I definitely didn't cheat with the buttons. I spent ages rummaging through this lot trying to find some that didn't look yellow or dirty next to the sparkling white fabric.
Once a sufficient number of matching buttons had been found (they do match even though one is at a slight angle in the photo and looks a bit different) I was able to use the 'new' buttonholer in earnest and it did a good job
.
Just one minor hiccup - in the final press I managed to get a small gungy brown mark on the tip of the collar
but it has come out so shirt complete, I just need it to be warm enough to wear outside to get a good photo.