A Family Tradition of Fiber (and Buttons)
It’s a tradition in my family to have handmade ornaments for everyone at our holiday gathering. My sister, my Mom and I used to take turns making them. But we are up to 26 people, so the last couple of years we have made them as a group project. Since Mom and Nancy were at my house for a visit, we decided to go ahead and make them in October.
I set up a six foot table and we loaded it down with beads and fibers to be sewn on small ovals. But what we most loved was THE BUTTON BOX. Does anyone still keep one of these?
This is my Mom’s collection, but Nancy is the keeper. I dumped it out on a big cookie sheet and we kept it right on the breakfast bar and not on the side table.
What fun! Glass buttons, metal buttons, tiny buttons with a rim of color, “jeweled” buttons, cloth-covered buttons, and on and on. All of the buttons were cut from clothing by my Mom; maybe some even came from my Grandma’s button box. I must admit I “liberated” several buttons that looked like little gears (long underwear buttons???).
I’m sure that some of our ornaments won’t be appreciated (as much as we would like) for their embroidery, buttons and beads, but it was worth it just to take a stroll through the button box.
Oh Virginia who doesn’t love a button box? What a pleasure for you to be able to sift through this one with your Mom and sis. I love to rake through the old buttons at flea markets too. A while ago I was given a button box by a friend whose Mom had passed. He said, ” There’s all kinds of crap in there you will probably like”. Crap? It was filled with exquisite little glass buttons and most poignantly buttons from the ” boys’ uniforms” from two wars. Not only was it a delight but also a fascinating history lesson in militaria. I only wished I could have had his Mom sitting beside me to tell the stories….
Melaine and Lynne – It IS all about the history and memories. Plus what fiber person doesn’t love all the little bling things in the world? V.
oh my, YES. The Button Box. I have the box that came to me from my mother, that came to her from her mother, and inside it are things that sparkle, things that gleam, and some things that might actually be bone. Some still on their cards with the then-outrageous (and now outrageous in the other direction) price of 3 for 35 cents. Some still with the knot of thread from having been cut from the garment, most just loose. Shirt buttons with 2 holes, shirt buttons with four holes — but never quite enough for an entire shirt front. Pearlized. Shanks. Gold tone and real brass. The heart-shaped buttons from my blue velvet Christmas dress. Oh, yes. I have a button box.
One of my fond memories from my childhood is sorting through my mom’s buttons. I remember helping myself to one each of my favorites and I kept them in a little box in my room. To this day, I love buttons of all kinds. Some that are in my collection belonged to my grandmother also.