I did it! Buttons completed and sewn on!
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| Ta da! |
I won't say they were altogether successful, and I'll show you why. If you're not into Mod Podge or resin or shanks, you're excused - go on to the next blog or watch Dr. Who or have a cup of tea or something.
Back to the buttons - I decided to use cutouts from pictures in an old Sotheby's catalog that I got at the thrift store, and cover them in resin. So first I had to seal them with Mod Podge.
Then I glued some bits of chain around the edge to help hold in the resin when I poured it. It worked on most of them.
To pour resin on the backs, I wrapped masking tape around them after the first pour had set (a little more than 24 hours). The tape also only worked moderately well at holding the resin in, but I just trimmed off the excess.
While the resin on the back was still sticky I added shanks from self-cover buttons, which set in the resin.
I did a second pour on the top, which made them rather thick. Maybe too thick, and also blunt on the edges, so they don't slide in and out of the buttonholes easily. That's why this is called an e-x-p-e-r-i-m-e-n-t.
The other thing is that shank buttons tend to droop a lot when they're big and heavy. Lesson two - large buttons should have holes through the middle, and maybe even four holes, so they won't droop under their own weight.
So, not completely successful, and neither were the photos! It was impossible not to get reflections. But these buttons will do until I get around to experimenting with polymer clay instead.
Linking up my velvety Prince-like jacket with Visible Monday!
Val
