Its always possible to tell when someone is passionate about what they do and this is exactly the vibe I get from Deborah the owner of Sydney’s Buttons Buttons Buttons.
I met the Button Queen herself in her beautiful new shop, which is situated in the heart of Sydney in The Dymocks Building in George Street.
Deborah has just been up routed from her original shop of fifteen years which was based in The Rocks area near Circular Quay and I can tell that it is taking a while to feel comfortable in her new surroundings up on the fourth floor of this historic building.
I enter her shop via a beautiful doorway, which frames the entrance to a Pandora’s Box; jammed full of exquisite and unusual button specimens.
There are buttons made in glass, coconut, diamante, shell and metal. There are colours in every shade and hue to enhance anything you are making. There are kids buttons, novelty buttons and buttons in every size.
My personal favourite are the leather buttons which are beautifully crafted and come in varying shapes and tones some also with contrasting stitch detailing.
Chatting to Deborah. I realise that she has put her heart and soul in to her business. Her product knowledge is extensive and she goes to enormous lengths to find the beautiful pieces that she sells in her shop. Buttons are sourced all over the world and in particular, the vintage and antique pieces which are more often than not, found in France or other European countries.
I have been sewing for years and believe that its not necessarily the complexity of the garment that makes it special but more the finishing touches, the attention to detail and the trimmings that have been used. Quite often the rule of Less is More is worth adhering to. A button should be functional but also aesthetically pleasing. It can spoil or totally enhance a project.
Ultimately, trying to find the right button for a garment can at times be a thankless task as there is not a great deal of choice to be had on the high street. Often we find ourselves walking away with a heavy heart full of compromise and a small paper bag containing some non – descript, mass – produced offering.
What a delight then it is to have this shop right on our doorstep!
Many of my co-hort from the Sydney sewing community work around the CBD and often only have one hour at lunch to duck out and purchase the finishing touches for their latest personal creative project. I know they will be more than pleased that this shop is now so accessible
Even if you are out of town the shop is really easy to get to by train, as it is a short walk from four of Sydney’s most central train stations.
So what’s stopping us?! Buttons Buttons Buttons. Here we come!
Buttons Buttons Buttons,
The Dymocks Building
Level 4, Suite 16A
428 George St
Sydney
(02) 9233 6841
Open every day apart from Sunday