   | It is one hundred years since those brave and determined members of the Suffragette Movement fought for the rights for which we enjoy today. I wanted to celebrate and thank the women and men for their outstanding contribution. My challenge was how to do this with a Dorset Button? I wanted my buttons to have a vintage feel and my collection of vintage threads included the three Suffragette colours: a perfect white for purity, green for hope and purple for loyalty and dignity. So having got the threads, what to do next. I wanted to make my buttons special, something memorable that would celebrate this anniversary. I’m an Antiques Roadshow fan and in one episode I remember seeing a wonderful brooch that a lady brought in to be identified and valued. It was a lovely filigree gold brooch set with precious stones of amethyst, emeralds and pearls, all Suffragette colours. For further inspiration, I searched the website and found similar fine delicate pieces to the brooch I remembered on the Roadshow. So the challenge I set myself was to work a button in the suffragette colours using thread and beads and which will also have a filigree feel to it. Unfortunately, my budget didn’t run to such exquisite sparkles as amethyst, emeralds and pearls so I had to improvise and used crystal beads instead. This image is the result of my little experiment. Now all I have to do is to turn them into brooches ready to sell later this year. Finally, I would like to thank all those women and men who fought for our rights so we can now have a say in todays’ political environment. One hundred year ago ‘The Representation of the People Act 1918’ saw British women over 30 gain the vote; women over 21 did not get the vote until 1928.You can find out more about Women and the vote from Parliament UK |
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