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September 24, 2003
-updated Sept 22 2003-
I taught myself how to make buttons over the weekend. they aren't that hard to do, its just a matter of finding the right amount of gather, how to squish it and shape it. my first buttons were pretty sad, but i got better as I went on. I practiced with copper metal for the shanks, but found that some of the buttons cracked, and others the soft copper just snapped right off. Some folks use brass, others TIG welding wire, but i had none on hand, so I made shanks out of the glass itself. None of the Bonnie Buttons (at left) have cracked using this method...The one thing I need to do now is make the shanks smaller so the button is more functional. as they are, i'm not sure how well they'd secure two pieces of fabric together - i didn't leave enough 'overhang' between the button and shank. But they sure look good!
first buttons - i know they are out of focus, but don't worry - you aren't missing anything...sad little buttons.
Posted by Donner at September 24, 2003 12:21 PM