Author Topic: Buttons (Read 1418 times)

redside · « **on:** January 31, 2013, 05:09:29 PM »

Inspired by a side conversation with Whistlin Dixie, who is button manager at Sawyer Brook (green with envy), I am posting this amazing 1940s jacket trimmed with buttons:

Molyneux-1940s by reddoubletwo, on Flickr

spookietoo · « **Reply #1 on:** January 31, 2013, 07:07:56 PM »

Thank you so much for this post!

My grandmother worked her entire life in clothing factories and when I was quite young she gave me a plastic bag full of shirt buttons that she had swept up off of the floor where she worked. (It was cheaper to throw the spilled buttons away than to pay someone to sort them.) I've never known what to do with all of them- so now I know! What a great idea!

Thanks again!

vwgrant · « **Reply #2 on:** January 31, 2013, 07:27:03 PM »

Maybe you could asked to be adopted by the Pearly Kings and Queens.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/gallery/2012/sep/30/pearly-kings-queens-harvest-festival

whistlin dixie · « **Reply #3 on:** January 31, 2013, 07:37:04 PM »

Lynn, thanks for posting the photo. That's a lot of buttons!

Cocokat · « **Reply #4 on:** January 31, 2013, 09:07:29 PM »

That's beautiful Lynn, I wish I could see the whole thing. I like the idea of a button band trimming the neckline and front edges

sdBev · « **Reply #5 on:** February 01, 2013, 08:22:01 AM »

Quote from: redside on January 31, 2013, 05:09:29 PM

...
Molyneux-1940s by reddoubletwo, on Flickr

OMG I've inherited thousands of those same little white buttons. Do you think my predecessors had visions of a button trimmed, whatever?

joycep · « **Reply #6 on:** February 01, 2013, 08:30:09 AM »

Thousands more, here!

I love the idea of decorating a jacket or other neckline with buttons, but it would require some serious interfacing/stabilizing wouldn't it? Because of the weight of all those buttons. I'm sure that Molyneux had lovely lightweight ones, but mine are mostly shirt buttons - a bit heavier.

Still... it's something to try on an item that won't be laundered a whole lot.

fzxdoc · « **Reply #7 on:** February 01, 2013, 11:43:08 AM »

I have a RTW jacket that is finished similarly to the photo, and yes, that button trim is heavy. Still, it's a lovely finish. On mine, even the patch pockets and armholes are outlined with buttons, in addition to the cuffs, neckline, hem and front opening. I didn't notice that the interfacing was much heavier than in many other jackets.

Kathryn

redside · « **Reply #8 on:** February 02, 2013, 09:06:15 AM »

Kathryn, I would love to see a picture of that jacket! I was inspired by Claire Shaeffer to dig up the Molyneux picture. Here's a button beauty that she recently shared:

ButtonsShaeffer by reddoubletwo, on Flickr

fzxdoc · « **Reply #9 on:** February 02, 2013, 09:38:43 AM »

Redside, that's very similar to the jacket that I have. Mine is Victor Costa RTW and is shorter. Here are a couple of photos:

I just wore it out to dinner last night. I had forgotten how much I loved it! Thanks for the reminder.

Kathryn

shams · « **Reply #10 on:** February 02, 2013, 10:08:43 AM »

What great jackets!! They remind me of some of Gaultier's pieces where he uses buttons to create stripes. Thanks for sharing!

Karendee · « **Reply #11 on:** February 02, 2013, 12:11:46 PM »

I love these button jackets. Thanks so much for sharing them. Kathryn, I know you looked great at dinner, last night.

Karendee

fzxdoc · « **Reply #12 on:** February 02, 2013, 01:11:32 PM »

Lynn, your fascination with button-embellished garments brought to mind a dress that I made a couple of years ago, this one:

The front is a simple black dress,

and the back has 56 buttons stitched side by side down the center back seam from neck to hem:

I used Kwik Sew 3472 modified with a reverse open collar instead of the turtleneck and the addition of two front pleats:

Thanks, Karendee, for the compliment. You're always so very kind, and I deeply appreciate it.

Kathryn

blue mooney · « **Reply #13 on:** February 02, 2013, 03:58:13 PM »

Amazing how similar the two button-trimmed jackets are!

Kathryn, your surprising black dress is lovely. As eyecatching as the buttons are, I think you were inspired when you put those two pleats in the skirt of the dress. That's the real elevating touch, IMO.

LyndaC · « **Reply #14 on:** February 02, 2013, 06:41:19 PM »

I love that button-back dress!

I was given a sack full of multicolored (but similar in hue) 1/2" dry cleaners buttons with the two center holes, I have never come up with a project for them. Now I am considering a plain white top, even a Tshirt style, with elements outlined in multicolored buttons, and perhaps a design at the front center neck.

I will never do such a time consuming project!

LyndaC · « **Reply #15 on:** February 02, 2013, 06:45:25 PM »

Good job!

AnnRowley · « **Reply #16 on:** February 03, 2013, 05:02:08 AM »

I just love all these buttons!

Quote from: LyndaC on February 02, 2013, 06:41:19 PM

I love that button-back dress!
I will never do such a time consuming project!

Lynda, most modern sewing machines can be used to sew on buttons. Although this method isn't really successful for working buttons - no shank - it's fine for decorative ones. You can stick the buttons in place with a dab of Pritt Stick (paper adhesive) and then put them under the machine.

LyndaC · « **Reply #17 on:** February 03, 2013, 07:21:05 AM »

You are right, Ann. One of my skills is NOT accuracy, however. I know myself well enough that, if I tried stitching a row of buttons, used the proper stabilizers, marked clearly, taped them down...they would look snaggle toothed anyway!

fzxdoc · « **Reply #18 on:** February 03, 2013, 07:51:30 AM »

Thank you Robyn, Ann and Lynda for your compliments on my dress. I seldom wear solid black neck-to-hem, so the white buttons were a way of making a severe dress look a little different. Robyn, I added the pleats to elongate and to make the dress more elegant. I thought the skirt as shown on the pattern was too "flirty" for the look I was going for. Thank you for seeing my game plan so clearly. I like wearing the dress, although I must admit to feeling a little like Sister Mary Kathryn in it. Must be my Catholic upbringing.

The stiletto heels, jewelry and makeup I wear with it help to move it away from the nunnery look,I hope.

Ann, I thought about using my machine to sew on the 56 buttons, but nearly half of them were adjacent the teeth of an invisible zipper, so the area over the seam was not as smooth with the zipper to one side and the zipper tape underneath as sewing over a simple seam area. The machine could hold the button in place but it didn't enjoy it. Instead of wrestling over that area, I decided that sewing by hand would be more accurate.

I actually found sewing the buttons on by hand very relaxing. I remember putting a sewing video into my DVD player and submerging myself in sewing for a few hours. It was nice.

Kathryn

LyndaC · « **Reply #19 on:** February 03, 2013, 08:11:13 AM »

You must enjoy hand sewing, Kathryn. Your works shows it.

redside · « **Reply #20 on:** February 03, 2013, 08:13:48 AM »

Kathryn, I should have known that you would have already made a button masterpiece yourself. What a wonderful dress!

fzxdoc · « **Reply #21 on:** February 03, 2013, 08:28:23 AM »

Lynda, I always thought myself too impatient for hand sewing, but making my DD's couture wedding gown this past summer largely by hand cured me of that impatience. I actually enjoy it now, as long as I'm not working under a deadline, that is.

Lynn, thank you for the lovely compliment. It was hard to find a big bunch of two-hole buttons all the same size and color--harder than one might think. I didn't want shirt buttons, and that narrowed the possibilities greatly. The buttons on the dress are slightly convex with a satin finish. I found the buttons at a little hole-in-the-wall sewing notions shop around the corner from Parsons in NYC.

My DD has been after me to make the exact same dress for her, so I began another search for 60 white buttons with the right size, style, and price. I ended up buying some from Pam Erny's site. I bought all she had, as I recall. I think I bought them over a year ago.

Kathryn

Karendee · « **Reply #22 on:** February 03, 2013, 12:41:43 PM »

Kathryn, I remember this great dress with the buttons down the back. I,too , was so impressed with their precision. Thanks for the kind words.

Karen

LyndaC · « **Reply #23 on:** February 03, 2013, 12:46:30 PM »

The key word here is...precision. That is what makes it work beautifully.

Alessandra · « **Reply #24 on:** February 03, 2013, 03:08:58 PM »

I love the look of medieval dresses that have buttons all down the front and sleeves up to the elbows.

... Though, thinking about it, buttons all down the sleeves could get in the way of most activities.

Kathryn, that dress with buttons down the back is a beautiful and striking variation.

fzxdoc · « **Reply #25 on:** February 04, 2013, 12:17:34 PM »

Thank you Alessandra for your kind thoughts.

This topic has caused me to pull out two garments that had slid to the back of my wardrobe. I wore the jacket out to dinner this past Friday and will wear the dress tomorrow.

Kathryn

vivienz · « **Reply #26 on:** February 04, 2013, 01:04:32 PM »

The button trimmed jackets are stunning - yet another garment added to the 'must have' list! Kathryn, that dress is lovely - enough to be striking but not so much that it loses its elegance.

Vivien

DebraMartin · « **Reply #27 on:** February 04, 2013, 01:51:16 PM »

Dixie helped me pick these buttons out recently. I love what good buttons can do for a design.

Not sure why these are rotated. If I right click and open image in a separate window, they are fine. Does anyone know how I can rotate them so they show up correctly here?

LyndaC · « **Reply #28 on:** February 04, 2013, 02:11:34 PM »

I love the dress, but the buttons just moved it into the memorable category. Great job!

I just finished Burda 130 coat. It has a boatneck, slightly shaped waist with fullness in the back, and modified bell sleeves. It is dark grey wool, and looks drab.

I am thinking about adding lots of buttons on the lowered back waist, swinging up in the front to a higher empire waist.

What inspired me was this thread! Your creativity!

What opinions do you have? It would take about 36 1" buttons, which could be expensive.

What color? Black looks funeral on it. Ivory is too much contrast I would think, but then look at Kathryn's white buttons contrasting on the back on her dark dress. Tagua nut or coconut buttons would be interesting, but pricey, and maybe heavy. Antique lace Dyed to match I would love, but have not found any online that seemed right.

I actually bought some gauzy white flowers about 2" in diameter, sewn together on a string, thinking I would dye them dark gray, but they are polyester and will not take the dye.

Opinions, please?

whistlin dixie · « **Reply #29 on:** February 04, 2013, 02:25:48 PM »

Kathryn and Debra, you've both shown great ingenuity with buttons. I love how they create a focal point on your garments!

DebraMartin · « **Reply #30 on:** February 04, 2013, 02:27:02 PM »

Lynda,
Have you considered self fabric covered buttons? Or beads?

LyndaC · « **Reply #31 on:** February 04, 2013, 02:45:43 PM »

Here it is:

Burda 130 back by llcriswell3, on Flickr

LyndaC · « **Reply #32 on:** February 04, 2013, 02:48:00 PM »

Burda 130 back by llcriswell3, on Flickr

I guess not. I thought I had this process down.

DebraMartin · « **Reply #33 on:** February 04, 2013, 02:58:39 PM »

Quote from: LyndaC on February 04, 2013, 02:45:43 PM

Here it is:

Burda 130 front by llcriswell3, on Flickr

you had i mg instead of img in one of your tags. I fixed it for you in my quote

LyndaC · « **Reply #34 on:** February 04, 2013, 03:02:43 PM »

I am impressed! How did I do that when I copied and pasted?

Anyway, yes, thanks for your suggestion, I have considered jewelry (too heavy in appearance) or beads (not style appropriate), but nothing hits me as right. I am open to suggestions!

You can see it needs something!

News:

Author Topic: Buttons (Read 1418 times)