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Blog – sewing tips and haberdashery guides

Practical guides to buttons, zippers, elastics, labels, ribbons and all sewing accessories – sizes, types and how to attach them.

Vintage Metal Buttons: How to Identify and Date Them by Back, Shank and Metal Vintage Metal Buttons: How to Identify and Date Them by Back, Shank and Metal Vintage metal buttons tell their story on the back, the side most people never look at. Read more → Sagging Cardigan from Metal Buttons: Causes and 7 Fixes for Knitwear Sagging Cardigan from Metal Buttons: Causes and 7 Fixes for Knitwear Metal buttons for cardigans give knitwear a finished, expensive look, but they often bring an annoying problem: after a few wears the... Read more → Swivel vs Fixed Jeans Buttons: The Differences and Which to Choose Swivel vs Fixed Jeans Buttons: The Differences and Which to Choose A swivel jeans button and a fixed jeans button look the same from the front, yet they behave differently for the whole... Read more → Removable Buttons with Split Rings: How They Work and How to Fit Them Removable Buttons with Split Rings: How They Work and How to Fit Them Removable buttons with split rings are an old but very clever solution. Read more → Anchor Buttons: The Nautical Look on Blazers, Coats and Kidswear Anchor Buttons: The Nautical Look on Blazers, Coats and Kidswear Anchor buttons are the simplest way to give a garment a nautical character. Read more → Copper Buttons and Rivets: Colour, Patina and How They Age Copper Buttons and Rivets: Colour, Patina and How They Age Copper buttons and rivets have a warm, reddish tone that no other metal quite matches, which is why for over 150 years... Read more → Aluminium Buttons and Rivets: Pros, Cons and When to Choose Them Aluminium Buttons and Rivets: Pros, Cons and When to Choose Them Aluminium buttons and rivets are almost invisible to shoppers, yet they appear in a huge share of garments, most often as the... Read more → Tarnish vs rust vs patina: what happens to different metals over time Tarnish vs rust vs patina: what happens to different metals over time Tarnish vs rust vs patina: on a garment they all look like the same problem, the metal has changed. Read more → Enamel buttons: soft enamel, hard enamel, epoxy or print for a colour logo Enamel buttons: soft enamel, hard enamel, epoxy or print for a colour logo Enamel buttons are how you put colour onto metal: the red cross on a crest, the blue field of a club badge,... Read more → Matte vs shiny metal buttons: brushed, sandblasted or polished for real wear Matte vs shiny metal buttons: brushed, sandblasted or polished for real wear Matte vs shiny metal buttons is usually treated as a matter of taste, but the texture you choose decides how your hardware... Read more → Hollow vs solid metal buttons: weight, price and quality compared Hollow vs solid metal buttons: weight, price and quality compared Hollow vs solid metal buttons can look identical in a photo, but pick them up and the difference is obvious. Read more → How Coconut Buttons Are Made: From Shell to Finished Button How Coconut Buttons Are Made: From Shell to Finished Button How coconut buttons are made is a question more designers ask the moment they hold one. Read more → Buttons and Clasps in Bulgarian Folk Costume: History and Symbolism Buttons and Clasps in Bulgarian Folk Costume: History and Symbolism Buttons in Bulgarian folk costume are rarely just buttons. Read more → Toggle Buttons for Duffle Coats: Wood or Horn and How to Attach Them Toggle Buttons for Duffle Coats: Wood or Horn and How to Attach Them Toggle buttons are elongated fasteners shaped like a small peg or tooth that close not through a buttonhole but through a loop... Read more → How to Clean Vintage Buttons: Restoring Horn, Shell and Wood How to Clean Vintage Buttons: Restoring Horn, Shell and Wood Knowing how to clean vintage buttons sounds trivial – a bit of water, a bit of soap, done. Read more → The Pearl Button Boom: How the Mississippi River Buttoned Up the World The Pearl Button Boom: How the Mississippi River Buttoned Up the World The history of the pearl button industry has many chapters, but one of the most dramatic played out on the banks of... Read more → Casein (Galalith) Buttons: The Story of the Plastic Made from Milk Casein (Galalith) Buttons: The Story of the Plastic Made from Milk Casein buttons, also known by the trade name galalith, are made from something you would hardly connect with fashion: milk. Read more → Urea vs Polyester Buttons: Differences in Look, Strength and Use Urea vs Polyester Buttons: Differences in Look, Strength and Use Urea vs polyester buttons: in a photo they can look almost identical, but in production and in wear they behave differently. Read more → Matte vs Glossy Buttons: A Guide to Brushed, Burnt and Antique Finishes Matte vs Glossy Buttons: A Guide to Brushed, Burnt and Antique Finishes Matte vs glossy buttons is one of the clearest style questions of the season: brands increasingly choose matte, brushed and semi-polished surfaces... Read more → Bamboo Buttons: Types, Durability and When to Choose Wood or Coconut Bamboo Buttons: Types, Durability and When to Choose Wood or Coconut Bamboo buttons are turning up more and more in eco collections, babywear and home textiles, and for good reason: bamboo is one... Read more → Buffalo Horn vs Ox Horn Buttons: Colours, Character and How to Choose Buffalo Horn vs Ox Horn Buttons: Colours, Character and How to Choose Buffalo horn vs ox horn buttons: both are natural keratin, but they look and behave quite differently. Read more → Are Horn Buttons Ethical? Where Horn Comes From and How to Describe It Are Horn Buttons Ethical? Where Horn Comes From and How to Describe It Are horn buttons ethical? Small and mid-sized brands hear this question from customers more and more often: "Was an animal killed for... Read more → The History of Corozo Buttons: From Ecuador to Italian Tailoring The History of Corozo Buttons: From Ecuador to Italian Tailoring The history of corozo buttons starts in the tropical forests of Ecuador and runs through the port of Hamburg, button factories in... Read more → Dyed and Smoked Shell Buttons: Can Mother-of-Pearl Be Coloured? Dyed and Smoked Shell Buttons: Can Mother-of-Pearl Be Coloured? Dyed mother of pearl buttons sound like a contradiction. Read more →