New Handmade Buttons

Here I am. Feeling much happier. Cold still here but I shall not let it defeat me - no sir.

I had quite a good evening last night.  Mr has bought himself a box set of The Planet of the Apes, and I sat with him and watched number 4. Whilst doing so, I was trying out some new techniques. New to me but well -know to the ancients. Or the people who lived a hundred years ago. I have been trying out some different handmade buttons - singletons and shirtwaist.

I also had a look through my thread box and found some sparkly pink stuff  so I thought that would make nice hair clips. I have made them before but I think in a different size. So one made and another to do to make it a matching pair.  

Yesterday morning I made a spider button for Halloween. You can see it in the photo above. 

The fabric covered button is the Singleton.

I used a gorgeous Kaffe Fassett fabric. I enjoyed making this and will try a smaller button size.

The shirtwaist button was made the evening before, and I am rather pleased with it. It uses a ring, like the dorset buttons, but this time the wrapping round is done first and then the buttonhole stitches round the ring to fill up the gaps.

The sun has not reached my desk yet, so the lighting is a bit bad.  

I have some hair clips in blond so will be making button hair clips using these too. 

So rather a good end to the day, following a bad start. 

And here's to another productive day.

Button Birthday Giveway!

It's my birthday! Way hey, hey hey, wooooo hey!

And to celebrate I am going to do a GIVEAWAY!!

All you need to do is leave a comment saying what colours or colours you would like in a set of 6 Dorset Buttons (like the ones pictured) and if your name is chosen (using the randomly generated cat method) then you win a set in that colour.

You can have all 6 the same colour, you can have each a different colour, you can have each button two colours. You decide.

So remember people leave your colour/s choice/s and also a way of me contacting you, in the comments.

Closing date is Friday 1st July 12 midnight BST.

Have fun!!

Crafteroo Button Swap

As you may know I am a member of the Crafteroo forum.  I love it as it is a great place to meet and have a chat, share worries, and and also talk about crafts!

Recently we had a Button Swap, organised by the wonderful Kitty Ballistic, who has my admiration for her organisational skills.

I was partnered with Jenny, pop over and see her blog here.

Here are all the goodies that I received from Jenny:-

 Aren't I lucky?

I am looking forward to using all the wonderful things although I am a bit of a button stasher so cannot promise that I won't hold onto them.

Here is what I sent to Jenny:-

I am a bit pleased with the button picture as it is the first I have tried. And I used a couple of my own handmade buttons plus filled in with french knots. It was great fun to make and I intend to make some more for my shop.

Swaps always fill me with fear as well as delight as I do worry about what to make and whether the swapee will like it. But she says she did, and I know I did so it was a great success.

Button Wednesday - My Button Sorting Apprentice (and her helper).

Yesterday morning I was lucky enough to buy a tin of buttons in a charity shop for £2.99.  'That's my afternoon sorted'  I thought (pardon the pun).

There were quite a few British Railways buttons that I have listed on ebay.

Back from school, my daughter was excited at the thought of sorting them  so I let her have the pleasure.  I have to say it did not last and I took over but then I got bored and having sorted out the bestest ones, put the rest back into the tin.

I did manage to take this photo of my little apprentice. She did very well.

If you look closely in the top right hand corner of the photo you will see that my daughter had her own, unknowing, helper.

For more Button Wednesdays blog posts see P8 Button & Fabrics Blog. 

Button Wednesday - Handmade button, interrrupted but finished.

Last Wednesday I was going to post about a button I was making. I had taken the before shot and then would take another photo when I had finished the button. It was a pink button for my sister to go on her newly made ipad case.

Then I had an urgent message from a friend asking me to take over her half of a stall at a fair on Saturday. 'I cannot do it. I have no stock.' I said. But I thought about it and agreed to do the half table for her.

When I got home from work in the evening I was told the other person was unable to make the fair and could I do the whole table. So my mornings quiet relaxed button-making went and was replaced by frenzied sewing for the fair.

So to continue where I was last Wednesday - here is the before photo of the button. A naked button you could say.

And here is the finished button.

For more Button Wednesdays pop over to Kraplap's P8 Buttons & Fabrics Blog here.

Button Wednesday - Purple Treasury

I was hoping to show you some buttons that I had made but since I seem to be suffering from crafter's block or simply pure laziness I am afraid I have nothing..nothing!

But as luck has it the lovely CardsandCraft has included me in a lovely treasury on etsy. Since it is full of buttons it is perfect for me to show you today.


Click here to go to the treasury so you can have a closer look at the items and their makers/sellers. Enjoy!

For more Button Wednesday please pop over to Kraplap's P8 Buttons & Fabrics Blog.

Button Wednesday - Handmade Finds & Pearly Kings

It is Button Wednesday again!

I was going to just show you some yummy handmade buttons that I found over on etsy. Which I will do anyway.

But then I read P8s Buttons and Fabrics blog, and it reminded me of Pearly Queens and Kings. Now many of you may never have heard of them. They are a London thing. It started in the 19th century by Henry Croft and continues to this day. Pearly Queens and Kings sew on hundreds and hundreds of pearl buttons to their suits, and they raise lots of money for charity. You can read more about it here.

Here are the promised button yumminess:

Handmade Fabric Buttons Water Splashes ;


Set of 8 One-of-a-Kind Buttons;


Crackled Ceramic Buttons Frost White;


Organic /crocheted Summer Beads


And here is a couple of wonderful Pearly Kings


I did try to get the photo smaller but did not manage it and anyway you can see the details of the clothes this way!

For more Button Wednesdays pop over to Kraplap's P8 Buttons & Fabrics Blog.

A set of Dorset Buttons

In my last post I showed you some buttons I have been making. Well, I have made enough for a set - a set of four that is. I suppose it is still a set if there are two different designs?

But I have also made a set of 4 of the same colour. This set is made using a variegated thread that has reds, oranges, and purples.


And here are the ones I have made so far. In this picture I have placed a Dorset button that is the 'normal' size I usually make. The little buttons are just under 1.5cms.

I am making these for the Handm@de Winchester fair on the 4th July. I hope that you can make it then as it will be a lovely day. The Hat Fair is also taking place about then and last year I had a wonderful day.

If however, you cannot make it and would like some of my handmade buttons then contact me on bigbluebed@live.com.

Thank you very much (you have to say that in an Elvis way).

I am Back!

Not that I have been away (apart from Butlins of course)...but my camera and I have been at a distance. This was caused by a virus attacking our pc and then our laptop refusing the camera connection.

So it is lovely to be able to take photos again and upload them. HOORAY!

And also I am making things again. So this is just to show you what I am mainly working on at the moment. These are teeny teeny Dorset Buttons. They are just under 1.5cms across.



I love green and pink and think these two colours work together really well. I am working towards making sets for a craft fair but get so interested in trying out different colour combinations that I have not been able to make enough for a set yet.

But I will. I will keep you posted.

101 Things to Do With a Dorset Button

Number 1

Make them into Rings!!



I love making Dorset Buttons. And they make really really great...buttons. But they look wonderful made into other things too.

Here is my latest a selection of rings. I made one for myself to trial, and it feels comfortable and looks lovely.




So have a look in my etsy, folksy or Artfire shop today!

A bit of a yellow day..

I made some new button brooches last night and managed to get some good photos today due to the lovely sunshine.

I have listed some in my etsy shop and thought I would put a colour scheme in the featured bit at the top.

My shop is looking nice and colourful. Although I think I might work on my banner some more.

Giveaway!

I am giving away a pair of Ribbon Wrapped Dorset Button Hair Snaps to one lucky person. To win you have to leave a comment below telling me what is your favourite thing from my etsy shop. Also tell me what colour hair snap you would like if you win.

Closing date is Sunday 8th March 11pm (GMT). After which I will get either my cat or my daughter to pick the name out of the hat.

The competition has now finished. I will announce the winner later today!

Serendipity this way comes...

As you know I make Dorset buttons, and also Dorset button hair snaps. I was playing around with the idea of making a pendant necklace and so had bought some thin ribbon to use.

Well, as often is the case...what I made is not what I planned. I still haven't made the pendant but made another hair snap. However, I am so pleased with the outcome.

Where I would normally use embroidery thread, I used the ribbon and wrapped this around the plastic ring. And the front of the ribbon hair snap, is what is usually on the back of the thread hair snaps. Confusing? I hope not.

The button on the back is also a new idea. I had used a small fabric flower but found, on the ones I made for my daughter, that after a while it looked a bit scruffy. The buttons look pretty and work well.

New Bracelet

Even though they take ages to make, I really love making Dorset Buttons. And recently I had the idea of putting them together into a bracelet.

It took quite a while to do as I was linking the rings as I went, but I am rather pleased with the outcome.

Dorset Buttons

I have been making these wonderful Dorset Buttons. I know I am in the wrong county, but Dorset isn't too far away!!
They are great fun to make and I am having a lovely time choosing colours.
Avaialable to buy from etsy and folksy.

Little Red Flower

I knitted a large flower for a brooch, using Rowan Big Wool Tuft. I really enjoyed it. I then felted it using very hot water, soap, and a good battering in my bathroom.

So much did I enjoy it that I wanted to make another flower. However, this time I'll try smaller, thought I. I ended up using red embroidery cotton as a yarn and darning needles to knit with. It turned out rather well. You can see it in etsy at the link above and also on my flickr page. But I have posted a photo here as well.

In the middle is an antique 19th century glass button. On the back is sewn a silver plated brooch back.

I am really quite happy with it.