Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

Marty's had a dress shirt hanging on the coat rack in the master bedroom for ages. I don't recall if he ever told me it was missing a button or not. I finally looked at it and realized that was what was needed so thought I'd tend to it. I really dislike mending and sewing on buttons.

There's an empty spot up there next to the pocket.

 I quickly discovered I didn't know where the missing button was. I did a quick glance on his desk and on his dresser and nightstand but didn't see it and suspected it was truly lost. Did you notice the button is rather a lavender-blue color? I looked for the spare button usually sewn inside the seam, uh, not one there, only the much smaller one used in the placket of the sleeve. I was thinking maybe I could steal one from the cuff thinking it wouldn't be noticed but I'm pretty sure he uses the outer button of the two on the cuff, so yes it would be noticeable. 

Then I checked my trays of spare buttons. Nothing in this color, not even close. I could have used a white one, but the position for this button is right on the chest so far too obvious. So I posted on my social media account that first picture up above with the comment that I'd rather buy him a new shirt than remove all the buttons and replace them so that they all matched.

Back side of the missing button.

 When he got home from work, he brought me the missing button! He still had it! I was amazed! It is shown in the above photo, though when I was taking pictures I didn't realize that was the back. When turned over, it does look like the others on the shirt, but my first thought was 'oh great, it had been replaced before' and no I wasn't going to use it. So turning it over made me realize it was the right button.

needles & old blue thread...hope the thread holds up ;)

 Next, I had to see if I had any lavender-blue thread because of course, all the buttons were not sewn on using white. The first spool I pulled out, and the only bluish one in my thread drawer, was too light and bright a blue. Then I remembered I'd brought back a bag of old threads from an aunt a few years ago [yeah, still not dealt with] and there was a duller blue which wasn't too far off, so I used it.

Nick had to thread the needle for me - darned eye was so very tiny and my eyes just weren't getting that thread into it.

DONE!

Do you notice that the thread is criss-crossed on that button? That is not how I learned to sew on buttons, and it annoys me. I conceded to do it that way because all the other buttons were done that way, again so that it all matched.  So the missing button is back where it belongs, and now the shirt is headed to the laundry before getting a ride back to Marty's closet.

There's also a pair of jeans in need of a patch on the front of the thigh area where Marty caught it on something sharp, probably barbed wire going through someone's fencing on one of his photographing outings. I used an iron-on patch some time ago, but it came off after just a couple washings, so will have to use needle and thread...eventually...or not.