Buttoning patterns

[bobbin]

The Year of the Button continues!

I am doing the salon on a big sailboat.  New port dinette (3 seats, 5 backs, 2 of which are "corners"), and a settee to starboard.  In UltraLeather (beautiful stuff!); customer wants buttons on the backs, but not seats.  None of the backs are reversible as they will be snapped to their specific sites.  I can do #30 or #36 buttons in marine grade. 

This is a beautiful boat and I have the opportunity to do something more than just 3 or 5 #36 buttons in a line half way up the back cushions.  Could any of you upholstery whiz kids help me with other button patterns that might be more "interesting"?  Do you have "favorites"?  Are button sizes ever mixed, or is that a no-no?  The little corner cushions have me scratching my head. 

[kodydog]

     

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These are the two typical patterns. The way they are now, single line half way up is a little different and I think would look pretty cool. Only other thing if you want to get creative is a bigger button. Post some pics.
                                     

[bobbin]

"The way they are now, single line half way up is a little different and I think would look pretty cool."  I'm not sure what  you mean by this, Kody..  It seems to me that every time I've  been asked for buttons I end up doing one line of buttons half way up the height of the cushion!

I was hoping for something different from just one line of buttons across the centre of the cushion.  But I don't really know how to lay them out and I don't really understand how to manipulate spacing since the cushions are radically different in size.  (fore and aft are about the same size, the "corners" are roughly 12"wX18"h, and the outboard port back is pretty large). 

[MinUph]

bobbin,
  I never like single rows of buttons they tend to get sloppy looking over time. The diamond pattern is the most used. When you have many backs that make up a large area you can start with the largest. If the back will sit on top of the seat split the height in three and put pins in a row on these two lines. Now measue the length of the back and come up with a nice measurement that will end up 1/2 of the rest width wise. in other words say your button spacing is 6" between, make the end 3" from the end where is will but up against the next back. This will give you even spacing across all backs. Now just carry on from that point with the rest of the backs. If you get too close to the edges you can bring the button in some to sort of balance it out.
  Large buttons seem to be popular lately but I would stick with a 30 unless the will be in a contrasting fabric. Marine grade buttons?? I don't know of any SS molds do they exist?
  If this sounds interesting and you have questions throw them out at us.

[bobbin]

Thanks for the help, you guys.  Marine grade isn't SS, Paul.  It's aluminum caps and plastic backs instead of the usual metal ones.  Right now I am assembling the cushions and I will think about the design and the spacing as per your advice. 

[Judy_Boat]

diamond pattern is a great classic.
The button pattern could be spread across the 5 cushions. Might help deal with the corner cushions. Or it could radiate out from the corner. 
I sometimes like the elongated diamond set fairly high up the back. So that the shoulder blade will naturally sit there.
For spacing keep in mind the golden ration rule. 3 -4 - 5 for spacing.
Since it is ultra leather you cannot play with skewers stuck into the material but you can lay the buttons out and see how the pattern looks.Post some pics.

[bobbin]

Not so good with pics... (suck at them, actually and refuse to use photobucket).  I played around with spacing on the largest back pc. (55 1/2"W x 18"H).  I tried 3 rows of buttons, splitting the back into 4 horizontal sections.  I marked the c'tr. of the pc. and determined that would be the centre of a diamond.  I have not played with the layout on the fore and aft backs yet.  But you've correctly identified the "corners" as the fly in the ointment (they aren't the same size!).  I'm not quite sure how to proceed right now, but right now I have bigger fish to fry, and have learned that sometimes leaving something aside for a bit helps clear the mind...

How would you handle the different sized corners (there's 1 1/2-2" difference in width; patterns are in my car)?  I was toying with the idea of one central button or even none at all?