Welcome to my personal button web pages!
Scroll all the way down to see my Learn About Buttons and
Beginner Button Tips/Inherited Grandma's Button Box sections.
Please be patient on the downloads, these are BIG pictures!
Everyone keeps asking me about this one. The test is to take a Q-tip
and wet it with Dow Bathroom Cleaner, then rub against the
suspected bakelite item. If it turns yellow, there's a high probability
it's bakelite. Always wipe the item afterwards with a damp towel to stop
the chemical reaction on the plastic.
What Does Lily Collect?
I didn't originally start out with the intention of collection antique buttons.
It all started almost 12 years ago when I was home on maternity leave with my daughter
and started learning how to sew. I was NOT about to pay $4.00 for a couple of plastic
buttons and the local fabric store so I bought 20 POUNDS of buttons on Ebay, although back
then it was called AuctionWeb and ebay was the url name. When I opened up the box, in addition
to lots of plastic buttons were some really neat metal Victorians, picturials, mother of pearl, military,
bakelite, and other buttons that I had never seen before in my life. This started my adventure
with the Gold Coast Button Society where I met Maureen Grant, Roberta Miller (the button artist),
and a host of other wonderful friends and fellow collectors. I was a newbie and they took me under their wing.
I guess if I had to explain what I collect, it would have to be:
Victorian buttons (the fancier the better), Fancy metals (I'm partial
to pretty twinkles), Mother of Pearl (I'd like to acquire some really
knockout ones), Sparklies (just love those rhinestones), and
actually almost anything that is beautiful, artist, or unique (but in
my price range!). I'm not into modern plastic realistics or bakelite,
but I find them fun to look at. I have only a couple of calicos, so
I am interested in acquiring more of those too. After 9/11, I lost a bit
of interest in button collecting and have recently started to pull everything out again
and marvel over how lovely they are. I have also been a member of the Florida State Button Society
and the National Button Society and will be renewing those
memberships this year.
That's all that I have carded, and in presentable condition.
Will work on carding more, and expanding these web pages. Want to learn
more about Lily? I invite you to visit my personal web page,
and my Sewing Resource Guide.
Learn About Buttons
I received several letters from my sewing web site visitors asking about
button identification and carding.
1) Start with your local library and check out the button books. Or purchase books using my recommended links above from Amazon.com. Some books are very limited in numbers so if you're
going to collect you need to start building your own library for reference.
2) Join your local city or state button club.
3) Join the National Button Society. The NBS publishes a wonderful bulletin, in color
and is a must for anyone interested in collecting buttons. Here you'll learn about buttons not in the published button books. See the on-line NBS Beginners Handbook and on-line
NBS Classifications to get you started. Also has linksto local button societies by state.
4) Watch the auctions like Ebay http://www.ebay.com to learn more about buttons
and their value. Most of the button books are older and the value of buttons has increased
as buttons become more popular with collectors - and rare buttons become even more scarce!
5) Visit Our Button Box. This is a fun
page that contains links to buttons sites, collector wish lists, links to auctions, and other
great button fun. Run by Linda Starks, this is a great button web page to visit!
Beginner Button Tips
(Also known as I inherited Grandma's button box so what do I do with them now?)
1) Do not wash or clean any of your buttons unless you know what the button is
made of and what you are doing! Some buttons have several layers, with carboard
inside and if you get water in there you will ruin the button. Others will be ruined
by the wrong type of polish. A good button book will tell you how to clean your buttons.
2) Do not store your buttons in sealed jars or plastic containers. They need air, and will
be deteriorate from humidity and chemical reactions to other buttons in the container.
3) Sort your buttons by type, into separate open containers. You can even use egg cartons
to sort them until you get them organized and onto cards. Sometimes I use plastic containers with holes,
such as those for blueberries or raspberries, until I can get them sorted and organized on cards.
4) You will at some point want to card your buttons, meaning put them on work cards
or on nicer display cards. There is a standard size for these cards, and it is recommended
that these be acid-free. To mount the buttons you will need cards, plastic coated electric wire,
an awl (or a hammer and nail will do), and plastic sleeves in which to put each card. Templates
to mark the card with holes are optional.
Basically you make a hole in the card, loop a piece of plastic coated wire through the shank,
insert the ends through the hole, then twist and flatten the wire on the back of the card to
old the button securely. Collectors group buttons on their cards any way they please. Some
by material, others by subject (such as cats), others by button color. Even a plain button
will look wonderful when put on a card. You will be surprised at how nice your cards look!
5) Scan your buttons and put them on your web page. A great way to find out more about buttons
that are puzzling to you is to ask the experts on the button list. It's also fun to share!
Bye for now!
Lily
Still can't find it? Try Google search:
Cute flower from Grapholina's website, which no longer exists.
E-MAIL: lilyabello@bellsouth.net
Lily Abello's Sewing Resource Guide/MySewingSpace.com (C) 1996-2007. All Rights Reserved.
Lily Abello's Button Web Pages
Celluloid Buttons #1:
Mostly from the 1998 Florida State Show.
