Page 26 - May1954

2t6 NATIONAL BUTTON BULLETIN May, 19 5 4

ITOBBIN BUTTONS (Continucd)

thfcad, lvhich alter.natel]'passing or.er and uncler the fot'rner foldls, the intcr-
sections form the zrppcalance which begins to be Tisil)te at the angles a, b, c, d'
-A.s lno|e thre:Lcl is lyouncl on the follr sitlcs of the s(luare, 10, 12, 14, and 16, neet
round the centre Din, and the ntould is conpletely co!ered, as in Fig. 4. The
end of the thfead is fastene(l b]-se$ring through the ct'ntre; and, in some cases,
b1' placing a slnal l ornament upon it. In others, a nulnber of the last f olds rvhich
ale wove round the needle upon $'hich the mound is fixed, and therefore do not
perfectll'unite in the centlo, are drawn together by passing the thread ronnd
them l)efore it is sewed through the cent|e. .A.t the hacli, a gr( at number of
the folcls of threa{t a|e tirkt'n ul) and tied together by a strong thread, to serve
the l)urDose of a shank to se$. the blrtton to the ga|ment. This, at the salne
tilne, pIr,\'ents the f olds of thread at the bacli slipping over the etlge of the
mouId."
The flnishing process once used on such buttons is described as, "All
such buttons were, after coverinS, exposed in a sort of cullender over the
flame of burning spirits of lvine, to remoYe the small fiIarnents of silk
projecting f rom their surface, and render therD smooth: the rvorkman
keelring then in constant notion during the process, to avoid burning or
damaging the buttons. They were afterrvards cleaned, by shaking a great
number in a bag with crunbs of bread: this took off the end of the singed
fibres, r'endering them glossy and ready for sale."
Perhalrs after leading these instmctions we wiII be satisfied to collect
bobbin buttons and leave their making to othel's.

RIBBON BUTTONS OF SPECIAL NOTE
One class, in particular, of the buttons used to illustrate the textile
clirssi{ication (see p. 209 ) cannot be ptrssecl ovet as mel'ely an exztmple of a
type; these exanrples rire lnuch too fine to be bracketed that rva-v-. The
elegance of the nraterials, (taffeta, ribbons and thread of silk and gold) and
their beautiful ernployment require description.
The trvo body colots shown are black and iYol'y taffeta. The woven
silk ribbon is of the most delicate shades. The rose, for exaniple, is made
of rnetaliic threads of a soft li1ac shade, the ieaves of green. A spiral of
gold thread forms the center. Al1 of the buttons are rimmed $'ith a circle
of coarser gold thread carefully stitched into place.
The buttons are in the collection of Mrs. Perry Borden of Connecticut.

Note: The ribbon buttons are shorvn at the very top of page 209.