Button! Button! Quilters Are Using More Buttons
Quilters and fabric artists find buttons a popular embellishment in their work. Some may sew on an occasional button. Others practically cover their piece with these interesting attachments.
I’ve always enjoyed collecting buttons, ever since I explored my grandmother’s and mother’s button jars. In days ago, ladies didn’t run to the store for buttons. They saved them from worn clothing relegated to the rag bag. They cut the buttons off and put them into a jar or tin.
When my daughter was small and we lived in a distant city while my husband attended airline pilot training school, I made friends with a lady who operated a used clothing store. Anything that wasn’t salable, or had been in the store too long, was fair game for the button jar. She cut them off and sold me buttons for a minimal amount.
Buttons are great playthings for youngsters, once they’ve passed the “everything-into-the-mouth” stage. They sort by color, make designs, and even practice sewing with buttons.
Noreen at Hankering for Yarn tells about using buttons for a crocheted Butterfly Bag. She also has another post, Button Reveries: Evoking Memories, Inspiring Creativity, relating the role of buttons in her life and her creations.
My daughter and I collected so many buttons we had to sort some out and sell them at our yard sales. Now that I’m seeing them used as embelishments more and more, I may have to accumulate some more!
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POSTED IN: Books and Magazines, General Quilting/Patchwork, Memories
5 opinions for Button! Button! Quilters Are Using More Buttons
Noreen
Jun 24, 2007 at 5:03 pm
Mary Emma, once again, we are in synch! :)
I loved my mother’s button boxes (she kept hers in tins) and my kids loved my button jars.
Buttons are one of life’s sweet blessings!
I think that you definitely should start gathering them again :D
Mementos Help Alzheimer’s Patients Recall Memories
Jun 25, 2007 at 4:03 am
[…] I researched buttons for a post on my Quilting and Patchwork blog, I recalled how buttons and other mementos entertained […]
Mary Emma Allen
Jun 25, 2007 at 6:07 am
Thanks for stopping by and commenting,Noreen…sharing your love of mom’s and grandma’s button boxes. There’s something fascinating about buttons, especially if they played a role in our childhood memories. I’ve also written about this at Alzheimer’s Notes.
http://www.alzheimersnotes.com/mementos-help-alzheimers-patients-recall-memories/
Cyndi L
Jun 25, 2007 at 5:50 pm
I’ve never yet seen a jar of antique white buttons that I didn’t need to buy! I use them in all my fabric collages and quilts, and often sew them on my paper quilts as well :)
Mary Emma Allen
Jun 25, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Thanks, Cyndi, for visiting and sharing your thoughts about using buttons for fabric and paper art.
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