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Author
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Topic: Buttons
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Wes
Member
Member # 251
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posted 12-11-2001 08:54 PM
   
I'm still working on my cotehardie and I have a question; are plain wood buttons with two holes in the middle for passing the thread through feasably period for the late 14th century? All I've realy seen offered are metal domed ones with a loop on the back. Ginerva: You posted something about making wool buttons. You said instructions were to be found in MOL (?). CAn you explain further please? -------------------- Fuimus
Registered: Nov 2001 | IP: Logged
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J.K. Vernier
Member
Member # 123
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posted 12-11-2001 11:40 PM
I'll gladly let someone else describe making cloth buttons, but I'll point out that the surviving 14th-century mens' clothing seems to favor cloth buttons. The pourpoint of Charles de Blois in Lyons, and the boy's coat-armor at Chartres Catherdral, both have buttons which appear to have a solid core covered with cloth. On both of these garments, the buttons are rounded over the ribcage, but flat below the (fairly high) waist. Other examples of cloth buttons survive among the London finds, and on clothing from Herjolfsnes, Greenland. Metal buttons also have been found. I have seen evidence in paintings which suggests that flat buttons, possibly wooden, pierced with holes like modern shirt buttons, did exist, but I don't consider this to be very strong evidence as the pictures are hard to read with certainty. Personally I would go with cloth buttons, or possibly metal, for a garment as fashionable as a cotehardy.
Registered: Feb 2001 | IP: Logged
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Stella
New Member
Member # 210
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posted 12-12-2001 11:06 PM
I havent seen any evidence myself for buttons with holes through them, shank ones (loop at back) seem to have been the only variety.
Cloth buttons are beautiful, and look so impressive! Sure, they take a while to make, but if you are after a really period look, and like hand sewing, they are well worth it. Try making one before you disregard the idea.
MoL - Museum of London, shorthand meaning the God of all clothing books "Textiles and Clothing" from the Museum of London. Recently reprinted by Boydell. Get it!Unfortunately the site that had the diagrams for making cloth buttons seems to have disapeared so I will try. 1 Take a small circle of cloth. Do a small running stitch around the edge, gather up and stuff it with a small scrap of cloth, (Herjolfsnes ones had a glued wad of cloth).
2 Stab small stitches down through the top of the button and out the bottom of the gathering. Do this in a circle or spiral to compact the button really firm.
3 THe buttons are sewn on to the very edge of the cloth so they are perpendicular to the material, buttoning twists them towards the normal position and surprisingly doesnt gape (believe me). Sew the button to the cloth with stitches from the edge of the round part of the button (not the gathers) all the way around. And then wrap thread round and around the fabric 'shank' for a clean finish. I hope that makes some sense!
Stella
Registered: Aug 2001 | IP: Logged
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