Friday 22 April 2016

Five On Friday - Button Heaven

For anyone who knows me or has been following this blog for sometime, you will know that I am a great lover of buttons.  I collect them and have a wide range of colours and styles both modern and vintage.  I love to look at  them and display them in my craft room.  Last week I showcased a beautiful book that I had received for my Birthday Buttons and Stitch which has 24 wonderful projects to use button stash.  I have made a start and will be able to show you five projects in the near future.  For now I thought I would share five fun facts about buttons.  The pictures throughout the post are not necessarily linked to the fact they are photos of my collection.



 
1.  The word BUTTON is derived from the French word bouton which means bud or knob.
 

 
2.  Prior to the introduction of the "button hole" thought to be in the 13th century buttons were generally ornamental.  The button hole was thought to have been brought to Europe from the Middle East by knights returning from the crusades.
 


 
3.  Plastic buttons became widely available in the 1930s.  World war II brought many advances in plastic technology.  Acrylic buttons were actually made from material left over from the manufacture of bomber gun turrets.
 
 

 
4.  During the World Wars the British and US Military used button lockets, which were buttons made to look like a locket and contained a compass.
 
 
5.  In the late 1800s when Queen Victoria went into mourning she obviously wore black and  she wore true jet glass buttons.  This had a great influence on fashion during that period.  True jet glass is hard to come by but of you do get lucky the easiest way to know if you have the real deal is by the feel.  If the button feels warm, you may be a winner.
 


 
I am linking up with Amy over at Love Made My Home for the weekly get together.    Hope the weather holds and that you are able to get out and about this weekend.  Take care.
 
See you soon.
 
 

44 comments:

  1. That's quite a collection you have there! I have fond memories of playing with a tub of buttons when we visited my grandmas house. I remember being fascinated by all the different styles and colours. X

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  2. I don't think I've ever seen such a huge button collection, you have some real beauties there. I remember my mum kept her buttons in an old Quality Street tin which she kept in the sideboard, I used to love playing with them. I wonder if she still has them, I must remember to ask her.

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  3. Gorgeous collection. I'm totally in love with the oval red/brown ones! Can I just correct one little point, though? True jet isn't glass. French jet is glass. True jet is fossilised monkey puzzle tree wood. In the UK its main source is in Whitby, North Yorkshire. I was there a couple of weeks ago and learned all about it!

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    1. Thank you for your comment, which is greatly appreciated. Whilst I am sure you are correct the book I referenced this from stated that Queen Victoria wore true jet glass whilst in mourning. The book I refer to is Button and Stitch by Kristen Rask.

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  4. Wow you have a great collection of buttons! Love all those green shades!
    Interesting facts about buttons too, inclusing above comment I didn't know that about jet.
    Yes lets hope it stays dry, have a good weekend!
    Gill xx

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  5. I love buttons so I really enjoyed your blog today, can't wait to see your button projects.

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  6. That was very interesting - especially the tip on real jet. I have my mother's button bottle and some of the buttons are older than she is. Every house needs a nice big button jar.

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  7. What a great post! Very interesting information and glimpses of your gorgeous collection.

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  8. You have a wondrous button collection, and I enjoyed reading your bits of information about buttons. The book sounds interesting.

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  9. Your collection is wonderful.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  10. So many beautiful buttons! The facts were really interesting & new to me so thanks for sharing!

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  11. What an interesting post. I also loved playing and looking through my grandmothers button collection. It was surprising how often it was needed

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  12. You do have a big collection! I collect buttons too and have maybe three quart jars filled and three pint jars full...but not as many as you have! Buttons are fun to collect.

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  13. I am a fully paid of member of Button Collecters Anonymous too MM. I have more than I will ever use in a lifetime.
    Thanks for the fascinating info on them-x-

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  14. Fascinating to read more about the history of buttons and to see your collection too. I had no idea there was so much to know about them. You have some wonderful buttons!! Thank you for joining Five On Friday again this week, I do so appreciate it and enjoy reading your posts. Hope you have a great weekend! xx

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  15. Yowza.. you have a LOT of buttons! I have some and do love them. One time our group had a button collector put on a program for us and they had the most amazing collection and lots of historic ones. You could google my name and "button collection" to see it.. you'd love it. ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  16. SO many lovely buttons! Thanks for sharing.

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  17. What an interesting post! I love buttons, and lament the fact both of my grandmother's button collections got thrown out after they were gone. You have some wonderful buttons in your collection!

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  18. I really need to sort out my button collection before my daughter eats them. Thank you for inspiring me and the history lessons.

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  19. Love your buttons. I have some but not as many as before. I had a huge tin but my dad accidently took them to the flea market and someone stole them, so sad I was they were all beautiful vintage ones. Yours are lovely. Happy weekend with love Janice

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  20. My favorites are those elliptical ones or maybe the ones that look like sea glass or perhaps the Cath Kidstone ones that are so feminine and pretty.

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  21. Thanks for your interesting post! My mom's button box was a treasure I loved to explore :) Happy Weekend! xx

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  22. Button, button, whose got the button? Interesting facts your shared. I enjoyed my mom's button box as well! Our rain returned over night and this morning. But then this afternoon it became warm and the clouds were lovely and so fluffy. Phil might be able to mow the lawn tomorrow if grass isn't too wet! Have a good weekend!

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  23. What a lovely collection of buttons xx

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  24. What a great post. Some facts about buttons that I didn't know. I love collecting and using pretty buttons too. B x

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  25. An impressive collection !!!!
    Have a fun weekend !
    Hug
    Anna

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  26. Amazing collection and some interesting facts.

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  27. There is something scrumptious about buttons and what a variety you have! Thank you for all the fascinating facts too. x

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  28. Wonderful, wonderful, now you've got to count them!!x

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  29. Five fascinating button facts. You have a wonderful collection. I used to love visiting my grandma as she would let me play with her biscuit tin full of buttons:)

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  30. You do have some great buttons there, I think I may have serious button envy!
    Thank you for the interesting points, and for your kind comment on my blog. Barbara xx

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  31. Gosh what a super collection of buttons and such interesting facts too! Love the green buttons!
    Caz xx

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  32. You do have a fabulous collection. I enjoyed reading the history, too.

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  33. LOVE all your wonderful buttons! I love them too, but have so few.

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  34. Wow thats a lot of buttons :) and thank you for sharing a little of the history of buttons its always good to learn something new.

    Angela - Garden Tea cakes and Me

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  35. Wow! You do have quite a collection of buttons. And some of the buttons are unique and very pretty too! Thank you for sharing history of buttons.

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  36. Fascinating! I had no idea the history of buttons was so interesting. Growing up my sister and I used to spend hours playing with my mother and my Granny's button boxes!

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  37. Love your photos of buttons and they were very interesting facts. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

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  38. I have button envy. I seem to have trouble finding buttons I like so whenever I'm in a store and I see buttons I like I buy them not knowing what they will eventually be sewn on :) The system works for me!!

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  39. Oh my, button heaven indeed :) I just love your sweet buttons.

    Have a beautiful week! Hugs!

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  40. I love this!! I am a button lover as well. Enjoyed reading!
    xo
    Lynn

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  41. I adore buttons...always have and always will. Last summer at our doll fair, we used buttons for currency, so I came home with lots of fun buttons. Thank you dear friend for being so faithful. I appreciate it. It's been a crazy busy time, once again. I wish I could sit and chat with you and just let you know how much you mean to me. I have noticed that blogging is different. If you don't keep up with it and reading other's blogs, everyone seams to just go away. Not you...my most faithful blogger friend. Hugs....

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  42. Wow - that is a lot of buttons. I thought I had a few, but I'm a mere beginner :) I used to love sorting through my mum's button tin - and of course it never needed sorting at all! :)

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