the language of buttons

[asakiyume]

I dreamed there was a book, an Edwardian guide to the meanings of buttons, the way there are guides to the meanings of flowers. I was looking at the cover, which had lovely old lettering and slightly bad printing (colors not quite aligned). I knew without opening it that it would say what bone buttons mean, and wood, cloth-covered ones, metal ones, clay and ceramic. What it means if the pattern is a crest of arms or flowers, nautical themed or woven.


"There was a guy, the buttons on his jacket were bits of rebar from the Twin Towers, inset with Etruscan glass. I recall too that he had feather earrings. He bragged they were pinfeathers from a royal northern albatross."

Comments

[sovay]

"There was a guy, the buttons on his jacket were bits of rebar from the Twin Towers, inset with Etruscan glass. I recall too that he had feather earrings. He bragged they were pinfeathers from a royal northern albatross."

I love this.

[dark_phoenix54]

That is such a wonderful dream! I could easily see it being true; there are so many types of buttons and the Victorians liked to have everything mean something. I love the book cover mock up you made...

[radiantfracture]

Love this!

[asakiyume]

❤️ It's been a while since I wrote a snippet.

"'Oh, Sovay? I met her once,' he said, with the type of smile that made me race to the internet to make sure she was still with us."

[asakiyume]

It would be really fun to make a book like this! If I had a time turner...

[asakiyume]

^_^

Very glad!

[minoanmiss]

You just overflow with wondrousness.

[ranunculus]

Great dream, and great idea...

[queenoftheskies]

My mother liked to sew and could make ANYTHING. One thing I loved as a child was this HUGE bag she had of buttons. Buttons of ALL kinds. It was wonderful.

[asakiyume]

Oooh, I bet it was wonderful! Buttons come in so many shapes, colors, and materials! I love looking at them. Did she let you play with them?

[asakiyume]

Maybe it really exists! Just have to find the right used bookstore...

[asakiyume]

Awww shucks ^_^

Sometimes cool dreams happen

[ranunculus]

That bookstore will have wooden floors and a cat...

[asakiyume]

Definitely! Wide wood floors--six-inch planks.

[rimturse]

Sounds like it could be incorporated into a story! :)

I have fond childhood memories of going through my mother's button tin.

[anna_wing]

To scratch the itch in the meantime:


https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Button-Lillian-Smith-Albert/dp/B0007DVPFY

[asakiyume]

Oooh pretty! (They used just the sort of font I was imagining)

[asakiyume]

It was part of a story in the dream, but I can't remember any of those details.

I *still* like looking at different buttons when I get a chance.

[smokingboot]

See how hard I am resisting just jumping around and saying 'Oh please do it!'

Because it sounds perfect! X

[queenoftheskies]

Yes. I played with those and scraps of fabric. I loved the scraps of fabric, too.

[asakiyume]

Maybe one day--not a complete compendium, but a sample ;-)

[asakiyume]

Me too! My grandmother had a drawer of scarves (not winter scarves; the silk or gauze kind women wear, or used to wear), and I used to love to take them out, look at them, and refold them.

[sartorias]

What a whimsical, charming dream!!!

[asakiyume]

It was so clear and real in the dream--hard to believe it doesn't exist somewhere.

[puddleshark]

If, somewhere, there is a world where this book exists, I would really love to read about that world...

There are brass buttons with anchors in my button box, in amongst the plastic buttons of various colours and sizes, the needles and the thread. And I have idea how they got there.

[amaebi]

Oh, I LOVE that!

[rimturse]

Yeah, I also still like buttons. :)
And now I feel like making some button art.

[asakiyume]

Button art! Button art! Button art!

And then please post it, okay?

[asakiyume]

A present from the universe to you--a spirit crow brought them as a token of esteem, maybe :-)

[asakiyume]

^_^
So glad!

It was a cool dream and fun to make a mock-up book cover.

[queenoftheskies]

Scarves were so in fashion for a while. My mother had them, too. They were so smooth and silky.

[anna_wing]

Yes, it's from 1948 or thereabouts.

[rimturse]

Heh... I'll put it on my list of future projects. Right now I'm doing my own sloppy version of inktober.

[asakiyume]

Are you posting here? I'll have to go look!

[rimturse]

I haven't posted anything yet, but I might do so this weekend. I'm not doing a daily ink, just aiming for 12 pieces to fill a picture frame I have. :)