By Maribeth Keane and Jessica Lewis — I work for a sewing machine distribution company that was started by my late father. We mainly distribute industrial sewing machines. At a very early age, I became interested in sewing machines in a general sense, and I started collecting old machines mainly to see the technology and how it had developed. Then I immigrated to the States—I’m originally from South Africa—and my new life caused about a 20-year hiatus in which I did very little with sewing machines, although the passion never...

First New York Regiment Buttons

By Grace Horney Ford — American military buttons of the eighteenth century are comparatively rare, and the two recently acquired New York State Militia buttons illustrated are, for me, a noteworthy addition to an all too small group of historical buttons. The buttons are of sheffield plate, engraved by hand with the crest and motto of the State of New York; and one has the additional marking of the First Regiment. They are slightly over one and one-eighth inches in diameter and are silvered on only one...

The Animal Motif in Buttons

By Florence Zacharie Ellis Nicholls — The ancestor of the modern button was a crude object, carved by prehistoric man from one of the bones of his kill and probably used as the fastening for his garment of animal skin. With the discovery of bronze, buttons and studs also appeared in that material. But though buttons thus antedated civilization and were known and used by the ancient world to some extent, they did not come into their own until the 16th Century. Then it was that richly embroidered silk and gold buttons set...

Angry Chicken's Amy Karol on Sewing, Vintage Slips, and Her Apron Obsession

By Maribeth Keane — I think I started collecting vintage aprons seriously probably in 1991, my first year of college. I was an absolute junkie for vintage clothing, which was pretty much all I’d worn for a long, long, long time. I was finding aprons everywhere and just started collecting them. I can specifically remember buying a full vintage apron in L.A. at some sort of vintage craft shop. At the time it was $5, and I was like, oh, my God, that was so much money for this. I was so poor, and it was back when...