The Button That Fell From the Fairy's Dress

I am THRILLED with this big tin of buttons!

I remember my grandma's big collection of buttons; how I'd idly sift them through my hands and try to imagine which ones were most valuable. To my childish mind, I thought they might have monetary value, and the shinier ones obviously worth more than others. The more gold or gilt, the better. Sometimes I'd ask her where certain ones came from; the padded houndstooth circular one...from an old overcoat. The gilt-edged braid replica in the shape of a Fleur-di-lis...from a dress, if she remembered correctly. A big black button so shiny I could see the reflection of my teeth with the recently-acquired gap in the front where I'd sacrificed a tooth in order to gain a couple of quarters from the mysterious Tooth Fairy. The black button, she said, was on a dress worn to several funerals. And church too, since people didn't have many nice dresses in her day, she somberly told me. You wore the nicer ones for special occasions, whether it was a funeral or a revival service with lots of fire and brimstone. It was so much fun to imagine what clothing those buttons had once adorned...what excitement or sadness they saw. I don't know what happened to those magical buttons, I'm sure they disappeared during her next move and eventually her death. Whatever stories and secrets they contained were lost forever.

With my latest interest in the World of Sewing, I've thought back to those buttons and remembered the magical feel of them in my hands. But also, I've realized the practicality of saving buttons; you can use them to replace the missing one on your husband's aloha shirt, or to once again replace one from your favorite overly-washed but comfy green and white striped American Eagle polo shirt. These buttons are simple and...boring. Small round plastic pieces in simple brown, white, or clear. They do the job but hold little character. It seems to me, it would be much more fun to have a pile of interesting buttons to choose from as I embark on my new creative efforts. An embellished t-shirt dress for Olivia might be completed with a large Lucite button from the '60's, for example.

But where to get a new collection of buttons? Neat ones...that is...not just the little piles of plain brown or white ones that come thoughtfully attached to new shirts by manufactures. And then yesterday, I was visiting a dear friend and noticed a large decorative tube on her bookshelf, filled to the brim with a wide assortment of buttons that practically screamed the decades they were from and my imagination was filled with their voices as I admired them; 1920's flapper dress! 1940's Rosie the Riveter overalls! 1950's housewife dress! 1960's Jackie O-ish suit! My friend proudly informed me that the buttons had been her mothers. Thankfully, she noticed my looks of longing, and perhaps the petulant tone to my voice as I told her that I sure wished I had a collection of old buttons. For my sewing projects. And for my imagination, I added silently. Well, she exclaimed as she stood up and headed into the bedroom, a friend had recently moved and tried to discard a tin filled with buttons, and the tin was rescued. Would I want them?

Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Of course I came home with this tin containing hundreds of buttons and have already spent time running them through my fingers. Admiring the cubist Lucite button and the '80's neon miniature sunglasses. The earthy brown chunky button and of course, the gaudy gilty faux braided knots. Love them! I can hear their stories...or what could be their stories....whisper to me as I caress them. I will use these on my future sewing endeavors. Whatever they've seen in the past will be carried into my future. And perhaps one day Olivia will sort through these in her innocence, and I will retain some of the wonder of my childhood as we imagine their stories together. The white butterfly button that surely, once went to a ball on the shimmery green gown of a fairy princess. The huge diamond-shaped glittery marvel that fell from the evening coat of a grand knight...