[NFB-Blind-Crafters] Dorset buttons

[carcione at access.net]

Hi Henry.

Yes.  A soldier from Dorset England set up a business to make them starting
in the 1600's.  There's were a lot of sheep in Dorset at that time, and both
the ewes and rams had horns, so the button-maker used pieces of horn for the
rings. 

 

We also learned that making buttonholes was a great skill, and buttonhole
makers were paid more than regular seamstresses.  Thus, a person could show
off their wealth by having lots of buttonholes in their clothing, and rich
people had buttonholes with no corresponding buttons.  Funny, ay?

 

And we learned that, when attaching any button, it's important to create a
shank by attaching button raised up enough to accommodate the fabric around
the buttonhole.  One makes the shank by starting to attach the button, but
holding it up off the fabric and wrapping the thread around the first
attaching stitch, to strengthen the shank, and then continuing to sew on the
button in the elevated position.  

Hope that makes sense.  I can picture it clearly, but maybe not explain it
well.  I think I'd hold the button up every time I made a stitch, and wrap
at the end, and maybe more often.

Tracy

 

 

From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf
Of henry osborne jr via NFB-Blind-Crafters
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 10:48 AM
To: 'List for Blind Crafters and Artists' <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org>
Cc: hosbornejr at gmail.com
Subject: Re: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Dorset buttons

 

Good Morning Tracy, thank you for sharing this with us. Is there any origin
like England where these buttons were first made?

 

From: NFB-Blind-Crafters <nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org
<mailto:nfb-blind-crafters-bounces at nfbnet.org> > On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione
via NFB-Blind-Crafters
Sent: Tuesday, December 3, 2024 8:28 AM
To: 'List for Blind Crafters and Artists' <nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org
<mailto:nfb-blind-crafters at nfbnet.org> >
Cc: carcione at access.net <mailto:carcione at access.net> 
Subject: [NFB-Blind-Crafters] Dorset buttons

 

Last night I learned the basics of making Dorset buttons.  Amazingly, a
member of the local knitters' guild is the world-wide expert on these
buttons.  

I never heard of these buttons before, or really of making buttons, so it
was very interesting.

Basically, you need a ring and a skein of pearl-cotton thread or fingering
yarn.  You make half-hitches with the yarn to cover the ring, then make
spokes by wrapping the yarn from 1 side to the other, like a clock, then
weave the yarn through the spokes to fill in the center.  

Pretty simple, once I got it.  Children used to make them, as well as
adults, to make money for the family.

Of course, there are fancier variations, but that's the basic.

And now I know, roughly, how to make my own buttons!  Though she said it's
much harder than it used to be to get inexpensive rings of decent quality.

Tracy

 

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