Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Buttoned-down and Bushy-tailed


Remember the childhood game –

Button, button,
Who’s got the button?

I remember playing it. I don’t remember how it was played, or what the object was.

But I digress. What’s actually on my mind is this: they don’t seem to sew buttons on these days the way they used to. All too often, they fall off in record time -- like the first time you wash the garment. That truly bites. The price of the item doesn’t seem to make much difference, either. It’s been my experience that buttons fall off expensive clothing just as quickly as they do cheap stuff.

I’m terribly lackadaisical about sewing them back on. If it’s a waistband button, like pants or a skirt where the waist will be covered by an overblouse or sweater, I may well just pin it the next half dozen times I wear it before breaking down and getting out the needle and thread. That’s slatternly, I know (but not slutty, since nothing’s hanging out). Of course, you can’t do the safety pin thing with something like a blouse or dress. Speaking of blouses, I love these pleated/pintucked babydoll shirts. My favorite one has tiny little buttons down the front and at the cuffs, with loops rather than buttonholes. I love the look, but it’s hard as hell to get it buttoned.

You know what’s scary? When buttons fall off in the washing machine and you don’t notice until the next time you do laundry and find buttons in the bottom of the machine. Then you have to backtrack and try to figure out what they came off of. That’s always fun. If it’s something you can’t pin, that means another sewing job right then and there, before you lose the button(s) again. I have a top I like a lot which lost a button in the wash about six weeks ago. The button is still on my dresser (gathering dust). I’m not worried about that one; it’s so unique that I’ll always know where it goes. Still, I’d actually like to wear the top again, so I guess I’d better get myself into another sewing mindset.

Right now, I’m thinking about Twisted Linguistics. And squirrels. Roxan found us these rogue words,

daubt
Imediat
englufing
pharamcy
submarin
I will be acused of and found incent
t shirst

which I think I’ll do this with:

I so much daubt that my squirrel can be knocked out by anybody else’s that I’m having t shirst made up - 'MEDIAT THIS!' One of those submarin squirrels could pose an imediat threat, but I don’t think so. I will be acused of and found incent of englufing my rodent in steroids. I am glufing incent – just ask the pharamcy guy.

9 comments:

Unknown said...

Buttons...
I will be honest with you, I do not have this button problem. Mine know what happens to them if they fall off. The sheer terror keeps them attached even when the string breaks. You must show those buttons who is boss, or is it that they know and are showing you?

Serena said...

Well, aren't you the lucky one. Where might one seek instruction in the fine art of button domination? Would the same whip I crack over the squirrel work on buttons? Does it work better if they're blindfolded? I mean, if they don't see it coming they're not scared, right? That would probably cut down on the squealing, wouldn't it? Inquiring minds demand to know. :)

Rex Zeitgeist said...

I have a rack of shirts missing buttons....My good ol' ex liked to rip my dress shirts off me, and she always did it so that buttons were lost.....

The button less shirtsd? bitter sweet and useless memories....

Serena said...

Good grief! Did she rip up your shirts on purpose and maliciously, or because she was, um, in a hurry? LOL.

Rex Zeitgeist said...

hurry

Serena said...

All righty, then. :)

Anonymous said...

A loss button is not as bad as a broken zipper. Damn, hate that when it happens and I'm out and about.

astrologymemphis.blogspot.com said...

Oooh! I want a babydoll shirt like yours. Love the little loopy things instead of buttonholes! One of my favorite tops when I was in my 20's was a tee shirt that looked like it belonged on a baby. It was blue, covered with teddy bears and blocks, and snapped down the front with the kind of snaps you see on baby clothes. I wish hippie clothes would come back into style. They're about the only style that hasn't returned, yet.

P.S. I'm a lazy button sewer, too.

Serena said...

I know it, Steve. Busted zippers are much worse.

Lesia, that erstwhile tee-shirt sounds adorable. That one babydoll shirt, I got in NC. But believe it or not, I saw one at Wal-Mart last week that looked very similar -- at a fraction of the price. And it even had the loops.