Well, that’s my Bernina, off to be serviced. See you in a week, little fella.
A week.
Gulp.
Distractions, distractions, need distractions… How about a giveaway?
Did you know that it’s National Button Day today? Yup, turns out that there’s a day for everything, even buttons. Which gives me a great opportunity to share this book with you guys.
The Button Box
Did you know:
- The introduction of the zip democratised evening dresses. Why? You no longer needed the help of a servant to pull on your floor-length gown.
- In the early 20th century, the number of bones you had in your corset became a status symbol. A lady might aspire to a 28-bone corset.
- The linen button was the humblest button of all, worn by colliery and factory men and their wives. Why? It survived the mangle, unlike mother of pearl.
This book is also a social history of Chesterfield in Derbyshire, the author’s home town – and mine. Which means I can’t quite bear to give away my hardback copy of this book. But I’ll happily give away a paperback edition
Leave a comment below by midnight GMT Saturday 18 November, and your name shall be thrown into the hat. As ever, this competition is open worldwide.
Happy Button Day!
 
What a lovely idea for a book and who doesn’t love buttons?
Lisa Fredericksen Dkfreder@msn.com
Years ago there was a button shop in Chicago. It was such a wonderful place. I moved away but next time I visit I will have to look into whether it is still there. Buttons…the jewelry of sewing!!
I usually don’t comment, but I love buttons, and that book sounds absolutely too wonderful to pass up!
You are reminding me that I should get my machines serviced–some of them probably haven’t been serviced since before I was born…
I love buttons! As a child I remember loving playing with my Mum’s button box and seeing all the different shapes, colours and textures. Now as an adult who loves sewing they’re even more enthralling to me 🙂
Fascinating! Pick me pick me!!!!
looks like an interesting book.
The trauma of living w/o a sewing machine. Maybe you can kill some time making button jewelry!
I LOVE buttons. I LOVE books. I even LIKE making button holes. And I really LIKE your blog very much!
I’d love The Button Box book for my grown-up daughter, please, whose lovely-but-busy new job in theatre wardobe means she won’t have time to get home to see us this Christmas. She’d love the book – and all the history – and I’d like a peep at the pages, too, before posting it back to London..
Oh would love to win. Who can’t resist a beautiful button! Xx
Love both buttons and books plus am always interested in social history. Always enjoy reading your blog as well
What a lovely idea for a book. Even if I don’t win it I’ll probably have to buy a copy! I love buttons and the stories behind them. I have my grandma’s button box and my mother’s and they’re both full of treasures.
I hope your machine has a speedy return! And I am very interested in this book, I will look it up! The only button specialty shop in Toronto has closed (there are others that sell buttons, of course), but the sight of all the boxes of neatly displayed buttons will be missed!
Buttons can make or break a garment!! I bought a beautiful red cashmere/wool full length red coat last week from a charity shop in Keswick. Will be wonderful to wear over Christmas! However some of the lovely black oval buttons were missing – I would need to change them all! Luckily I was travelling to London last Saturday so remembered to cut off a button to try to find some replacements! Nothing found on Walthamstow Market – but on a visit to Liberty I found exactly the right ones – first time buttons have cost more than the coat!!!
I am still fond of chocolate buttons…..
What a lovely idea – thank you for this giveaway. I love buttons – I have jars of them in a window in my sewing room.
Ooooh! Bizarre for a book about buttons to sound so interesting, but I genuinely think I may buy a copy of this! X
Ooo! That sounds like a lovely book. Thank you for the chance of winning it, and hope you get your machine back soon. Lynne
Learnt a lot just from your little snippets already. One of my favourite button shops is The Button Box in York. Not sure if it’s still there. I have a few button jars with old buttons in, gosh they bring back memories when you look through them.
I have my grandmother’s button box. My mom picked it and a cookie jar from grandma’s belongings. And now I have the button box. Sentimental.
Why oh why do I find it so hard to part with buttons that I know I will never use? The nicer they are…. the more likely I am to go out and buy MORE buttons for a garment rather than use my own ones!! Maybe this book will address this very issue lol
Button, button who’s got the button? We played a game when I was young where
we’d pass a button behind our backs, eyes closed music playing when it stopped
we would guess who had the button. Hey this was the 1960-70’s no computer games
Or computers
Growing up I had an elderly neighbor couple who had a button
collection mounted in shadow box’s on the walls of their finished
basement. Such beautiful buttons with stories to go with most of them.
Dotti & Bill were lovely people the whole neighborhood loved them
not just the kids.
What a beautiful book. Such a. Lovely gift
What a great book concept
I am in! Thank you!
Yes please x
I remember as a child picking through my Nan’s and moms button box…it was always such a fascination wondering what garments they had all come from😀
How absolutely wonderful. I love buttons and collect vintage ones, aspiring one day to use them in my sewing. I love buying old buttons where you can still see small pieces of the garment attached. It really brings to life what they were originally used for. This book sounds absolutely fab. Xx
What a lovely book, I know someone this would be perfect for, if Im not lucky it is going on my christmas list .
What a gorgeous book! My great aunt had all sorts of sewing-related randomalia in her house, and I remember finding, and being very intrigued by, linen buttons in her stash. I hadn’t thought about mangles, but that makes perfect sense!
I LOVE buttons and would love to read the book
always have need of buttins and would love the histery
Wonderful buttons, and sounds like a great read.
How fascinating.
Wow fabulous! love buttons little pieces of art!!! The book sounds fabulous!
Cool book! 😎 Thanks for sharing!
I broke so many buttons in the mangle 😂
Thanks for the giveaway; it sounds like an interesting read!
I loved to poke around looking for cards of vintage buttons in thrift shops
yet I find myself hesitating to actually USE them on a make! What if I find
that they would have been better used on the NEXT make? Haha- I guess
I could just cut them off (yikes!) & put them on the new make. Decisions,
decisions. Looks like an engrossing read. I enjoy
your pics; always beautifully styled.
What a interesting book, love to read about history of buttons.
I collect buttons 🙂 This sounds like an absolutely gorgeous read 🙂
What an interesting sounding book. Makes me think of the fun times as a child sorting through the button tin… modern children do not know what they are missing out on.
I love Buttons. My students used to laugh when I told them about my beloved button box! And my blog is even named Sew Buttons. Guess that makes me the perfect choice to win this charming book!
Awesome giveaway. Like you, I have really fond memories of Chesterfield, as I did my Nurse Training there. It was the best 3 years of my life.
This book sounds amazing and I would love the opportunity to read it please. Thank you for the awesome chance.
I love the sound of this book! I have rather a lot of buttons in a suitcase. It’s surprising how many you can fit in a suitcase, it’s a little embarrassing!
What an excellent choice for a give away. If I don’t win it is going on my holiday list.
Happy button day! This book has been on my Amazon wishlist for a while now, but I have yet to actually own it. I think every sewer probably has a tin or box FULL of buttons, just waiting to be matched with the perfect garment 😀
Sounds like an amazing book. I loved raiding my mums button box as a child and creating stories for all the buttons!
Love buttons, love books – sounds perfect.
The book sounds fascinating. I’ve got my Mum’s old button collection, including some really old ones I’m waiting to find a special project for. Maybe I’ll learn more about them in this book!
My partner always helps me pick buttons for projects. It’s his crafty contribution. We have interesting conversations! Many buttons in our house.
What a fabulous idea for book. Love my button box
I’ve never really given much thought to the history of buttons, but your little snippets have me intrigued. This sounds like a book very much worth reading.
Buttons, how do I love them, let me count the ways …… sorry mr S. But I am glad to see my 5 year old granddaughter has inherited my love as she heads for my spice jar rack of different coloured buttons to do sorting whenever she visits.
What a nice idea for a book. I like the stories of your readers as well.
Which came first…buttons or weaving? Would love to know, after reading about origins of weaving as women’s work.
My mum would love this!
I’m very attached the buttons I collected over time as most come from my grandmothers. I love the concept of this book! Thank you for the discovery! Even if I don’t win the giveaway, I’ll have gain a new name on my reading wishlist! xxx
Would love to read this book all the way in Australia, my visit to London last Dec Jan, was amazing and I was able to explore many fabric shops, I love a good button search.
Thanks so much for sharing this! I really want to read this book now and it’s gone straight onto my Christmas wish list. I mean, social history told through buttons – what a fascinating concept!
Ooh. I love buttons – and was lucky enough to inherit my grannies button box when she died.
Going to re-organise my button tin in honour of National Button Day and hoping I win this book!
What a fascinating book!
I think these comments prove that we are never too old to play with buttons!
I love me a story book about sewing!
That sounds so interesting, I love old buttons.
Oh the stories my Mother had to tell when I picked out favourites from her button box! Tall tales & true from her legendary past -to paraphrase Walt Disney. These days my buttons are filed by colour & size, not just a haphazard pile, & I think a little story telling is lost with my desire to be a serious seamstress.
Lovely giveaway. I love buttons and have lots of them but still rummage around in charity and vintage shops for more!
Brilliantly buttonlicious! I’m keen to know more about the history of these buttons and also the derby area as it’s close to me.. I never thought I’d ever be this interested in reading a book about buttons but wow I’d love to win!
Pick me. I love a giveaway and this will be a lovely present.:)
The is a wonderful shop in NYC called Tender Buttons. It’s like a small museum. When I first started sewing there was a button shop near where I Iived that was its antithesis. The place was an absolute mess, but the owner could always find the perfect button. I would enjoy this book.
It sounds like a lovely read. Fingers crossed for the win!
Thanks so much for suggesting this book. I just ordered 2 copies from Amazon, 1 for me and 1 for my mother- age 79. (No need to pick me- shipping to the US is $$ and I just bought it.) She is the one who taught me to sew. Her home town library is small and limited- and she isn’t much for ordering books online. So when I find books I know she will like, I send them to her. She is in to history lately and will probably want to ask my hubby the history teacher about the historical background of the book. Thanks again! Keep those book suggestions coming!
I wonder if I should put buttons in jars
rather than ziploc bags. Hum. Would love that book.
I submit my name for the drawing!
peggy
I did. every color has its own little jar. It looks lovely and each time I open my sewing closet I love that colorful view 🙂
What a fab prize, and I know just the person who would adore the book as a Christmas gift.
I am to have my grandmother’s button box which is currently with my mother. So much history there. I always remember to save the buttons from discarded clothing like my grandmother did. Never know when you can use those again on another garment.
What a wonderful concept! I love my button box and have fond memories of my Mom’sand Grandma’s.
I love buttons so much I frame may favourites so I can look at them all the time. I wish my grannie was still here to talk me through her button jar that she gave to my mum and my mum gave to me.
My Mum used to let me buy a button for me collection everytime I was waiting for her to choose materials. I still have it! I’d love this book ;o)
It sounds like a very interesting book.
Just love buttons, can’t resist buying them. Love to win this book.
I love buttons . Childhood memories of playing with the button box. The book looks interesting thanks for this competition.
Buttons! Last year I was given a little bag with vintage buttons by a colleagues mom. Some of them are new and some of them were already used. I especially love these and often think of stories they might have already seen….
That book sounds super interesting. My favourite buttons from my childhood are little Peter Rabbit ones 🙂
Oh yes I remember those Peter Rabbit buttons – When I was about 3 years old I had a pale blue dressing gown with them on and a felt Peter Rabbit on the back as a cord carrier. Please add me into the draw for the book Karen.
I used to know an elderly lady who had been a tailoress. Sadly she’s no longer with us, however she gave me her old button tin (knowing that I sewed). I treasure it. How lovely that there’s a Button Day!
What a lovely idea
Oh how lovely. I inherited the button boxes from both my grandmothers, and I can’t resist the button boxes in charity shops 😊
What a wonderful, wonderful book! My family publishes sewing books in Germany, so I am doubly interested ;-)!
I’ve always had a “button box” as did my Mum and Grandmother! There’s history in those boxes!
I loved emptying and sorting my Mum’s button tin as a child – and I still have some of my grandmother’s buttons (and belt buckles – probably from the 1930s when decorative belts were more common). Buttons are quite enthralling aren’t they? Except for my friends daughter who has Koumpounophobia !
My button boxes are ones my grandmother’s had. The history they will have seen must be incredible i would love to learn more.
How wonderful!
I’d love to read this book – is there any better way of spending half an hour than sorting through an old button box? Love buttons!!
Another fascinating topic which you take for granted
I love your blog and will definitely look this book up. Ive recently started a textile degree and playing with my gandmothers button box inspired my theme for next terms project – buttons 🙂
Oops – I think I made a mistake in my earlier email address. Amended it now. Still going to use buttons as my inspiration for next terms textile project.
Ooh! That’s both a lovely book and a lovely concept.
How interesting! I’ve just finished packing up our house, ready for moving, and was really alarmed at how much space my button collection needed. I can’t throw a button away! I find it hard to hand over a garment to the charity shop if it has a nice button on it. But my big worry is, who will look after them when I die?
sounds like a lovely book x
Having just added one new word to both my english and Italian vocabulary (mangle and mangano respectively) I am already quite happy as goveaways go.. but why not try my luck! 🙂
Love to hear the history of everyday items, fab book!
I love to make buttons to complement my stitching projects. Dorset, Yorkshire and Macclesfield buttons; ‘austerity’, felted and beaded all have fascinating stories behind them. I’m always on the lookout for more varieties to try and stories to tell – this book sounds ideal.
Happy rainy afternoons when I was little, sorting out the button box
I didn’t realise you are from Chesterfield. Me too! I’m hoping to move back there soon after 30 years away. This book will go onto my reading list even if I don’t win a copy.
There is something very magical about an old biscuit or sweetie tin of buttons.. preferably your grannies button tin! They are a real paradox to me too as the ocd in me desperately wants to sort them and group them neatly in little rows of colour sequential bags However, there is also a massive part of me that just loves running my fingers through them, love the sound they make too.
The solution is to spend hours laying them out in the matching sets until i find the right size colour and number i need for whatever i’m making and them scooping them all back into their tin!
Interestingly there are several Facebook pages that specialize in Buttons … I’m only on one or two or i will end up with millions of beautiful Vintage buttons. I don’t really know enough about them all but lots of people do …. they probably all own this book or others like it that tell the history of the humble button 😀
Lainey
I have both my mother’s and my grandmothers button boxes and I treasure them!
My button collection is my absolute treasure! My daughter (now 27) learned all of her colors, shapes, counting, primary mathematics, etc, from sorting and re-sorting my button collection!
sounds like an interesting book
My girls used to play with the buttons in my button tin, like I did when I visited my grandmother. Your post brought up many happy memories! Thank you for sharing with us!
I loooove buttons but am ashamed to say I didn’t know it was Button Day. I have a huge stash of buttons, every colour with their own drawer, and I often get them out and just admire them. They are there to be used, problem is I love them that much I never want to use them!
I would love to win your giveaway xx
Combined stories of buttons annnnd Chesterfield! What are could a woman want!
I love buttons! The book sounds fascinating (okay, I am a historian, just so you know!). I need to organize my buttons better; currently they are all shoved into ziplock bags – not very attractive.
Sounds like a lovely book, please count me in.
National Button Day! I feel the urge to go to eBay and browse for vintage buttons now. And that’s after I spent far too much on buttons at the flea market on Saturday. They were so pretty, I couldn’t resist: https://www.instagram.com/p/BbXAKTDnDp6/?taken-by=awfulknitter_. But then I never can resist, which is why I have a big boxful! I think a well-stocked button tin is a fine thing to aspire to.
My favourite button shop is Duttons for Buttons. I love that you can send them your fabric or yarn, and they’ll send some matching buttons for you to choose from: such a useful service!
Please count me in on the book draw! As a small child, I spent hours with my mother’s button box and still love collecting!
I am so glad that you brought this book to our attention — I love history and this sounds delightful. (And sewing related as well — nothing better!)
I’d love to win a copy too. I used to do everything that everyone else seems to have done with buttons – and I love them still!
I would adore having this book on my shelves and would read it cover to cover. My love for buttons is almost as strong as my love for fabric…..and that knows no bounds!
Thanks for the chance to win this lovely book!
My Mum passed away earlier this year and I have her button tin; I look at some of those buttons and I can remember playing with them as a child and the clothes they once adorned . I also live near Chesterfield, love reading your blog.
This looks like a great book!
I love using vintage buttons on new garments.
Buttons are very cherished, as they are both small beauties easily transported but also so very practical when actually used! I have a collection of old and unusual as well as their more commonplace cousins. I carefully consider their use for every project. Can! Really look anymore, I just get overwhelmed. Sounds like a great book.
Ooo what a fabulous book – I love buttons and have a Kilner jar filled with my grandmother’s button hoard. I’d love to win this.
Beautiful. It was always fun to sort through my mums button jar looking for the right button for a project. I now have my own collection of buttons just waiting to be used
Happy button day!! That’s awesome
And very interesting idea to build up a book on that idea.
Wishes of peace and strength away from your sewing machine!!
who didnt love playing with Grans button box!!!
they still fascinate me x
I have many button treasures, some of them inherited and if a garment is too worn to be of use and has pretty buttons, I add to my collection.
sounds like a really interesting read! would love it!
The most amazing buttons I’ve seen recently were in Sabah ( North Borneo) in September and you could buy Chinese woven and embroidered buttons as well as plastic and wooden ones. A spectacular display but I can’t recall when I last sewed a button onto anything. Didn’t stop me buying some though!
I loooooove buttons! I have been collecting them since I was a kid. I started with my grandmother’s button box and now have quite a collection. It’s one of the few things I have that I’m not embarrassed my kids will find when they have to go through my sewing toom. Lol!
Would love to know how linen buttons were made!
Que libro mas interesante!!! Me encantan los botones, sobre todo antiguos. Una vez compre unos diminutos de nácar en una feria de antigüedades y me puedo tirar horas viéndolos en puestos del mercado.
I love buttons! When I was little my mom would give me her button jar to play with when she needed me out of the way for a little while.
sounds like a fun book, I would love to win
Ooo- what a great companion that would be to my button jars! It really sounds fascinating!
I find it fascinating how the zipper changed society and history in general and reduced our dependence on buttons. I would love to win a copy of the book.
Sounds like an interesting book! We’ve been collecting buttons for at least three generations in my family starting with my grandmother, though I suspect this is something which has been going on for a lot longer…! Something that really annoys me is if another member of the family decides to chuck/recycle a garment without harvesting the buttons first, I mean, you never know when they’ll come into their own do you?
Oh this is really lovely!! I
Sounds like a book I’d enjoy. I am very interested in social history and I have very clear memories of my own Mother’s button box.
great book = sounds very interesting and would love to read more
Sounds very interguing. I would love a read. Thanks for the chance
I have buttons that belonged to my mum, auntie and grandmother. I love the litttle pearl buttons but I have some linen ones too. Now I know that they went through the mangle without breaking – my grandmother used a mangle and a wash tub in the scullery in the back yard. I’m a Black Country girl by birth.
National Button Day – that made me smile. I’ve just been away for a couple of days with good friends. They don’t really love buttons as much as I do, but yesterday they presented me with a surprise gift of a jar of mixed buttons they had bought from a charity shop. They know me well ! xx
Love Books and Buttons so fingers crossed
Every time I have some unwanted clothing I don’t know if I should take the buttons (and zips) off and throw the garment away – which seems wasteful, or to leave them on and give the clothes to the charity shop. I would really like to keep the buttons!
I used to love playing in my nan’s button box when I was younger 🙂
I remember spending hours playing with my grandma’s button tin. Thank you for the walk down memory lane.
I remember as a child, my grandmother’s button tin……I wish I knew where it had gone.
I adore buttons so versatile and can ehhance so made things and rejuvenate that tired cardigan or jacket roo
oooh fingers crossed, sounds like a book I would love x
I love buttons and the book looks fabulous. Would love a copy so much. Good luck everyone xx
What a brilliant idea! Would love to have a read 🙂
sounds great-fingers crossed
I just love buttons ever since I was a little girl and my nan left me her button box when she passed away
What a lovely idea! I love buttons. Like, true love 💛
yes I’d be interested to read this one