Sewing Vloggers

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Zen and the Art of Organizing Buttons

 
There is something wonderfully meditational about organizing a multitude of buttons.  You start with basic color sorting. Then you sort colors into sub colors and sizes. You get rid of the nasty old strips of paper that make them jam up their little organizer box. After a few hours of this in husbandless, childless quiet you stare at your achievement and come back to reality with a renewed sense of peace and that all is right with the world. 

I have 3 more bins to do. These are all from Ima and what a pleasure to sort thru. I had no idea what I had. There are some wonderful vintage buttons. She seemed to buy things 20 at a time, full knowing the misery and frustration of coming up one button short at the end of a project. I could start a button store. She clearly bought out the equivalent of a button store. 

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 My pin weaving board is finally all properly strung up. I used about 5 very close shades of periwinkle floss. Took me 5 skeins to do this small amount. If you look closely you can see the interfacing, face up, underneath. This is there for one, I can get an idea of the shape I am following. Also, once it is all woven I will spot tack it before removing it from the board. Hopefully I will get started this afternoon. Gotta find my hair pick. It's a great sewing tool. I use it here to push the weft threads down nice and tight. 
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Thanks so much to Claire Kennedy who has been helping me along with the fit on my jacket. She suggested reassessing the fit of the bust once I add the shoulder pads. She was spot on. The pads/3/8ths inch/ worked miracles but now the princess seam needed adjusting. That slight lift of 3/8ths inch really moved the apex and I will deal with that this afternoon. The shoulder pads have eliminated the issue with the uneven shoulders. Yippee! I have also decided that this must be lined. Between the pads and chest pieces, this is definitely necessary. This won't be a Chanel lining, just a basic bagged lining. I have found the best small trim at JAs. It is a 1/4 inch wide braid, as in a three strand hair braid, of the exact taupe and beige. It is screaming pre shrink to me so that is on the table for today too. Hope you are all enjoying your weekend as much as me....Bunny

10 comments:

  1. First, the buttons are amazing. Just gorgeous to look at even if they don't get used! Which I am sure you will.
    On your jacket fitting. I have a very low right shoulder from an old injury and I not only pad out that shoulder more than the other, but I lower the underarm too because this occurs along with the lower shoulder. Kenneth King suggests cutting for the high shoulder and lowering both underarms to match and then adding more padding to the lower shoulder.

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  2. Oh I loooooooooove sorting buttons. You are right, zen is the perfect word. I makes me think of all of the possibilities or call to mind the memories if they are buttons salvaged from something.

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  3. I also love sorting buttons. I just did mine not too long ago. Some of my buttons were my grandmother's. What are you going to weave? Interesting. I just made a dress with a ribbon woven bodice.

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  4. Oh Bunny, I can't wait to see your pin weaving! I know it will be gorgeous!
    And button organizing, I can honestly tell you that it has never occurred to me! How crazy am I?
    Where did you get the little sorting boxes? I have a gajillion buttons, vintage and new, but have never done anything different than just throw them in jars and tubs. I would love to spend an afternoon organizing the little gems. I do believe you have inspired me again.
    Happy Sunday. I pray you have a beautiful and blessed day.

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  5. The buttons all came in little organizer bins each with 9 drawers, the ones on the table. She had many of the buttons on cards and every time I would go in a bin it would jam up when I tried to open it. So all the strips of the old button cards were removed. This bin is obviously the green and blue. There is another with pink and red and another with yellow and orange. I think there is a fourth, can't remember.

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  6. I love old buttons or any buttons. I have some on the cards, but I hate to part with the cards because they are marked 15 and 25 cents, and many of them came from my mom's stash. It does make sense to sort by color. I just have so many odds and ends. I do hope you will show us another pic when you finish.

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  7. Your endless creativity is just amazing! Pin weaving!

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  8. I'm anxious to see your pin weaving. What fun

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  9. The buttons are beautiful - I love how you're organizing them by color.

    Sounds like you're getting close on the jacket fitting, too. Shoulder pads are a must for me with jackets, with the small, sloping shoulders it makes a big difference and makes a difference in the fit of the front.

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  10. I'm so impressed by this, but I have to tell you, that picture put me on overload!!!!

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