Category: FABRIC & PASSEMENTERIE

I was given this button as a blank and inserted the piece of fabric and snapped in the clear plastic cover.  My friend told me that it was called a Window Button.  Just another type of button to add to all the others.

Here is an old fabric covered button which has a thread back which is always interesting.  What a lot of work to create it.

The fabric itself is a fawn with purple and red floral.  It measures 1  1/2 cm.

My friend Suzanne recently gave me these two buttons for my birthday in March.

They have a black velvet background beaded with bright red and aqua beads combined with gold thread making them very showy.

I wonder where they were made;  they look a bit like Indian to me.  A lot of work has gone into them anyhow.  I have done some beading and it is a time consuming task.

PAUL  POIRET :  1879 – 1944  (France)

Passementerie literally means “turning by the hand”  coming from an early French word.

This term is used for many buttons made from threads of colours as well as silver and gold and/or with braid, beads or fabric.  These buttons were made in French Ateliers for Paul Poiret who was a very creative Fashion Designer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  I find them very intriguing and having been a needleworker can appreciate the workmanship.

Google Paul Poiret and see some of his lovely designs.

 

Two of these buttons were made by me.  One has flowers embroidered on to the fabric and one has a lady bird done in cross stitch.  It was just a bit of fun making them.

The third button is also cross stitch depicting a duck.  I bought it in a local opp shop a few years ago.

Here is a group of small fabric covered buttons from years gone by.  It is always fascinating to see the different colours and patterns of older fabric to compare with today.

It all demonstrates the history of fashions of the period.

My friend Jenny made these buttons for me and it was a real surprise to get them.

They make me smile when I look at their funny hair, square glasses and bucked teeth.  What personalities they have.

This lovely bright beaded button was made by Helen Pappas, Australia in 2017.

Blue and orange always strike a note and it jumped out at me from the other ones in the display box.  The geometric design is nice too. It is a little under 3  1/2cm.

Here is a nice group of modern fabric buttons.

They all have a black velvet background and various designs done with pearls, beads and sequins.  Gold and silver thread has also been incorporated in their design.

I think they look very regal and  I know that they were quite dear when I bought them new in the shops about 10 – 12 years ago.

Here we have some ordinary fabric covered buttons from years gone by (possibly a lot from the 1940’s – 1960’s)  Just look at the fabrics and compare them with today.

There are a couple of groups of various ones, one with Winter fabrics and one with tweed, houndstooth etc.  I also show two pictures of the backs showing the variety of make ups and shanks over the period.

Ladies did a lot of dressmaking back then and could buy the kits so they would use left over fabric to have matching buttons.  I have also shown a fabric covered buckle.