button challenge

My friend Lisa makes really amazing and beautiful buttons from polymer clay. I mean seriously beautiful. We're pretty good at the polymer clay around here, and Lisa makes us feel like the amateurs we truly are. 

Lisa recently issued a challenge to a few of her friends and readers. She sent us a focal button (a larger 1.5" button) to use in whatever project felt right and blog about it. I was thrilled that she asked me to participate. She sent me the button. I looked at it over and over again, waiting for me to speak to me. My original thought was that it be the fastener for a swingy knit cardigan. Great idea, but not achievable within the deadline. I saw those groovy hanging dishtowels from the 70s with the crocheted tops that loop over and button (remember those? no? I'm just old. I'm 40 now, you know.). However, I don't crochet. Then I saw the string quilt at Film in the Fridge. And the lightbulb went on. I needed to make a string quilted pillow with the button at the center. And so I did (and what's funny is that she had the same thought and posted her pillows on the day I finished mine). This is what I made. 

You can click for a bigger photo to see the button more clearly. I chose fabrics that went with the button colors - the various pink and greens. I pieced the first half of the first block and realized that I had done all greens, so I made the other half all pinks. And then I repeated that in all four blocks. Most fabrics are in most of the blocks, but some make only one appearance. I used some of my favorites that I usually hoard. It is, after all, a very beautiful button. 

I backed the pillow in one of the green prints - lotus blossom in olive by Amy Butler. I probably should have centered that blossom, but I did not have that kind of forethought. I was on a roll, people. I quilted the pillow in lines that followed the pattern, stuffed the pillow with an Ikea down insert that was about 2" bigger than my pillow, in order to have it be good and fluffy, since the Ikea inserts are a little skimpy. Then I spent far too long blind stitching the opening closed, since I am officially the slowest blind stitcher in the world. However, it looks good and that's what counts. 

I think it's crying out for little Miss Muffet. Don't you?

This pillow has started an obsession with string pieced blocks, and I'm sure you'll be seeing more. I'll be putting them up for sale. This one needs to find a nice home where it won't become a cat bed like my other pillows, so it may go up for sale as well. Unless it goes to live on my bed. Hmm....

Thanks Lisa, for the beautiful button and the inspiration!

Comments

[Courtney]

Wonderful use for this spectacular button! I *adore* this pillow!

[Nichole]

that is a great looking pillow! nice work! i think i may need to make some of these string pieced pillows as well. very cute!

[Amy]

Perfect!

[beki]

Amy took my word! I was going to say that it is perfect!!

[Tracy]

oh, so great. I have been liking those string quilts people have been making lately, too.

[Lori @ Camp Creek]

nice job!

[filminthefridge]

Looks great! I like the blocks oriented that way so the white strips create an 'x'...

[Lisa Clarke]

I am so glad you like the button, and I love what you did with it!

[teopea]

Fabulous button and a beautiful cushion. I may not be allowed to read your blog until I graduate becuase every time you have a photo of something quilted I just want to run out and buy a sewing machine and learn how!

[Katharyn]

Lovely!

I'm 25 and I remember the crochet top dishtowels, in fact I make them.

[Kelly]

that is really beautiful!

[leslie]

yep. love love love.

[sarah]

you should keep it. ;)

[Lecia]

beautiful work Sarah! Where do you find the time?

[emily]

Oh, nice! That really does look like a well-matched project.

[katie]

i love, love the pillow! beautifully done.

[Susan]

I have to agree, beautiful quilting and beautiful button. That would ld be fun to be part of a button challenge. I think I'll ask some of my friends if they'd like to do something like this.