As you may have seen in my last post, I have been making woven buttons recently. This time I actually remembered to take photos of the pro...
Various Dorset & Thread Wrapped Buttons, made into a brooch My daughter and I took a Jane Austen trip to England last summer, Jane Austen +1. I had read, probably in Piecework Magazine, about a button exhibit in Macclesfield and asked Kathy to see if it could be added to our itinerary if it was not too out of the way. It wasn't, just a couple short train rides on a travel day, and we spent the most wonderful afternoon in Macclesfield. This small-ish industrial city was home to the silk industry in England, and there are several sites and museums definitely worth a visit! We had a really interesting tour of the Paradise Mill and watched our guide operate several of the restored Jacquard looms. The reason for our side trip to Macclesfield was to see the 300 buttons submitted by fiber artists from around the world, and although the exhibit is history, you can read about it here. It was a very colorful and interesting exhibit, and we each purchased a button from the exhibit, to be mailed to us after the exhibit came down. It was so fun to get a package from the UK after we got home! In the museum gift shop I purchased a book called Buttons: A Passementerie Workshop Manual by Gina Barrett. The book covers all types of thread buttons, including the Dorset, which I have been making and teaching to friends. I also ordered a DVD from Gina, which really helped as I couldn't quite grasp the technique by reading the book only. This Saturday I am teaching members of my EGA chapter the basic Dorset button, and attached is a Google document of instructions that I have developed, click here. Assorted Dorset buttons made with (clockwise from pink button) crochet cotton, lace weight yarn, poly crochet thread, nylon/wool sewing thread, Lizbeth tatting thread, hand dyed pearl cotton, and sock yarn. You could even use worsted weight yarn, to match a sweater you are making, but you would use only one ply. I really like the linen embroidery floss, below. I think I used two strands to cover the ring, and one strand for the center. I was experimenting with trying to make a spiral design, right, but haven't figured it out yet. Earring experiment: Key chain and a cell phone charm (as though a cell phone needed a charm....): When Kathy was visiting I showed her how to make Dorset buttons one afternoon, and she went to town! So far people seem to like this one the best! In my next, advanced class, we're going to tackle Morning Star (left) and Death's Head (right) buttons: To view a good tutorial (lots of photographs) of Dorset button making, visit Craftystylish.com Visit my Pinterest page for more Dorset button inspiration: http://www.pinterest.com/alcearosea/dorset-thread-buttons/ Eek, I can't stop making buttons! Every time I see a new thread I think, hmmm, how would this look in a Dorset button!
As you may have seen in my last post, I have been making woven buttons recently. This time I actually remembered to take photos of the pro...
You can join in this Hexalong at any time and use the templates I am using or just do your own hexagons. The starter post for the HAL is he...
Eva Juliet , who lives in Canada, is a graphic designer and illustrator, who is happiest with a sketch journal in one hand and a pen in the...
At our April meeting, which fell on Good Friday, we made Yorkshire Buttons. We had first become interested in finding out about these when we saw some antique versions on display at the Macclesfield Silk Museum during our Annual Outing in 2013. Wyn researched them and found out how they were made, and passed her knowledge on to the rest of us. I hope that you will be able to work out, from the pictures below and the instructions which Wyn has written, how to make them for yourself. You will need: A 3cm (or thereabouts) circle of thick card or foam core board marked with dots around the perimeter as if it was a clock with twelve numbers 4metres/4.5 yards of cotton Perle No 5 A tapestry needle A small piece of sticky tape 12 pins. Put your pins in the edge of the card circle, one for each of your twelve dots. Don't push them fully in just yet. Make a needle hole in the centre of the circle and bring your needle and thread through from the back, leaving a 7.5cm/3inch tail at the back. Coil this up and cover it with the tape out of the way so that it doesn't tangle later. Wrap your thread from the centre around the pin which would be at 12 on a clock face, and then travel down to 6, wrap around 6 and then travel up to 11, around 11 and then down to 5, around 5 and then up to 10 etc until all pins have been included. It may look a bit messy, but the next stage tidies it up. Go back to the centre of your "clock" and go under the intersection of as many threads as you can, do this twice or three times and pull your thread tight. You will now have a tidier looking set of spokes. Push all your pins in as far as possible. Now the thread wrapping starts. Wherever your thread is, go clockwise over the top of the next thread, then go anticlockwise under the same thread and its anticlockwise neighbour. Repeat until the whole of the circle has been covered. Always clockwise over one, anticlockwise under two. You are doing a Spider's web stitch. (See below illustration). It takes two or three full rotations to see the pattern emerge. Points to watch out for - occasionally let your work hang from the thread and needle to remove the twist that you will be inadvertently putting in your thread, this avoids many tangles. "Tamp" down your stitching occasionally to compact it towards the central hub. When you reach the outside edge, remove the nearest pin to your thread and go through the tiny loop. Work your way around the edge, removing a pin at a time. Remove the tape and release the central thread. Remove the embroidery from the reusable card. Carefully "draw up" the thread and gather the circle just enough to be cup shaped and stuff with a little wadding. When you feel it is fat enough, draw up completely and do some tiny stitches to seal the gathering. Hey Presto - a Yorkshire Button. You can leave them spherical or gently squash them and make them more mandarin orange shape. You could also try putting a largish bead in the centre for a harder button. You could also try it on a much larger scale using the cardboard/polystyrene tray from under a pizza, and torn sari fabric. If you draw up the edge and go through each of the loops at the end, you will have a 3D fabric bowl. Here is a great photo of a set of buttons that Vanessa has completed since the meeting, she also found some complementary background fabric which contained some spider's web stitch : And here are tow buttons completed by Abi :
These felt lilacs are a beginner-friendly flower, and you only need to make one or two! Project includes flower template, SVG file, and photo tutorial.
Explore Kendra4's 162 photos on Flickr!
As you may have seen in my last post, I have been making woven buttons recently. This time I actually remembered to take photos of the pro...
a quick and simple bracelet made with buttons and elastic
A fabric yo yo is one of the must do's on the list of quilting. It is a classic. They can be used to embellish really anyting.
As you may have seen in my last post, I have been making woven buttons recently. This time I actually remembered to take photos of the pro...
This week's video is a long one! You have been warned :) I wanted to take you through using the new Almanac Maker Journal Tool as I know that many people are more visual - and after all, that's what YouTube is for! I've also added extras about making different types of pages at the end too, so hopefully the longer video justifies the time you spend watching it! There are all sorts of "advice" about length of video - oh they should only be short - oh they should be a half hour - but you know, the videos like this are meant to help our customers, so I would rather give them more info, not less. It has been a busy week packing from the show, so thank you all. The shows were quite a laugh. And next week we'll start planning the next one. Which will be on "The Craft Store" - after 6 years, Hochanda is changing their name. How exciting! Please stay safe and well everyone. We aren't out of the woods yet. xx
How to make easy DIY felt eucalyptus stems to use in a felt flower bouquet or wreath. Beautiful felt eucalyptus leaves with free pattern & tutorial.
As you may have seen in my last post, I have been making woven buttons recently. This time I actually remembered to take photos of the pro...
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Good afternoon. I have been working on some thread wrapped buttons following the new online Basic Button Making Course from Gina B Silkworks. These are Gina’s Peace Button – a variation on the Deat…
How to make a felt pocket hug to send to friends and family
The Photo by © Dikulya67 The Kaffe Kats Quilt Pattern by Jordan Fabrics is a fun and easy project that you can learn to make on our YouTube tutorial. The pattern includes appliqué templates for the ca
This listing is for an A5 printed paper booklet containing detailed numbered instructions to make this wreath and full-sized pattern templates printed on A3 pap
Hello People!! Você é artesão? Você usa botões forrados? Fiz uma breve pesquisa na internet e percebi que há inúmeras possibilidades de se usar botões forrados: artesanatos, customização de roupas, decoração.... Apareceu uma oportunidade de negócio e gostaria de saber se esse tipo de botão é usado. Então, eu ficaria imensamente grata saber a sua opinião! via via via via via via via via via via via via via via via via via via Confesso que, até fazer este post, eu não tinha ideia de quanta coisa pode ser feita com botões forrados! E ficam uma graça né? Espero por seu comentário! Muito obrigada pela atenção!!! ♥ ♥ Bjaum!
All about crafting....and then some! A place to come sit, relax and get inspired through my interpretations of crafting, writing and living life as a Christian!
