Roberta Rudbeckia

A Gardening Diva told me that the black-centered flowers are called Rudbeckia.  So, I now present to you: Roberta Rudbeckia.  This necklace uses the last of the antique buttons converted into flowers.  There are also some old, though probably not antique resin buttons as accents.  I used the same color theme, but with slightly different components.

The black and grey accents help the yellow to pop, but not become overpowering.  I also used some small flat rectangle beads in an lovely creme to smooth the transition between flowers and necklace band.  Not bad, if I do say so myself.  Even though all the beads, and the buttons are glass, the necklace is not heavy, which is another nice feature.

I’m not at all sure what will happen with this necklace.  I doubt that I will keep it, so I hope it goes to a good home.  Maybe someone who collects buttons, and appreciates that No Buttons Were Harmed in the making of this necklace.

Black-Eyed Susan Buttons

This necklace took forevah to complete…and I have no idea why.  Once I finished the button flowers there was only stringing the components to be done.  But oh, there were a myriad of auditions, as I posted about in The Process a couple of weeks back.

Still, I am declaring it completed, except for adding a clap.  Something simple like a gunmetal lobster claw, to keep with the black and yellow theme.

So, the question remains:

• Is this a Black-Eye Susan necklace?
• A Bumble Bee Necklace?
• A Taxi Cab Necklace?
• Necklace, plain and simple?

I do like the oblong button as a focal in the center, it tones down the busyness of the button flowers.

Button Audition

I am flummoxed.  Indecisive.  Uncertain.

So, rather than make no decision, or spend time second guessing myself for days, I’m holding a button audition.  That’s right, your assistance in absolutely necessary!

This is the shirt, as much as you get to see of it.  The buttons go on the checkerboard.  The accent is the red in the corner.

Which buttons should I use?

• Matte Red
• White Shell (antique)
• Grey Shell (antique)
• White shirting
• Red Sparkle

I need your help folks!  Consider this a plea unto the Internet.  Which buttons should I use? Don’t be shy.  Leave a comment.  Let me know, because truly, I don’t know which way to turn, and I want this #(*&%&#! shirt finished!

Beadaholic Retreat

Saturday I headed East to my friend Jessica’s house, and we totally transformed her kitchen into a Bead-a-holic Beadfest.  It was beadtastic! Do you think we need to join Beader’s Anonymous?  Is there a 12-step program for this addiction?

We beaded and nattered, and strung and talked and stitched and babbled.  There’s nothing quite like catching up with an old friend and being productive at the same time.  Jessica does beautiful work, very different from the pieces I do, so we had lots of “I-don’t-see-how-you-do-that” conversations.  It was fun.  A delight.

While there I got to meet the two newest additions to her family, Tumbleweed kitty and  Lucky cat.  They join Ollie and Cheetoe as her four-pawed fur babies.  All those beads on the table, you’d think it would have been a disaster with so many felines, but everyone was exceptionally well behaved.  Ollie, the patriarch of the bunch, just rested his head on the table, watching our every move, until he realized there was no food, and moseyed on.  If only this could happen at my house! (Max!  Puck!  Take note!)

Before we knew it, it was dark, and time for me to head home.  Jessica finished this beautiful crystal creation during our time together.  I think it’s quite stunning.  It looks great on her too.

Meanwhile I worked on the bracelet at right.  It’s something I plan to wear to the Sew-In at the end of June.  Another button bracelet.  If you look closely, you can see that the buttons have a sewing theme: irons, scissors, a sewing machine, tape measure and a pin cushion.  It’s bright, fun, and sparkly!

Trinkets from Vacation

If you’re a regular reader of these missives, you know Prince Charming and I went on vacation a week or so back.  We had the  good fortune to spend a whole week in Oregon.  The first part of the trip was bicycling the Willamette Valley, stopping at wineries along the way.  More on that later.  The last 2 days we stayed in Portland proper.

Of course, I took along my handy dandy, don’t-leave-home-without-it list of Portland Fabric Stores.  There were two must see spots on our side of the river:The Ribbonry and Button Emporium and Josephine’s Dry Goods

Prince Charming was such a champ.  He waited with me until the store opened (10:30, not 10:00 as I had read) then waited some more while I wandered about, my eyes glazing over from all there was to see.

In the end, I got a nicely varied selection of buttons to take home.  I didn’t have anything particular in mind, so was basically looking for the unusual, different and fun.  That, I found!

The ones on the left are ceramic.  The teacup is  polymer clay, the black and teal blue are both Mother of Pearl, and I have no idea what the sewing accoutréments are.  I have my doubts that any of these will end up on clothing.  I think they are all destined for jewelry of one sort or another.  They’re just too pretty to put through the wash, or spend time hanging in a closet.

Next up was Josephine’s.  What can I say, but WOW! Gorgeous cashmere.  Italian cotton shirting that felt like silk.  Tweeds.  Plaids.  Sequined and embroidered laces.  A feast for both eye and hand.  I think I fondled every piece of fabric in that store, and left with:

Absolutely Nothing

That’s right, nada.  Zip.  Zilch. Zero.  What can I say?  I just don’t live a cashmere life.  Those who know me will think this may be the Evil Twin Suzy – leaving a fabric store empty handed, but there’s enough lovely yardage in the stash already.

Now, lest you think I completely took leave of my senses, I did bring home one piece.I found this in McMinnville, at Boersma’s Sewing Center.  I am an absolute sucker for this sort of fabric – fancy yarns, sparklies, the ombré colors.  It spoke to my inner magpie.

I know Portland has a lot of other fabric stores.  We were sans car on this trip, and very unused to public transportation.  That said, Portland has excellent public transport, and we found every place we wanted to go.  Besides, this trip wasn’t about stash expansion, it was all about decompression and relaxation!

Pinks!

These little fellows arrived in the post the other day, from the same seller as the Czech glass buttons I chatted about in a previous post.  Aren’t they adorable!

They are made from “moonglow” glass, so they have a bit of depth as well.

I have no idea what I’ll do with them.  I think they’re too fragile to be used on childrens clothes, not to mention the little black tails, ears and eyes would rub off if handled too much.  Those bits are only painted on.  At barely 1/2 ” long, they’re not suitable to bags, satchels or totes.

They’re tenatively earmarked for a button bracelet.  I can envision a whole pink and black, or maybe pink and hematite (shiny steel grey) affair.  What do you think?

Right now, they’re just fun!

These little darlings also raise a question.  Do you ever get something just because it makes you happy?  No project justification.  No plan.  Not on sale, even.  Just because?  Leave a comment!  Let me know!

Button Tin

Leslie asked about the button tin, wondering if it was full of treasures.  Hard to say.  It does have some lovely pieces.

This is the original button tin, in which I found most of my buttons for a very long time.  Things were added, and removed as needed.  It’s still a mix of colors and sizes, completely unsorted.  Most of them don’t have more than 1, 2 or 3 of the same.  The ancient peach buttons lived here for years!

Lately I’ve become enamored of Czech glass buttons.  There are several companies in Czechoslovakia that are using the old classic molds for new buttons.  A couple of bead suppliers have begun importing them.

These beauties arrived courtesy of the postman, and Ebay.  The big ones are quite large – about 38-40mm or more.  The small green ones are maybe 7/8 inch, possibly a little larger.  Right now, just the green ones are slated for something.  The rest await their calling.  Eye Candy!

Too Tired to Sew

What do you do when you’re too tired to sew?  This was the case when I returned from the Sew-In.  I was very pleased with everything I finished, but somehow didn’t quite have the desire to A) finish the partially completed skirt or B) cut out something new.

So, I ran my fingers through the button box (think of that scene with the dried beans from Amelie) and decided to see what else I could do.  Combining buttons with beads created these bracelets.

Just Ducky was made with new buttons, mostly JHB picked up during one of the 50% off sales at the Joann’s.  The beads are glass.

The inspiration came from this kit, which I acquired almost a year ago.  Halloween has a special place in my heart, and is probably my most favorite holiday.

Lasty, there was this peach number.  I’ve had the large focal buttons in the button tin for over 20 years, probably longer.  At first, I thought I would use them on a garment.  As I got older, I realized that peach, along with pink are not my colors.  I think putting them into a piece of jewelry is a nice way to use them.