Button Art
One thing every crafty-creator can tell you: you will always need a button-jar in your workspace.
Of course, collecting that many mix-matched buttons means that, eventually, you’ll need to find a way to purge all of those buttons. Naturally, you’ve got the standard sewing projects to help move things along - such as a making baby clothes, or stitching stuffed toys (even though button-eyes have looked especially creepy ever since Coraline dropped in theaters).
However, one growing trend over the past few years has been super helpful in my quest to exorcise all of my extra buttons:
By combining decorative buttons with decorative embroidery, it certainly helps me de-stash a bunch of buttons I’ve collected over the years - and embroidery floss I just never got around to using.
It also gives me something more creative to do with my skills - which is certainly a big help in breaking up the routine now and then! (Because a lot of people don’t sew themselves anymore, a lot of people don’t realize just how repetitive and monotonous fixing clothes can get)
It’s also given me a way to use up some of my quilting-stash:
Instead of pulling my hair out planning bigger quilts, I can instead piece together small cuts for simple backgrounds to finish the raw edges; make the finished project look a little more interesting:
I’ve even started incorporating some of my extra beads (although I have to admit that my skills in beading are pretty novice, at best).
But, it does help me in my de-stashing adventures: some of the beads I’ve actually hand since I was 6 years old. 6!!
I can barely remember being that small anymore, but low and behold the beads followed through 2 houses and 2 apartments.
(Thank God they weren’t sequins - they will follow you till the day you die… and then 10 years after, at least)
Now, the question is: once I’ve made them, what do I do with them?
Honestly, there’s no pressure on answering this issue.
I’ll probably give them away to whoever wants one, or, for the designs I’m especially proud of, gift them to friends and family for special occasions.
Frankly, if I do sell them, I want them to be part of my “Thrift & Stitch” initiative I’ve been planning. Basically, it’s my bigger experiment of mashing vintage with the modern: applying modern materials to a vintage pattern, or completely reinterpreting an old concept but with accents made in the last 10 years or so.
However a project is made doesn’t really matter as long as it follows 2 rules:
Making what’s old new again, but with a fresh interpretation
Waste not, want not - so no scraps left behind
I’ve already started setting up a small section in my main shop, and plan to fill it with only limited quantities. These projects are taking hand-made, slow-production to the next level so I doubt they’d lend themselves well to any form of mass-production.
Besides, these projects aren’t about making money- that’s not the point.
The point is just to put a little bit more joy into the world. Nothing else.