I do love buying fabric.
But if there’s one thing I love even more than buying fabric, it’s getting fabric for free.
Even the tiniest bits.
And one of the nice things about making cover buttons is that you need so little fabric for them.
So you can make use of those teeny tiny little pieces that might otherwise have got thrown in the bin.
Or perhaps even had already been thrown in the bin.
I have to admit, I am an inveterate scavenger. The sort of person who picks up things discarded on the street, pulls interesting junk out of bins and can’t pass by a skip without having a bit of a nosey to see what’s inside.
And I’m the same with fabrics.
I have quite a few sources for my scavenging. People give me bits. Which is lovely, and very much appreciated. Or when someone is chucking out something that to them is just a bit of rubbish, I’m quite happy to ask if they mind me taking it instead.
And I love doing swapsies, too.
My latest batch of buttons includes quite a few bits that were scavenged by various means, rather than bought.
Of course, the down side of tiny scavenged scraps is that they don’t go very far.
And once they’re gone, they’re really gone. Never to be repeated.
Which I like to think makes them kind of exclusive. 🙂
There’s nothing quite like free fabric! I consider myself a bit of a scavenger too, going round markets and car boot sales, sifting through the rubbish to find the gems. It’s good fun! Your fabric buttons look lovely – beautiful colours and prints.
Those are so cute! I’m the same way wirh scavanging: nothings too small to not find some way to use it. Do you have a button maker or have you found a way to make them by hand?
I think they call it upcycling these days 🙂 I think they are most marvellous – very satisfying indeed to rescue something and turn it into something even more beautiful!
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I really want to have a go at making some fabric covered buttons…I like to use as must of the fabric as possible and I rarely through my scraps away…this would put my scrap bag to good use!
They can be a bit tricky until you get the hang of them, and even then you have to be careful not to use fabric that’s too thick or they won’t pop into place.
Maybe I’ll do a “hints and tips” post on them, as you’re not the only person to say they want to have a go!
Ooh that would be useful! Thanks for the tips 🙂