This is a small wreath that is comprised of flowers and leaves made from hand-dyed silk ribbon, Hannah silk bias ribbon, vintage grosgrain ribbon, vintage jacquard ribbon, taffeta ribbon, and satin ribbon. The wreath is also adorned with vintage buttons and butterflies, lots of butterflies! The techniques can be found in my book Ribbonwork Flowers by C&T Publishing.
Happy Stitching, enjoy~ Christen!
This was one of two entries for the Piecework Magazine’s Excellence in Needlework 2009. The challenge was to make a brooch no larger than 3″, in any needle art category. This was a gallery piece that can be found in my book Ribbonwork Gardens by C&T Publishing.
Happy Stitching, enjoy~ Christen!
Celluloid Buttons
Today we will talk about the celluloid button. This necklace is part of an ensemble “Deco Drama” that I just finished. The base of the necklace is a vintage French ombre ribbon, ruched, with a silk cord stitched for the tie. As you can see celluloid was definitely the theme here, using many of my favorite types of celluloid button.
Celluloid was invented in the 1870’s and was one of the most versatile and the first of the man-made plastics. This lightweight material is thinner than Bakelite, though some of the same techniques could be used such as molding, stamping and machine tooling; but unlike Bakelite buttons they could also be created by pulling, hollow blowing, and extruding. The coloring of the celluloid button was often more diverse than that of the autumn and vibrant coloring of the Bakelite buttons. The versatility of celluloid made it extremely popular with manufacturer’s, however the serious drawback to this material was that it is flammable! For further reading may I suggest a book I use frequently: Button Button Identification & Price Guide by Peggy Ann Osborne.
bracelets made from vintage celluloid buttons
Here are a series of bracelets that feature vintage celluloid, Bakelite and glass buttons. I made these over the summer using simple sewing techniques and materials so that the buttons would shine as the stars that they are!
ribbon bracelet
This last bracelet is made using grosgrain ribbon and an old measuring tape. These were woven together and backed with interfacing. I then stitched vintage glass, celluloid and Bakelite buttons for decoration. I stitched snaps down for the closure.
Deco Decadence
This brooch was made to be worn with “Melon Balls“ jewelry ensemble and Hat, which is made using a variety of vintage and new buttons and beads in colors of melon and black.
The pin boasts a lovely display of “buffed celluloid” buttons. I just adore the black and tan combination. It took many years to collect the right sizes and colors for this brooch. The ribbon worked flowers are made from a vintage ribbed cotton ribbon and the leaves are from a taffeta ribbon.
The ribbon buttons and flowers are attached to florist wire wrapped in sating ribbon, and sit in a vintage jacquard ribbon vase. A pin back is stitched to the back of the vase.
So what is in your button box and need help with identifying what’s in there? Christen
April Showers Bring Spring Flowers Corsage
This brooch is created from a warm, soft pallet of dyed vintage cotton velvet, vintage ombre, hand dyed silk satin, vintage French jacquard and French wire ribbons.
The base is made from a hand dyed vintage cotton velvet ribbon, that I dyed along with the silk satin (double edged rosette) and 7mm silk ribbon (green/orange leaves). The hand stitched flowers and leaves are made with various ribbon work techniques and are stitched into a pleasing vignette.
A wonderful old brass butterfly presides over the flowers. I included seed beads and glass flowers for the centers of the flowers with glass and novelty beads that are interspersed throughout the piece.
The backing is leather, with a pin-back for the finding.
Happy stitching, enjoy- Christen
A collection of my ribbon work corsages
My love for flowers came at an early age. We spent many summers enjoying my grandparents garden and the wild flowers around our cabin.
My grandfather’s green thumb was passed down to me, only I cultivate ribbon worked flowers as apposed to those that bloom perennially or annually.
I have been teaching classes on ribbon work for over 15 years, and the bloom is still fresh. I believe that anyone can make beautiful flowers with very little experience or tools. The important thing to remember is that this is made from your heart and hands, so give it your best.
Happy stitching and thanks for dropping by… Christen
Christen's Creations 