Making vintage-y buttons

This dress is not very interesting to sew. 

Sure, I had to trace and alter and add about ....gulp... eight inches altogether. But that's just two inches a piece.

And my backside requires a FbootyAdjustment, so there was more to do.

But not much.

Oh no, go back and add in piping for contrast. See, it's going to look much better. And I think I should keep the measuring tape as a belt....okay, maybe not.

I do love buttons. I love making bound buttons. I collect em. I have bags and jars and framed buttons.

The predomniant thing about this dress, besides the keen high curve of the front bodice, is the buttons! Ten! Ten one inch buttons!

Do you know how nasty and gappy the hole for a button like that can get?

But small buttons just don't 'read' right on this.

So here is button making time. 5/8" buttons, 1" plastic rings. Coffee not shown.

A tab of white fabric to prevent metal shine through on the inside of the fabric circle.

I used some 527 (much like e6000) to secure fronts to backs. Put some on a card and spread it with a stick. A nice coffee stirrer from the espresso shop around the corner. This is Seattle! 

After glue, assemble and push together. 

There were blurry action shots of shoving the back onto the front with the tiny metal shoving tool.

Ring measured!

And then I got lazy and used a premade circle template.....aka plastic holiday drink cup!

Traced, cut, even gathering stitches with silk thread...yes, this is more fun than making the dress.

I did two circuits of the back before I trimmed the extra fabric. Next circles were cut a little smaller.

The sample looks nifty! I have a very weak spot for cherry prints.

A fun afternoon later, I glue 'em. 

Two rounds of stitching.  They will dry before I continue on the other side.

Next day: poke holes in nice side.

Insert shank of button through hole

Pull out through on other side.

I lined them up on cut wire (from a coathanger. Joan Crawford would not approve) to dry. I think they look nice and turtle-like on my green library book. 

Oops.

If you work for the Seattle Public Library, I NEVER glue things on my books. Particularily the 1960's OOP book about servicing your own sewing machine.

And here we are. Snaps and a waist hook keep it from flapping open, but the high curve really does hold itself shut.