Tag / jar

Groovy Projects for Groovy Buttons
by Connie Smith

Groovy Projects for Groovy Buttons

One of my absolute favorite parts of life is being an aunt, and my youngest niece as at the adorable age where hitting cookie tins like drums is an awesome-good time. She also adores books, and as an author, I think that’s a good thing! In fact, I spent a decent amount of time last week reading (and re-reading) her the same story, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. I had a suspicion that her appreciation of the book was linked to the interesting painted look of the illustrations, but whatever the reason, her focus on the book was real.

I spent a decent amount of time last week reading (and re-reading) her the same story, Pete the Cat & His Four Groovy Buttons.

I spent a decent amount of time last week reading (and re-reading) her the same story, Pete the Cat & His Four Groovy Buttons.

During the book, Pete the Cat has — you might’ve guessed — four groovy buttons that are on his coat, but they pop off one at a time until he’s left with just his belly button. He was cool with it though and “kept on singing his song” (Litwin, 2012, p. 23).

Just keep singing your song!

Just keep singing your song!

Precious Moments

It would be easy to write off these kinds of moments with my niece as just sentimental, but inspiration for creativity can be found in them as well. For instance, Pete the Cat has buttons, and if there’s one element of old clothes that you can keep and re-use for a number of reasons, it’s a button! Right now, as a matter of fact, I have something in need of a button replacement, and if I’d been keeping the buttons from old clothes like I could’ve been doing, I would’ve had one at my disposal to do the repair.

Something about these details — Pete the Cat’s buttons and needing a button for repair — mingled with my brainstorming for this post to lead to creative territory in regard to using buttons for sewing projects. You see, you don’t just have to use them for structural purposes. Pretty easily, they can be used for décor on a number of projects. And for whatever reason, this button-detail seems to have become its own trend to the point where you can buy button stickers for scrapbooks and projects, and there are plenty of artistic endeavors outside of sewing that use buttons.

There are plenty of artistic endeavors outside of sewing that use buttons.

There are plenty of artistic endeavors outside of sewing that use buttons.

Needle and thread

Since this is a sewing blog though, we’ll focus more on the projects that the lost, but still groovy, buttons of Pete the Cat could’ve gone to in the world of needles and thread.

This button purse idea in particular stuck out to me as a possibility.

This button purse idea in particular stuck out to me as a possibility.

I mentioned before that I would like to make a purse, so this button purse idea in particular stuck out to me as a possibility. Simple fabric could be used to make the purse itself, and the buttons could be the stand-out quality of its appearance. Of course, I’d need a lot of buttons, but it would be an interesting take for a first-purse experience! Also, if I messed up my sewing, a well-placed button might hide my mistake!

Fashion statement

Since headbands are small projects, making one for the sake of a button endeavor might not be too hectic of an idea!

Since headbands are small projects, making one for the sake of a button endeavor might not be too hectic of an idea!

Other options for using buttons include fancying up jackets, shirts, pants, dresses, skirts, and even shoes! Honestly, if someone had been following Pete, that sewing fan or crafter could’ve been assembling the materials for an interesting project, like breadcrumbs leading to a prize.

Opportunity of abundance

And two wonderful details about this scenario are that buttons are easy to come by and easy to store! A simple jar could hold dozens of buttons that you collect as you go through your clothes to see what you’re going to toss. If you’re in too big of a rush to assemble your button stash this way, you can buy new ones and still keep them in a way that won’t take up too much room. They’re just buttons, after all! You could have the means to fancy up your projects in a bowl that’s waiting by your couch!

Would I have thought of exploring this so thoroughly, and in this way, if I hadn’t spent so much time reading about Pete losing his groovy buttons? Who knows! But it goes to show that inspiration can come from anywhere, and it pays to keep your creative mind open from day to day to see what ideas simply living life brings to mind.

Reference: Litwin, E. (2012). Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons. New York: Scholastic.
by Connie Smith

Storing Your Fabric

As I wind down in the steps for making my quilt, I’m finding that I have fabric scraps left over from the endeavor that I really don’t want to toss. One of the problems though is that I have a very lacking fabric storage setup. In fact, it consists of stuffing fabric into a remarkably unprofessional Hello Kitty pail (Note: I don’t even like Hello Kitty). Once that happens, I put the pail into my closet. Since said closet kind of overflows at times, the method is even more lacking than it would otherwise be.

I want to keep this fabric, but I’d like to have a better strategy of doing so. That idea had me browsing some possibilities online, and some of the options I saw were pretty basic.

Simple Solutions

For instance, clear storage bins or canvas bins.

For instance, clear storage bins or canvas bins.

For instance, clear storage bins or canvas bins. While these are simple and efficient ideas for keeping my fabric in order, the truth of the matter is that they’re also, at the moment, things that would probably end up getting stashed away in my closet. As one of the qualms is that my fabric is stored in my closet, neither option fixes that detail.

At least, not alone. If I had a method of storing those bins out in the open, they’d work fine. In any event, the insufficiency could certainly lead to more searching in regard to the best (complete) fabric storage option.

The most fitting right now is the notion of keeping excess fabric pieces in a jar.

The most fitting right now is the notion of keeping excess fabric pieces in a jar.

So during my search, did I have find the perfect one? That might be a complex question since I’m not sure there is a perfect one, but I did find some that are worth mentioning. The most fitting right now is the notion of keeping excess fabric pieces in a jar. I’m not sure I’d ever considered using my extra fabric in a way that actually makes it decorative even before I use it for a sewing project, but I like this concept. Most of the fabric that I have remaining is block-ish, and that smallness of leftovers seems spot-on for the store-in-a-jar method. All I’d have to do is get a jar, fold up my scraps nicely, and let the storage add accent to a room before the pieces potentially add accent to a future project. A similar idea is to store those scraps in kitchen bowls or strainers, like you can find here, or maybe a flower vase.

A similar idea is to store those scraps in kitchen bowls or strainers, like you can find here, or maybe a flower vase.

A similar idea is to store those scraps in kitchen bowls or strainers, like you can find here, or maybe a flower vase.

One is to take the drawers out of a dresser, and once the furniture has been treated so that it looks finished and ready, fabric can be stashed where the drawers used to be.

One is to take the drawers out of a dresser, & once the furniture has been treated so that it looks finished and ready, fabric can be stashed where the drawers used to be.

Two of the more intriguing fabric storage options I found might be more suitable for a time when/if I have more room and/or extra cash. One is to take the drawers out of a dresser, and once the furniture has been treated so that it looks finished and ready, fabric can be stashed where the drawers used to be. I adore this idea, but it’s a project itself! Be aware though that if you don’t want to go through all the sanding and painting to prepare the furniture, you could still use a dresser, drawers intact.

Be aware though that if you don’t want to go through all the sanding and painting to prepare the furniture, you could still use a dresser, drawers intact.

Be aware though that if you don’t want to go through all the sanding and painting to prepare the furniture, you could still use a dresser, drawers intact.

Another option is this square shelf idea that hangs on the wall. This one is particularly of interest if, like me, your bedroom, sewing room, etc. is already pretty full of furniture. When that’s the case, going upward seems like a reasonable option, and that’s exactly what this shelf would do! Being the nerd I am, this square setup appeals to me more than a different shelf idea might because it’s comic-book-ish, but that’s not to say that squares are the only possibility for this method. In fact, you might find that you have some kind of old furniture around your house that can be repurposed for this prospect — like a headboard. There might be plenty of possibilities if you spread your imagination to find them!

Another option is this square shelf idea that hangs on the wall.

Another option is this square shelf idea that hangs on the wall.

Another option is a lot simpler, but might cost more — and that’s to buy a piece of furniture that’s specifically for this purpose. This hutch, for instance, makes a wonderful and aesthetically pleasing storage area for fabric, and other than price and space, I wouldn’t hesitate to have one of these in my home.

This hutch makes a wonderful storage area for fabric, and other than price & space, I wouldn’t hesitate to have one of these in my home.

This hutch makes a wonderful storage area for fabric, and other than price & space, I wouldn’t hesitate to have one of these in my home.

But as breathtaking as these furniture options are, the truth of the matter is that I’ll probably have to start with something easier and more money-friendly. Given that the majority of my current fabric collection is scraps and/or block-ish pieces, my best bet for advancement might be the jar or strainer method, which I’m okay with!

Still, someday, that hutch, that shelf, or that dresser would be a wonderful addition to my sewing life!