Dorset Buttons! This is an old craft and comes somewhere between the original thorns and brooches used to pin the cloaks of ancient tribes in this country, the mutton-bone knobs and toggles, and the present day utility models and fancy fashion fastenings in a hundred different materials. Dorset buttons, made with linen thread and metal rings, go back three centuries, were made by hand in hundreds of thousands, were sent all over Europe, and have been researched by several authors. Above is an excerpt from one of the booklets in print, which relates the good news that even the most difficult to copy, the hightop, was finally solved and patterns are now available for craft workers. Factfile is available from Marion Howitt, Swanston, Russell Avenue, Dorset, BH19 2EB with instructions for making Dorset Buttons. I had some made for a traditional Dorset smock and they were very lovely, worked in the colours of the smocking. Picture in blog Cupboard Love. I shall have a couple of unused white small buttons for sale at the forthcoming Rag Market, Sunday, May 19 the at Bradford on Avon Contact dbaer@onetel.com http://www.dorsetbuttons.co.uk/I have recently been in touch with a keen needlewoman in Australia and was able to send her a few suitable fine brass rings for making the Dorset buttons which I had saved - actually for making drawstring purses, but they came in handy for the button making instead!-I must find out how she is getting on!
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