Day 147 : Hayfever

Day 147 : Hayfever

It may be only a "medium" for pollen at the moment, but try telling my sinuses that! Living with hayfever during a world pandemic is not ideal. Times like this I wish I had opted for surgery last year. I keep thinking I should make a mask that just has the word "hayfever" written across it...

The button mould (a No 3) is covered with some fabric I had in my stash which I've padded with more of the same. The surround is Soie Gobelins in a shade of green that is much prettier than the camera picked up. The yellow is Soie Perlee. 

Size : 26mm / 1 1⁄16" / 40L

Day 146 : Mary Rose

Day 146 : Mary Rose

Today's button is based on one found in the Mary Rose. There were quite a few, including a fabric and two different thread worked types. In my 2016 challenge, I attempted one of the thread wraps - you can see it here. 

The centre of mine isn't quite right - I haven't yet determined if what I am seeing on the museum photographs are actually something else (and perhaps a result of being underwater). I think it may be the hole of a mould underneath the fabric leaving an impression, not anything acting as a design element, so I chose to go with a little knot, as that was the usual way of attaching buttons at this time.

Materials - silk satin fabric, silk thread, wool cloth and a disc of cardboard. There are a few buttons from the period which are described as having a cardboard core, when you consider the very small size, cardboard is probably easier to manage and to produce. Of course mine is a total cheat and die-cut waste, but it is only about 2mm off the size of the original, so it was quite perfect...

Size : 10mm / 7⁄16" / 16L

Day 145 : Eliot

Day 145 : Eliot

Today's button is back to a traditional passementerie button. I am working on a set that will adorn a gown based on this one from 1842 in the Met. It will be made by Prior Attire here in the UK. It is interesting that the original buttons have the second, lighter colour at the centre, something that isn't seem very often in comparison to 'regular' grappe buttons. 

For the right look, I have spun the filament silk threads for the grappe work - the colours that I needed just weren't available in the correct weight. It is about the same as Soie Perlee. Knowing how to twist up your own threads really comes in useful when doing work like this. The base is a satin wrap of filament silk over a No 14 tagua nut mould. To be really authentic it should have been wood, but we did have these made to be used for just this sort of button!

The set will also also include some rather fancy little tassels and cords... 

And the name? Well, this style always makes me think of George Eliot. 

Size: 20mm / 13⁄16" / 32L