Buttons

I'm addicted to buttons and ribbons.  We've been in a shop before and I've heard my husband shout "Step away from the buttons!"  I could probably remortgage our house buying haberdashery.  It's a serious addiction.  A bit like jam.  I reassure myself that my Bonne Maman jam habit is justified by my need for button storage.  It's a vicious circle!

This is my selection.  I love the fact that buttons are measured in lignes - a French word for line, apparently still used by Swiss watch manufacturers.  It was used before the French adopted the metric system in the late 1700s.  One ligne is 2.2558291 mm (1 mm = 0.443296 ligne).

I love my signature black bordered buttons.  They have a 50s stylish feel to them and stand out on the often busy Liberty prints.  I first saw them in the button stand on Liberty of London's fabulous haberdashery floor and fell in head over heels.  I started using these gorgeous natural shell buttons when I launched my bridesmaid dress collection.  A little more fragile but the irridesence is mesmerising.  There are also plastic shell effect buttons for the more practical, everyday wear garment.

When I set up Peak Princess I did loads of market research (by which I mean talking to my friends who were all shattered and sleep deprived from their new babies).  The over-whelming plea (especially from Dads) was for a decent size button that wasn't fiddly.  But sometimes you need a little button so indulge me.

By the way, all my buttons are sewn on by hand.  You can do it with the machine but I have a little ritual - doubled up thread sewn through three times and wrapped six times round the shank and then tied off with three stitches through the shank.  A bit over the top but I've not had reports of any coming off yet and also strangely meditative. 

* Natural shell is not made-man and therefore each button is slightly different.  They are more fragile than polyester but if you ever find one cracks (none have so far) then just call and I'll send a replacement or send the dress back and I'll sew it on myself.
** Polyester's an ugly word but it's what they are and it means they are resilient and practical.