Every button tells a story
One of the things I really enjoy about selling at fairs and markets is the people I meet. My working day is normally a quiet and solitary one so market days are quite a contrast.
Ideas are exchanged, stories swapped and I always keep a little sketchbook to hand as inspiration often strikes as a result of something that happens on my stall that day. A number of new products and a great many products in pipeline are as a direct result of conversations with customers.
One such conversation resulted in the most wonderful gift to me.
A lady was pondering my stall and suddenly asked if I might have use of her Mother's Button Tin. You can imagine just how very enthusiastic I was and today that lovely lady delivered those buttons.
I know that many of you reading will appreciate exactly how wonderful this gift was to me. Buttons are lovely things and given the choice between old and new I would choose old every time. Charity shops are great sources of old buttons but to receive a whole collection, well, words fail.
The vintage sweet tin is a thing of beauty in itself but this afternoon Tilly and I opened up that tin and spent a very happy hour or so going through the treasure within.
I love to think of one person collecting these buttons, a life-time's worth, within this tin a family story contained. Many of the buttons have been sorted and threaded into groups. This lady and I shared a favour for certain colour combinations.
I am rather thrilled that she looped the red, aqua and cream buttons together, what a pleasing combination. I wonder why she put them together? For her own pleasure or with thoughts of a project?
The little blue butterflies took Tilly's eye immediately.
And the dark, fancy, evening style buttons. All strung together, properly categorized. I wonder what what parties they attended, the clothes they adorned? My glamour girl suggested I sew them to a disco suit, I thought maybe disco brooches would be more appropriate.
That lady's daughter was so very generous to give me this tin of treasure, I know that she is glad to think of them being put to use and I am fairly certain that her mother, that careful saver of buttons, would be pleased to know that her collection was so appreciated. As I sew with these buttons I will think about their stories, imagine the adventures behind them and the new stories ahead.
One of the things I really enjoy about selling at fairs and markets is the people I meet. My working day is normally a quiet and solitary one so market days are quite a contrast.
Ideas are exchanged, stories swapped and I always keep a little sketchbook to hand as inspiration often strikes as a result of something that happens on my stall that day. A number of new products and a great many products in pipeline are as a direct result of conversations with customers.
One such conversation resulted in the most wonderful gift to me.
A lady was pondering my stall and suddenly asked if I might have use of her Mother's Button Tin. You can imagine just how very enthusiastic I was and today that lovely lady delivered those buttons.
I know that many of you reading will appreciate exactly how wonderful this gift was to me. Buttons are lovely things and given the choice between old and new I would choose old every time. Charity shops are great sources of old buttons but to receive a whole collection, well, words fail.
The vintage sweet tin is a thing of beauty in itself but this afternoon Tilly and I opened up that tin and spent a very happy hour or so going through the treasure within.
I love to think of one person collecting these buttons, a life-time's worth, within this tin a family story contained. Many of the buttons have been sorted and threaded into groups. This lady and I shared a favour for certain colour combinations.
I am rather thrilled that she looped the red, aqua and cream buttons together, what a pleasing combination. I wonder why she put them together? For her own pleasure or with thoughts of a project?
The little blue butterflies took Tilly's eye immediately.
And the dark, fancy, evening style buttons. All strung together, properly categorized. I wonder what what parties they attended, the clothes they adorned? My glamour girl suggested I sew them to a disco suit, I thought maybe disco brooches would be more appropriate.
That lady's daughter was so very generous to give me this tin of treasure, I know that she is glad to think of them being put to use and I am fairly certain that her mother, that careful saver of buttons, would be pleased to know that her collection was so appreciated. As I sew with these buttons I will think about their stories, imagine the adventures behind them and the new stories ahead.
Comments
I, like many, would like to embark on the selling at markets adventure so I was interested to see what you had to say on the subject. I have a lot to learn before I embark but I hope to approach a wonderful chateau owner (I wrote an article on her sixteenth century kitchen gardens last year) and ask her if I could sell at her arts and garden fair next october. Hopefully, if she says yes that will give me the time to get ready.
Sorry this is so longwinded. I guess your post just inspired me!
Helen x
Jealous of your bunch of dahlias!
I would imagine that you might make something with some of those buttons as a gift for that sweet lady, keeping the circle complete.
Best wishes!
Pomona x
So lovely to think of all the history of those buttons!
Ali
x