Bird in a Garden Dorset button artwork by Anna McDowell.
Snowman Dorset button ornament by Anna McDowell.Our topic this week is Dorset buttons and our guest is one of the best button designers and makers, Anna McDowell of Henry’s Buttons. This week’s show is sponsored by Sassy Jacks Stitchery. Anna lives in Shaftesbury in Dorset, the birthplace of the Dorset button industry, which has been functioning in one form or another for 400 years. We learn about the fascinating history of what was once an important part of the clothing industry and is now an exciting and fun needlework art form. Anna helps us understand the various forms of buttons, the materials that are used, and how she takes Dorset buttons to a new level by making them part of larger artworks. Enjoy the show, visit her website, buy her book, and give Dorset button making a try.–Beth and Gary
Support our sponsor, Sassy Jacks Stitchery at sassyjacksstitchery.com.
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We hope you enjoy this week’s conversation with Anna McDowell. We’re always looking for guests, so let us know if there is someone you’d like us to have on the show.–Gary
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