Dorset Button Shawl Pin Kit

Crosswheel Design, No Yarn Option

Crosswheel Dorset buttons are the easiest hand stitched Dorset button to make. The design is a traditional pattern with a simple rounding stitch in the centre, making crosswheel buttons ideal for the complete beginner. This shawl pin is approximately 4.5cm across and is made using a wooden shawl stick and your own button. The shawl stick will be random in colour.

This kit comes without yarn so you can use your own. Anything strong enough to pull tight will work. 

Each Dorset button kit comes with a written instruction sheet supported by colour photographs throughout, 1 closed ring 4.5cm in width, a wooden shawl stick approximately 12cm long and a size 18 tapestry needle.  Everything you need to make your shawl pin.  We use high quality superwash wool in our Dorset button kits so they can be washed in the machine at a low temperature (Always wash Dorset buttons first before attaching to a garment or project, to ensure dye fastness). You will need to take it off of the shawl stick if it needs washing.

Each kit comes packed in a plastic free cloth bag, locally made and often from recycled materials

Here at Beaker Button we're passionate about this fabulous craft.  We are always coming up with new designs and uses for Dorset buttons and we are fascinated by the endless possibilities they present. From finishing hand knitted or crocheted projects to embellishing Quilts, Dorset buttons add that special unique touch that makes a project really sing. We turn them into jewellery, either stitched together or simply on their own. We use them on bags, scarves, cards, clothing and more.  Everything you can do with a normal button you can do with a Dorset button, and you can make your Dorset button completely individual, customised to complement your project. 

Dorset buttons were stitched by hand in Dorset from the early 1600’s to 1851. They were shipped all over the world and were even worn by royalty. This cottage industry employed over 4000 people at its height, making over 100 different Dorset button types, all in white linen. Their popularity died overnight after the Great Exhibition of 1851, when a new button machine was showcased. Many families were left destitute and emigrated to escape starvation, and the art was more or less lost. The W.I., the Arts and Crafts movement and others have kept this fabulous craft alive and now you can learn how to make them too.

Dorset buttons are coming back in a big way. Here at Beaker Button we love using modern colour and materials to create a contemporary twist on this fabulous craft. There is nothing more trendy than personalising your project with your own hand stitch Dorset button!