Time For Buttons

Over the holidays I was given a collection of old buttons by a cousin of a friend.  It was a big grundgy box holding some treasures.  Among them were about 100 silk and wool fabric covered ones.  I pinned 91 of them in the open spaces between the labels.

 

To keep track of this button arrangement, I used Press'n Seal to store them by rows.  I tore off a long sheet, positioned the buttons by rows, then folded the Press'n Seal over and pressed it together between the buttons.  A Sharpie pen was used to write the row numbers on the top sheet.

Today was beautiful and I didn't want to spend it in the studio sewing those buttons on.  I set up to work out on the deck.  

A working surface was created with a piece of fabric affixed to a PVC pipe quilting frame.  I just needed something to support the quilt while sewing the buttons on.

These wonderful old cloth covered button don't have shanks.  I cut a length of polyester buttonhole twist thread,  The thread was brought up from behind the quilt, threaded through the padding on the button back, then the thread needled to the back side.

All the buttons in a row were positioned in this way.  Then I folded over the quilt to tie the thread lengths together with an overhand knot.  I prefer this particular knot because it can be tightened close to the surface by sliding the needle down the loop of the knot.

All was going well ... until I dropped a button.  Of course, it would slip between the cracks.  I spent half an hour fishing it out.  Luckily the needle was stuck through the back.  I don't think I would've been able to see it eight inches down in the dark without the glint of it.  Taping a magnet to a length of thread finally fished it out.  Whew!  There were no more buttons of this size.

So I did what should have been thought of when I was setting up ... put a sheet over all those cracks waiting to swallow precious buttons.

I hope tomorrow is as nice so I can finish sewing outside.