Buttons are a large part of my apron designs. They just seem to add that extra touch to an apron that makes it special. When first starting to make aprons, I sometimes left buttons off the bodice. Then, one day a craft show customer was deciding between two aprons. After deciding, she pointed out she would have purchased the other if it had buttons across the bodice. I came home, added the buttons, and it sold at my next show! 

Since then, I make sure to add buttons to nearly every apron. (Some of the size 3-4 aprons have them left off for safety reasons.) Most of the time I try to get matched buttons, but sometimes it is fun to get mismatched but coordinating buttons. 

When shopping for buttons, I look first for vintage buttons. New buttons are often used on children's aprons, however, because I make so many of them and want to save the vintage buttons for the women's aprons. Colors used in vintage fabrics often require vintage buttons, however, whether an adult or child apron. 

When shopping at thrift stores, I look through piles of buttons to find the "just right" ones for the aprons. Some of them are very special buttons that are reserved for the heirloom aprons, but even my classic category of aprons often have vintage buttons. 

Whichever style of apron, each button used is chosen carefully to match the apron fabric and lace. So, next time you look at photos of one of my aprons, be sure to look at the close-up picture of the buttons used. It was chosen just for that apron!