And Speaking of Buttons.....

The Museum of London has unveiled one of the largest collections of medieval and early modern buttons found in the UK.

Over two and a half thousand buttons of all shapes and sizes ranging in date from the late 14th to the late 19th century have been generously given to the museum by Tony Pilson. Pilson has dedicated 30 years to finding, accumulating and storing the buttons, all of which come from the banks of the Thames.

And the best part?

Hazel Forsyth, Senior Curator of the Post-Medieval Collections said, "We’ve started to record each piece and longer term, we hope to produce an online resource with a small exhibition." The proposed online resource, the first of its kind in the world, would allow scholars and the general public to explore this vast collection of buttons, essentially creating a searchable online typology.

Auditioning Buttons

Basket Variations

As I've been appliqueing the handles on the baskets, I've been thinking of other variations.

** Solid pink background with various pink print baskets and the handles made of sewn on mother-of-pearl buttons

** Bright solid backgrounds with matching print baskets and the handles made of vintage rick-rack

Perhaps I'll make a series of basket doll quilts. Or not.

Basket Doll Quilt

This morning I chose fabrics and cut out enough to make a dozen five-inch basket blocks.