Happy Monday, Quilters!
I don’t know a single quilter who doesn’t have a button collection.
Perhaps we should all take a short break from quilting and cross-train on Button Art!?
Today…a little inspiration from the amazing UK artist, Jane Perkins. Â Ms. Perkins describes herself as a trained textile artist, who now primarily works with plastic.
Button Art–Brilliant!
To read more about Jane Perkins, check out her website, Blue Bowerbird.
And don’t forget…the Webinar is Wednesday!
Meander No More: Learn to Free Motion Quilt With Confidence
Happy Stitching  Gluing!
Lori
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Â Feel free to share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Â Thanks!
33 comments
Pat
I had a huge stash of buttons and in a moment of “cleaning” sent half of them with my daughter who was going on a mission. After seeing these artists’ works I almost regret it–but I know those kids are enjoying them and I am okay with that. Have also used those buttons to keep granddaughters busy, sorting by color, size, which ones we like best—very entertaining.
BTW – finished quilting my King sized quilt! I will send pics when I figure out how………..
Happy St. Pat’s.
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The by tons are in good hands. We really don’t need any more distractions from quilting!
stitchinggrandma
Love seeing the art made from buttons! I have a collection too; some in a blue glass mason jar, others sorted and bagged in those funny little zipper bags and in a metal tin. I had them all out and played with them a bit last week while I searched for something that would work on my rain coat. (It seems I broke my button last spring and everytime I put that coat on, the broken button reminds me to mend….finally it is DONE!)
Terri
Delightful
Virtual Quilter
I don’t save buttons …. I collect them!
MelanieV
I inherited button collections from both Mom and G’ma. Stored in old cookie and fruit cake tins. I’ve sorted (most) and put into unusable Mason jars and put them in front of the window. They appear to glow when the morning sun comes through. It’s just beautiful. The old tins have become my small project storage. They make my life beautiful and happy.
kattail...Kathy in WV
That is absolutely amazing…I was speechless at the Mona Lisa re-creation. I not only collect buttons but I have been known to troll local Goodwill stores and buy items JUST for the buttons! I also get a lot of pure wool there as well.
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What do you do with all your buttons?
Carole
Wow, amazing! I “had” my grandmothers extensive button collection, and my mothers as well as my own. One day I had my son collecting all the trash and taking it to the dump, he thought my huge bag of buttons were trash, so he added it to the pile and took it to the dump… I have never gotten that visual out of my mind…but I have been collecting buttons ever since, there is just something warm and wonderful about the size, shape and colors of buttons.
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Makes me sick to think about it!
selina
Thank you for sharing this artist with us. Awsome.
Cathy Barta
Ness brought up an interesting thought..are we to have our machines set up for the webinar on Wednesday or is it more of a lecture as I thought? If yes, what supplies would we need?
Cathy B
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Lecture only! But I hope you are so inspired that you will dash right to your sewing machine! Perhaps you should have a few quilt sandwiches at the ready!
Rochelle
Thank you for the opportunity to view another artist. What talent. She captures the life of each subject so well.
peggy
Not sure if mine would be so photographically recognizable as the ones above, but I love the idea of using my mom’s and grandma’s (and my) buttons. Thank you for some very interesting blog entries!
eclecticnatureoflife
I have my mother’s collection but I have been collecting buttons for a long time. I have many, many still on those cards. I have gone to a button society sale for real vintage. Boy some are very expensive. I love all the details of old buttons and the colors. Thanks for sharing these incredible button quilts
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I didn’t even know there was a button society! Some are very beautiful!
Tavette
Ladies who sew NOT having a button collection??? Unheard of. I keep the “extra” buttons that come w/clothing and cut buttons off clothes too old to donate. During commercials and/or while on the phone I dumped all of them onto a tray & separated them to then store in those tiny zip lock bags (all sizes – Walmart). Then zip locks went in a jar. Hated to have to buy when I KNEW I had some but too time consuming to look for them.
The button portraits are absolutely astonishing. Enlarged the photos & took a good look. Know mine won’t be put to that good a use, but I sure enjoy looking at the creativity of Jane Perkins. Never heard of her so thanks for featuring her work.
Made me think – could use buttons as a focal point on a paper piecing project, ornaments on a Christmas tree print, on the flap of a purse, etc. 1st thought was on a headdress of an exotic warrior princess print, the frosting on a fabric cupcake, a statement necklace (using fabric as the background).
Tavette – S, Fla.
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Great ideas, Tavette!
Clarice Dean
Those are fantastic! Thanks for sharing. I’ve always loved buttons. That’s the first thing I look for at antique shops. So fun to collect, take up a small amount of space, don’t cost a lot and I don’t have to dust them.
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Do you just look at them?
Barb Hauck
Beautiful work! Who would have thought it of the humble button?
Rosemarazzle
Whoa……
I have a lot of buttons.
These are good, The artists of these creations had a jolly good time.
Ness
I have Gramma’a buttons and Moms and just dumped them all together in a jar for decoration. Except for the ones Gramma had in a cute little avon bottle and a brylcreme jar. 🙂 I use them for embelishments on my tole painting and sewing but only on things I know I’ll keep for my for my girls or sisters.
Lori I have to take my Bernina in to the dealer!…so sad! A computer service icon came up last night. I hope it’s nothing and he can fix it today and send it home with me…and it doesn’t cost me some crazy amount! I’ll be so sad if he keeps it…it’s an hour and a half drive and I wanted it set up and ready to go for the webinar! Blah!
GrrannyH
Tom Russell, recently deceased, was a master at embellishments: buttons, beads, etc. http://thequiltshow.com/daily-blog/102-breaking-news/15910-episode-1100-dress-your-quilts-with-buttons-and-beads.
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Thanks for the link!
Carmen
What great “recycling” ideas, unfortunately I’m not nearly talented enough, but do have a “collection” of buttons, in the thousands, and maybe one of these days I’ll get around to organizing them, as I go through them, I’m taking out the glass buttons.
Quilt Musings
No button collection here. Though I do have the extras that you get when you buy clothes. But the button art is quite amazing!
Mary Huey
Oh, my!! What amazing art!! Thanks for sharing it with us!
DebbieW
WOW! Very interesting.
Laroletta Petty
What incredible art work! Your introduction led me to expect a ‘crafty’ use of buttons. Ms. Perkins work is lovely. I have my mom’s buttons in a Singer tin and I have my button collection in a bead box-all separated by size and color. But I do like buttons-mostly to admire and think I will use them-someday.Thank you for sharing this new art concept.
Roxanne
I have my moms collection of buttons. She was so organized they are separated in those little old film canisters we used to get, even so far as “2 hole white”, “4 hole white”, and then by other colors and sizes. Insane! ha. And then I have my own collection of buttons I go to for projects.
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Maybe clear jar to enjoy their beauty would be better!
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