Jan's Page Of Awesomeness!

It all started with a 1950's kitchen table that I bought to be my sewing table, and the rest as they say, is history. I added the two pie safes that are now filled to the brim with paper goods, antique ledgers and jewelry and what ever else I can get in there! Then I had this humungeous book shelf built. It was so big they had to take the ceiling fan off to fit it into the room and it's so heavy it took 5 grown men to fit it into this tiny 12x12 room. It too is filled with all kinds of collections and treasures that I have collected at estate sales, garage sales, and last but not least, Canton and Round Top. I'll be showing you a lot of my collections because there isn't a lot of room for any other kind of storage. I'm already bumping into furniture now! I had the closet converted into big shelves that hold so much lace, fabric, trim, sewing supplies and odds and ends that I'm surprised the shelves aren't giving way with all that weight! I decorated each bin for this event and my plan is to keep it all organized, at least for a week anyway! The bins are really filled to the top with lace, fabrics, binding tape and crochet items. I just love it all. My favorite bin. I keep telling myself to use this special trim and I can't bring myself to use it. It's silly because I have 3 wedding dresses waiting in the wings waiting to be tea stained! This is one of the pie safes that I repainted and piled treasures on top. The square dancing dress was my aunt's. Dorthy was the belle of the square dancing ball! She was also one of the creative influence's in my life. She would just whip up a dress for a date in a day! These are silverware boxes that I converted and they are now filled with laminated 1950's funny ads and pages out of old magazines. The articles on marriage and "keeping a happy home," are such a hoot I had to laminate them! I use a lot of the ads for bookmarks! I decorated the tops of the boxes to show what is inside.This one holds old bridal ads in 1950s and 1960s old magazines! This is the other pie safe, filled to the brim as well! I have such space envy of the other studios I have seen. I wonder if Nate Barkus would come fix my "small space", since he loves to create in small spaces! Plus he's a cutie-patootie! When the inside is full I just start putting things all over the top! I think I am officially out of room. I know you're thinking OMG! I couldn't pass this up. Growing up Methodist we went to church at least 3 times a week so this church board was a must have. I even have the box of numbers that went with it! Bingo numbers, plastic phone key chains from the 60's and more ballet dancers that were made for music jewelry boxes are just a few of the items in this chest. Belt buckles, mother of pearl buttons, and what ever else I can fit in here. It's like my own little silly five and dime store! This is actually the piece the TV goes on but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to display some pretties. The black and white photo in the jeweled frame is my grandmother, Lilly with her best friends. After finding old photos of her and her friends I found out that my grandmother was very playful and dramatic in her early years. It's funny how we forget to think about them ever being young and what they were like before we knew them. One of my best friends Mary Kathryn gave me one of my first toy singer sewing machines that actually still works! The other ones that I have found just look cute but don't actually work. Mother of Pearl buttons are everywhere!!! I should use this space for storage but sometimes a girl just wants something to just look pretty. I won't tell you how many pounds I have hoarded of MOP buttons but I think if you put a toddler on one side of the scale and my buttons on the other.....that poor kiddo would go flying! My husband will never know how much I paid for all this bling. It's going to my grave with me! NO, not the bling, ..... the price of the bling! But how could you pass this up! It has taken quite a few years to collect all of this, it's kind of like a monthly payment plan....I buy a little every month! And pearls, don't ya just love pearls! I know there is a project out there just screaming for this, I just haven't found it yet! Pretty cute, huh! Mirror. mirror on the wall, who has more junk than them all? Ahhhh, you knew I'd get the vintage wedding photos in here somewhere didn't ya! Just another collection that I love to hunt for at Round Top and, sometimes late at night when I can't sleep, can you say....Ebay! Cake toppers, check! Now who doesn't have a collection of gum ball machine wedding rings. You don't? Well I think they are just to die for. I don't know why but, it just makes me so sentimental thinking about how wonderful it must have been for this as your prize you got when you put your dime in the machine. I would thought I had died and thought I had gone to heaven it would have been so special. Why is it that only the men can't seem to stand up straight. It actually looks like they're about to jump over the side. These are bits and pieces of vintage cake decorations that I collect too! Boy that collection list is really getting long. How many "collections" can you have before it turns into hoarding????? One of my many finds when I went to the "wedding estate sale" of my dreams. This was the sale where I met Cathy from "Girls Gone Junkin'." We were both crazy women stuffing bridal lace, bridal veils and everything else we could get our hands on into sacks and between the two of us almost wore this one poor estate worker into a "spell." Plus Cathy got the pink ruler. I told her to put me in the will for that darn ruler, she's a fast lil' bugger when she sees a prize! OK, so I'm bidding on Ebay on TWO sets of these ballet dancers. Well I thought it was only two sets. I just kept thinking when I got outbid that I had just re-bid on that item. The long blond story of it was that I ended up with EIGHT sets of them! I put myself in time out for while on that one! Believe it or not, this is not all of them. Yikes! Are they for sale you ask..nope! There's just something about having whole roles of lace that give you the freedom and option of saying, what the heck, let's do three layers of lace! Doll heads, pink phone, pearls and a wedding cake topper, why on earth I picked this combination, I have no idea! OK I'm one of those weird doll head people but you have to admit, they are funny. I think the one looks like it's praying, one looks drunk, one looks so sweet and the last looks almost normal, what's that one doing there! Frozen charlotte dolls and more wedding flowers. My latest find with my gal pal Charlene! We were at Canton, it's nine thousand degrees and she spies this musical wedding cake topper thingy! I still need to fix it up a bit but it's adorable, thanks Charlene! Old camera collection, check! What is it about horse ribbons that we all love? I know, I know, how many tickets does one person need? Well apparently more than this because there's more behind these. I found the majority of these at Marburger Farm, and boy are they heavy!! More doll heads and more buttons! This is my grandmother Lilly again surrounded by lace, of course. These were from my belt buckle making phase. I sold them at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame for awhile but they bought me out! Then there was the phase of decorating frames. These are photos of my mom, wasn't she a "dish!" I found this ghostly bride at Round Top for $30, one of my favorite purchases from there! Everyone I showed this to just had this odd look on their face like, "oh yea that's so pretty, I mean creepy," which makes me love it even more. I found this little girl at the Goodwill!! I just couldn't believe some family would give this up. She reminds me of Glenda the Good Witch in her pink gown. This is also the end of my tour, so it's time for you to click your heels and think,"there's no place like home." Thank you for stopping by! Y'all come back now, ya hear! P.S. A big thank you to Karen Valentine at My Desert Cottage for working so hard on this party. I appreciate everything you've done!!!! Just click on her blog and it will take you back to her site!

hey loves :) Today I have a tutorial to make your own bracelets with nothing but buttons and string. Miss last week's button tutorial? Click Here :) You will need: - buttons (25ish) - embroidery floss - scissors - tape (optional) Step 1: First you need your string. When it comes to measurement, here's what I always go by: Three times the length around around your wrist, multiplied by two. You WILL have string to trim at the end, but it's worth it to make sure you're able to tie off the end. Fold it in half and then tie a knot at the fold (like the picture above) Step 2: Lay out your buttons, this will give you a projection of what your bracelet will look like when it's on the string. Step 3: For the first button, thread through the front. Cross the strings over behind (if it's a 4 hole button) and thread back through to the front. Step 4: For the second button, thread from behind. Step 5: Repeat the pattern, front thread, back thread, front thread, back thread, and so on. It'll create a nice layered effect. Continue until you you ALL BUT ONE of your buttons. Step 6: When you have only one button left, tie a knot at the end of the string. Then tie another about half an inch away. Thread the last button however you want, and then tie another knot. This is the button that will be attaching the bracelet together with the loop at the top. Cut the remaining string and you're done :) Mix it up with different buttons and different colors. See you next time loves!

ALL SALE ITEMS ARE FINAL SALE.  NO EXCHANGES OR RETURNS. The Hand-Beaded High Waist Jeans are part of the Spring 2023 runway collection. These jeans were styled with the Fully Beaded Jacket during our runway show. Due to the intricate hand-beaded clusters of rhinestone, pearl, and glass beads sewn throughout, this sty

I love buttons, I have tons of them in these jars that I use for scrapbooking and other crafts.

I bought a little bag of buttons, I want to use them for eyes, but they beautifull anyway ;-)

British artist Jane Perkins, a mother from Exeter, Devon, sources small plastic objects from charity shops, yard sales and recycling centers, and uses them in their original form and color.

burieddiamond: “ I went to the Mike Kelley show at PS1 today and it blew my mind. There was so much amazing work. It was inspiring. I have a lot to think about. ”

Alas....yes another hexagon quilt!! I thought that I had put my hexagon templates away for a while but it seems I am in need of them once more. This time though, it is not to 'whip' up a fabulous 'quilt-as-you-go' hexagon quilt for me, but for a dear friend's 50th birthday. I love hexagon quilts. I love how the shape is repeated over and over again, the juxtaposition of each shape forming a beautiful tessellated pattern which fits neatly into each other without any overlapping. I love the myriad of mosaic pattern combinations that quilters dream up when making a hexagon quilt. I am particularly fond of Grandmother's Garden hexagon quilts of yesteryear. Though I have always wanted to fashion a hexagon quilt using the traditional English paper piecing method, and to all intents and purposes I will one day; I happened upon a wonderful method for sewing hexagon quilts a few years ago. Individual hexagons are sewn with the top fabric, the batting and the backing fabric all at once and then a little of the backing fabric is brought to the front to form a narrow border. Then the finished hexagons are whipped stitched together at the back to form the quilt. My first 'hexie' was made from hundreds of scraps of fabric and I must admit it is one of my favourites. It is an oft used quilt and I love how it has faded with age and has become wonderfully squashy. I have fashioned a few scrappy hexagon quilts both for sale and for presents. I have always loved the look of scrappy quilts. I love playing with and using all those little scraps of fabric that are remnants from past projects. The seams on the back of this quilt are covered by lengths of fabric binding which adds to the scrappy look and gives a more visually pleasing finish. But.........as is always the case when skipping down the yellow brick road of quilting, I decided to try something more creative and adventurous. My next hexagon quilt was made with the intention of using some of my pastel vintage fabrics and laces that I have been collecting over the years. So I stitched a hexagon quilt for our queen size bed, incorporating my vintage Italian coverlets, satins, silks, brocades and velvets. I designed and stitched this hexie pretty well over ten years ago. Then......and this is the part that I really lurve; I embellish to my li'l heart's content! I love to embellish with ribbon work, vintage buttons, gloves, beads, ribbons, buckles, vintage jewellery, doilies and whatever other treasures that I can unearth in my 'Aladdin's Cave'. These were two basket doilies to which I added oodles of flowers and leaves that I snipped from crocheted doilies to make a beautiful bouquet of floral extravagance. I love crinoline ladies and Southern belles! After fashioning my pastel hexagon quilt, ideas were swirling around my head to make a sumptuous, vibrantly coloured, hexagon quilt celebrating a bohemian spirit. I wanted this quilt to be awash with glorious colour, breaking a few 'so called' colour rules along the way. I absolutely love to fashion flowers and leaves from ribbon....ruched flowers, pansies, roses, fuchsias, daffodils...the list is endless. But of course, flowers demand to be thrown together in a beautiful ribboned basket with butterflies hovering close by! And...of course there must be a vintage glove clasping a few trailing stems of flowers. I love the random craziness of the hexagon quilts that I make. There is never a grand plan. I just love to see what exciting journey the fabric takes me on experimenting with colour and texture; and playing with design. I love to twirl all the gloriously vibrant colours round and round in a merry dance! These quilts are, except for zig zagging (serging) the top fabric to the batting around the edge of each hexagon; all completely fashioned by hand. So they can take an age to finish. My purple 'piece de resistance' took eight months of my life to complete. So.........what are the chances of transforming this mass of glorious blue-hued fabrics, laces, ribbons, brooches, beads and buckles into a glorious hexagon quilt within 6 weeks!! Am I positively, stark raving mad!! Me thinks that I most certainly am!! Well I had best be off.....and 'begin at the begin'......wish me luck!!

Design and textile expert Diane Ericson shows how almost any fabric or cord can be knotted, rolled, padded, or wrapped into decorative shapes you can use anywhere in place of…

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So its the last day of 2012 and I thought I'd drop by and say Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year! I hope Christmas was well spent with your family and friends. December turned out to be quite a busy month. I was involved in my church's youth camp and there was quite a lot of game planning to be done for that. In addition, I'm doing a bit of game planning for tonight's church youth countdown as well! Though I didn't have time to work on the crafts and posts I planned to (sorry), I did take away one skill from this whole experience. I learnt a whole lot about video editing using final cut pro. (We used videos in our games.) It doesn't seem so daunting anymore! It's actually getting pretty fun, and I had the urge to make videos when I wasn't required to, maybe I'll share the one I did for tonight another day. As we countdown to the new year, let's make new goals and resolutions for 2013 from the lessons we drew from 2012. And thank God for the blessings past and those to come ahead. :) Eunice Tweet

Try some intriguing variations and attractive embellishments on traditional heirloom buttons.

When I saw that you could dye buttons on the Rit Website I knew I just had to try it. I've been going through my vintage stash of old buttons. I know that I have so many I just couldn't justify buying more. Especially when I found this lovely Kerr jar filled with lots of vintage beauties! Alas, big jars come with lots of buttons. I like the cool ones, so the rest, well, they just get sorted and moved and never used. I also tend to use bright colors so a whole bunch of other colors just sit. I also mainly use big buttons, so all the little buttons get left behind. Its sad. I think you get the gist. So I gathered all the buttons I don't intend on using and put the best in my Etsy shop. Take a look at them here. I did all the work for you. Rit Dye will color buttons made from nylon and plastic. Some of the buttons I tried did not dye well. I had a lot of transluscent buttons that were very shiny. Those did not take dye as a rule. Many of the vintage buttons that were semi opaque dyed in a wide range from very deep to very pale. My favorite white molded, vintage buttons came out very good or very bad. I threw a few new buttons in the mix. They as a rule took the dye beautifully. The colors were intense and bright. The top photo shows all of the buttons I dyed. You can see how glass and other plastic type buttons did not take any color on. Here is a good image showing the new buttons in the foreground. The older buttons are behind them. Here are the tools you will need. Buttons Plastic table cover Disposable gloves Measuring cup and spoons Eye Dropper or Paint Dropper Disposable cups, bowl, spoons Rit Dye Paper Towels Very Hot Water Gather all your tools together. I used 3 colors Lemon Yellow Fuchsia Teal They are close to primary colors. I was able to get a nice purple, orange and green by mixing these 3 colors. They are less than 4 dollars each. I recommend using the liquid dyes. First of all, you wont need to wear a dust mask. You never want to mix powered dyes without respiratory protection. The liquid dyes are concentrated and you don't need to use as much. Rit Dye has the formulas for dyeing over 500 colors! To get those recipes click Here. The Rit Dye website on how to dye buttons is here. They recommend that you add 1 teaspoon of dye to 1 cup of very hot water. I used a tea kettle to heat the water. I want the dye bath to stay hot for a longer time so I used Styrofoam cups. This dye is heat sensitive. Once it cools it is not as affective. To prolong a dye bath once it has cooled, add very hot or boiling water and add more dye. I used less than a cup of water. You only need as much water as it takes to submerge your buttons. I also used more than a teaspoon of liquid dye. I wanted the dye bath to have a better concentration of dye to water. Add your buttons to the dye bath. I recommend dropping them in with a spoon to avoid splashing dye onto your clothing or kitchen floor. Let the buttons sit in the dye for at least 2-5 minutes. Here is a picture of what they look like after 5 minutes. I left some of my batches in for 20 minutes. Once the solution cools, the dying process is ineffective, so why leave them in longer? The buttons were a bit darker with the longer dye time, but not by much. If you want your colors to be more intense, just add more dye. I decided to try dyeing some secondary colors, green, purple and orange. I just mixed some of the dye colors I had mixed on a disposable plate. Just be sure to cover your buttons completely. Then rinse and wash in soapy water. I used dish soap and did not see any of the dye come out. Then rinse again and let dry. I totally recommend putting the drain cover over your sink opening with holes small enough to stop any buttons from going into your garbage disposal. Believe me. Digging them out after you hear that awful clattering is something you or your hubby do not want to hear! Have fun with your new buttons! Here are some beautiful examples of fiber art using buttons. I found these on Pinterest. I've added the artist's website when available. I hope you find them very inspirational. Some of them have tutorials and one site has an Etsy shop which contains lots of amazing vintage buttons. I'll be ordering more soon. Doh! I'm supposed to be destashing! Well, buy some of my vintage buttons here so I can go buy more from someone else. click here to find Simply Stephy's blog. It will take you to her Etsy shop where you will find more goodies. Find a cute blog and a tutorial for these cute hair pins at A Home Makers Journal These are so cute and there is a link to a tutorial on Red Brolley's blog. I love this mixed media piece. I found this one at Life is A Beautiful Place to Be, which is also a lovely blog to visit. Here is a simple button bracelet and a tutorial. I found it at Hope Studios Here are a few more jewelry pieces from the following sites in order of the images shown: Sew Many Ways and An Era's Ambiance Jewelry Of course you can use buttons on your crazy quilt blocks, glue magnets or thumb tacks on the back to use on your fridge or bulletin board. You can use them as is or stack them for more texture and interest. You can sew them on your favorite blouse or sweater to update it and make it more "you". Give this craft a try. Its fun and easy! Here are a few of the buttons I have in my Etsy shop now. You can purchase the buttons I dyed for this tutorial in lots of 100 for only $7.00. You can purchase Lot 1, Lot 2 or Lot 3. A few more tips when using Rit to dye cloth- Add salt when dyeing cotton, rayon, linen and ramie. Add vinegar when dyeing nylon, silk and wool. To determine how much salt or vinegar to use, go to the Rit Dye website I hope you give this a try. It was a lot of fun and not too messy. Just don't forget to use your gloves! Check out my home page by clicking on my logo at the top of the page to see more tutorials and musings on my blog- fiberluscious!

Loose Beige V Neck Pearl button thick Ma Hai mao Knit coat Long Sleeve Fabric: Ma Hai mao Size & Fit: Fit: This garment fits true to size. Length: Size XL measures 23.01"from shoulder to hem Bust: Great for any cup size. Waist: Loose Fit. Comfortable room throughout midsection. Hip: Loose Fit - room for hips. Hand Wash Cold. SIZE(in) BUST WAIST HIP S/EU 38-40, US 6-8 34.6 - 36.6 27.6 - 29.5 36.6 - 38.6 M/EU 40-42, US 8-10 36.6 - 38.6 29.5 - 31.5 38.6 - 40.6 L/EU 42-44, US 10-12 38.6 - 40.6 31.5 - 33.5 40.6 - 42.5 XL/EU 44-46, US 12-14 40.6 - 43.7 33.5 - 36.6 42.5 - 45.7 2XL/EU 46-48, US 14-16 43.7 - 45.7 36.6 - 38.6 45.7 - 48.4 3XL/EU 48-50, US 16-18 45.7 - 48.4 38.6 - 41.3 48.4 - 51.2 4XL/EU 50-52, US 18-20 48.4 - 51.2 41.3 - 44.1 51.2 - 53.9 5XL/EU 52-54, US 20-22 51.2 - 53.9 44.1 - 46.9 53.9 - 56.7 Sizes can vary from 2-3 centimeters because they are measured by hand. 1inch=2.54cm The size matched on a label can differ from the one you have ordered  SIZE S M L XL 2XL 3XL 4XL 5XL US 6-8 8-10 10-12 12-14 14-16 16-18 18-20 20-22 EU 38-40 40-42 42-44 44-46 46-48 48-50 50-52 52-54 UK/AU 10-12 12-14 14-16 16-18 18-20 20-22 22-24 24-26 IT 42-44 44-46 46-48 48-50 50-52 52-54 54-56 56-58 Chest/Bust: Measure circumference around the widest part chest/best Waist: Measure natural waist where pants sit (think regular rise pants). Hips: Stand straight and measure around the largest circumference at hips.

My girlfriend came over to refill my estrogen reserves last week, and brought with her a fantastic craft for us to do together while chatting, laughing, gossiping and catching up after her long vacation. One third of the way through summer vacation with three boys, she knew just what I needed. She brought over a bunch of stuff for us to sit down and make our own button bracelets. So fun! The greatest part was that each of our bracelets turned out differently! Do you want to join us? Let's make some funky Button Bracelets! Materials: Buttons in various sizes (test to be sure your cord will fit into the holes) Round leather or coated cotton cord (1 mm in diameter) Instructions: Arrange your buttons ahead of time to lay out your pattern Begin with a length of cord about 18 inches long (you will adjust this to fit at the end, but cutting it too short will result in frustration and some swearing...trust me, I know). The more knots you intend to make the longer the cord. Fold your cord in half and tie a knot in the looped end, like this: Now, begin threading the cord through your button holes. Criss-cross your cord for the 4 hole buttons like this: The same is possible for the two holed buttons. Bring a cord up through each hole then back down the next hole like this: You might also want to thread your button onto one piece of cord then knot, like this: To finish off your bracelet, just pull the cord through the last button and tie in a square knot. See? You can pull the last button through the loop at the other end to attach to your wrist. Now, go crazy! Try to be random and mix it up, stack some, knot some, criss-cross some, there is no right or wrong way to do this! Get creative, girl! You might end up with something like this: Or simple shell and wood buttons look like this: Or you could go nuts and work in some beads like this: Now, gather some buttons, call up some girl friends, set the kids into the back yard to play, and have some fun! PS (JoAnn's has some bags of fantastic HUGE buttons with HUGE holes for the little ones to get in on the act. It will be a HUGE relief to use these buttons for them. A bloggy friend suggested dipping lengths of yarn in clear nail polish and twisting. Once dry, they will thread easily for the kiddos.)

Last week’s paper tassels with the button embellishment sent me into a tassel making frenzy. I experimented with a variety of paper and am still enamored with these adorable little frou-frou…

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Diese Kathryn Bluse aus Baumwolle ist perfekt für Damen in Übergröße. Hergestellt aus hochwertiger Baumwolle, bietet sie Komfort und Atmungsaktivität. Mit ihrem lockeren Schnitt und klassischen Design ist die Bluse sowohl bequem als auch stilvoll und passt zu jeder Gelegenheit. Produkt-Detail:- Baumwolle Leinen

Are you tired of looking at the same old boring lampshade in your room? Are you looking for a creative way to add a personal touch to your decor? If so, why not consider a DIY lampshade project? No…

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THIS IS A DOWNLOADABLE DIGITAL PATTERN ONLY. This is a digital downloadable pattern with comprehensive and well illustrated instructions. This needle case is very practical but will become one of those beautiful heirlooms. Enjoy playing with the varied textured fabrics and wonderful colour play of overdyed silks, pure wool felt, threads & ribbons. The front is crazy patchwork featuring ribbon embroidery, traditional embroider, applique and fabric manipulation. Also learn to make hand made cords and embellishing with beads, buttons and sequins. Rich in techniques. Skill level: Intermediate. Size: Approximately 40 x 20cm when opened out.ACCESSING YOUR DIGITAL PATTERN How to access the digital pattern you purchased. Sign in to Etsy.com and go to Your account. Go to Purchases and reviews. Next to the order, select Download Files. This goes to the Downloads page for all the files attached to your order. PLEASE NOTE: Once you have downloaded this digital pattern no refund will be available.