Hand sewing is for the birds. Really, unless you want an excuse to sit in front of the telly then there’s usually a way it can be done on your machine. Take button sewing for example. All you need to do, is line the button up, adjust your zigzag setting until it matches the holes (you can do this at first with a few manual turns) and then letting the foot hold the button and zig. zag. a few times. Button sewn on. Trim thread ends and tie in a knot. If you must have a shank, leave the threads long and use a needle to pull the thread to the top and wrap.