vintage fabrics

I have loads of vintage fabrics at home and have troubles bringing myself to cut into them. So when I find a way to incorporate a tiny bit of it with a new fabric, somehow it makes me a little less uptight. behold my compromise:

If you've never covered a button before, you should really try it. It's one of the few instant gratifications (read: easiest) things that can be done. And it looks perfect every time.
Bias trim, though, is another beast entirely. no fun at all. I am currently investigating a little bit of hardware called a 'bias maker'. I'm very skeptical anything can make all the measuring, cutting, ironing, pinning and careful sewing seem easy.