to cut the upper thread and the 
bobbin thread at the beginning of the stitching.
kWhen you are finished attaching the button, 
slide the feed dog position lever to   (to 
the left as seen from the front of the machine) 
and turn the handwheel to raise the dogs.
 Normally, the feed dog position lever is 
positioned at  . ●When sewing, be sure that the needle does 
not touch the button, otherwise the needle 
may bend or break.
CAUTION 
						

							57
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ZIPPER INSERTION
You can use the zipper foot to sew different types of zippers, and can easily position it to the right or left side of 
the needle. 
*Do not use reverse stitching. **Select a stitch width of 5.0 mm (3/16 inch) or less.
aAttach zigzag foot “J”.
bPlace the two pieces of fabric with their right 
sides facing each other.
cSew basic stitches to the end of the zipper 
opening, and then sew reverse stitches at the 
end of the stitching.
 Use basting stitching to sew the zipper 
opening (where the zipper will be inserted).
aBasting stitching
bReverse stitches
cWrong side of fabric
dEnd of zipper opening
 Refer to “Basic stitching” on page 47.
dOpen the seam allowance, press it from the 
wrong side of the fabric with an iron, align the 
center of the zipper with the stitching, and 
then baste the zipper in place.
aWrong side of fabric
bWrong side of fabric
cBasting stitching
dZipper
Stitch NamePatternPresser Foot
Pattern 
No.Application
Stitch Width
[mm (inch.)]Stitch Length 
[mm (inch.)]
Twin NeedleWalking FootReverse 
(Rev.
)/
Reinforcement (Rfc.
) 
StitchingAuto
Manual
Auto
Manual
Straight stitch
(center)I01Attaching zippers, basic stitching, 
and sewing gathers or pintucks, etc.3.5 (1/8)
0.0–7.0
(0–1/4)2.5 (3/32)
0.2–5.0
(1/64–3/16)**
Yes
( J )*
YesRev.
●Be sure to turn off the main power before replacing the presser foot. Otherwise, injuries may occur if 
the foot controller or   (start/stop button) is accidentally pressed and the machine starts sewing.
CAUTION 
						

							58
UTILITY STITCHES —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
eAttach the presser foot holder to the right side 
of the pin on zipper foot “I”.
aPin on the right side
bNeedle drop point
f
Select stitch  .
gWith the right side of the fabric facing up, 
continue sewing with the zipper on the right 
side of the presser foot.
aStitching
bRight side of fabric
cBasting stitching
dEnd of zipper opening
Sew the stitching in order, from a to c.
Memo
●If the presser foot contacts the zipper slider, 
leave the needle lowered (in the fabric) and 
raise the presser foot. After moving the 
slider so it will not contact the presser foot, 
lower the presser foot and continue sewing.
●To sew with the zipper on the left side of the 
presser foot, attach the presser foot holder 
to the left side of the pin on zipper foot “I” 
in step 
e.
aLeft side of the pin
bNeedle drop point
hWhen you have finished sewing, remove the 
basting stitching. ●Turn the handwheel by hand to make sure the 
needle does not hit the presser foot before 
you start sewing. If you choose a different 
stitch, the needle will hit the presser foot and 
break the needle. You may also be injured.
●Make sure the needle does not hit the zipper 
during sewing. If the needle hits the zipper, 
the needle may break and you may be injured.
I
CAUTION
CAUTION
I