Day 302: There is some debate among Dorset button aficionados as to whether nosegays, trees and other modern variations can truly be considered a "Dorset button." This one seems to be almost everyone's current favourite, and you'll see a lot of versions of it on the internet, but is it really a Dorset button? Obviously, it wasn't made in Dorset (I stitched it in my living room), so that's one count against it as far as the sticklers are concerned. Was it made in the era when handmade buttons were the only kind around? Again, obviously not. Is there a cut-off date for "genuine" Dorset button manufacture? Not to my knowledge. Nor does it even qualify as "vintage." The same type of debate rages over sashiko embroidery, but with even greater cultural implications. If a needleworker creates something using the same methods and materials, how can it not be called authentic? The problem here is that I am of two minds. I can see both sides of the argument. However, it is always best to err on the side of caution, and lest I give offence unwittingly, let me just say this button was made in a "modern Dorset" style.
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