The Button Brooch A Lady Montana Design      Materials  lace scraps - no wider than 31/2" assorted small buttons - no bigger than 1" 15"-18" length of 1/2" to 5/8" wide silk ribbon pin back Modge Podge Rit Dye & plastic gloves                                                                Q-Tips or a small brush                                                                heavy duty wire cutting pliers                                                                fabric glue                                                                glue gun Design Tips     The fun, but also the challenge of this project is that, as it's not a kit, you're largely left to your own creative bent when designing your brooch and your finished product will vary greatly from the examples shown. But, we can help you with the process and some design tips.      If you have a collection of assorted buttons and lace scraps, begin by playing with different arrangements of them to see what pleases you. Don't yet cut anything! If you don't have buttons and lace at home, plan on spending some time at your fabric shop. I promise that if you stay relaxed and enjoy yourself as you fiddle with the possibilities, a pleasing arrangement will appear.     Keep the following points in mind when considering your design:   1. You are going to turn the left and right cut edges of your lace under 1/4".   2. Groups of odd numbers are more pleasing to the eye than even numbers.   3. Buttons can lie against one another or sit on top of each other.   4. Smaller, flat buttons can be used to support a larger button so that the larger button sits firmly on the  brooch.   5. You can snap off the shank of modern buttons with heavy pliers if it suits your design. (Although we beg you   not to cut the shanks from old buttons!)   6. Cotton lace yardage is your best bet as it takes dye well.   7. Purchase lace that's finished on the top and bottom edges.   8. You won't want your brooch any wider than 3".   9. The key to keeping the brooch elegant is in using the same tonal colors. White on white and crème on      cream is a good choice but lace dropped into a weak dye bath will produce lovely muted and pale colors. 10. Be open to the possibility that your beginning design idea may only be a starting point. Your finished piece  may look very different than your original conception. 11. Think in terms of layers. The Process Preparing the Lace: 1.  Decide upon the finished width of your brooch and cut the lace 1/4" wider on each side so you can turn under each raw edge.    2.   If you want to dye your lace, purchase the desired color and make a weak dye bath by placing 1/4 teaspoon of the dye in a flattish bowl containing 1 cup of hot water. Wet your lace before placing it in the dye bath. For the sake of controlling the color, lift it out immediately. If you think the color could be deeper, put it back into the dye bath. If it is still too light, add another 1/8 teaspoon of dye to the water and stir until dissolved before returning the lace to it. The examples were both dipped into a weak black dye bath, producing varying shades of blue gray. 3.  Once you've achieved your desired color, lift the lace from the dye bath and rinse it. Lay flat to dry, being sure you block it - meaning that it's laid perfectly shaped rather than pulled in one direction or another. 4. Once dry, lightly press each raw edge under 1/4". Using a Q-Tipä or a small brush, brush Modge Podgeä on the underside of each pressed edge. Press together with your fingers and allow to dry thoroughly. Working with the Silk Ribbon:      Button brooches are enhanced with a bit of ribbon work. The delicacy of real silk ribbon makes it an excellent choice and 5/8" wide ribbon provides a variety of options:  1.  Hand pleating the ribbon takes only moments for such a small project. Pin the pleats as you create them and then lightly press them. Hand stitch the pleats in place on one side. You can then stitch the pleated ribbon to the top of your brooch as shown in the one example or curve it slightly somewhere on the face of the brooch to create a fan effect. 2.  Dampen a 15" -18" inch length of 5/8" ribbon and scrunch it, with a lot of twists and folds, into a small ball. Secure it with a rubber band. When dry, remove the rubber band and lay the ribbon ball on your lace. Begin to gently unfold and un-scrunch it until you can see a pleasing pattern forming - one that might allow for a button grouping tucked into it. The ribbon won't be lying flat yet, but once you have an idea of its placement, put a hot iron (on a silk setting) directly on the ribbon and the lace for a moment. Do not move the iron back and forth. Once the ribbon is flattened, you can make any necessary adjustments. 3.  Tie a knot in a short length of ribbon and press the knot to flatten it. Cut the ends as short as you desire to give you a background for a button, allowing the ends to be seen beyond the button's edges. And Finally…Once you have a pleasing arrangement of ribbon and buttons on your lace you can secure all your design elements. Take only as many stitches as you need to hold the rib in place. Carefully glue your buttons in place with fabric glue. Allow to dry thoroughly before gluing a pin back to your brooch with a hot glue gun. Please note that you may copy, print and create this design for personal use only.  It may not be made for resale.