Button Crazy

Become a Button-ophile

People are crazy for buttons. There are books, websites, and museums dedicated to the topic, as well as a worldwide National Button Society, founded in 1939. (Do they rumble with the National Zipper Society? Look online and you'll discover a whole world of highbrow button enthusiasts, most of whom would consider the idea of actually sewing a button from their collection blasphemy. And who can blame them? We're talking buttons that came off royal waistcoats and such.

Now you don't have to go off the button deep end, but do watch for unique buttons; start collecting, and your projects will rejoice. Get a designated button bin with dividers and start grouping your buttons by color or size or material (shell, plastic, metal) or type (shank, sew-through) - any system that makes sense to you. Widen your search by looking for buttons at flea markets, thrift stores, and garage sales, or look on eBay (if you dare). I bet if you just begin thinking about buttons, they'll start popping up everywhere. Years ago, a very kind landlady gave me her stockpile of vintage buttons, which I still use to this day. One final point: When a beautiful button comes into your life, use it somewhere. Buttons look much better on a beautifully sewn project than they do collecting dust in a bin. Leave collecting to the purists.

Taken from Sew Everything Workshop by Diana Rupp