Need button fixing on jacket

[mrfrancis82]

Hello Mumsnetters , hope you're well! I have a slight dilemma and need some advice/help.

I have a jacket which, although stylish, was not manufactured well and all the buttons have gradually fallen off. They are quite unique so I've had to wait for the replacements to be sent which they have been today.

I would sew them on myself, but can't because I'm useless. What kind of shop would do this? I work in central London so if anyone knows of a particular place, that's an added bonus.

I also have a date tomorrow night so would like this to be fixed by then - as I don't think my date would like to be seen with someone who is buttonless.

I don't know a specific place but most dry cleaners will offer this service.
Or your mum.
Or even your date.
It really isn't that hard!

now, i know this is going to sound a bit rude of me, but i am seriously shocked you don't think you can sew on a button! it's so easy. please give it a go before you spend money getting it done. all you need is a

Honestly, just sew them back on! I'm sure there'll be a video on youtube for the terribly inept.

Thanks, I did mention that I'm completely useless in the previous post and unfortunately I've flown the nest so mum's a few hundred miles away

I would probably give it a go myself if they hadn't fallen off previously. I want someone to do them tight. + I'm at work so can't do it at the moment.

Courier it to me. I'm in Kent. I'll do it for £20 :o

How can anyone say they cannot sew I button on? Did your mother never tell you there is no such word as can't?

Even my 7 yo ds knows how to sew a button on. Seriously though there is no art involved, just in and out through the holes and fabric!

I'm sorry guys but I have about 10 buttons to do - I simply don't have the time.

Right. Straight face. A dry cleaner will do it.

Honestly, anywhere that does alterations will do it.

But I can promise you that dropping it off and picking it back up will take longer than the 20 minutes sewing 10 buttons on will take.

I have seen the videos and it looks far too difficult.

Here you go.

Seriously, it ain't that hard. I had to teach myself to do this after I left home. Now I am always sewing buttons on for DW and DCs. The important bit is to wind the thread around the threads between the button and the material to form a shank.

you see I have absolutely no idea what ' The important bit is to wind the thread around the threads between the button and the material to form a shank' means. I thought a shank was a prison weapon.

Ok. Thread needle. Pass through fabric from back, through one hole on button, and back through another hole on button and through the fabric. Tie end of thread to main thread.

Pass needle and thread though fabric and button a number of times (6-10 probably about right).

Then push needle through fabric from back, but not through button hole. Wind around the threads a few times then back through fabric.

Tie ends together again and cut off spare thread.

If you don't have time to sew them on yourself, you almost certainly won't have time to get them to a dry cleaner, as it's unlikely they'd do it immediately, while you wait. Honestly, just have a go! As long as they stay on for the duration of your date, it'll be fine. If you're really not happy with it after you've done it, take it to a dry cleaners afterwards for them to be done again.

Ffs!!
Getting them sewn on professionally Will probably cost an arm and a leg. Many dry cleaners will also stipulate that they have to clean the item first so you are unlikely to get it back in time.

Buy needles and cotton then ask round at work for someone to show you how (ask the men too) or even to do it for you in exchange for cash or a slap up meal.

If the buttons have a hook or material on the inside , get some small safety pins and hook them through from the inside until you have more time . It's an old air hostess tip .

mrfrancis - to my mind, if you're the kind of man who can sew a button back on then it kind of marks you into the "not a total fuckwit" category, because you see, that if a man admits that he can't competantly perform a basic life skill like that, it makes me wonder what other basic life skills involving manual dexterity they might be useless at as well.

If you really, really can't don't have the time to do it, then you can find a list of clothing alteration shops in Central London on Yell here.

Although, tbh, once you've got out of the door, walked there, waited for it to be done and walked back, you could have done it yourself....