49. Felt Sewing Book

MATERIALS

One 5 x 7 1/2" piece of Heavy felt
button
Three, 4 3/4 x 7 1/4" pieces of Lightweight felt
needle & thread

Sewing kit items
extra buttons
needles
pins

INSTRUCTIONS

When clothes need mending, reach for this book—its felt pages are designed to keep sewing supplies organized. Devote one page to extra buttons that come with garments, one to pins, and another to needles (pre-threaded with your most-used colors).

1. To make the cover, cut a piece of heavy felt into a 5-by-7 1/2-inch rectangle. Sew a button halfway up one short end, 1/4 inch in from edge. Make the tab closure by cutting a 1 1/2-by 2-inch strip of heavy felt, rounding it at one end. Sew the straight end of the tab to the end of the cover opposite the button, halfway up the cover and 1/8 inch in from the edge; make a slit in the rounded end of tab to serve as a buttonhole.
   
2. For the pages, cut three 4 3/4-by-7 1/4-inch pieces of lightweight felt. Fold each page in half, and iron along the crease. Open the cover, and center the opened pages on top. Close book, and use a blanket stitch to bind cover with pages, 1/2 inch in from folded edge.
   
3. To make the blanket-stitch binding, you’ll need an upholstery needle and embroidery floss. Hold the book in your lap with the fold at your waist, and start in the left-hand corner: Draw floss out through the fold from inside the book. Insert needle down into fabric, 1/2 inch up from fold, 3/8 inch in from edge; bring it out at the edge, as shown, keeping the floss loop under the needle. (See illustration below.) Continue stitching, working from left to right, until book is bound.
   
   

Source: Martha Stewart

3. Button Bag

Inspired by the basic brown paper bag, these small totes are made of canvas or linen.

Materials

12-by-24-inch piece and 3-by-24-inch strip of canvas or linen
3-by-24-inch strip of fusible webbing
Pinking shears
Sewing machine
24 inches cotton webbing, for handles
Needle and thread
100 or more buttons per side, depending on placement and button size

Instructions from MarthaStewart.com

2. Button Wreath Ornament

Colorful stray buttons can be put to new use as Christmas ornaments. If you don’t have enough loose buttons, or the right colors, don’t worry—stores sell them by the bagful. Kids will enjoy this project because each wreath they make will be unique.

MATERIALS

Needle-nose pliers or wire cutters
16-gauge copper wire, or 22-gauge green floral wire, cut to 9-inch lengths
72 buttons for each wreath
Scissors
Satin ribbon, 1/8 inch wide and 6 inches long
Seam binding for decorative bow

1. Using pliers, make a small loop at one end of the wire.
   
2. Thread buttons onto the wire until you have enough to form the size of the wreath you want. Our wreaths are 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
   
3. Using pliers, bend the plain end of the wire around the looped end. This will form the wreath.
   
4. Use the satin ribbon to make a loop for hanging the wreath; tie the ribbon in a knot about 3 inches above the wreath.
   
5. Tie a bow of seam binding to decorate the wreath.

SOURCES

16-gauge copper wire
22-gauge silver-plate wire
Available at local craft and hardware-supply stores

22-gauge green floral wire
Available at local floral-supply stores

from MarthaStewart.com

1. Make a Button Necklace

MATERIALS:

Abalone-shell or pink mother-of-pearl buttons
Beading string, cut to 40 inches
Crimp bead
Necklace closure
Needle-nose pliers

1. Fold the string in half, and create an end by tying two slipknots 2 inches down from the fold.
   
2. Slip a button on one string. Tie another slipknot 1 inch from the previous knot. Repeat until you have 12 buttons on the string. (Sophie makes five strands for her necklace, but you can make as many or few as you like.) Trim the ends (not the looped end) 2 inches from the last knot.
   
3. Gather all the ends together, and crimp in a crimp bead. Attach the necklace closure using a pair of needle-nose pliers.

from MarthaStewart.com