Good afternoon. I have been working on some thread wrapped buttons following the new online Basic Button Making Course from Gina B Silkworks. These are Gina’s Peace Button – a variation on the Death’s Head Button. The video course instructions from Gina are really FAB.
I gave myself a couple of hours off today to watch the period drama Victoria. Appropriated viewing for making historical thread wrapped buttons. Two hours to make these few! I think I may have had trouble feeding the family on piece work for this rate of working! Tee hee.
I used a variety of threads and worked the wraps mainly over MDF button moulds (25, 20 and 15mm).
I am going to put all my buttons into a little sample journal alongside details of the threads used and number of wraps needed to fill the buttons etc. This will then give me a good reference when creating and designing future buttons, e.g. choosing threads and calculating wraps for designing new colour combinations and patterns, or when designing weave or embroidery patterns to embellish the basic wrapped buttons.
Threads and moulds used: Top left Perle 8 cotton thread (Coats) over a 20mm Mould, top right Perle 12 cotton (Algodon) over a 15mm Mould . The bottom sets were worked over a 25mm Mould, left hand side worked with one colour Perle 8, centre set worked in 2 colours Perle 8, the right hand set worked in thicker Perle 5 cotton (DMC) plus a metallic knitting cord (Anchor Artiste).
Extra tools that I found invaluable were the new Circle Gauge Set (for marking out accurate divisions on the mould) and the Button Makers Third Hand and Tool Tin (great for holding buttons while threading the needle to finish).
Well I have really enjoyed making these. Gina’s Square wrapped buttons next xxx.
Heather Tree Creative Designs by Anne Waller 