I named it 'DONE'

I started this little piece last spring. Then I had a series of medical interruptions. It was started for a Fast Friday Fabric Challenge titled, Art Deco. I think my original design hit the mark. All I intended to do was stitch in the ditch so the design popped. 

Pieced Design

However, I could NOT get the tension adjusted on my machine. The more I stitched, the more out of whack it got. I had lost a LOT of my incentive for finishing this. Yet, it was something practical I really wanted to finish.

After marking a bunch of circles flowing across the design, I stitched those several times around using white thread until I felt they stood out enough to make the design show. It was rather subtle. Next, I picked out a thread color that is in my wall. Then I really stitched it within an inch of its' life. Now the real FUN began. I took out my buttons. No real whites, so I used these small off white ones. I really wanted gray and purple. I had bought a set of purple buttons and also some tiny gray ones. I needed something that would POP. Like any good Artist, I looked in my closet for buttons that would work for this quilt. I absolutely love the steel gray ones. I rarely wore the wool jacket. Now I have more wool for wool stash. I found a few more purple ones on a sweater I never wear. That will be re-purposed later.

Completed Design

I laid my buttons out on my design; then I fiddled for hours. I held them in place with the yellow headed pins. I liked the accent, so decided to use white embroidery floss on all of the buttons. I actually only had to take off one button that didn't work out. That amazed me. This is my first time using buttons as a design element. Attaching them took 2 days because I had to pull the large needle through with pliers. The tiny gray ones required a small needle, so I just went through several times.

Finished Design in Situ

Am I hooked on buttons? Not sure. I think each quilt will have to speak to me and tell me what to do, just as this one did.