More quilters are discovering the fascination of art quilts, those you hang on the wall and use for decorative effect.  You might place them on a bed but generally use only for adornment.  Perhaps you’ll use fabric art pieces in clothing, too.

To embellish their art quilts, quilters and fabric artists often choose beads and buttons, some of which they may make themselves.  I ran a poll to determine whether my readers are into this type of embellishment.

Question – Do You Use Beads and Buttons to Embellish Your Quilts?

10%  – Yes, frequently

70% – Yes, occasionally

20% – No, never

It would seem that throughout the quilting world, embellishments are becoming popular.  Some fabric artists, like my daughter, make beads from a variety of materials to add to their work.

How about telling me how you use beads and buttons.  Do you have any pictures of projects on your blog or web site you’d like to share?

(c)2007 Mary Emma Allen

Post from: Blisstree

Poll Results – Using Beads & Buttons to Embellish Your Quilts

They have shared how they store buttons, how they collect buttons, who started them collecting, and nostalgic memories of buttons and button collecting.  The topic of buttons has evoked such a great response, that I’ll periodically post about buttons…something I enjoy collecting and researching.

I used to think of buttons as simply a utilitarian object to hold clothing together.  Eventually I realized they could have a decorative effect on clothing.  When I began doing dressmaking and alterations for Miss Morrison many years ago, she introduced me to the hobby of button collecting.

She had pictures hanging on her wall that caught my attention when I stopped by to fit her.  (Ida was an invalid so couldn’t travel to my home for fittings as my other customers did.)  We chatted about the buttons, she mentioned the history of some, then loaned me books about button collecting.  Ida had jars of buttons and even gave some to my then 5-year old daughter to play with.  I began to realize this was a facsinating topic.

Since my daughter Beth, now a mom and art quilt designer and exhibitor,with her Meandering Threads blog, began using buttons on some of her work, I’ve realized another dimension of buttons.  Decorating art quilts with these as embellishments is fun and gives one an excuse for accumulating buttons.

How are you using buttons in your quilting and art work?  How do you store them?  Do you use them interchangeable with beads?  I love to hear how you’re collecting and using buttons.

Post from: Blisstree

Buttons & Quilting…Favorite Topics, It Seems

                          Josh Johnson’s post, Button, Button, Who’s Got the Button?, at Junk Creation, got me thinking about button storage over the years.  Josh shows a picture of the jar his wife uses for her buttons. 

So….where do you store your buttons?

My mom used a jar, as Josh’s wife does.  I have my button jar (formerly a peanut buttr jar) as well as a button tin.  I try to sort some of my buttons by color, size or material they’re made from.  Others I simply toss into the jar.                                         You also might consider plastic containers or a bowl or basket.

Use buttons for room decoration by placing some in a jar with fancy lid and adding as an accessory on an end table, a shelf, or desk.  Put some in the glass base of a lamp. 

Do you collect buttons?  How do you store them?  Do you use them for decorating?

The history of buttons evolves into a fascinating study.  Many have stories to tell.  Tell us about your button collection.

Post from: Blisstree

What Do Quilters Use for Storing Buttons?

I’ve always enjoyed collecting buttons, ever since I explored my grandmother’s and mother’s button jars.  In days ago, ladies didn’t run to the store for buttons.  They saved them from worn clothing relegated to the rag bag.  They cut the buttons off and put them  into a jar or tin.

When my daughter was small and we lived in a distant city while my husband attended airline pilot training school, I made friends with a lady who operated a used clothing store.  Anything that wasn’t salable, or had been in the store too long, was fair game for the button jar.  She cut them off and sold me buttons for a minimal amount.

Buttons are great playthings for youngsters, once they’ve passed the “everything-into-the-mouth” stage.  They sort by color, make designs, and even practice sewing with buttons.

Noreen at Hankering for Yarn tells about using buttons for a crocheted Butterfly Bag.  She also has another post, Button Reveries: Evoking Memories, Inspiring Creativity,  relating the role of buttons in her life and her creations.

My daughter and I collected so many buttons we had to sort some out and sell them at our yard sales.  Now that I’m seeing them used as embelishments more and more, I may have to accumulate some more!

Post from: Blisstree

Button! Button! Quilters Are Using More Buttons