E7
Brother Sewing Machine
Severity:What Does This Error Mean?
E7 means the buttonhole sensor isn't reading the buttonhole foot correctly.
Either the foot isn't fully clipped on, the buttonhole lever isn't lowered, or you've selected a buttonhole stitch without fitting the buttonhole foot.
Stop, fit the right foot, lower the lever, and restart.
E7 clears immediately.
Affected Models
- Brother CS6000i
- Brother SE600
- Brother XR3774
- Brother SE1900
- Brother PE800
Common Causes
- Buttonhole foot not fully clipped onto the shank
- Buttonhole lever (small black lever above the needle) not pulled down
- Standard foot fitted but buttonhole stitch selected
- Damaged buttonhole foot — sensor pin bent or worn
- Sensor on the machine itself failed (rare)
How to Fix It
-
Confirm the buttonhole foot is fitted.
It's a clear plastic foot with a slot on the back where the button sits.
It's not the standard zigzag foot — they look different.
Lift the lever behind the needle, snap the buttonhole foot into place, and lower the lever onto the foot. -
Pull down the buttonhole lever.
There's a small black lever to the left of the needle, above the foot.
Pull it down all the way — it sits in front of the metal arm on the buttonhole foot.
Without this, the machine doesn't know the foot is in position and throws E7. -
Check the button is properly fitted.
The button you're sizing the buttonhole for goes in the back slot of the foot.
Slide it in firmly so the slot grips it.
The slot length is what tells the machine how big to sew the buttonhole. -
Press start and watch the first few stitches.
The machine should sew the buttonhole automatically through its full sequence.
If it sews the bar, the side, the second bar, and stops — you've cleared E7.
If E7 returns, the foot or the lever sensor is faulty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does E7 happen even with the buttonhole foot fitted?
The buttonhole lever — that small black arm above the needle — has to be pulled all the way down for the machine to register the foot.
Most repeat E7 events come down to that lever not being fully down.
It's spring-loaded and easy to forget.
Can I sew buttonholes without the buttonhole foot?
You can sew zigzag stitches manually that look like a buttonhole, but the automatic buttonhole feature requires the foot.
If your buttonhole foot is damaged or lost, replacements are $10–$30 from Brother or compatible suppliers.
Match the foot model to your specific Brother machine — they're not all interchangeable.