Coming on to Rain or Rain Clearing?

Here are some views of the sky which will no doubt be familiar to those of you who are in the UK right now. 

These photos were taken yesterday evening but it is sky I have seen a lot recently.  That is unless the sky is grey all over and there is rain pouring from it.

Inspired by the colours, I have made a set of buttons, or at least I have made 3 of them so far.  These are them. I have altered the background colour slightly as it was coming up blue (for some reason the light is so bad at the moment!) but these are the colours of the buttons. Grey, blue, white.  Sometimes there is more blue sky, sometimes more white cloud, and sometimes more grey cloud. Rain clearing or coming on to rain?

Buttons on a new Cardigan

I have just been reminded that I do not have any photos of buttons actually on clothes, in my etsy shop listings. The reason for this is that I have not had any clothes with my buttons on.  I keep meaning to but most buttons I make I put up for sale.

My lovely mum knitted my daughter this gorgeous cropped cardigan. She made one a couple of years ago in different colours and patterns and Mary loved it.  This one is so lovely too.

Mum asked me to make the buttons for it. So last night I did.  I was going to make just one colour but thought it would look nicer with one of each and  two of one.  Then I decided not to have the pink one on, then changed my mind.  So here is the cardigan with the button all sewn on.  And now I have a photo to put on all my listings.

Cardi with 4 buttons

Close-up of the purple button

My sister is making herself a regency dress for a costume party. I have made the buttons for it. So she needs to hurry up and finish it so I can take a photo!

Watch This Space...

I have a couple of tutorials coming soon - they will be published in various places. I will let you know when and where later. The first one will be in the soon to be published online Crafteroo magazine.

 The tutorial is for a Dorset Button, so you too can join in the fun and catch the DB bug. It will be for making the orange button in the photo.

I am quite happy with this photo. My photography skills although need working on, are definately getting better. But the photo is the wrong way round. And I don't know how to change it on blogger. Any ideas?

 All the buttons, should be or will be, for sale in my etsy shop.

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).

101 Things to Do With a Dorset Button

Number 3 - Get someone else to do the hard work!!

This is my latest batch of Dorset buttons.

Look at all the wonderful colours. The first photo shows some different stitches that I have used.

I have made them specially for Boutonnerie.com. So the wonderful shop owner can do all the hard work of taking photographs!

They won't be there yet but keeping checking as there are lots of other gorgeousness to be found.

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!

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.