Thursday 29 November 2012

Embroidered Buttons

I have been having fun making more buttons !!
I blogged in July about my first buttons for my etsy shop.
I have since made some more and now I don’t want to stop!

Buttons really are little mini embroideries and can be added to so many things,
tops, dresses, bags, scarfs, slippers, art . . . . 

For these I have used cotton thread embroidery, mostly on linen as it is so nice to work with. I added some lace, antique Victorian + 1910, vintage 1920’s + 1930’s to add the history. I am in a  ‘French Knot’  phase at the moment - so they appear everywhere !

I first give myself the button size guidelines - drawn with a fabric marker (that is invisible in a day). Then I embroider that outline (because I don’t always finish before the ink disappears!)                            
I set up the Linen in an embroidery frame and picked my lace and threads.



Here are some photos taken as I worked.


Then I carefully cut to the edges and made the buttons onto metal backings.
I found it best to have a layer of interface backing so that the shine of metal does not show through. So this is my latest little batch.


I have put them onto cards in two and threes for etsy.
Such fun - a capsule collection.


More styles soon - I am hooked !