Dorset Buttons

Day 293: Some years ago when my sister-of-the-heart Patty was here for a visit, I was dragging out various and sundry craft items to show her, one of which was hand-made greeting cards. I think I'd kinda overwhelmed her by then because she said laughingly, "Oh, and I suppose you made the paper, too!" I was reminded of a similar incident twenty years earlier, but I was compelled to answer honestly and somewhat sheepishly, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did."

Yesterday, I got a note from Patty asking if I'd ever heard of "Dorset buttons." After all, I am a fiberartist, and while I haven't dabbled in every single type of thread-craft, I've certainly hit quite a few of the less commonly seen ones. "Yep," I said. "Lemme see if I can find mine." It took less time than expected, and although Dorset buttons are usually (but not always) made over a ring instead of a button form, these fall within the broader definition. Technically, they would be further distinguished with the term "needle-lace buttons," and the method of working is similar to that used in hardanger to fill open areas, or on a larger scale, in making traditional "god's-eye" decorations. A framework of threads is laid down, and then a pattern is created on the web by wrapping it in a specified order. The designs shown here are "checkerboard leek" (blue, top left), "star leek" (blue, bottom) and "Victorian star" (lavender-grey, top right). All were made with #8 perle cotton on a 3/4" shankless form. Almost any stiff material can be used as a base: cardboard, plastic discs, even commercially made buttons. As a general rule, they were meant to be removed before laundering, and often had a second button sewn to the back side to fit into a matched pair of buttonholes in the garment in the same manner cufflinks are used. After sending Patty the photo, I started to wonder where my instructions were. It took longer to find the directions than it did to find the buttons!