Tag: 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

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

Putting on cuffs

No, I didn’t get arrested.
I put tatted buttons on denim with a little lace and made cuffs for my daughters for Mother’s Day.
Tatted buttons on 2 denim cuffs in purples and blues @ wandasknottythoughts

My original idea for my daughters did not work out, so I scrapped it and looked for something else.  While on Pinterest, where I spend way too much time, I came across decorated material cuffs.  They sparked an idea that had a chance to get done in the time left before Mother’s Day.

I started with a known favorite color – purple – and tatted the buttons.  These could be done in the car going back and forth to work as the passenger.  The easy part.
At home I found an old pair of jeans to cut up for the base.  At first it was going to be one piece of denim for each cuff.  It didn’t take long to decide there needed to be a backing to cover up all my stitching and keep the back pretty.  I collected odds and ends of lace, ribbons, and buttons to play with, laying them out on the denim with the buttons in different ways.
Tatted buttons on a denim cuff in purples @ wandasknottythoughts
I had recently purchased some leftover pieces of lace material from a local second hand shop which made a nice base for the other decorations.  It didn’t take long to notice the buttons could be flowers.  And what are flowers without leaves?  A few leaves of green material – didn’t quite look right.  They were very plain and boring.  A few simple stitches with embroidery floss helped them look much more like leaves.
It took longer than expected to put the first one together.  Mostly because I couldn’t make up my mind how to place things or what, exactly, I wanted.  But, at last, the first one was done.
Tatted buttons on a denim cuff in blues @ wandasknottythoughts
The second one didn’t take as long.  Other than changing the thread colors to blues on the buttons it was pretty much the same.  Except – the green material used for the leaves didn’t look as good with the blues.  I had to find a different shade of green material and thread for them.  I also added silver beads as I stitched everything down.
My sewing machine is not accessible at the moment so I stitched the ends down by hand.  Which would have looked much better in something other than white, especially I as I can’t sew straight.  I purposely left the sides frayed-looking but it won’t fray far.  The two layers of denim are glued together.
Tatted buttons on denim cuff in purples, worn @ wandasknottythoughts
The cuffs are finished off with a button on each end and an elastic hair band in the same color as the flower buttons.  They are easy to put on.
I gave the cuffs to my daughters the week after Mother’s Day.  One was completed on time but not the other.  Gotta be fair, right?
I’m thinking about making one for myself.  Will I continue with flowers or try something else?
I would hate to be cuffed to only one idea.
Okay, I’m done now.
“Don’t let your habits become handcuffs.”
Elizabeth Berg

International Tatting Day 2016

 

International Tatting Day 2016
I had a lot of fun today celebrating International Tatting Day.

Becky, Sherry and I celebrating International Tatting Day
Becky, Sherry and I celebrating International Tatting Day

Becky, Sherry, and me at Montana Mike’s Steakhouse
( I should have moved over with the others so the window wasn’t directly behind us)
Had lunch with two ladies that are my students.  We get together once a month to tat and this month it was in public with tatting and chocolate.  I brought Hershey’s kisses in several varieties, something for everyone.

Becky and Sherry
Lunch with Becky and Sherry for International Tatting Day 2016

I put the tatted buttons I’ve been working on in a teacup. The other teacup has the chocolate.  I also had a candy bowl with several shuttles wound with a yard of size 10 red thread and card stock wrapped with 2 yards of size 10 white thread.  These were to be given away if anyone was interested in trying and wanted them.  I demonstrated for one interested person but she didn’t take a shuttle.  We had several people stop and ask questions about what we were doing and were very impressed.  No-one turned down the buttons when offered one.
Becky helping Sherry with a knotty problem
Sherry was having a little trouble and Becky helped her out.  Nothing ensures you know what your doing as much as having to demonstrate and help someone else.
I  think I gave out about 10 buttons while we were out today.  At work I gave out the other 15 I had, along with a Hershey kiss.
I guess I need to make more buttons 🙂
I hope all of you enjoyed International Tatting Day where-ever you were.
Keep Calm
and
Tat On

More buttons for ITD

Buttons for International Tatting Day on wandasknottythoughts.blogspot.com
With all the dust and disruptions at the house due to the remodel I’ve not gotten much tatting done. I can still do a bit in the car so I’ve continued to decorate buttons for International Tatting Day.
I did give away a few green ones last week to be worn for St. Patrick’s Day.
And one to an aunt who thought it was pretty.
And one to a co-worker who really liked it.
The grandchildren like them, too. And their mothers.
I guess if I don’t give them all away on ITD I’ll still be able to do something with them eventually.
“Who gives from the mind is great
Who gives from the heart is truly blessed.”
Marinela Reka


Shortly after I posted this we went out for lunch.  We met a nice lady in another booth that recognized that I was tatting and had a nice visit.  Before she left I gave her a button and my card.
Do you think I’ll have any left for ITD?

Tatting for ITD

 There are so many things going on lately I’ve not really gotten into any projects even though I have several in mind.  Instead I’ve been working on little things to give away (I hope) on International Tatting Day April 1st.
Button Tatting for International Tatting Day 2016 on wandasknottythought.blogspot.com

 

Tatting around buttons is easy and quick and people really like them when they see them, making them ideal as small give-a-ways.  I’ve done a few in green because, hey, St. Patrick’s day is coming up – never hurts to have a little green on you.
Back of the Button Tatting for International Tatting Day 2016 on wandasknottythought.blogspot.com
 Instead of sewing in the ends on these I’ve used them to sew on a small safety pin.  I have a whole jar of safety pins of different sizes, thought this would be a good place to use the smaller ones.
I think I’ll move on to other colors now and maybe make a few into Easter eggs like I have the last couple of years; a few on paperclips and a few on safety pins.
I really need to keep a few of these handy all the time, not just for ITD.  I’ve had several opportunities to give something like this away to an interested by-stander but didn’t have any with me that were finished.  Okay, I’d already given the finished ones away…  So I need to keep more on hand.
Still haven’t gotten my drawing program fixed.  Now that I can’t I really want to work on some patterns.  I hope I keep up the enthusiasm for when I have a working program again.
While I wait I might as well do another button.
“You gotta try your luck at least once a day, because you could be going around lucky all day and not even know it.”
Jimmy Dean
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A little red, white and blue

Tatted buttons of red, white, and blue on wandasknottythoughts.com
In honor of the 4th of July I thought I’d tat something in red, white and blue.  This started out to be a bracelet with three white buttons, each decorated with a different color thread.  The red and blue threads worked great but the white thread kept breaking.  I finally gave up on trying to tat around the button and went around the other two buttons instead.  I’m still deciding how to make a bracelet out of this.I’m not giving up, just changing the plan a bit 🙂

Enjoy a safe, happy and red, white and blue Independence Day!

William Faulkner: “We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it.”

Juneau

Tatted buttons on Alaska cruise wandasknottythoughts.com
I took two balls of thread, Lizbeth #130 Island Breeze and #122 Caribbean in size 20, and a handful of buttons to decorate with me when we left for Alaska.  I figured that buttons are small, easy to do, don’t take a lot of thought and would be easy to give away if the opportunity came up.   These four, plus the one I mentioned a few weeks ago, are the buttons (okay, and one doodad) that I made while we were on the cruise.  The ones on the top and the left I made first using only one shuttle.  The one on the right didn’t come out like I was hoping but I may find a place to use it.  The bottom one was very frilly until I blocked it.  I’m not sure how it has eleven points but I like it and am not worried about it.  If I try it again I’ll probably figure it out 🙂
The rest of today’s pictures are from our stop in Juneau.  I thought I was going to have a few pictures from the ship, too, but somehow they didn’t make it.  Probably next week.
Trees in Glacier Gardens, Juneau, Alaska wandasknottythoughts.com
If you’re ever in the Juneau area I highly recommend visiting Glacier Gardens, they are absolutely gorgeous!  There are these lovely dead trees (yes, dead trees) that are in the ground upside down with beautiful plants in the root systems.
Flowers in Glacier Gardens, Juneau, Alaska wandasknottythoughts.com
Everywhere you look are lush plants.  It is a rain forest.
Beautiful trees in Glacier Gardens, Juneau, Alaska wandasknottythoughts.com
A lovely, lovely place to visit.
Visiting Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska wandasknottythoughts.com
Just outside of Juneau is the Juneau Icefield, the start of Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls, which is fed by the glacier.  We didn’t think we had time to make it to the falls, which was a mile hike both ways (we didn’t want the bus to leave without us).
Visit to Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska wandasknottythoughts.com
The glacier as seen through the long lens of our camera. It is several miles away from where we were.  There is nothing over there that you can compare it to for size.
Nugget Falls at Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska wandasknottythoughts.com
But you can see how large Nugget Falls is when you see the people at the foot.  This picture is with the long lens of our camera.
Tatting at Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska wandasknottythoughts.com
We visited so many places and there were so many things to see and do that I didn’t get a chance to tat at all of them, but I did remember here. It was a bit chilly and damp so it really was only a few stitches.
The ship was only in Juneau for a few hours so there were many things we didn’t get to see.  We’d really like to go back, but it will have to be a few years down the road.  If you get the chance to visit, DO IT!
“Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Flea market finds

My husband and I stopped at a local flea market/antique shop the other day.  We didn’t find what we stopped in looking for, but I found a few things that I ended up bringing home.
Check out these buttons!  Someone took the time to cut them off of the clothes they were on and saved them.  There are some interesting buttons in here.  I’m already thinking of where and how to use them.
I can see either a family picture or tatting in this pretty little heart-shaped frame. It looks to have never been used – the picture is the one that came with it when it was new.
I found two packages of hat/lapel pins.  I snatched them up as I have been looking for this item for quite a while.  I have several relatives that like hats and wearing these in lapels as well.  And if they turn out well maybe I’ll try selling a few of these at a craft show.
I do have to keep a tight reign on my purse at flea markets so I don’t take home everything that strikes my fancy!
“Is it strange that I enjoy going to flea markets more than going to the mall?”