Thursday, February 28, 2008

I've Got That Button Feeling

A couple of years ago I was visiting my Mom and Dad back in Maine, and hanging out in their shop. My Mom was showing me these really beautiful bracelets that she had been making out of old buttons she has in her shop. She has tureens FILLED with buttons of every kind, material, color, you name it. She said I should try making one.

I spent the next couple of days sitting on the floor in the shop, combing through buttons like I was hunting for Easter eggs. I would pull a button out and say "Can I use this one?" I would get a "Sure, that's fine." or a "No, are you crazy? That one is so rare!" or a "Mmm . . ., well, I GUESS so." Let me tell ya, those rare "Well I guess so's" are the BEST buttons on my bracelet!

Here it is:

I love the color palette, mostly greens and purples, and the exquisite buttons on it. Every time I wear it I get compliments, and people want to know where it came from, so needless to say I have made a few since that first one. But of COURSE, this is my favorite!

I have been thinking that it is time to make another one. I have been CRAZED with this desire to make something lately. I have always been interested in drawing and painting, and some amateur sewing. I think my need to make something is my version of what some pregnant women call nesting. I am pregnant with our second child, and I am just compelled to create.

When I was pregnant with James, I took up knitting. On another trip back East, I asked my Mom to teach me how to knit. She did, and then later that same vacation my SIL Kimmy refined what I had learned (and spottily remembered) from my Mom. Kimmy is a pro-knitter, and has made things that I could never even dream of attempting, like actual sweaters and cable throws.

After that, I spent months knitting baby blankets, (5 of them) baby hats (6 of them), baby booties (1 set, those were HARD), and three lap throws. After I had James I struggled thru a blanket for my husband who was a slave driver. Every night I would show it to him and he would say "NO! It must be LONGER!" and I knitted until I couldn't stand knitting anymore. I haven't picked up the needles since then.

Pregnant again (but flatly refusing to knit) I have considered taking up sewing. I have been talking to Mom about what would be a decent beginner's sewing machine to purchase. I used to help her sew quilts in high school (I know, I was SO COOL). That reminds me of a time when we needed a really big space to finish a quilt and so we went to my high school to lay it out outside the gym, and there was cheer leading practice going on right next to us . . . OMG I felt like such a DORK I would way rather have been on the top of that pyramid then sewing. Oh, the things you take for granted. At 34, I don't imagine I would be doing any cheering, but I could definitely be sewing my ass off. Thanks Mom, I do love you for that. Really. You are the best.

SO-I think it is time to make button bracelets again. Until I find a good sewing machine and start making my new baby's crib bedding. (I have to find out the gender first, and that won't be for another month, so I've got some time.)

* * * *

Hmmm . . let's take a look at what I've got.

Should the bracelet be blue?


Yellow?


Brown?


Pink?


Black?


Red?


White?


Sparkly?


I am leaning toward blue and brown, or white. What do you think?

10 comments:

Gini said...

I am going to bookmark this post where you say "make baby bedding" and then show you it later. ARE YOU CRAZY! Borrow my sewing machine girl - God knows I am not using it right now! Start with a small project - like pillows.....hmmm....gotta go.

MOM said...

I vote for primary colors...I love my bracelets that I made and they are all mixed primary colors...hearts and flowers a dog and some ducks I think...its always fun...geez...borrow the sewing machine...

alice c said...

black and white gets my vote!

jo2308 said...

Oh such lovely button eye candy! i'm with Mom - I'd go for nice bright primary colors - or yellows and orange to welcome spring.

Jo x

grumpy said...

just keep those things out of my way. I don't want frickin buttons all over the damn place

Allison said...

Ok Grumpy. You know, you really aren't as Grumpy as you make yourself out to be, you big softie!

Redhead in Vegas said...

it's so funny, i have a huge bag of beads that i have been eyeing lately. my bracelet making hobby got put aside once ryan became mobile.i think shiny buttons are the way to go. the look smaller and more delicate, kind of precious.

Stephanie said...

Ah, all those buttons are killing me! So beautiful. I love your original bracelet.

Hmmmm. I would go with brown and blue...I love those colors together. Also, all blue or all brown or all white...so many possibilities! :)

I love the book "Bend the Rules Sewing" by Amy Karol. I am pretty new to sewing and there is such cute stuff in there that is easy and fun to make.

And finally, congratulations on your pregnancy. That is so exciting!

Amy said...

So as I began to read this I started to remember that day that we both sat on the shop floor and fought over buttons out of the tureen. As we had done so many times in our youth but this time but this time in a more adult, respectful kind of way. Could I blame you for having great taste? As I read on, as soon as you mentioned quilting that image of putting pieces together outside the Gym popped into my mind. Looking back now, I realize how hard that must have been for you. I mean, I wouldn't be caught dead assembling quilt pieces with my Mother and younger, super bratty sister in front of the high school so called "cool people." But that is one of my favorite memories. I remember feeling proud of Mom for putting all those pieces together, and thinking that my sister was the coolest girl in the world at that point. Even though I never acted that way. And I remember seeing J Shepherd there... Great times.

Now as for the bracelet, I say a mix of browns and whites. I just feel it.

amy said...

Oh yeah, where the heck did you get all those damn buttons??

And also, in case you feel inclined to knit, it snows a foot every other week here... I could use another hat to accessorize!