Category: buttons

More decorated buttons

I am still working on emptying a few shuttles. I’ve had fun deciding what to do with the thread that I have to work with.

Decorated button in a turquoise blue on wandasknottythoughts
Decorated button in a turquoise blue

The picture doesn’t show the true color of this thread, it has more green to it. I’m not sure how many shades of blue/turquoise I have, but a lot, so this is hard to match. I had enough to go around this 7/16th inch button (11 mm). The longest measurement of the finished button is 1 1/2 inches (about 4 cm). I’m sure the thread is Lizbeth size 20.

Decorated button in pink rootbeer float on wandasknottythoughts
Decorated button in pink cocoa

This one looks to be made in size 40 thread. I think it is Lizbeth #166 Pink Cocoa. I started off with one idea and transitioned into something else when it wasn’t going to work out as expected. It still came out kinda cute. It also measures about 1 1/2 inches (about 4 cm) long. The button is also 7/16th inch (11 mm).

This medallion was not made emptying shuttles. I was trying out a new ball of thread, Liz Metalic #325 Gem Stone. I used a metal ring about 15/16th inch across (23m mm) that I found at JoAnn’s last week. I think the thread would look a bit richer with a gold center, but I like how this looks. Especially with the right background. The Metallic thread does not show up in pictures as pretty as it is in person.

Decorated ring in Gem Stone on wandasknottythoughts
Decorated ring in Gem Stone

The finished medallion is about 3 inches across (75 mm). Originally I planned on another round but decided against it – at least this time – when I finished the second round. I like how it looks just like this.

I’ve been happy with my thread endeavors recently, even though they start out with few intentions other than to tat. Lately that has been enough.

“If you get up in the morning and think the future is going to be better, it is a bright day. Otherwise, it’s not.” Elon Musk

Evening tatting

I’ve had a bit more time to tat lately, a couple of unplanned evenings at home. Not a bad thing. I listened to a couple of audio books while I tatted, which made them very nice evenings.

Metallic thread coaster on wandasknottythoughts
Metallic thread coaster

I started the individual medallions of this coaster a week or so ago, with three of the medallions joined. I was just playing around with the thread, no pattern in mind. I decided to add a fourth, which looked a bit unfinished, so I added the round of silver. It’s not quite three inches (75 mm) across. I’ve been debating whether to add a silver ring, or rings, to the center, but haven’t tried that yet. What do you think?

I used Lizbeth #320 Steel Blue Metallic and #190 Silver Ice Metallic for this. The pictures just don’t show up that metallic look very well.

I was thinking of Easter and Easter eggs when I tatted around this button. I was aiming for an egg shape. It kind of looks egg shaped, doesn’t it?

Decorated button Feb28 on wandasknottythoughts
Hints of Easter decorated button

Whatever the shape, I enjoyed making this. It is in Lizbeth #632 Purple Medium size 20 and about 2 1/2 inches (65 mm) across. If I do it again I’ll do the top just a bit differently using either a SCMR or a ring below the clover.

For a while, I had not had much enthusiasm for tatting, reading and web surfing instead. I’m happy that I’ve gotten back into the swing of it.

“One thought driven home is better than three left on base” Fortune cookie

Cleanup In The Shuttle Aisle

I don’t actually have a shuttle aisle, but I have a messy craft room that needs to be cleaned up. While going through things in my craft room I came across a bag that had a lot of miscellaneous itmes in it, including a bunch of shuttles. I need to “clean up” all of these so I can use them for other things!

Shuttles and other stuff on wandasknottythoughts
Shuttles and other stuff

Almost all of these shuttles were partially wound. Some of the threads I recognize and can match, but others are shades that are not so easily done. So what to do with them?

Some shuttles had more thread than others. There was enough on most to do more than single ring flowers and four ring butterflies, which are my go-to for snippets of thread left on shuttles. The little flowers and butterflies can easily be added to cards and notes. I did finish off a couple of shuttles with these.

Flowers and butterfly tail ends on wandasknottythoughts
Flowers and butterfly tail ends

But the ones with a bit more thread I put on buttons. The two small buttons are just doodles, simple things just to get around the button. These work well as accents on bags and collars. Or just to do with no purpose other than the joy of making them.

Buttons and doodle on wandasknottythoughts
Buttons and doodle

The two-color button is trying to recreate the decorated grey button that I did a couple of weeks ago. I made a couple of changes that seem to change the overall look of it, not what I had in mind. But I ran out of one of the blues. And I have a lot of threads that are shades of blue. It may be hard to match it and finish it.

The metallic doodle was not started with shuttles found in the bag. This was an idea that I got when I found the doodad in the middle as I was looking through other things in my craft room. I started it before I made last week’s decorated button. I haven’t decided if this is done or not.

I really need to do more cleanup in my craft room than I need to with the shuttles. But the shuttles are more fun!

“You never know what you have until you clean your room”

Coaster and Buttons

The two color 10 point coaster is finished.

Two color 10 point coaster done on wandasknottythoughts
Two-color 10 point coaster done

I like how this turned out! I also like how it was done in one pass. Much improved from the original.

When I finished the coaster I needed to empty a few shuttles of leftover thread. I’m not sure what the color is so I couldn’t get more thread for a chain thread or anything other than a small project. I pulled some thread off of the shuttle for the chain thread, which limited the size of whatever I finally made. I’ve been seeing a lot of decorated buttons on the Facebook page which inspired me to do a little something,

Decorated shank button on wandasknottythoughts
Decorated shank button

This came out very simple, but it didn’t take much thread. I’ve never used a shank button before and I didn’t do a great job on it. I know I’ve seen instructions on how to join to a shank button somewhere online but I didn’t take the time to look it over, I just gave it a try.

Speaking of buttons, when I recently visited my mother I got to go through a few of hers. I found a couple of cards with buttons that I like. I also recently got a shipment of thread from Tatting Corner, a couple of which I think will go well with one of the buttons.

A button and threads on wandasknottythoughts
A button and threads

I’m debating with myself about what I could do with this combination. What do you think?

“Every project is an opportunity to learn, to figure out problems and challenges, to invent and reinvent.” David Rockwell

Birthday Buttons

I have several tatting projects I want to be working on, but for some reason, I’m having a hard time spending my time on them.  That doesn’t mean I don’t want to or am not tatting, I’m just doing other things.  Easy things, like tatting around buttons.  These take little thought, mostly it’s “does the thread color compliment the button color?”  They are easy to carry and easy to make.  Add a pin on the back or maybe sew them to one end of a ribbon and, wah-lah! a fun little gift.

Working on more tatted buttons on wandasknottythoughts
Working on more tatted buttons

While at my daughter’s a few weeks ago I took thread and buttons to tat with in the evenings or quiet times.  One afternoon while working on one my grandson asked me about them; how long did it take to make one, was it hard? Can I have one?  How could I say no to that?  He admired the one with the red button.  I just had to put a safety pin on the back before giving it to him.  He proudly wore it on his T-shirt when we went out that evening and on the T-shirt he wore to school the next morning.

Granddaughter's tatted birthday button on wandasknottythoughts
Granddaughter’s tatted birthday button

I was visiting my daughter to help celebrate my granddaughter’s birthday.  She had already opened her birthday gifts when she saw that her brother had a tatted button.  Of course, she wanted one, too. She is very much into pinks and purples and I happened to have just the button and thread to make the perfect one for her.  She was quite pleased with it.

Everyone, where I work, is supposed to wear their ID badge out where it can be seen.  The office furnishes badge reels to make this easy.  I decorated mine with a tatted doodad, which has been known to draw a few eyes.  Recently, when a friend of mine at work celebrated her birthday, I mentioned I would make her a badge reel decoration if she would like one. She enthusiastically said yes.  Her color of choice was purple.

My badge reel not-quite-button on wandasknotttythoughts
My badge reel not-quite-button

I used a button for hers instead of a doodad.  I didn’t have beads that would work with the thread so I added a bigger bead to the center for a bit more bling.  I thought I had it all worked out by taking glue to work with me to attach it to her badge reel.  I was wrong.  The glue I took didn’t hold at all.  She knew of someone that had glue that might work.

Birthday badge reel tatted button on wandasknottythoughts
Birthday badge reel tatted button

The glue worked.  It also added a little extra bling to the tatting as well.  You can see the original thread color on the button while the outside is all dark and glittery.  Yes, this is what it looked like after it dried.  My friend was very happy with the result.

I wish I had remembered to take a picture of it before it was glued down.  Not that it doesn’t look okay now, but a before and after picture would have been nice.  I didn’t get pictures of the buttons with my grandchildren, either.  As many pictures as I take you’d think I’d remember to do this.  The import thing is that all the recipients are happy with their buttons.

It makes me happy when I can make others happy.  Isn’t the point of giving gifts to bring happiness to others?

“We all get so caught up in the moment of what we’re doing every day, it’s hard to hit that reset button and get pulled away from all that and see life from a different perspective.”  Tony Stewart                                                                                   brainyquote.com

 

Denim and tatting

Back in May I made a couple of denim wrist cuffs for my daughters for Mother’s Day.  I was so delighted by how they came out that I decided to make one for myself.

Of course, it had to be a little different.  Instead of tatting around buttons I edged a small piece of material instead.  I planned the material to be white with white tatting.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find my white thread.  (Can you believe I couldn’t find white thread???)  My solution was using Lizbeth #602 Natural in size 20, sewed to a corner of an old tea towel, then stained in coffee.  The lace bits I had were different shades of white/off white which worked well with the material piece.

Denum cuff with tatting, lace, and buttons on wandasknottythoughts
Denim cuff with buttons and tatting

I have a jar of old buttons that I sorted through to find accents for the cuff.  I tried newer buttons as well, trying to find just the right ones for the look I was after.  It’s amazing how hard it is to find just the right buttons and just the right places to put them.  I also added randomly placed seed beads over the whole thing.

You might notice that the ends don’t have the obvious stitching like my daughter’s had.  I used invisible thread this time.  It gives a nicer, finished look to the cuff, but it’s a lot harder to use than regular thread.  Instead of using a hair band for the closure I braided thread to make the loop.

Wearing the denum cuff with tatting, lace, and buttons on wandasknottythoughts
Wearing my denim cuff

I’m tickled pink at how it came out. I probably won’t wear it much until the weather cools off, but I’m already planning what I’ll wear it with this fall.

I’m still working on my clunies, but also a few other techniques that I don’t use often, like split chains.  I’ve done split chains before though only rarely.  I had to go on-line and refresh my memory.  I have a very strange-looking piece of tatting where I practiced this over and over.  Maybe, maybe, I have this down a little better.

My biggest concern right now is not what I need to know at Tat Days but what tatting should I take with me to do on the plane?  Something not too complicated, without beads, and easy to put down and pick up.   Hmmm.

What do you take with you to do when you fly?

“Denim has always been an everyday symbol for style” Ritu Kumar