I have completed the stitch reference book. That is…it is finished for now. I have a half page of stitches to add to it, but since I am fusing pages together, I will wait until I have more examples that I want to stitch out before adding to the book.
I know the background that I chose is difficult for the camera, but in real life, I can see the stitches and my noted settings quite well.
And I like the color!
I have moved on to sorting buttons.
Buttons are everywhere in my sewing studio, and I want to make use of them. But it is hard to make use of them when I don’t see what I have.
So I am taking the time to sort buttons by color into clear jars.
Then I will have to figure out how I am going to store these jars. I want them out where I can see them…that is the whole point of sorting. Otherwise, out of sight…out of mind.
How do you store your buttons? Are they hiding in Great-Grandma’s band-aid box?
LC's Cottage 
Great to get organized. I am enjoying washing fabrics as a break and yet to help me become more inspired to get with the program! Hugs
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That is funny, Nanette! What inspires one person does not necessarily inspire another. I hate washing fabric. Ha, ha!
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Hi Laura! Oh, those buttons will look SO cool in those jars. How did you know how I store my buttons?!! HAHA! Actually, they are in an old metal tin that was my grandmother’s. I don’t use a lot of buttons quite honestly. If I did, I would happily use the jar method and put them on a little shelf just their size. ~smile~ Roseanne
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Rosanne, I have buttons from great-grandma, grandma, and Mom. The tins and jars were passed down from one to the next. I played with those containers of buttons as a child. I don’t use buttons all that much either. But I want them where I can see them…I have a project in mind. 🙂
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The stitch book is a great idea … useful for hand as well as machine.
My buttons are mostly in jars, but not all are carefully sorted! I also have a button charm string. Years ago a quilt group I am in had an exhibition with some charm quilts, and I read about a collection of buttons strung together, with the idea that you collected 999 buttons and the next one should be from your beaus jacket. I raided my Mum’s button box, and added mine, and strung them together for the display.
Later I counted the buttons, and I had about 1200!
I am now thinking about a button book, trying to decide what to use for pages … fabric ‘sandwich’ or firm card covered with fabric.
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Love the story, Judy! I hope to see your button book someday soon! 😊
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I just purchased a new Babylock Soprano and made a similar stitch card (today) for my favorite appliqué stitches. I should follow your lead and make a book with all of the stitches (some day)!
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I should have done it right away…I know my machine much better now. Ha, ha!
I finally figured out that the time was never going to magically appear, and that I would need to make myself take the time. 🙂
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A neighbor friend from when our kiddos were little was a button collector and introduced me to the incredible world of antique and collectable-worthy buttons! My take away was that it’s important to store buttons more by type/content rather than color or shape. Some buttons literally disintegrate over time and ‘infect’ surrounding button buddies (yes, they use that word!). I mention this especially since you have potential older buttons so I think I’d first of all sort via perceived age of the buttons (ie-greatgrandma’s are probably older and made of different elements than grandma’s). Even a basic sort of glass buttons from wooden ones from metal ones and of course keep all celluloid ones separate, they spread the button cancer (another word they use, yes it’s true).
And, they always stored/displayed their buttons strung together as is and/or attached to cardboard.
Me? I’ve separated the good, special and truly antique ones (ie, especially the black glass ones) but they are in tins and/or clear containers.
Just passing on what I know!
Buttons are cool, even just the craft buttons, ya know?
😉
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Thank you for the education, Laura! I have separated the metal buttons. The buttons in the band-aid tin don’t look all that great, so I am leaving them alone and displaying the tin. I may have to rethink how I separate the rest. Currently, it is by color rather than by type.😊
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That’s a start! Hope you’ll post photos of them ‘displayed’ in your coooool sewing room when you’re done!
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I don’t have many buttons. At least I don’t think I do…..
Those jar would look great in a shelf or small rack. Remember the old spice racks?
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I do remember the old spice racks! Buttons would look great displayed like that!
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I do have an old biscuit tin overflowing with my Grandmother’s buttons – plastic, Bakelite, glass, metal and leather. I rifle through the tin occasionally and thankfully haven’t noticed any deteriorating.
My Father-in-law kept nails and screws in old jam jars. He glued the lids to the underside of a shelf in his workshop so all his jars hung down from the underside of the shelf. I guess it made sure they were in view but not cluttering up his work surface!
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I love your father-in-law’s idea! He could see exactly what he had, what he needed, and what he could use; and his work surface was clutter free! If I had a shelf above a work surface, I think I would make use of his idea! 🙂
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