Buttons of Awesomess

Listening: Justin Townes Earle, Midnight at the Movies (2009)

eBay win.

With emphasis on "win".

Win!

I can't believe I wasn't outbid on these. Eight 1-inch buttons: Black with pink flower-shaped centers. I'm not really a pink girl, or a flower girl, or a gimmicky-button girl, but these rule. OK, vintage hospital green might have made me happier, but whatever. Button magnificence, all the same.

Buttons like this require a special dress. You can't just tack buttons this assertive onto any old thing and expect it to work.

I'm leaning toward Marian Martin 9205. I was going to make this in yellow gingham--and I still might--but since it has a button front (requiring eight buttons!) and is a sundress (dress shorthand for "carefree and fun!"), I think the stars have aligned.

The plan would be to do the body of the dress in a print, with the neck facing in white, outlined in contrast piping. The lowest six or eight or whatever-looks-proportional inches of skirt would also be white, with piping at the jointure.

Amber Jean suggested solid white, but I think that might be too much contrast. I'm leaning toward either a small pink floral:

Or pink gingham:

I'm kind of favoring gingham since it would be easier to get, and it's classic. Gingham goes with anything, for any time period. I also like that, in this case, it's a nice balance between pink and white. Pink, but not too much pink.

Piping would either be a small, regular, pink and black stripe if I can find one I like:


Or, failing that, black gingham. Possibly overdyed into pink and black gingham.