Gone To Earth

Tutorial Isolating a part of a fabric motif to cover your buttons

Forgive me, bit I'm just a little fixated on buttons at the moment, don't be concerned - I'm sure I won't come to any harm but I do absolutely have to share.

It is completly possible to create beautiful unique buttons by isolating just a part of a pattern motif of the fabric - but you knew that didn't you?

When I'm covering larger buttons I often use a piece of wadding cut to the same size as the button top under the fabric. I think it softens the look of the button slightly and it just feels nice. If you're usng a metal button kit it also stops the metal shining through particularly if your fabric has a more open weave. Really though it's purely a matter of personal choice.

Requirements

• self-cover buttons - front and back (there are many different sorts of self cover button kits, but I use this sort. Link)
• fabric (enough to cover your button)
• small piece of wadding (optional)
• matching sewing thread
• sewing needle
• scissors
• tape measure
• a few pins
• greaseproof paper, tracing paper or tissue paper (something you can see the fabric pattern through)
• a pencil to make a pattern with or fabric marker (if you're going to mark directly onto the fabric)
• glue stick (optional) (Tip: raid the children's pencil cases. They're bound to have one)

Step 1 - Make your button pattern

a) Place the button front face down onto the tissue paper (or whatever you're using) and draw around the outside of the button top. Not the smoothest circle but it'll work just fine.

b) Measure the distance between the button shank and the outside rim of the button, like so. In this case it's just a little more than a 1cm - a centimetre will work just fine.

c) Use this amount to mark a seam allowance (1cm) around the circle you have just drawn.

(To draw this outer circle I place the tape measure against the circle I drew by marking around the button top and mark the 1cm distance with dots. Then I can just join up the dots to make my outer circle.)

You should now have something like this which you can cut out and use as a pattern piece. Alternatively, you can draw directly onto your fabric with a non-permanent or other fabric marker.

 

Step 2 - Selecting the part of the fabric pattern you wish to use

a) Decide which part of the fabric pattern you wish to use.

Your 'see-through' pattern piece should help you isolate the area you're interested in and judge what it would look like on the finished button.

Move it round until you're happy with your decision.

b) Pin your pattern piece to the fabric and cut it out. If you've marked the 'button pattern' directly onto the fabric then cut that out.

The 'see-through' tracing paper allows me to see the pattern quite clearly so I can accurately select the pattern motif I want to cut from the fabric for my button.

I love this fabric it's from Anna Maria Horner's chocolate range

 

Step 3 - The wadding

For this button I wanted to include a piece of wadding just because .....I like my buttons that way!?

a) If you don't intend to keep the pattern piece you just used to cut out the fabric circle with forever .... and you might do. Then cut off the seam allowance marked on you pattern piece and use this as a pattern to cut out a circle of wadding for the top of your button.

 

Step 4 - Lots of bits and pieces

a) Get out the glue stick

This just helps to hold the wadding in place whilst you concentrate on the fabric, so it's an entirely optional step. (I do it 'cos I get impatient with trying to hold lots of things still.)

b) Rub a little glue onto the button top and press the wadding onto it

c) Using a doubled sewing thread which matches the fabric colour, sew a row of running stitches around the edge of the fabric circle.

Be careful not to sew too close to the edge or when you gather up the fabric the stitches may pull out. (I'm admitting nothing!)

d) Slip the button front onto the fabric circle, and gently pull up the stitches.

Whilst you're doing this ensure that the pattern motif that you so carefully selected is positioned exactly as you want it.

e) Pull the gathers up tightly so that the button top if completely enclosed and tie the thread ends off securely in a knot. Snug as a bug in a rug!

Step 5 - Assembling your button pieces

a) Place the 'washer' over the button shank with the 'spotty' side facing what will be the underside of the button. The serrated edge and these spots help to hold everything nice and tightly in place.

b) Use a little brute force and push the washer down onto the other button piece. The washer should click into place.

Stand back, admire your lovely new button and Smile!

I hope you find this little tutorial useful and that I haven't make it look too complicated. Let me know what you think, I'd hate to think that I was talking to myself as well as everthing else.

I'd love to see any buttons you cover, 'cos I'm nosy interested.

Happy sewing!

Thinking about colour

Why the rose? No real reason - it's just beautiful. It's a really old variety of moss rose, sadly it only flowers once in a season. There's none of this coaxing it to perform twice by chopping its heads off. So, we just have to enjoy it when it graces us with its prescence. Beautiful perfume too - but you'll have to imagine that for yourself.

I'm romping wading working my way through an activity for the City and Guilds Patchwork course I'm studying. (I can't say that without smiling. If you've ever read any Terry Pratchett books you know what I mean. Brilliant!)

I started off this acitivity thinking 'Yep, I know exactly what this means!' but I've been surprised. Basically, I'm supposed to be collecting pictures of 'items' with analogous colour schemes, making a collage using just the colours and writing a few words about how you respond to the colours. So, is it warm or fresh or energetic, you know the kind of thing.

I've not found it that easy to find pictures like this - always the way isn't when you really start looking for something - there aren't any. Of the ones I have found, making collages of just the colours involved was fun (think ripping up paper, bits of fabric and glue and generally making a mess) and then I noticed something.

When I was happily describing the colours as fresh, spring like etc I realised just how uninteresting bits of flat colour are when compared with the picture of the actual thing. I'm not sure I'm explaining myself very well. It's as if it's the shape, the form is as much part of the response you make to a colour scheme as the colour. Therefore, (big deductive leap, for me) it must follow that the quilting lines, patterns that you sew onto quilts must be at least or even more important as an element of any quilted article as the colour.

I've spared you my descriptions!

You already knew that didn't you? Why didn't you tell me? You know it always takes time for things to sink in. I know I get there in the end but even so!

And then.... there was the difference it made when a colour was neighbours with another colour. I'm thinking yellow with greens and then the same yellow with reds and oranges. I think I always did know this but it was quite startling to see it quite like this.

I'm feeling a bit like a child with new toy.

I think I need a new sewing project to experiment with ... ummh.

I wonder what my tutor will think! (ooh!) I hate that waiting bit between submitting work and getting it back. (She's very quick.) Too much like school, except no one throws anything at you.

I'm dyeing a colour wheel next..... can't wait.

Tutorial How to cover a button with fabric

Beautiful Buttons....

I love buttons.

Any buttons! They're useful and pretty ..... what more could you ask for?

You can buy/beg or otherwise get hold of some beautiful buttons these days. Sometimes though the best button is the button you created yourself!

Cover them with your favourite fabric, either solid colour or patterned, embroidered, embellished with beads, sequins or both, fabric painted. So much choice, so much possibility!

I mean look at these or this collection I mean wow! Creative or what?! You'd just have to cuddle them wouldn't you? ...Did you come back?

Even if you're not up to doing this just yet (and I'm not sure I am) there's so much fun you can have with them and so much you can do with them. I make them to add detail to bags, scarves, hats and belts. I have been know to change buttons on jackets for buttons I've covered myself. (Makes 'em look good. Here you have to imagine a plain black jacket with red fabric buttons. Well, I liked it.)

Anyway, I was thinking as I was adding 'plastic self-cover buttons' to the shop that it'd be nice to have a little 'How to..' about the place for peeps who haven't covered a button before.

So, without any more ado, here begins a little 'tutorial' ( a bit grand, but I wasn't sure anyone else uses the term 'a how to...') on 'covering a button with fabric'.

First of all you need;

Requirements;

• 1 set of plastic self-cover buttons (there are many different sorts of self cover button kits, but I use this sort.)
• fabric
• matching sewing thread
• sewing needle
• a few pins
• scissors
• paper and pencil to make a pattern or fabric marker
• tape measure

For this I'm using an 18mm plastic button, which is quite small. All sizes of buttons can be covered using the same method but you will need to allow a larger seam allowance for larger buttons in order to get everthing nice and smooth and safely secured behind the button back.

I like to make a pattern first.

Step 1 Make yourself a template/pattern

a) Place the button front face down onto a piece of paper and draw around the outside.

b) Measure the distance between the button shank and the outside rim, like so. It's approximately 7mm.

• Notice in the photo the amount of space (or lack of it) on the back of the button, between the shank and the edge. There isn't great deal of room to secure/hide lots of fabric. Too much fabric and you'll get rucks or gathers on the edge/front of the button which just isn't nice. Too little fabric and it'll fray out over time. (In other words a pattern helps.)

c) Use this amount to mark a seam allowance (7mm) around the circle you have just drawn.

Like so. Cut out your pattern piece. Alternatively draw directly onto your pattern with a non-permanent or other fabric marker.

d) If you are using a pattern; Pin it to your chosen fabric and cut it out.

If you've marked the pattern directly onto the fabric then cut that out.

<

Step 2 Gathering up the fabric to cover your button

a) Using a doubled sewing thread which matches the fabric colour (mine doesn't because I wanted it to show in the photo), sew a row of running stitches around the edge of the fabric circle.

Be careful not to sew too close to the edge or when you gather up the fabric the stitches may pull out.

b) Slip the button front onto the fabric circle, and gently pull up the stitches.

>

Step 3 Completing your button

Almost done.

a) Pull the gathers up tightly but carefully and tie the thread ends off in a knot.

b) Look at your button and smooth out any rucks in the fabric. It is usually possible to ease the fabric about a little. Be patient but show the button who's in charge.

Happy that it's all smooth and even? Good.

c) Place the 'washer' over the button shank with the 'spotty' side facing what will be the underside of the button. The serrated edge and these spots help to hold everything nice and tightly in place.

d) Use a little brute force and push the washer down onto the other button piece. They can be quite stiff but you should hear the washer click into place.

Ta da! One fabric covered button perfectly lovely and ready for your next or even your current project. Is this your first butonny adventure? I wonder what next?

Schools uniforms and non-standard kids

I am the sometimes proud, sometimes impressed, frequently exasperated mother of a 6ft 2 inches son. Yes, I know people tell me it's lovely to have a tall son but ...he's thirteen. Oh! did I mention that he's beanpole like, although he's beginning to fill out a bit. (Aaaargh! That usually means he's going to start growing again!)

(Dandelions - 'cos he grows like a weed)

The reason it's particularly winding me up today, is that I'm sitting here trying to work out how on earth to write a letter to school explaining/getting their permission for having a properly badged school sweatshirt custom made. The only style we can get in the appropriate school colour (maroon for goodness sake!) has a different setting of the sleeves. Does it really matter? The 'uniform man' , suggested that I should write to school to get permission in order that my son didn't get disciplined for having a non-standard sweatshirt. Can it really be that much of a issue? If the only difference is that his sweathshirt has set -in sleeves as opposed to raglan ones, how exactly is that an act of rebellion? I mean come on ... aren't there more serious issues in secondary schools. I mean I'm trying my best.

Perhaps I should scream 'discrimination', on the grounds of height. That always gets attention. Not really my style though and he'd be absolutely horrified. I mean make a scene, he couldn't bear it. I might enjoy it though.

The American lady who lives down the road from me adores the whole school uniform thing. How much simpler it makes life. No arguments about what your child wears to school. Less expensive than buying all outfits you would otherwise need. Fantastic. You have to agree with her. I'm sure that if my daughter had to make a decision about what to wear each day we'd have to be up at five. She's a wonder to behold when confronted with a wardrobe full of clothes.

Uniform, (well, clothes in general to be honest) have always been difficult for him. It's the problem of being 'non-standard'. Going into adult sizes is making it easier because you can get different height/width combinations. (Best not to think about the extra cost.) Uniforms don't seem to work this way.

My son just wants to blend in. He doesn't want this fuss and attention because he's tall. He's fed up with being asked if the air is thin up there or told that he'd have a good career in basketball. Especially as the only sport for him is cricket. I'm fed up with being told to feed him more. Have you seen the size of my food bills?

I've always felt a little sad for him because his height has excluded him from a lot of things. (I'm talking maximum height limits on fair rides and at activity centres where friends where having their birthday parties.) Sad, because it's going to be a few years before some of his peers begin to catch up with him.

So, how do you think I should begin this letter?

.........

Dear Sir,

My son needs new sweatshirts for school. The XL size is not long enough in the sleeves (did I mention our orangutan ancestry) and the body would drown a 'sumo wrestler' (no offence meant).

The 'uniform lady', suggested tumble drying the XL size on hot to reduce the body size but experience tells me the arms would shrink too and at between £15-£20 each I'm not willing to experiment...

...........

Not quite the right tone is it?

Sorry! This turned into a bit of a rant. I know I should be grateful that that he doesn't give me more to worry about and believe me I am. This is just frustrating! Think I'll go and ....... no! If I finish this letter so that I can forget about it. (Yeah! Like that's going to happen.)

I must confess.....

Just in case you haven't been paying attention ... I really do like making pouches. They're quick (well, sometimes), you can still play with mixing up fabrics, use up little bits of fabric, you can patchwork, you can quilt or just let the fabric speak for itself. You can get a quick 'crafty/quilty' kind of fix and have something good at the end of it.

I find them really useful for organising little bits and pieces that otherwise might get lost. I use them for sewing bits and pieces if I go somewhere else to craft/sew or knit. I use them for make-up, my daughter uses them for all her hair bits ties and bands and clips and, and ..... You' think therefore wouldn't you that projects would go smoothly, no issues, no pain but sometimes it doesn't all go according to plan.

This one was o.k. I was pleased with the way the fabrics went together and the lining is in a lovely little 'paprika' coloured (well, it is a kind of orangey red') polka-dot. I think you can just see it in the photo. The binding at the top was a new thing for me and I like the effect a lot. I think it makes the whole thing looks finished. I also inserted the zip differently too. I sewed fabric on to the zip ends so that when you've finished the zip sits nice and flat on the top. So, two good things about this pouch as far as I'm concerned.

Next up, is this little patchwork number. Made out small squares of Amy Butler prints, mostly from the nigella range. (Can you name them all?) I couldn't get the zip in as well as I like to. Was it me? Hadn't I drunk enough coffee that day? Who knows - but I think I'd have completely ruined it if I'd continued to unpick the zip. I suppose if I'd have added a binding to the top edge I might have found it easier to keep the fabric flat ? Anyway, it's another little pouch for me.

This next one is a complete monster of a pouch - you could probably get some hefty hair brushes in this one! No, I didn't intend it to be this big but well the pattern I was following (Yes, this time I thought I'd try something different. ) said .... and I just followed and .... well. Don't get me wrong I love the way the fabric goes together and I'm not unhappy with the free motion quilting. The lining is beautiful but it's just too big.

(Reminds me of those pictures of Viking longships you see!)

I've always used boxed corners in these little pouches and this pattern uses some (complicated) folds. Which look great I just couldn't get everything square without a bottom seam to measure everything against.

My son reckons that I had a 'blonde' moment - cheek, he's a lot blonder than me. I'm going to have another go. No, doubt you'll be hearing about it.

A birthday

It's my daughters 11th birthday today. I could say all the usual things about 'where'd that time go', but I won't.

She's my youngest child so I suppose I always think of her as the baby but times are changing. She's altered so much in the last twelve months, not just physically growing taller but becoming more mature in her ways. I sometimes catch tantalising glimpses of the woman she will become. It's that bittersweet experience of parenthood isn't it? I'm a little sad that the little girl with the bouncing yellow curls is disappearing but I'm so looking forward to sharing her life as she becomes adult. Love you 'Mia.