Button Box

I was at a bit of a loss about what to write about today. The March for Life was today, and I saw some people who were clearly in town for the march near the White House when I went for a walk at lunchtime. But I didn't bring my camera, so I had no picture for that topic.

Then when I read Nina Bagley's blog today, she talked about boxes, and I immediately thought of my favorite box -- the button box that I made in the 1995-1996 winter. I was still in my condo then, and I had a lot of time to work on it during the federal government furlough when Newt Gingrich and Bill Clinton were in a standoff over the federal budget, and the snowstorm that followed. That furlough was when President Bill Clinton and intern Monica Lewinsky really got to know each other.

But the box -- a cheesebox from Mom, painted and sponge-painted on the outside, covered with dogwood wrapping paper on the inside, and the top covered with buttons and seed beads, with white beading and ribbon around the rim. Sewing on the buttons and beads took a long time, and I was surprised at how heavy the fabric was when I finally removed it from the embroidery hoop in which I had worked it.

The whole thing was inspired by a dream that I had about a tiny, swirly, white button of Mom's button stash that I remembered from my girlhood. I asked Mom for it, and told her why, and she gave it to me along with many other buttons to use for the top. And it was her idea to fill in the smallest spaces with beads. And I keep my own button stash inside, the replacement buttons you get with new clothes.