Button Adorned Necklace

A new product is being developed at the JHBeulah workroom, for May 2011.

Button Adored Necklace.

I have been collecting buttons of for a long time, picking them up from charity shops, with the idea that I would make accessories. Each time I visit my mother in the midlands I always make the rounds of the charity and thrift shops and see what I can find. The prices are so much lower then the shops around London! One such trip, I found a charity shop selling large pasta jars full of buttons and so I quickly grabbed those, and so you will understand I now have a large source of buttons to use up.

To make these button necklaces I have used left over raw silk from making bridesmaids dresses for my auntie’s wedding, and left over shoulder pads. The shape of the necklace and design concept comes from the highly decorative tribal necklaces.

How to make a Button Adored Necklace:

STEP 1: make a template for the plate/ base

STEP 2: cut the fusing to the template and the two pieces of silk with a centimetre around the edge of the template.

STEP 3: cut a piece of calico fabric to the template and break down one shoulder pad.

STEP 4: arrange the shoulder pad pieces onto the canvas, to make a domed shape, this wading build up with help the weight of the buttons and shape of the plate/ base.

STEP 5: hand- tack the shoulder pad pieces in place, then pin the canvas piece to wrong side of raw silk.

Step 6: now you can start sewing the buttons on! Turn the shape raw silk up and sew the buttons through the silk, canvassing and wadding. This will also secure all the layers. With the design on the buttons, it is up to you. I find it nice to cover the entire top of the shape in one colour/ shape or type of button, so there is unison in button application.

(TIP: use thick transparent nylon thread, or thin fish wire. This will keep it neat and show off only the buttons)

STEP 7: the back of this plate/ base now needs to be sealed up by “bagging out” the sides and bottom curve along the centimetre perimeter. Snip the corners, turn through and press the edges. The top edges need to be unsewn at this stage.

STEP 8: the ties now need to be made, preferably out of the same silk of the base. Cut a strip of 3 centimetres wide and of any length, fold in a centimetre either side of the width giving a total one- centimetre width. Sew down in a central straight line.

STEP 9: position the ties either side at the top of the shape then turn in the top centimetre allowance, pin and hand stitch up the seam.

You may want to have a few sprinkled buttons or to carry on sewing up to the edges and completely cover the shape.

These are my first few necklaces, which are available on Etsy at my online store JHBeulah.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/JHBeulah?ref=pr_shop