Day 16 : Freeze

Day 16 : Freeze

I am part of a button group that has a weekly theme - this week's is "winter". So, here is my winter inspired button.

I have created this on a prototype for some new moulds that we are developing. There are a few things to tweak, but overall it is a good first design. It is great fun trying to work out new designs for button moulds, and Mark has cut me quite a few to play around with. Of course, when they have been tested, they will be available on our website.

I have used a No 12 perle and seed beeds 

Size: 25mm / 1" / 40L 

Day 15 : Motley

Day 15 : Motley

This started out as a V-Wrap button, which is included on my DVD "Making Even More Buttons". It is a design that works really well with soutache braid and is very effective on its own. 

For this though, I've added extra embellishment with embroidery - you need to use a really fine needle to sew through commercial soutache without snagging it so I tend to use a beading needle.

The embroidery is in silk and cotton. 

Size: 27mm /  just over 1" /  42L

Day 14 : Sprig Aire

Day 14 : Sprig Aire

Today's button is based on a staybright (anodised aluminium) military button. In an old journal of the British Button Society - Issue 71 from June 1992 to be precise - there is a little piece about a military button given as an explanation to the term death's head asked in issue 69.

"The design, on metal buttons, was used by certain staff officers of the British Army from about 1780 until 1900. It was also known as 'German' and 'Sprig Aire'."

The article goes on to state that in April of 1991, this button design was chosen to be used by the new Adjutant General's Corps, calling the button design the death's head.

Alongside this, is a line drawing of the button provided by Firmin & Sons, makers of the said buttons.

The design supplied by Firmin & Sons

It is obvious from the drawing, that the design was taken originally from a thread wrapped button, although the leafy springs along the edge are, I think, a metal button design feature. They are quite similar to the surrounds of Victorian "perfume" buttons.

Today, a slightly different design tends to be called a death's head (especially when referring to those of the 18th century) - no doubt as a result of deeper research by various button collectors over the years. That, and the fact that in some areas (the clergy and QCs for instance) the 'original' thread deaths head seems to have been in regular use, if a tailor could be found to supply them. When simplifying to create the design in metal, unless you know how to make the buttons, many people still refer to this as the death's head, which makes complete sense.

The silk deaths head above is worked with single strands, but could be worked with groups of threads, to create a more stepped design.

I enjoy reverse engineering non textile buttons that were obviously based on textile types. It is always interesting to see how the button designers interpret the techniques that they are not familiar with.

I've used fake gold thread - DMC Diamant thread. It was actually much harder to work with than real gold thread, especially for the wrapping. They look less smooth that they would have looked with real gold, so I will need to revisit this now I have a way of working it. The mould is a tagua nut mould, No 15.

Size : just over 20mm / ¾ " / 32L