bloomin’ button brooches
Just in time for Mother’s Day gift-making, here’s my Bloomin’ Button Brooches tutorial, complete with video, instructions, and free pattern sheet. Create several or even a whole bouquet! Why not make a couple buttons for yourself in your favorite colors as well.
Watch the video and then scroll down for the supplies list and step-by-steps. Don’t forget to download the free pattern sheet. (Pattern sheet is in PDF. You’ll need Adobe Reader to open this document.)
For each brooch you will need:
3 1/2″ square background fabric
2″ square fabric for flower
1″ square fabric for flower center
3 1/4″ square lightweight fusible woven interfacing
2″ x 3″ fusible web
40 wt. rayon thread for appliqué
2 1/2″ square cotton batting or low loft polyester batting
Double-stick tape
Small pair of pliers
Hot fix crystals
Crystal applicator wand, mini iron, or household iron to apply crystals
1 1/2″ half ball cover button (brass)
1″ long pin/pendant finding with double-faced adhesive pad
1. Trace the flower of your choice and circle patterns onto paper side of fusible web.
2. Following manufacturers’ instructions, iron the fusible web to the wrong side of the flower and circle fabrics, and iron the fusible interfacing centered on the wrong side of the background fabric.
3. Cut out the flower and circle appliqués and fuse to the middle of the interfaced background fabric. You can place the circle in the middle of the flower or slightly off-center. When making the Jasmine pin, it is easier to fuse and stitch the flower shape before fusing the circle on the flower.
4. Using a small zig zag or machine stitch of your choice and rayon thread, appliqué around the raw edges of the flower and circle shapes.
You can choose matching or contrasting thread depending on the effect desired. Other machine stitch possibilities include blanket/buttonhole stitch, satin, invisible, or straight. You might even want to experiment with a fun decorative stitch.
Stop needle down in the background fabric to turn the fabric on the curves. It will be every stitch or two on the tight curves such as on the tips of the Jasmine petals. Pull the thread ends to the wrong side with a hand needle and tie off.
5. Put a small piece of double-stick tape on the top of the button form. Stick the button to the center of the piece of batting. Cut the batting even with the edge of the button so you have a circle of batting on top of your button.
6. Use the pattern from the button package to trace around and cut out the appliquéd fabric with the flower centered in the middle.
7. Use the pliers to pull the wire button shank out of the button top.
8. Stretch the appliquéd fabric circle over the button top and assemble the cover button according to the manufacturer’s directions.
9. Embellish with hot fix crystals, following directions of your applicator wand.
If you don’t have an applicator wand you can use a Clover mini iron or a household iron with crystals up to 4mm in size. Use a cotton setting, no steam. Be extra careful not to burn yourself if you are using a regular household iron. Place the crystal, glue side down in the desired spot. Surgical tweezers are sometimes helpful in placing crystals. Press lightly for 10-20 seconds, and check with your fingernail to make sure it is well adhered. If not, press a little longer.
10. Attach the pin/pendant finding to the back of your brooch according to the manufacturer’s directions. Enjoy!
If you’re not into brooches, why not turn your Bloomin’ Button into a pendant, magnet, purse jewelry, or an embellishment for quilts or scrapbooks!
Download Bloomin’ Buttons pattern sheet. (Pattern sheet is in PDF. You’ll need Adobe Reader to open this document.)
For more fabric cover-button fun see my book, Fast, Fun & Easy Fabric Cover-Button Jewelry: Create Gifts & Glamour in an Afternoon, by C&T Publishing.
living creatively!
It’s true, I’ve been taking a vacation from blogging, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten about my blog. I’ve been busy collecting new inspirations and ideas to share with you!
Here’s a peek at one of the most exciting things I’ve been doing recently: taping some episodes for the Creative Living with Sheryl Borden Show.
I thought it would be a breeze, since I’m used to teaching quilting and crafting techniques, but there are a few significant differences between TV and the live classroom. For one, your time limit is minutes, not hours. And two, if you mess up, you have to start all over from the very beginning. But Sheryl made the taping easy and fun, so I wasn’t stressed at all. I’m so excited to share my fabric cover-button techniques in hi-def!
dressing your coffee cup in style
blooming button jewelry to embellish clothes & quilts
vintage fabric fabric cover-button crafts
fun fabric appliques for card making & scrapbooking
These segments will air on Creative Living in 2011, but I’ll give you a YouTube preview soon!
fabric ribbon rosettes
Today I demonstrated fabric painting and fabric ribbon rosettes at the CHA Winter Trade Show. For those of you who couldn’t make it, here’s an online tutorial for fabric ribbon rosettes just for you. (Click here for my CHA fabric painting tutorial)
To make a really special rosette, add a beaded fabric cover-button (button-beading techniques can be found in my book, Fast, Fun & Easy Fabric Cover-Button Jewelry, by C&T Publishing.)
- Choose two contrasting fabrics and a coordinating button.
- Cut the fabric 18″ wide by as long as you wish. You can use one painted fabric piece and one paint-free, or two paint-free pieces. I don’t recommend using two painted fabrics back-to-back unless you plan to use glue to secure the rosette. It’s a little tough getting the needle through two layers of painted fabric. (I bent a very hefty needle trying.)
- Fuse a sheet of Wonder Under to the reverse side of one of your chosen fabrics. (Wonder Under is 17″ wide so it will fit nicely on a piece of fabric 18″ wide.) Trim off the excess fabric with a rotary cutter and ruler.
- Peel off the paper backing and fuse the reverse side of the other fabric to the first piece of fabric. Trim off the excess fabric. You now have a double-sided piece of fabric.
- Use a decorative blade rotary cutter to cut fabric ribbon strips 1/2″ – 5/8″ wide x 17″ long.
- Sew two lines of contrasting thread down the center of the fabric ribbon if desired. Use a different color in the bobbin for the fabric on the reverse side. (This stitching is more decorative than functional. The Wonder Under and fabric paint do a really good job of discouraging fraying.)
- Thread a large needle with strong thread and make a big knot near the end. (Big needles make big holes and you don’t want the knot pulling completely through.)
- Find the center of the ribbon’s length and pinch to mark the center.
- Make a loop at one end to form the first petal. With a 17″ long fabric ribbon you can make six 1-1/4″ petals.
- This is the view from underneath your petal. Fold the ribbon at an angle to start the second petal and show the contrasting fabric.
- This is the view from the top again. Fold the ribbon back to the top to make the second petal.
- Fold the fabric ribbon on top to start the third petal and bring the ribbon to the back again to complete the third petal. Look for the center crease you made in step #6. If the crease is part of the third petal then your first three petals are too large for the length of your fabric ribbon. You won’t have enough ribbon left for three more petals. If the crease is at or beyond the fold of the third petal, then you will have enough fabric ribbon for three more petals.
- Continue folding the fabric ribbon from front to back and back to front until you’ve completed all six petals.
- Pick up the needle and thread and make several hand stitches through the center to secure all the petals. Make sure the stitches are close enough to the center to be hidden by the button. If you have a large button you can spread your stitches out further where there are fewer layers of fabric.
- Finally stitch the button on the side you want to call front.
Voila! Now all that’s left is to decide what to do with your fabric ribbon rosette. Sew a pin back on, glue to a round magnet, or embellish a quilt or purse.
More CHA fun to come!
all about kurumi buttons
Gill from the UK asks what kurumi buttons are. Great question! Kurumi buttons are a kind of fabric cover button that you use for embellishment, not as actual working buttons. They’re rounded plastic discs that you gather fabric around (like making a yo-yo). You can then hand applique the covered kurumi button onto your quilt or even make fabric jewelry out of them.
See my Pocket Full of Posies post for step-by-step directions on how to cover a kurumi button. Want to see kurumi buttons on some quilts? Check out the Pocket Full of Posies block on my Pocket Full of Posies post and my Bling Your Bindings! sample quilt on the Muse Monday: Bubbles! post.
These are my all-time favorite earrings, the ball & chain kurumi earrings, made with kurumi buttons and some fab vintage fabric I recycled from a thrift shop house dress. They’re super light, super fun to wear, and go with just about everything.
See my book, Fast, Fun & Easy Fabric Cover-Button Jewelry for more about making jewelry from kurumi buttons. {You can find my book and kurumi buttons in my online shop.}
find creativity in everyday life
Want more inspiration, ideas, tips and free tutorials? How about weekly contests and giveaways? Visit C&T Publishing’s blog where creativity meets everyday life.
Today on C&T’s blog I’m introducing fabric cover-button crafting and have a fun button project for you. My post is #500, how cool is that? Click here to read my post. Stop by and say hello!
tip tuesday: just bead it!
Perhaps the hardest part of trying something new is simply knowing where to start. Maybe you have a tube or two of beads on hand and would like to bead on fabric. Find a patterned fabric and follow the design. Try a handful of beads in the centers of some pretty flowers, or sew on beads for dimensional eyes.
On the left is my Calico Kitten block from my Dear Diary Quilt with E-beads for the eyes and nose. On the right is my Laguna Beach brooch. The printed fabric is beaded with size 15 seed beads and tiny garnet gemstone beads following the foliage and waves printed on the fabric.
