‘Why Is It….’

I’ve still got my MiL’s tin of buttons - hundreds of them. I’ve found a shirt button or two to match, but never anything else I could have done with.

Lately I use a lot of small black and brown buttons, and a few green ones, for the hand puppets I make for a charity. So was pleased to find an online source called Totally Buttons that ticks all the boxes.

My mother kept hers in a lovely blue tin. Both my sister and I were disappointed to find it gone when we went through her belongings. I can't imagine what she would have done with it.

I always try to remember to save buttons and zips if I ever chuck anything out, but sometimes I can't be bothered. I did unpick a zip this afternoon though.

I think I was told you’ll never be poor if you have a button box.

Same here loads of odd buttons. Thread every colour you can think of, but only ever use black, or white 🥴

JPB123

Why is it that I can clean my windows ,inside, and they’re still streaky!

My MIL could always clean windows leaving no smears, but even using the same equipment it didn’t work for me.

JPB123

Why is it that I can clean my windows ,inside, and they’re still streaky!

Buy a Karcher, no more smears 😉

Why is it that I can clean my windows ,inside, and they’re still streaky!

Butterandjam your post took me back to being a little girl playing under my grannies gate leg table with her treasured button jar. I too made patterns with them, played shops too and even tidily winks with them. Oh happy memories when life was so simple. Wool was pulled out of old jumpers, mostly hand me downs and reknitted. We had patches sewn on knees of trousers and elbows of jumpers. No designer things for us, but we were happy. Beautiful memories thank you

May be something to do with material thickness and body pressure. A coat fir example will be thick at tge buttonhole area and if
button tightly sewn on there could be an issue with getting the button to sit on onside. With the shirt there is a lot of movement with arms and body. Material is relatively thin and can take a tightly sewn button when fitting through buttonhole.

I have found it much easier to get buttons of discarded clothes if I use the little gadget for unpicking seams with, rather than a pair of scissors.

I agree, men's shirt buttons are far better sewn on than any other kind. Presumably, the makers still think men cannot sew a button back on!

Our grandson raids my button box for loads for the trailers he has behind small toy cars. He always asks where they came from. Sometimes I can tell him, sometimes not 😂

Oh butterandjam I so agree, I loved looking through my Mum's (now handed down to me) button box. I can remember the lovely clothes (sadly long gone) that they belonged to. A few years ago when my DIL was studying for her degree in Textile Design, my son asked could she use some buttons for a piece of work. The piece was lovely, but I was so sorry to part with those treasured childhood buttons and the memories they invoked.

I cut off and save old buttons too, got a lifetime collection in a button jar. Just in case I ever take up sewing.

When we were children, on wet days my aunt used to let us play with the contents of her button jar. We used to make patterns and sort them by size shape colour; some of the old favourites had names and personalities.

Modern children miss so much by having proper toys.

It’s called ‘Sod’s law’ Calendargirl

Why is it that men's shirts come nicely packed but women's blouses come on a flimsy hanger?

My very organised friend always used to resew all her fancy buttons on anything new she bought to be sure of not losing one. I have a great little gadget , which sadly I cant remember where I got it. It is a small circle of bright yellow plastic which has a very sharp little blade set into it. You push up a silver button and the blade comes out, Brilliant for cutting off hanging buttons, but also absolutely ace at opening annoying biscuit packets too. Once you let go of the button thing the blade retracts, so nothing to get jabbed on in your bag and you are not carrying a knife as such so ok in your handbag. I wish I could remember where I got it as it would make great little gifts for people.

Oh yes calendar girl and cornergran.
I’d like to add the almost impossible to open packaging on fragile biscuits, meaning they come out broken, whilst other more hardy biscuits come in easy to open boxes.

I find that in general men’s clothes are made much better than women’s. I no suppose is a gendered decision made by manufacturers that women shop more regularly for clothes and so the quality of the clothes isn’t that important.

cornergran

Same here calendargirl. One of life's mysteries as is the refusal of weeds to budge from the soil while a precious plant comes out far too easily - while an enthusiastic helper Mr C is lacking in the plant identification department. 😂

As an enthusiastic husband I recognize the issue, we have the garden divided in half, I don't touch her half unless supervised. It works well, if there is any heavy work needed I will help, and I pick her brain to improve my part.

It's called cooperation.

Same here calendargirl. One of life's mysteries as is the refusal of weeds to budge from the soil while a precious plant comes out far too easily - while an enthusiastic helper Mr C is lacking in the plant identification department. 😂