Originally published on FeministReview.com on Thursday, June 11, 2009
Button It Up: 80 Amazing Vintage Button Projects for Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, Housewares, & More
By Susan Beal
Taunton Press
As a child, I remember marveling at the quart jar full of old buttons at my grandmother’s house; I would pour them out onto the floor and separate out the ones that I thought were the prettiest. Twenty some years later, and I find myself wishing for that quart jar as I read Button It Up: 80 Amazing Vintage Button Projects for Necklaces, Bracelets, Embellishments, Housewares & More by Susan Beal.
The book is divided into sections by project type: two on jewelry (my favorites: the button link necklace and button cuffs), one on housewares (I’m planning on making the dinner party set for a present) and one on accessories, embellishments and gifts (the button stationery is super cute).
Though it isn’t just a how-to book; the first chapter is an interesting one on the history of buttons. Yes, I realize that it may sound unexciting, but I hadn’t before realized how much the style and design of buttons changed with the times: from the black jet beads popularized by Queen Victoria’s mourning dresses to the historical souvenir buttons of World’s Fairs and movies in the middle of the 20th century.
As a teacher of technical writing (not as boring as it sounds), I was impressed by the readability and clarity of the directions on the projects. The steps are written specifically. Unlike some craft books, this one has an image for every project on facing page. There is no searching for what the project should look like..................(Finish reading at: http://feministreview.blogspot.com/2009/06/button-it-up-80-amazing-vintage-button.html)
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