Button Bracelet

Late last night as I was heading off to be something caught my eye. It was my grandmother's pink sewing basket. When I married and was pregnant with my first child I began to quilt. As soon as my grandmother heard this she sent me her pink sewing basket filled with thread, buttons, baby clothes and booties from my mother. A treasure of things. I have mostly kept everything intact and enjoyed just "looking" at all the possibilities inside.

Every once in awhile I will go through the button jars and dream. My grandmother was widowed and pretty much supported herself after my grandfather died. She turned her home into a boarding house for the railroad men. Fed them one meal a day, washed and ironed their sheets, and for extra she would do their wash and mend their clothes. I am quite sure one of those button jars has just men buttons in it.

About a year ago I saw this wonderful button bracelet someone had made. It was in a magazine or web site. [I found the button bracelet in Ruth Rae's book a Charming Exchange] It was made of buttons with thimbles hanging from it like charms. As soon as I saw it I knew... I will make a bracelet out of my grandmother's buttons. Last night when I saw the sewing basket I knew it was time. I set the basket aside and early this morning I began.

My bracelet is just three strands of mother of pearl buttons. They are bound together with three sizes of sterling links and a sterling toggle clasp. I am sure several of the buttons came off of my mothers baby clothes, my baby clothes and my brothers. I decide to add some words. My grandmother always said "remember to...." before I went outside. Those were the words I started with. Remember to believe..Remember to dare...Remember to create art...Remember your prayers...