Wednesday, January 3, 2007

Old Buttons


HOOKED ON OLD BUTTONS

Every since I was a child as far back as five, I have been fascinated with old buttons. My grandmother, on my mothers side was one of the dearest people I have ever known and was responsible for my love for them. I did not get to see her that much as they lived about a four hours drive from us and back in the 40's and 50's both of my parents had to work. We tried to make it at least twice a year and that was always the high point of my small life. My grandmother knew how to sew, she made clothes for everyone, and she could embroidery and tat.I remember she wanted to teach me when I was about nine but by that age the tomboy had kicked in and I would rather be out in the barn with grandpa. I remember a closet that held her material, thread, and the BUTTON TIN.I would disappear into that wonderful place, get the tin, sit down in the floor and when I would take the lid off I seemed to vanish into a magical place that only children can go.I would sort by color, and then by types, I would pick out my favorites, and then I would begin to create. Finding just the right kind of thread I would place then on slowing admiring each one as if it were a rare and precious gem.Hours would slip by, I could hear the adults talking in the other room and my mother would ask, "has anyone seen Gail"? to which my grandmother would always reply." you know where she is, she's in there in my buttons".She left this life for a better one when I was only 11, I sure do miss her.However I do still have some of her buttons, they went to my mother and then she passed them on to me.Not sure if these are some of them but thought you might like to see just a few of my many buttons.

2 comments:

Sheila said...

My Grandmother was a needlewoman too. She had a fantastic collection of needelwork magazines she had collected over many years...some going back to when she was a young bride in 1918. I loved looking at them, and knowing she had made many of the things they showed.

Janet said...

Oh, buttons! I love buttons! I have tons of them, too. I remember stringing buttons from my mom's button box.