On this my birthday, I was chuffed to have the chance to share one of my favourite techniques with my mum and mum-in-law! All three of us made some Dorset buttons. Simple but attractive, with a nautical historic touch. All you need is a small plastic curtain ring, some fine wool or embroidery thread and a needle.
Dorset buttons have an interesting history but do not seem to be very well-known! Families in Shaftsbury and Blandford were recruited to hand-stitch the buttons which were originally made with rings carved from Dorset rams' horns. This was a thriving cottage industry until inevitably machines were invented to mass produce the plastic buttons we are familiar with today. Dorset buttons are now the artefacts of local fashion museums.
My husband's family being Dorset-people, I thought it would be fun to attempt to revive the Dorset button. What with the BBC's recent 'Great British Sewing Bee' competition inspiring the nation to dust off their sewing machines and get out their pins and needles, I'm hoping more and more hand-crafting folk will rekindle the art of Dorset button-making!
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