bluebells . . . and buttons

—

by

Kate Davies Designs
in

Good morning! Wow! I really enjoyed your myriad button views!

It was fascinating to read through all your comments and I really appreciated hearing so many different perspectives! But it was especially intriguing to me that the blue buttons came out so far on top.

I kind of agree with the majority view: the blue buttons are, to my mind, the most visually interesting and possibly the most appealing.

But I was forced to reject them from use on my cardigan for a few reasons.

First, despite my once having so many of this type of button that I put packs of them up for sale in our shop, I can now only find eight of them in my button box (and I need nine).

Second, I live in fear of blue button / yellow cardigan combinations, after this vaguely traumatic non-colourfast experience

As regards the ‘limiting’ issue I mentioned yesterday: blue is probably the colour I wear most – like many of you, I suppose I think of dark blue as a neutral – and those who pointed this out are absolutely right – I would be very unlikely to run out of outfit options for my cardigan.

But, though I’m all for beautiful buttons taking centre stage, in this instance, I definitely felt that the blue buttons competed somewhat with the cardigan . . . which of course you have not seen.

Many of you pointed out that it would have been much easier for you to give an informed opinion if you had been able to actually see the rest of the garment . . . I’m sorry about that.

But until Friday, it remains under wraps!

So, in the end, as well as the many carefully considered votes in their favour, the nature of the cardigan has also played its part in determining my final button choice.

I rejected the marmalade buttons, the wood buttons, and the interesting idea of mismatched buttons featuring the clocks (which I do love, but I just don’t think would have worked here. But yes, I’m saving those clocks for something special now!)

And guess what- shock horror – I ended up rejecting the glass buttons too!

The reason being that this is a very lightweight cardigan, and the glass buttons are really rather heavy.

I experimented with stitching on one glass button late yesterday afternoon, and then immediately thought again. They seemed quite likely to pull or drag the buttonband . . . and the last thing I wanted on my light summer cardigan was a saggy buttonband!

So I finally settled on . . . .

THE TINY YELLOW BUTTONS

Thanks to all of you who took the time to comment yesterday. I really appreciated it. Team TINY YELLOW BUTTON for the win! If Tom and I complete our tasks, we are hoping to photograph the cardigan later today, or possibly tomorrow. If all goes to plan, the cardigan, its buttons, and the pattern will all be revealed on Friday.

Thanks also to Tom, for the happy photography that accompanies this post. I love this time of year.

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Comments

33 responses to “bluebells . . . and buttons”

  1. Lizzy Dillingham Avatar
    Lizzy Dillingham

    I’d have used the Clocks, from the hem up and closed the top three buttonholes. No one closes the top buttons on a cardigan anyway. The clocks are too fun! Little yellows are a bit of a yawn, tho I suppose if you’re making a sample for sales you have to stay mainstream and accessible, too bad. Marmalades are nice too, after clocks.

    Reply
  2. T Calvert Avatar
    T Calvert

    Hurray! Those tiny yellow buttons stole my heart. As does Tom’s beautiful photography .. that line of sheep against the hills! 🤩

    Reply
  3. Maggie Findlay Avatar
    Maggie Findlay

    I didn’t comment yesterday on the buttons as I just couldn’t decide which I liked best. Too many lovely choices. Today’s photos are so beautiful especially the raindrops. Very much looking forward to Friday’s pattern reveal.

    Reply
  4. Msdedeng Avatar
    Msdedeng

    Amazing pictures!
    At what time do you take your pictures? they put mine to shame :)

    Reply
  5. Susan Blake Avatar
    Susan Blake

    Today’s post is just full of stunning photos and dogs too! Hooray… It’s gorgeous. So sorry that i couldn’t weigh in yesterday about my preference… i really really liked the yellow formica ones, of which you don’t have enough. And i really was going to push for mismatched buttons because that is what i am planning on doing with my current summer weight cardi… It’s always about me, right? wanting affirmation for my plans… LOL… in any case, for my current project, a simple cardigan design which I want to fit me well, i am repurposing yarn purchased for Uncia from the Book of Haps… with not quite enough yarn for the whole cardi, I am doing a broken rib button band with Millorchy Tweed, which is simply gorgeous! colors: Smirr & Birkin. My first time using Millorchy Tweed and I am totally hooked… it is simply totally wonderful! I am eager to see Kate’s new cardigan with the perfect tiny yellow buttons. Thank you Kate for designing a light weight summer cardigan. Again LOL, i knit every day and live north of the Golden Gate Bridge in SF Bay area, where it is too hot to wear a sweater for approximately five, maybe six months of the year. Thanks for the wonderful posts, dear Kate. Buttons seem to be a hot topic… wow

    Reply
  6. Mary B. Avatar
    Mary B.

    Hooray, that was my choice even though I didn’t vote. My thought was it depended on what you wanted to showcase. I also absolutely loved the clock buttons. And, thank you Tom for interspersing those wonderful images with Kate’s thoughts. This was a delightful post.

    Reply
  7. Susan Avatar
    Susan

    OK, I bow to your choice :) Looking foreward to the cardigan. It was fun to read all the comments…..Yes I did! Love the sheep photos as well as all the others.

    Reply
  8. Pat Moore Avatar
    Pat Moore

    Thank you for the beautiful photos. As a knitter I probably would have picked the yellow buttons as well because the color matched and the size was right. But those clock buttons were my favorite. Hopefully someday soon you will have a project that you can add them too so they can be seen.

    Reply
  9. Ann Avatar
    Ann

    thank you for giving me something to look forward to on Friday! and thank Tom for beautiful and inspiring photography, especially uplifting for those of us stuck in suburbia.

    Reply
  10. Jennifer Avatar
    Jennifer

    I am looking forward to seeing the cardigan on Friday. I was unable to comment yesterday because I couldn’t decide. However, while I was weeding this morning, I thought the glass buttons wouldn’t detract from the cardigan’s design. Oh well! I am loving the varied subjects your blog is covering – one never knows what’s next.

    Reply
  11. zita666479 Avatar
    zita666479

    Will you be posting the final product of the Cardigan? I would love to see it!

    Reply
    1. KDD Avatar
      KDD

      yes! on friday

      Reply
  12. Laura Kate Avatar
    Laura Kate

    I love this little monologue about choosing buttons by polling the crowd. I was on Team Blue which lost the vote, but I feel happy about the whole experience. Thanks, Kate.

    Reply
  13. Mary Avatar
    Mary

    Seeing all the photos of the bluebells, I wanted to tell you that I have just finished (except for the steeking and choosing of buttons) the Wee Bluebells cardigan for a granddaughter. Button selection is a challenge for me because I don’t have an extensive collection (though many go back to my mother) and certainly not 9 of one kind. I shall have to wait to shop as we are still sheltering in place here in most of Pennsylvania. She really won’t need a wooly sweater until fall anyway.
    Enjoying very much the daily blog posts. I appreciate the dedication it takes to achieve that .

    Reply
  14. Felicity Denby Avatar
    Felicity Denby

    Dear Kate I have been mining the internet for buttons – I came across this website: theswagmansdaughter.com . It is a rich seam of buttons and al sorts of haberdashery delights!

    Best

    Felicity Denby

    Reply
  15. Ellen Avatar
    Ellen

    I would have chosen blue, but the yellow will probably let the sweater speak all for itself. But the real reason for this comment is to ask for a story about the button box. Many of us have them, and I think they all tell a story of their own. Some of the buttons in mine came from my grandmothers box, and I suspect that some of her came from her mother’s, and others were saved from clothes too worn to keep, The choice , which you alluded to, is not always what button best becomes the sweater, might be: is the sweater worthy of all of the thoughts and emotions in the button? I really hope that you can explore this some day.

    Reply
  16. Anja Avatar
    Anja

    I spy moonworts among the bluebells – so many!!!! I have never seen so many before in one place. They are quite rare in Denmark. Do you know which species they are?

    Reply
  17. Sunnystar Avatar
    Sunnystar

    I love ur selves

    Reply
  18. kcc Avatar
    kcc

    Beautiful photography! Love the sheep! Can’t wait to see your cardigan.

    Reply
  19. business info blogs Avatar
    business info blogs

    Really good blog .it gives me lot of inspiration.thank you so much

    Reply
  20. Pamela Avatar
    Pamela

    Why did you even put the blue buttons in as an option? That’s just crazy to my mind.

    Reply
  21. frolickingfaerie Avatar
    frolickingfaerie

    Yeahhhhh …. a big whisper for the tiny yellow ones …. Am totally intrigued and eagerly await Fridays unveiling 😊 Loving the photography , just beautiful x

    Reply
  22. BeeGee Avatar
    BeeGee

    Yay Team Tiny Yellow!

    Looking forward to the big (tiny button) reveal!

    Reply
  23. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    I never saw the blue buttons. I saw two brown selections. I was puzzled yesterday when I saw references to the blue buttons in comments–but, I was taking a break from teleworking, so I let it go. Circling back today I think I have to see my eye doc after the pandemic to determine if I am going color blind as I age!

    But the yellow! I definitely saw that! Lovely! Looking forward to seeing the sweater Friday.

    Reply
  24. Ann Avatar
    Ann

    Thanks VERY much to Tom for the really beautiful pictures – especially enjoyed the dogs! The delicate yet vibrant flower photos would make lovely pictures…

    Reply
  25. OneFrenchWord Avatar
    OneFrenchWord

    What beautiful photography, I particularly like the rain spangled dandelion head. But now to buttons: yes well I can see why blue buttons traumatise you, but I am a bit gutted not to be on the winning team…

    Reply
  26. greenrabbitdesigns Avatar
    greenrabbitdesigns

    Gorgeous pics …those white bluebells (always seems a strange thing to say) are stunning!
    And yay for the tiny yellow buttons, I love being on a winning team! :)

    Reply
  27. Carrie Avatar
    Carrie

    Somehow, I am not surprised… I thought you were leaning toward those happy little yellow butons. Lovely photograhs with this post, thank you, Tom!

    Reply
  28. Stef Avatar
    Stef

    Love the pictures and the story. I can hardly wait for Friday 😊👍

    Reply
  29. Barbara Avatar
    Barbara

    Thank you for the wonderful pictures you shared today.
    And of course I am eager to see the new cardigan with the little yellow buttons.

    Reply
  30. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    Such beautiful photographs! I adore this time of year. Glad you settled on a button choice you are happy with, I love those tiny yellow buttons (well, to be honest I loved all the buttons – but they did look good with the button band.)

    Reply
  31. Bev Avatar
    Bev

    Stunning photos Tom! (As usual)

    Reply
  32. kate from chehsire Avatar
    kate from chehsire

    They were my second choice.

    Reply

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