ButtonMad

Old Buttons and a Fun GIVE AWAY

2012-02-22T16:58:00.000+02:00

Look what we found in a packet hidden away in the factory!

We made these over 14 years ago...sold some in South Africa...and then forgot all about them!

At first glance they may not seem too exciting - just regular buttons with a few more holes than normal...

but they provide a wealth of possibilities...

We use them to write our own personalised messages:

send hearts and kisses...xxx

glue them onto bedroom doors, sew them onto overnight bags, personalise clothes and quilts with names and dates:

As with all our buttons - they are handmade...

and fully washable...

Add any message you want to anything you can dream of:

But most importantly, have...

We used to make these square, round, in heart shapes, different sizes and painted but we have decided to keep it simple and add only the plain square to our catalogue...and let the variety come with the message you create!

We are so excited to have unearthed these old buttons that we are going to offer 10 sets in our latest giveaway - starting right now!

10 followers, anywhere in the world, including previous winners...open for one week from now.

Simply leave a comment letting us know how you would use them.

Blaize (my brother) wants to call these our golf set because of the 9 holes!

Soft Blocks and Special Friends

2012-02-21T13:21:00.001+02:00

I'm going to visit a friend and her baby girl over lunchtime today.

This friend was hospitalised for the first few weeks of her pregnancy. She was so ill the doctors thought she might have swine flu or even malaria as she had just completed a 7 month trip around Southern Africa.

After missing her first scheduled flight, and then a few more, she checked herself out of hospital and put herself on a plane (the very last one that would make it in time!) to come and join my husband and I at our wedding.

She was that adamant that she would be there with us.

It's friends like these who make the world a more special place.

I made her darling little girl a few soft blocks spelling her name and a pink pengy bird block with a bell inside.

I've used our Incomparable chicken fabric for his feet and beak:

Attached a ribbon for his tail...and he is ready!

Is anyone else spending time with a dear friend this week?

Safari, Farmyard and Zoo too!

2012-02-20T12:05:00.001+02:00

I quickly made these finger puppets as an easy project to keep littlies entertained.

All you need is felt in various colours, coloured thread and a few buttons.

I chose my animals carefully - so pleased that all these animals interact with each other so often in nature that a story involving these characters will be easy to make up!

It's going to take a lot of imagination to create a scenario where a pengy ends up with the lion!

But I'm hoping the kids won't be too critical of story accuracy!

And will just be big fans of the 4 best friends: pengy, bunbun, oinker and the lion-heart!
A little imagination goes a long way!

Heart-y Distractions

2012-02-17T17:33:00.000+02:00

Mum has been busy cleaning up & sorting out her ~~extremely messy~~ creatively untidy studio today. Well mostly.

Here is a quick and easy tutorial she has sent through on how to make a simple and pretty decorative hanging heart.

Cut 6 heart shapes out of assorted paper (or thickened fabric)

Fold each one in half down the middle:

Gather them together and add a folded ribbon.

Then simply sew a line down the fold through all 6 pieces and secure the ribbon in that same line of stitching (you could use glue if you don't sew)

add an Incomparable heart button for extra embellishment:

Fan the halves out and hang from a door handle, key, anywhere that requires some brightening up.

Not only has mum been distracted from cleaning by little projects like this one but she has had these two rather special distractions pop in to visit:

Adding to the clean up challenge! This studio is a very lovely creative space full of inks and paints and cottons and yarns and handmade stamps. My nephew and niece always run up there as soon as they arrive on a visit and say how they wish they could just live in there...and cry when they have to leave ~~as do I~~!

To be fair, it does look a million times better - but I despair to think what might be hiding in all those drawers!!

Have a super weekend!

Time for a little change...

2012-02-16T17:22:00.000+02:00

A friend of mine is expecting to have her baby any minute today - its a boy!

Which is quite ironic as she is one of 4 girls and this is the fourth boy to be born to two of the sisters.

I missed her baby shower but am catching up by making her a few small gifts.

Mum and I found this adorable laminated fabric at Peter Jones this weekend and knew it would be perfect for a changing mat:

I used these sweet yellow chickens as my coordinating fabric on the other side:

Added a thin layer of batting to provide some comfort from hard surfaces.

Trimmed it all off with matching green bias binding...and chose an Incomparable mother hen button as the closure:

Now just going to go and make a cup of tea while we wait for the happy news!

Heart Bunting

2012-02-15T16:03:00.000+02:00

While we were in Paris last week, mum found some pretty pastel coloured wool which she then ~~insisted on bringing~~ proceeded to carry everywhere we went, crocheting these lovely little hearts.

'Look mum the Eiffel Tower', nope too busy crocheting - not really but almost!

She left them with me to write about and I'm pleased she did - they are so pretty and brighten up this empty space in my work room.

They are attached to a long crochet strand with mini clothes pegs.

I added some of our teeny Incomparable heart buttons.

Valentine's might be over but these are staying up for the rest of the year...

From Paris, with Love

2012-02-14T12:59:00.000+02:00

Last week mum and I spent a wonderful few days in Paris. Here we are on top of the Printemps building.

A very kind and enthusiastic fellow offered to take this pic and insisted on trying out about 10 different angles while we froze patiently (somehow I manage to have this spire sticking out of my head in every one! Mum has been joking that it's my new french fascinator!)

We visited our delightful new French agent - Jackie Marangos and her lovely daughter Natasha at the Aiguille en Fete...

and managed to fit in some shopping while we were there! This is my lovely stash which is my inspiration for the coming week...I found some of the sweetest, old fashioned little girls dress patterns - I'm ~~extremely nervous about~~ looking forward to the challenge of tackling my first pattern!

Mum left last night ~~sniff~~ and London seems greyer as a result.

Here are a few cute Valentine's messages that we saw while window shopping at Liberty's

and my favourite...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Salon l'aiguille en fête 2012

2012-02-09T10:40:00.000+02:00

Well we left the stifling heat of South Africa, suitcases packed full to overflowing with buttons, and after plenty hours in the sky and several more delayed in Heathrow, touched down in the beautiful city of Paris.

We are at the L'Aiguille En Fête show visiting our French agent, Jackie Marangos. If you plan on attending the show please drop by stand B2.3 and say hi.

To quote our good friend Marianne "La Grande Halle de la Villette nous attend... Et il fait chaud dedans!" and just as well it is hot inside because it really is frosty outside ;-) minus 8 celcius brrrrr. Mariannes' booth, A8 is well worth a visit.

Here is a brief description translated from the Aiguille website some of which may well be lost in translation; "And most importantly, it creates, it embroiders,

it "Quilts", it sews, knits etc ... From Britain through to Alsace, from Tokyo to
New York it is a short hop from London or Amsterdam, you are among hundreds of exhibitors who prepare the great feast of yarn and needles! [and buttons!] To ensure that your visit is the best possible, most joyful too! On the starting blocks for 2012 AEF! And we imagine yourself with a humming heart, head
full to the brim with ideas, hands itching with the desire to do, to create ..."

Doesn't that sound wonderful ;-)

Thought(ful) for the day...

2012-02-03T20:06:00.000+02:00

A sweet little message for a Valentine!

Congratulations to the 10 winners of our heart button giveaway hosted by SewCal Gal

If you didn't win this time, be sure to look out for our next giveaway which will be happening soon (you know us!)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Hearts and Kisses xxx

2012-02-01T14:52:00.004+02:00

Create these super sweet and easy Valentine's Day cards in no time at all.

Use fabric scraps to cut out your desired shapes - I used hearts, heart shaped leaves and a bird.

Sew onto your plain card.

Cross stitch a few kisses xxx and add some Incomparable heart buttons to create cards from the heart!

10 sets of these Incomparable pastel heart buttons will be going to 10 lucky winners around the world this week - if you haven't already entered, see SewCal Gal's post for details on how to enter.

Valentine's 'Dress'

2012-01-31T16:22:00.000+02:00

I made this little dress-shirt (that is meant to be worn with leggings but it was 34 degrees when I had this photographed so please excuse the high hemline!) out of a lightweight knit fabric.

It was so easy to work with. I used a double needle but didn't have a walking foot so just made do without.

I added a slightly heavier knit in white around the hemline for effect.

And with Valentine's being just around the corner, couldn't resist adding 3 Incomparable pastel heart buttons on the yoke for that finishing touch:

These buttons are currently up for give away to 10 of our readers.

Visit SewCal Gal's blog to stand a chance to win.

Valentine's Apron & Heart Button Give Away

2012-01-27T12:40:00.000+02:00

This was possibly my easiest sewing project to date - I should have started my sewing 'career' with this!

While in Cannes last year, mum (Jen) and I bought these vintage linen tea towels at the local market for E2 each!

I sewed a striking wide black and cream striped ribbon near the top edge.

This pretty cotton ribbon with hearts and a red trim an inch or two below the red printed line.

Added a row of various Incomparable heart buttons in red and terracotta.

And now have a lovely skirt apron so that I can cook up some dishes with love this Valentine's day!

I love the combination of vintage faded printed linen, cotton ribbons and buttons.

Complete with the initials of the original owner - I wonder who they were and if they would be impressed with the apron and cushion covers we made using them...?

This week SewCal Gal is hosting a give away for us - 10 sets of our teeny pastel heart flowers pictured above will be given to 10 lucky winners:

to enter, leave a comment on SewCal Gal's blog post (and here because we love your comments!).

For additional entries:

1) Follow this blog.

2) Like ButtonMad on FaceBook and leave a comment on our wall, underneath this photo of the shirt embellished with our pastel hearts, let us know SewCal Gal sent you.

I 'heart' hearts!

2012-01-25T17:59:00.000+02:00

Valentines is the buzzword for the next 2 weeks, it's all about love, pastels, flowers, romance...and of course, hearts:

Our Incomparable range of hearts spans from teeny tiny buttons to large two-inch fashion buttons...from soft pinks and lilacs to textured greens, blues and terracottas. Everything your heart could desire in a button!

Tie them with ribbons to create place settings, napkin rings, table decorations, bouquets;

sew them onto baby onesies, sleeves, pockets, hats...

create striking pieces of jewellery, greeting cards, gift tags;

Have fun - and fall in love with our heart buttons!

On Friday SewCal Gal is hosting a give away of 10 sets of our heart buttons - be sure to drop by for a chance to win them!

Flower Fun

2012-01-20T08:10:00.001+02:00

This is a really easy project and it looks so pretty.

Cut out 6 petals in various fabrics and then blanket stitch around the edges and secure them together.

Then add a pretty flower button in the centre and you can attach it to hair slides, Alice bands, brooch pins, the top of a hat box for decoration...

Or add an Incomparable heart button for the perfect Valentines gift in pink...or blue...

I couldn't settle on my favourite button - this white daisy works well too...luckily they are so quick I can make one for every button I have in mind!

Happy Friday everyone!

And while on the topic of Cupcakes!

2012-01-11T20:59:00.001+02:00

Jen has been playing around with white fabric and a new set of fabric pens that she brought back from Long Beach, California.

She is pleased as punch with them and says they work better than any she has tried before.

This little cake stand needed something to finish it off - you could say these Incomparable cupcake buttons are the cherry on top!

Cupcakes were not part of my New Year's Resolution!

2012-01-06T22:16:00.000+02:00

This picture was taken one year on and the view is still as incredible as it was on our wedding day.

We are still officially closed and on holiday but I have managed to take the sewing machine out to make a few things.

I made this apron to give to a wonderful friend who gave us a roll of this material.

I love this fabric...

I couldn't resist adding some cupcake buttons onto the one side table just above the pocket!

Mum likes it so much she has asked for one for herself.

Complete with three guilt-free cupcakes!

Happy New Year

2012-01-01T20:44:00.000+02:00

May your dreams take flight in 2012.

Winners of our chicken button give away are:

Martina,

Genny,

Billiebee,

Michelle Ballard,

Fleur,

Galadriel,

Karamino,

Caren,

Barbara (from Cat Patches),

Jen @ the crafting fiend.

Hope you have all had a wonderful festive season and a great start to the new year.

Christmas Give Away!!

2011-12-24T11:00:00.000+02:00

With all the give aways we've had this year, people have been wondering if it's Christmas already...well now it officially is!

And we couldn't just leave it at that - so we are having a Christmas Give Away to wrap things up for the year!

Amy over at NapTime Crafters is hosting this give away for us.

If you hadn't already guessed - we are giving away 10 sets of our Incomparable chicken buttons!

The total value of this give away is $100.

All you need to do is leave a comment on Amy's blog as well as a comment here.

This give away is open to all ButtonMad blog followers anywhere in the world - you can follow by email or Google Friend Connect by clicking one of the links on the left side bar.

This will run from December 24th until December 31st.

I might not post the winners immediately as January 1st is my very first wedding anniversary - so please bear with me!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Spot the Christmas 'Tree'

2011-12-19T13:30:00.000+02:00

This weekend was filled with Christmas festivities and present shopping (and wrapping!)

Our teeny tiny tree is a rosemary bush that we ~~pinched~~ relocated from the patio of the flat we are renting.

It's rather dwarfed by all the presents.

To make my wrapping more fun this year, I wrapped tree decorations into the satin bows ~~since there is no space for them on the tree itself!~~.

This chap makes another appearance:

Congratulations to the ten winners of the Incomparable dove buttons:

Kristy (Hopeful Threads),

Stray Stitches (Linda G),

Blooms & Bugs,

Sheila,

Carolyn,

Connie,

Ariane,

Lucija,

Happy Cottage Quilter,

Debi.

Thanks to everyone who entered and left a comment - if you aren't one of our ten lucky winners, don't despair...another chance to be a winner of some fabulous & fun Incomparable buttons is coming up in less than 5 days - so don't go too far from your computer this holiday!

a New Year (almost) and a New Look

2011-12-16T14:35:00.000+02:00

Our website has just been given a complete overhaul.

It is fresh and fabulous.

It was also created by my super talented brother Blaize (not his real name but that's what we affectionately call him!).

He can also be credited with all our fantastic button photos as he is a professional photographer. You can see a few of the photo shoots he has done on his blog

I see it needs an update since photographs of my wedding are not up there yet! (Blaize I know you're reading this! Did you have any plans this weekend?)

Had to sneak in a few shots from my wedding just to show you how talented he is! If you knew what I looked like in real life you would have to agree!

Here is a picture of me with Blaize and our sister Shan (he's not often on this end of the camera!)

Oh yes sorry ladies, he is spoken for!

So back to business: our website is brand sparkling new and we would love you to browse around and give us feedback.

Take a look at our updated button catalogue too.

And don't forget there is still time to enter our current give away by following our blog and leaving a comment on this post

Under the Christmas Tree

2011-12-15T14:49:00.001+02:00

This beautiful beaded necklace with a selection of Incomparable buttons added onto each round disc is going to be all wrapped up in our Christmas finest and will be placed under the tree to be opened on Christmas morning.

I hope the recipient is not reading this!

Snowman is Good Enough!

2011-12-14T18:11:00.001+02:00

This is a super simple Christmas wreath to welcome guests into your home.

Take the following items:

Shape the wire hanger into a circle, cut 2-3 inch wide strips of felt and wind them loosely and a little haphazardly around the frame. Stitch a few times through each end of felt to keep it all in place.

I used 7 strips of felt altogether but this will depend on the dimensions of yours and the look you are going for.

Then add some festive bows. I sewed on a couple of our Incomparable snowman buttons.

The wreath still looked as though it needed a little something extra so I clipped on a few of the mini Christmas stockings I made for my advent calendar

And there is a super simple Christmas wreath - I'm already planning a project to recycle the felt strips in next year!

The Goose is Getting Fat...

2011-12-12T12:21:00.001+02:00

With just over two weeks to go until Christmas, do you have all your ~~geese?!~~ ducks in a row?

This little goose is proudly waddling along with mommy and baby Incomparable goose buttons.

This stitching block is part of a new project that we are working to put together and have ready by the new year!

We're getting really excited and cannot wait to launch it...only a few weeks to go before the big reveal...just thought I would share a little snippet of it here with you today.

Have a marvellous Monday!

Quilting Gallery Blog Hop Party & Give Away

2011-12-09T13:30:00.000+02:00

There is a blog hop party happening this week at the Quilting Gallery

We are taking part by giving away some more of our Incomparable buttons - now I know what you're thinking - it must be Christmas!!

This give away will run from now until the 17th of December.

Just follow our blog and leave a comment in order to stand a chance to win one of 10 sets of our pastel coloured dove buttons.

This give away is open to any of our blog followers anywhere in the world.

If you can't wait to own some Incomparable buttons, remember that ordering is easy - take a look at our full button catalogue on ButtonMad, try to choose your favourites (this is the only hard part!) then simply email us with the codes you would like.

Wardrobe MakeOver

2011-12-08T11:36:00.001+02:00

Give your old clothes hangers a fashionable make over in chic Parisienne style.

These have been covered in recycled pages from poetry books...sigh, so romantic!

The small ribbons tied near the ends stop clothes from slipping off...and they co-ordinate with the lovely big bow of extra wide cotton ribbon tied in the middle.

The finishing touch - an Incomparable 2-inch button completes the look...

Wardrobes have never looked this stylish before!

Quick Fun Christmas Project

2011-12-07T12:51:00.001+02:00

Reindeer are always special but even more so at Christmas time.

To create a really sweet cross stitch reindeer, start with these...

work a little bit of Christmas magic...and end up with this:

A lively reindeer prancing through Incomparable snowflakes!

Lovely to decorate your tree or hang in a window...a fun and easy project to do with older children.

Recycled Scraps Christmas Cards

2011-12-06T12:25:00.001+02:00

These Christmas cards took about 5 minutes to make.

I delved into my scraps stash and found fun and festive green and red material.

Then cut out 2 rectangles - one larger than the other.

Sewed them onto my pre-cut card and then sewed an Incomparable Christmas theme button on top...

For cards that are being hand delivered, I glued a button onto the outside of the envelope.

The best part is that after Christmas when the cards are discarded, the buttons can be removed and reused in a craft project or added to a favourite button collection...a gift with the gift!

Advent Calendar

2011-12-01T13:36:00.001+02:00

I made this Advent Calendar by making 24 small Christmas stockings and 1 extra large one out of red and green felt.

Each stocking is decorated along the top edge with different laces and trimmings. My favourite is the white pom pom trim which I've never seen back home and is a novelty for me (and so cute)

Each stocking also gets an Incomparable Christmas theme button...from Santa, snowmen and stars to candy canes, moose(s?), and angels...the only button I didn't have with me was the Christmas pudding!

To make it an advent calendar I used pre-cut luggage tags & numbered them 1-24 then attached them using mini clothes pegs to a plain cotton ribbon.

Since its adjustable, I made it extra cosy to fit the small fireplace but for a different location, I spread the stockings out and got more of a bunting look.

Once again the Christmas season is upon us...may it be a festive one for everyone.

On the Road Again...

2011-11-29T20:55:00.000+02:00

This post is a day late...we've left Turkey for our respective destinations...me to London and my folks back to Cape Town - I don't envy them their long journey.

We had the most fantastic trip to Istanbul...made memories to last a lifetime (and gained a few pounds from the delicious baklava and Turkish delight that will sadly probably also last a lifetime!) but it was SO worthwhile!

Jen also managed to finish up a few stitchings. I'm not sure how she finds the time but here is a lovely little lorry that she made:

Bye Turkey...we will definitely visit again!

Rudolph's lesser known cousin...

2011-11-25T16:20:00.001+02:00

...Randolph - the white nosed reindeer!

I made this cute little Christmas tree decoration mostly out of felt with a jersey body - since we were between houses and I didn't have any of my supplies, he is filled with cotton wool so he's a little lumpy in places!

He has Incomparable flower button eyes, a pompom nose and a snowflake button for decoration.

Here he is chatting with his reindeer button friends.

This year instead of eating turkey for Thanksgiving (which would be unusual for us South Africans anyway) we are visiting Turkey.

Here is a snapshot of a street outside the Grand Bazaar:

and outside the incredible Hagia Sophia:

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American followers...

The Tambani Project

2011-11-21T23:40:00.001+02:00

Today I am showcasing another South African company whose main aim is creating meaningful employment.

The Tambani Project is an initiative set up to create economic empowerment for a group of disadvantaged rural African women from the Venda tribe. The ladies are taught quilting and embroidery skills and their works embody local Venda folk tales. These embroidered blocks are then used by quilters, knitters and crafters and incorporated into their own works, thereby preserving the Venda oral tradition.

You can read the personal stories of some of the women here.

The bright and vibrant scenes each tell a story. Read more on the Venda folktales here.

The Tambani project was started by Ina le Roux and currently employs more than 65 embroiderers who create 400 hand embroidered appliqué blocks per month.

The blocks are exquisite. You can see the range here.

Tambani also use our Incomparable buttons in some of their works of art...

The Tambani blog has great posts showing creative ways to use these lovely embroidered blocks.

This is a wonderful initiative and has transformed the lives of the people who are involved with Tambani.

Just Plane Stitching

2011-11-17T22:41:00.000+02:00

I am meeting up with Jen (my mum) at Heathrow next week and then we're travelling on to Turkey together...we are SO excited to be travelling together and exploring a place that we have only heard wonderful things about...

Just hope that our aeroplane is slightly more aerodynamic than this one!

LoveBugs

2011-11-16T10:00:00.000+02:00

This is another page in my fabric book.

Two ladybirds made using leftover scraps. The ladybird on the right is made with a circle of fabric with a print of Incomparable terracotta heart buttons strung on ribbons.

I've used some fabric paints which according to the manufacturer should puff up after being ironed so as soon as they dry in about oh, 6 hours or so, I'll be ~~going to the ironing board which has been left out for days!~~ getting the ironing board out. The paint gives them another tactile dimension which I hope will be a hit with the littlies who get to ~~scrunch, chew, throw~~ 'read' this book!

It's not Harry Potter but perhaps it might instil a love of books in the very young! Here's hoping!

Our Next Give Away...and Newest Buttons

2011-11-14T09:05:00.000+02:00

These gorgeous Incomparable buttons are the newest members of our ButtonMad family...

and we love them SO much we cannot wait to share them with you.

We are giving away 10 sets of these yummy buttons...

This give away is being hosted by the ASpoonfullofsugar ladies and in order to stand a chance to win, you'll need to take a look at their blog and leave a comment on their post about this give away.

Although leaving a comment on our blog is not considered an entry...we always love to hear from you anyway!

On Sunday week there will be 10 lucky winners. This give away is open to anyone anywhere in the world...and has a total value of $100! Now that is great news to start the week with.

Teddy Bear's Picnic Pleat Dress/Top

2011-11-09T23:43:00.000+02:00

I made this little dress today in between preparations for our big move ~~back~~ to the small island. Yes, we are taking the ~~freezing~~ big step of moving to London for the next 12 - 18 months. After our wonderful year in Oxford I ~~was hoping~~ thought that we would be headed home - or even to Zambia - one step closer to home...but that will have to wait for now...I must say I'm looking forward to unlimited theatre (unlimited opportunities - limited budget!), super speedy internet and of course, online ~~window~~ shopping!

I love the fabric combinations - this vibrant green dot works so well with our Incomparable teddies fabric range as an accent.

Shirring on the back...

This dress will ~~hopefully~~ fit a 9-12 month old. And in fact, it may be a top - all depending. It's rather tricky without the intended recipient in front of me. Although I imagine that if she were in front of me, I would get no sewing done whatsoever which would make things even trickier!

A close up of one of our sweet teddy buttons...

I pleated the front and sewed down the pleats a little way.

Here's a shot using all the furniture I could round up in one go:

I had plans to make this about 10 days ago but it has taken me this long to cut the fabric - I get absolutely terrified at the thought of cutting it - am I alone in this?! Are there support groups out there? Anyway I finally took the plunge and am so pleased with the result that I'm furious that I didn't do this 10 days ago so that I could have made a few more in the interim!

One other thing I am really looking forward to...the build up to a cold ~~fingers crossed for white~~ Christmas...exciting times ahead!

Dreamy Worm

2011-11-07T21:58:00.000+02:00

I'm in the process of making a fabric book.

This is a sneak peak at one of the pages - a wriggly worm constructed out of our Incomparable 'assorted green and yellow apples' fabric...available on spoonflower

This happy worm has eaten so many apples, he's turned into an orchard!

He's eyeing out those Incomparable flower buttons with an intensity that makes me wonder if he'll be metamorphosing into a bouquet worm soon!

I've made sure that the buttons are sewn down really really solidly but it will still be a book that requires supervision.

In the Dog Box...

2011-11-04T14:39:00.000+02:00

Last night my hubby and I had a little spat...and I wondered to myself how we will be 10 years on...considering we've only been married for 10 months!

While things are back to normal now (and I'm fast coming to realise that normal means it looks like there has been a hurricane sweeping after him wherever he goes in the house - and not sweeping 'up' after him either unfortunately!), for a short while he was definitely 'in the dog box'

Which reminded me of this cute little stitch pattern Jen did a while back...I think this fabric covered box she created is just adorable...the perfect covering for a little trinket box.

Cupcake Booties

2011-11-03T11:43:00.000+02:00

I made these little booties following this tutorial from Stardust Shoes.

The fusible interfacing that I used made the fabric on the upper part of the blue sheep shoes too hard and more rigid than the soles! Since these are not for walking in, I left it out of the pink cupcake booties and I prefer the shape and softness of these.

For the blue booties, I used some of our own Incomparable 'sheep on ribbon' fabric available from spoonflower and sewed a little sheep button on the back.

For the cupcake booties, I used Incomparable cupcakes fabric and sewed a cupcake over some ribbon for a bit of flair.

While I'm still fairly new to sewing and am loving it, I don't think I'll be opening an etsy shop anytime soon! Still a long way to go on neatness and finishes but I hope the recipients will enjoy seeing these covering their munchkins' toes!

Green Smoothies

2011-11-02T19:45:00.000+02:00

And in this case, green bananas too (sorry didn't have any ripe ones for the photo!)

These green smoothies are incredibly healthy and delicious too.

I take a few handfuls of raw baby spinach and throw them into a blender along with a banana per person and some plain yoghurt (full fat Greek style - I'm not into low fat or fat free - cells need healthy fats to regenerate and these others are loaded with refined sugars)

those are the three basic ingredients...

then depending on what is in season and more importantly, in the fridge, I add:

a handful of strawberries,

blueberries,

kiwi fruit,

raspberries,

apple,

raw broccoli (I know!),

caulifower,

peas,

sunflower seeds,

pumpkin seeds...

I've also added citrus fruits - oranges, ruby grapefruit, some lemon juice.

Any or all of the above in varying combinations depending on what is on hand. If you don't have plain yoghurt, use a fruit flavour or leave it out altogether...this is the most flexible recipe ever!

and there you have a generous portion ~~if not all~~ of your five fruits and veg for the day.

It's great that they are raw so you are getting all the goodness.

It's even better as this is a really delicious drink.

And you can even ~~con~~ convince the kids to try it by telling them it is monster goo or was left behind by aliens in the night or is the staple drink of forest fairies...be creative...they're sure to love it.

Recycled Magazine Page Bunting

2011-11-01T17:35:00.000+02:00

This has to be the quickest and easiest bunting out there - and it's fairly eye-catching too...

I bought 4 white cotton shoe laces, snipped off the ends and sewed them together into one continuous line...

Then found some fairly striking pictures in an old magazine that was lying around.

Cut out a template of an isoceles triangle (short on one side - the top, longer on the other two leading to your point - it's been a while since high school maths!) I left the top the same size as the top of the mag which left only 2 sides for trimming.

Cut out the pages using the triangle guide (I did them all at once which is probably not great for the scissors but a super time saver). I used pinking shears to get the lovely zig zag edge look.

Sewed with a straight stitch on the machine leaving a 3cm gap between each flag.

Ta-da - all done!

Next take your bunting around the house (and garden) for a photo shoot. My dear hubby was very enthusiastic ~~initially~~ and patient and put up with all my ~~bossiness~~ great direction!

If you have a particular theme in mind, start looking for magazine pages that suit it and keep them aside...for instance keep any suitable blue pictures for a boy's baby shower.

But really this bunting is so easy you could have a different one for each day of the week.

Halloween Greeting Card

2011-10-31T10:55:00.000+02:00

Happy Halloween!

Grandma's Jam Jar Lids

2011-10-27T11:29:00.000+02:00

We bought 12 clear glass jam jars to use as vases for pretty posies for my dad's 60th last year.

They've been ~~gathering dust~~ stored away since then waiting for a new lease on life, hence these old fashioned decorative fabric lid covers.

The one below is made with our Incomparable apple fabric which is ideal for kitchen projects - aprons, tea towels, pot holders, oven mitts...all tied up with a peach ribbon and stitched together with a teeny green apple button - adorable.

This plain peach fabric looks sweet edged in peach & white striped bias binding with a hand-stitched flower centred with an Incomparable flower button...

This one has our cute 'little birds all in a row' fabric, edged in blue ricrac and tied together with a cotton ribbon and Incomparable bird buttons hopping along the edge:

It's definitely time for them to be put back on display.

Recycled magazine page bags and...it's not your usual pincushion

2011-10-24T12:06:00.000+02:00

These recycled bags look ultra chic and are super easy to make.

Simply take 2 pages with striking pictures out of your old magazines, fold the tops down to reinforce the page and sew them wrong sides together with a bold zigzag stitch - mine are all stitched in a hot pink thread which pops with the pictures I've selected.

Then punch through 2 holes on the top and thread & knot various twines and ribbons for the handles.

Of course I could not resist adding some of our Incomparable heart pendants as the perfect finishing touch...

We picked these pincushions on the farm yesterday...they are part of the unique fynbos that grows exclusively in this region of the world. We have been planting all year to try and reintroduce this exquisite natural flora to the area. So far our efforts have been well rewarded and the plants are thriving! Guess I'm not the only one who loves it here!

We're off to dinner with some friends in the area and I think I'll be taking a bouquet bag of pincushions as a gift for the hostess.

Spooky Spiders

2011-10-19T21:18:00.000+02:00

A quick and easy Halloween project to make with the kids is this spooky spider on a web.

Cut a circle out of cardboard and make 12 or so 1cm incisions at intervals around the perimeter. Thread some twine through and then create a second layer knotted around to resemble a spider's web.

And the coup de resistance, an Incomparable spider button to watch over his domain.

Other crafty uses for our Halloween buttons this spooky season:

tie a thread through them and use them as serviette rings,

glue them onto candles,

create greeting cards, place settings and party favour bags,

place them in clear soap to give your guests a ghoulish surprise...

Happy Haunting...

A Gift for Jonah

2011-10-18T18:26:00.000+02:00

My oldest friend - the one who has been in my life the longest (she's younger than me at 33, so by oldest, I don't mean old) who I have known since I was nine has just had her first baby - a little boy named Jonah.

I'm so excited to be able to meet him this week and have made him a personalised onesie with an appliqued 'J' cut out of our space theme fabric. I added 2 sweet little star buttons to the sleeves - these are so new they're not on the ButtonMad catalogue and in fact they may not even get voted into the catalogue so they're unique at this stage! Do you think we should add them?

And how could I resist - a 'J' that looks like a whale out of our Incomparable sea-theme fabric...as in Jonah and the whale! I know, you got it without prompting.

And an Incomparable whale button purely as decoration because the closure on this bib is velcro.

Cannot wait to meet this very special little boy...

Bird on a Branch

2011-10-17T12:29:00.000+02:00

There are a lot of very sweet little painted and stitched blocks like this one around the house at the moment...

I think they are destined to be joined together into one big quilt.

This bird on a branch has been joined in his warbling by a little button friend...

Don't forget there is still one day left for Barb's button giveaway where 20 people stand the chance to win a set of our ladybird buttons.

Ladybird Give Away Hosted by Bejeweledquilts by Barb

2011-10-11T13:33:00.000+02:00

Barb of Bejeweledquilts by Barb designed this stunning wallhanging to showcase our 5 multi-coloured ladybird buttons.

Barb is very kindly hosting a give away of 20 sets of our ladybird buttons to 20 lucky winners.

Take a look at her blog post to see how you can be a winner.

This give away will be open for a week, good luck everyone.

Spring Top

2011-10-06T11:03:00.000+02:00

Summer is fast approaching (back home in South Africa where I am currently visiting in between the end of studies and beginning of a new job for my husband - I know, even I get confused trying to keep up with us at the moment!)

I decided to try my hand at this lovely spring top from Made by Rae.

I added a tie which ties in a bow at the back to add some structure to the top as it is quite floaty.

Here is a close up of the 2 little buttons I added in the middle of the back panel.

We are not offering them on the catalogue and they are one of a kind - I rather like that idea.

But we are offering very similar ones - slightly larger and in gorgeous bright colours, lilac, green, yellow and blue...keep an eye open for them on our catalogue www.buttonmad.com

Not too sure how often this top will be worn this year as the new job is based out of London - back to the dark and the cold...sigh! But on the bright side - back to the theatre and beautiful old buildings, walks in Hyde Park, indulgent clotted cream teas, and of course, Europe on our doorstep.

Just have to share this view over the Franschoek Valley taken today...

One Jersey, Seven Looks

2011-10-04T12:06:00.000+02:00

With all the focus having been on our new teeny tiny buttons lately, we tend to forget about our lovely 2-inch buttons and all the potential projects they can be used in.

Here we take one knit-jersey and give it a different look for each day of the week...

An easy way to change your wardrobe as often as you like...

Go International Giveaway Hop

2011-10-03T17:57:00.000+02:00

We are sponsoring 20 sets of these black and white buttons for the Go International Giveaway Hop at gustosa giveaways.

These teeny oval black and white buttons are popular and versatile.

Hop on over and take a look.

Hope you're having a wonderful start to the week...

Flower Button Give Away Winners

2011-09-30T16:06:00.000+02:00

Josephine had some Friday afternoon fun selecting the 10 winners from our new flower button give away.

The winners are:

Clody,

con il (heart) e le mani,

Blooms & Bugs,

Irina,

Thearica,

Happy Cottage Quilter,

My Lucky,

Manu,

Nicoletta,

Kadie.

Congratulations to all our winners. If you see your name here before I have a chance to email you personally, please email me with your postal details so that I can send you your new Incomparable buttons.

We look forward to seeing what use you find for our newest buttons and are sure you'll love them as much as we do.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Delicious, Healthy Bran Muffins & the 1st 3 Winners from the Celebrate Christmas Quilt-Along

2011-09-29T16:54:00.000+02:00

These yummy muffins are so easy to make...great for lunch boxes too.
They freeze beautifully.
Makes 24 large muffins.
Mixture can be made and stored in refrigerator overnight before baking.
Can be made just with raisins or a mix of whatever you have on hand - see step 4.

200 C. For 20 minutes

1 Mix together 3 cups bran and 1 cup of boiling water

2 Add 2 cups buttermilk and 1 cup oil

3 Add 2 lightly beaten extra large eggs

4 Add 3 cups of any mix of the following

Raisins
Nuts
Pumpkin seeds
Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Dried cranberries
Chopped dates
Linseeds
Flax seeds

I put a little of all of the above...and a full cup of raisins.
But any combination is good...I just love raisins.

5. Add 2 and a half cups cake flour and 2 and a half teaspoons of bicarb and half a teaspoon of salt.

6. Add 1 cup brown sugar.

Store in fridge or divide into 2 greased muffin tins and bake now.

Can sprinkle tops with flaked almonds before baking.

Delicious with jam or just as they are.
The muffins keep well stored in an airtight container for up to five days...enjoy with a hot fresh cup of tea!

And now to announce the first 3 of 36 button winners from the Celebrate Christmas Quilt-Along hosted by the Quilting Gallery:
For Pat's Red & White Block - Flamingofan
Santa's Mittens Block - Nunu's Quilt World
This Little Light of Mine - Tiny1949

Congratulations to this week's winners.
We will be announcing the 10 winners of our new pastel flower buttons tomorrow.

A Little Bird Told Me...

2011-09-26T17:05:00.000+02:00

...that these pretty new flower buttons are being given away this week...

Just follow our blog and comment about how you would use these buttons to have a chance to be one of 10 lucky winners anywhere in the world...

Another Fabulous Give Away

2011-09-22T16:39:00.000+02:00

Our newest set of pastel flower buttons is here...and we are so pleased with them we want to share them with you immediately.

Ten followers of our blog stand a chance to win a set of these flower buttons.

All you need to do (besides being a follower) is to comment here and let us know how you would use these buttons.

This give away closes on Thursday 29th September midday South Africa time!

New Button Giveaway

2011-09-21T09:41:00.000+02:00

We thought we would wait a while before our next giveaway seeing as it was just the other day that we sent out the prizes to the owl button competition. But we just cant wait ;-)

We are so excited about our very latest teeny tiny flower buttons (still hot out the oven) that we just want to share them with you. So it is time for another giveaway. This time the total prize value is a $100... to 10 lucky winners... Giveaway and all details will be posted here on our blog starting tomorrow.

Yay.

Quilting Gallery Quilt-Along & Button Give Away

2011-09-16T14:40:00.000+02:00

Michele over at the Quilting Gallery is holding a Quilt-Along with new blocks added each week for you to create.

Upload your completed blocks to her flickr pool and you could stand a chance to win sets of our Incomparable buttons...

Go across and take a look and happy creating...

Are We Related?

2011-09-13T21:41:00.000+02:00

Welllll...I dino...but relatively speaking...!

I think our dino, being so much smaller than the dragon...had better behave...or he may just become extinct!

My nephew has just turned four and wants his party to be dinosaurs and dragons. (He prefers dragons because they have wings and he would like to fly!)

Do you sometimes look at very loved but very different relatives and wonder how they could have possibly fallen from the same branch...let alone the same tree?

As they say, variety is the spice of life!

A Day at the Beach

2011-09-12T16:28:00.001+02:00

Free Cross Stitch Sampler.

Here is a holiday inspired free cross stitch for you to print and make. A palm tree sways in the breeze while a happy crab watches a boat out on the ocean. A quick and easy design we hope you will enjoy crafting.

This is the end result...

... and here is the pattern for you to print... (click to enlarge)

Grid size 61W by 61H
Design Area 10.34 cm by 10.34 cm (57 by 57 stitches)
Buttons - Incomparable buttons L74 - of course you can just email us if you would like to purchase the cute handpainted set of buttons to go with this pattern... incomparableinc (@) msn.com

We recommend framing your finished work of art.

Suggested Key:

Circle with dot - DMC-307 (lemon)

Oval - DMC-444 (lemon-dark)

Circle with diagonal - DMC-445 (lemon-lt)

Small Circle - DMC-801 (coffee brown-dark)

C - DMC-809 (delft blue)

Circle - DMC-820 (royal blue-very dk)

Diagonal Oval - DMC-995 (electric blue-dk)

Back-stitches: DMC-444 and DMC-820

Enjoy!

Love Birds

2011-09-08T23:23:00.000+02:00

Today we are loving our feathered friends.

These blocks incorporate fabric painting and stitching and of course a button or two.

Birds offer great inspiration and are timeless and classic.

We try to encourage birds in our garden with the flora and trees for food and shelter.

We are lucky enough to have a huge variety of birds on the farm - from Malachite Kingfishers to Cape Eagle Owls, Spoonbills and Guinea fowl to Cape Robins.

Which is your favourite feathered friend and have you created artwork incorporating birds?

Are we there yet?

2011-09-05T16:48:00.000+02:00

The call of the 'I'm getting bored in the back here in my car seat where I've been confined for at least the last five minutes...and really there must be more fun ways to spend a morning and so I'll ask for the thousandth time this minute' child on a road trip.

A terrifying sound!

My niece on a family holiday when she was just 18 months old was absolutely content while we were in motion but the second we had to stop at a red light, she would command imperiously from the back 'dwive gwanddad dwive!'

Which should undoubtedly be Jen's next stitching block!

How do you amuse young children on car journeys?

Fun(ny) Little Greeting Card

2011-09-02T12:50:00.001+02:00

Inside the card reads: 'Now that's a hoot...'

This funny little card is really quick and easy to make.

Draw some branches for the bird to sit on and then glue (or stitch) the bird and owl buttons into place...add a colourful envelope and you're done!

It's sure to make the recipient giggle!

Christmas & Halloween Collector's Edition Buttons

2011-09-01T15:29:00.001+02:00

With Halloween (& Christmas!) just around the corner, we are offering 2 special limited edition collector's theme sets for sale.

Christmas Set - a moose, plum pudding, candy cane, cool snowman, Christmas tree and angel to name a few.

Halloween Set - bats, cats, ghosts and spiders as well as a few other bewitching designs...!

The buttons are sewn onto cards which have been signed & dated by one of our artists.

One set of 10 buttons is US$19,50 with free shipping worldwide. (Euro 13,65 or GBP 12)

Any two sets of 20 buttons are US$30 with free shipping worldwide. (Euro 21 or GBP 18,50)

To take advantage of this limited offer, click on the paypal button on the left sidebar.

Italian Jewellery Inspiration

2011-08-31T15:21:00.000+02:00

These gorgeous heart earrings were created by an Italian designer Paola Andreoni using the Incomparable heart buttons code L536.

Paola's blog Perline e Bottoni is full of fun and bright creations.

Here she has used our large two inch heart button to create a pendant:

So many uses besides as a traditional closure for buttons...the possibilities are endless...

What unusual uses have you found for the buttons in your stash?

A new arrival at Incomparable

2011-08-30T18:37:00.001+02:00

You may have noticed that apart from our recent competition we haven't had too many blog posts lately. Reason being a new distraction by the name of Kate Wray. Well we are delighted to share with you some photos of the new arrival.

All 4.36kg [9.6 pounds] of her. So far she has been a good sleeper and a pure delight. Her older brother however thinks she is a little noisy...

Here she is with her grandmother, Jennifer... happily asleep

and her two proud siblings... who are watching hospital tv. Kate is yes you guessed it - in dreamland.

more button related posts to follow shortly ;-)

Who Who Who's the winner...

2011-08-25T14:01:00.000+02:00

Dog gone it...we are so thrilled with the wonderful response to our owl competition...almost as chuffed as this pooch is with his cupcake!

The 20 winners of our owl button give away are:

BipBip;

Kim Jamieson Hirst;

Beta;

Jessica (Quilty Habit);

Cloudnine Sewing;

Christine M;

Tabetha;

Amanda;

Barb (a corgi to quilt by);

Bietje;

Fleurette;

Coccinelle;

Valletta Primitives Gift Shop;

Angela Bekzadian Avila;

Powers of Love;

Joanna;

Kraplap;

Gustosa Giveaways;

J Stoltz;

Commonthreadsmn(at)gmail(dot)com

Thank you to everyone who entered for all your fun and fabulous comments and valuable support - you had us chuckling!

Congratulations to all our winners...we are offering all our 20 winners another chance to win an extra set of our new teeny tiny heart buttons which we will post with your owls...all you need to do is write about us on your blog and/or facebook page and email us the link. Thank you for helping us to spread the word about our company and thereby helping us to create employment for women in South Africa.

Please bear with us as Jen has just quite literally in the last few minutes become a gran for the third time to a little girl, Kate Wray, and your buttons will only be posted mid next week!

I will email all the winners individually for postal details but if you see your name here, please email us, there is likely to be ~~very little work~~ a lot of celebrating going on here in the next few days, so please be patient with us.

New free stitch patterns will be posted on our blog in the coming week...starting with the cute little cupcake dog above.

And of course it won't be long before we do another give away - we have a few more surprises fresh from the oven...

Teeny tiny owl buttons giveaway

2011-08-17T20:16:00.002+02:00

20 lucky followers will win a set of our latest hand-painted owl buttons...whoot whoot !
Here is a sneak peak of them...

To stand a chance to win is simple...just be a follower of our blog and post a comment about the owls.

The competition will run until the 24th of August and as we have done in the past, we will post the winners buttons to anywhere in the world. (postage / mailing costs are on us i.e. free to your door / post box)

Good luck ;-)

Stunning Long Beach Quilts and an owl giveaway

2011-08-16T19:14:00.000+02:00

I am blown away by the pictures of quilts from the Long Beach quilt show that mum has been showing me and just have to share the incredible talent of these artists with you all.

This unbelievable creation is titled 'Sakura Sakura' by Hikoro Miyama from Japan.

It depicts her granddaughter and dog in a swirl of cherry blossoms.

One of the artists, Barbara McKee from Connecticut's favourite birds is the Yellow Billed Hornbill below - this could be a photograph from a safari drive. Exquisite detail.

I am not too sure who to credit with this amazing amount of work in this modern quilt, but here is another wonder: called wheel of teal...if anyone knows the creator of this please would you let us know...

The Flaming Mandalas quilt below is by artist Anne Lullie...another work of art...

And finally titled 'Grace' by Sin-hee Chin is this breathtaking work:

So humbling and so inspiring...

Look out for our new giveaway...we are giving away sets of our brand new teeny tiny owl buttons to twenty lucky followers. Will post pictures and details tomorrow evening.

Cheeky Caterpillar

2011-08-15T17:20:00.000+02:00

How sweet is this cheeky little caterpillar!

He is a really easy project and requires very little stitch work as his entire body is made up of Incomparable buttons!

He has definitely brought a smile to my face on this ~~absolutely freezing~~ somewhat chilly Monday afternoon.

Hope you are all having a wonderful start to the week...

Festival of Quilts - Birmingham

2011-08-11T21:47:00.000+02:00

Our UK retail agent, Chrissie Sherwood, is exhibiting this weekend at the festival of quilts in Birmingham.

Her stand is so beautifully laid out.

If anyone is in the UK in Birmingham please drop by and say hello to Chrissie.

We are praying things quieten down there with the rioters and wish her a successful weekend.

For those quilters among us, she has said the quilts on display are awe inspiring!

Birthday Cake(s) and Beautiful Views

2011-08-10T18:46:00.000+02:00

Virtually our entire family was away over Em's 6th birthday - so we held our own little celebration for her when we all gathered on the farm this weekend. I made her a double tiered vanilla cake with butter/vanilla frosting and shaped it ~~if you look at it with one eye closed and your head tilted at just the right angle!~~ like a carousel with chocolate bunnies and ducks in place of the more traditional horses.

Her younger brother was ~~spoilt~~ lucky enough to get the outer cake ring with a dinosaur and eggs for himself (when I was his age I insisted on a present for myself on my siblings' birthdays so I know what it feels like!)

Here is a picture of the sunrise...

and another over the dam - we have been blessed ~~not only with the views but also~~ with the most amazing weather the last few days.

I'm not much of a baker but I used the Moist Yellow Cake recipe from Bakerella and just left out the butter flavouring (not even sure if we can get that here in SA). Also I used cake flour and added 1 and a half teaspoons of baking powder and a half teaspoon salt for every cup of self raising flour required.

I think it was a hit...

I made a trial run the day before when it was just my dad and I at home and instead of frosting, I made a simple lemon drizzle using lemon juice and icing sugar and poured it over the cake - and it was also delicious plain with a spoon of extra thick cream and some fresh strawberries.

Six Years Old...with the world at my (slippered) feet...

2011-08-09T21:46:00.000+02:00

This is the dress I made for my niece for her 6th birthday.

It took me about 5 days ~~and a pile of discarded fabric~~ to finally figure out what I was doing with the shirring bit. Once I realised what was going wrong (obviously a little on the slow side), it really was a breeze as all the tutorials out there say it is.

Don't you just love the fun polka dot fabric. I used a plain green fabric for the shirred part and then edged it with some Incomparable teddy fabric...

And could not resist a plain green pocket with the matching teddy button...

Please excuse the funny poses and the humongous slippers - it is still winter in Cape Town after all...although it has been sunny and in the low 20's (that's Celsius!) for the past few days...bliss

Oh to be six years old again...

Fabric and Button Winners

2011-08-08T17:16:00.000+02:00

We have the winners of our fabric and matching Incomparable buttons give away.

The winner of a fat quarter of fabric and set of matching buttons is Stray Stitches. Their choice was for the teddy bears.

The second prize of a swatch of space theme fabric and matching buttons goes to Paul the Outnumbered Quilter.

Last week was a rather quiet one - there are a few ~~ongoing~~ computer issues here at the moment which I hope to have sorted out shortly...also been ~~wrestling with~~ conquering the shirring technique...and cannot wait to share the dress I made for my niece for her 6th birthday incorporating some of our teddy bear fabric.

Congratulations to our winners.

If you would like to have some of this adorable fabric for yourself, it is available on Spoonflower

Fabric & Button Give Away!

2011-07-28T17:56:00.002+02:00

I had a few more (well okay 30!) swatches of fabric printed and shipped to Jen's hotel in California for a surprise upon her arrival - ummm surprise!...and decided that with the next button give away, we could give some matching Incomparable fabric away too.

We are offering either a set of our stunning planets & space theme buttons or a set of our cute teddy bear buttons & the matching fat quarter of fabric (21'' x 18'') to one lucky winner.

To a second winner we will send a swatch of our fabric (8'' x 8'') and matching set of buttons.

This give away has a total combined value of $36.

To enter, simply be a follower of our blog and leave a comment here, along with your choice of space or teddy fabric & buttons.

For an extra entry into the draw, follow us on FaceBook

If you would like 5 additional entries, post about us on your own blog or FaceBook pages and let us know.

Canadian & American followers might be interested in our North American FaceBook page.

ButtonMad Italy also have some great projects on their blog

This competition is open until midday (South African time) Friday 5th August.

Incomparable Fabric Give Away

2011-07-27T17:32:00.005+02:00

We will be holding a give away of some of our new fabric along with a matching set of Incomparable buttons...details tomorrow...but here is a sneak peak at the fabric choices we are giving away:

for girls, our gorgeous teddies on a rich purple/pink background:

and the option for boys, one of my absolute favourites...the space, planets & rockets theme fabric:

If you would like to stand a chance to win one of these fab fabric & button prizes, keep an eye out for more details to be posted tomorrow...

Creative Cards

2011-07-25T23:36:00.000+02:00

These stitch patterns have been glued onto handcrafted coloured paper and then onto a plain greeting card with some added buttons, to transform it into a card worthy of a place on the mantelpiece.

Homemade greeting cards are fun to put together.

Different elements add three dimensionality and provide a lot of interest.

With this much effort going into the card, the gift is going to require some careful thought!

Friday Fun with Frogs

2011-07-22T11:51:00.001+02:00

Happy fun filled Friday to everyone...

1746...

2011-07-21T15:29:00.002+02:00

1746 is...

the number of our stand...

at the International Quilt Festival Long Beach, California!

Will you be there?

Jen has 36 hours of flying to look forward to! (that's excluding waiting at airports/connecting/jet lag etc). Just thinking about it makes me feel exhausted!

Please pop by and say hi...she's going to need to see some friendly faces after all that travelling...

Preview is on 28th July 5 to 9 pm

29 and 30 July 10 am to 7 pm

And Sunday 31st July 10 am till 3 pm

She may be looking a touch travel weary but this is the lady to look out for...

Hope to see you there...

HobbyHorse Stitch Pattern

2011-07-19T16:55:00.000+02:00

Jen had a 45 minute commute every morning to the show in Stellenbosch and never one to waste any time, she now has a series of new stitch patterns lined up to share with us.

This is the sweetest little hobby horse with long eye-lashes and a floating blue ribbon. His wheel is an Incomparable flower button.

Here he is for printing if you would like to make one.

Don't forget we are now on Flickr so if you do make him, please share your pictures with us.

Playful Cats

2011-07-18T11:42:00.000+02:00

I made this dress for a friend's baby shower that we went to in London yesterday. It is floaty and summery and just perfect for a winter back home but perhaps not suited to the chilly 'summer' weather we have been having here in the UK! (yes I'm having a weather gripe - it is warmer in South Africa in mid winter! Feeling a little homesick)

I smocked 3 rows with my machine and then added the contrasting fabric for the yoke.

This is our latest fabric for sale on Spoonflower.

It is a collection of cute kitties and a scattering of mice to add playfulness to the mix.

In fact, I used an Incomparable mouse button for the back closure...he is looking a little cheeky!

With some of the leftover scraps, I cut out individual cats and ironed them on using double sided interfacing...the ginger cat above is actually covering up a tiny snip mark where I was rather careless with the scissors...

but these two are purely decorative...

My friend is cat crazy and has a gorgeous fur ball so I think she will appreciate these cute bundles of furry joy.

How about you, do you prefer cats or dogs...or both?

Sweet Heart Applique

2011-07-13T16:48:00.000+02:00

I heart these 2 swatches of fabric - the print is a repeat of our Incomparable heart buttons with the stitching around the edges.

We are going to a friend's baby shower in London this weekend and I used some of this fabric to applique a large heart onto this pink onesie...

Then I could not resist appliqueing a single heart on the other side...can't wait to see that with a big nappy filling it out - cute!

Looking forward to ordering yards of this fabric to create a unique accent for some sweet little dresses and skirts.

And the scraps are perfect for creating little gift tags like this one...

This fabric is now available on the Spoonflower website.

Stellenbosch Quilt Show - the winning quilt

2011-07-12T18:38:00.000+02:00

I just had to share the winning quilt from the Stellenbosch quilt show.

It is staggering.

This was a collaboration of 25 women - the Village Quilters.

The title is 'Kyk dai Blomme' which is Afrikaans for 'Look at all those Flowers!'

And indeed, let us take a closer look here at the incredible amount of detail involved...

I would not have enjoyed the task of being a judge as the competition was fierce and there were so many spectacular creations...but this really does take the cake...or the ribbon...congratulations to the artists involved.

Green Sheep Fabric on flat-fronted Boy's Shorts

2011-07-11T15:30:00.000+02:00

These are two swatches of our 'sheep on ribbons' fabric in green. The one has sheep all running along the ribbons in the same direction, the other has alternating sheep.

My nephew has watched me making things for his sister and has been patiently waiting for me to tackle something for boys...and it finally happened.

Last night I made him a pair of these long, flat front shorts following the really simple tutorial by Dana over at Made. Had I known how easy it would be to follow, I would have made these months ago! Thanks Dana.

I used some strips of our green fabric to add accents to the bottom of each leg...and chose a red tractor button for the top as decoration. These can be his farm pants.

On the back, I added a cute little pocket for detail.

My nephew is blue-yellow colour blind so his favourite colour is green...I actually had this project in mind with our new transport fabric but since that is yellow, I will have to make something else with it and showcase it later in the week.

Now to head on down to the post and send these on their long journey home to him... Hope everyone is having a great start to the week.

'Give a Dog a Bone' Stitch Pattern

2011-07-08T22:53:00.000+02:00

Jen has been creating a few new stitch patterns while in Stellenbosch this week.

Here is a super sweet spotty dog...so sweet we couldn't help but give him a treat.

Here he is if you would like to print him out and create your own...

...and...while on the topic of cute stitch creations and Incomparable buttons, last week we held a give away of some of our tortoise buttons and offered to give a set of tortoises to anyone who did the following:

'Stitch him onto pockets, on purses, as small blocks of interest in quilts, on tee shirts, the side of a hat....send us pictures of what you have done with your stitched picture...and we will post about him, as long as he is eating an Incomparable flower, or reduced fat cupcake, or Incomparable low calorie ice-cream cones....we will send you a free card of tortoise buttons!, how's that?'

And Marcia took us up on the challenge - she created this adorable little fella...and says he is destined for a quilt top. The button colour was chosen by her mum...we think he is fabulous and cannot wait to see the rest of the quilt.

Thanks for sharing him with us Marcia and we hope you enjoy your tortoise buttons - they should be airborne by now!

If anyone would like to share images of their creations using Incomparable buttons, fabric, stitch patterns or tutorials, we now have a group on flickr.

Happy creating and have a wonderful weekend.

Incomparable Fabric

2011-07-07T18:09:00.000+02:00

A few years ago we designed some fabric using our Incomparable buttons and craft pieces and had them printed in South Africa. The quality of the printing left a lot to be desired so the fabrics were packed away and forgotten about...until recently...we have had 90 swatches printed at Spoonflower and are slowly updating the designs we have for sale.

This is a swatch of our 'sheep stitched on ribbons' fabric in a lovely dark pink.

I've made a cute little outfit and used strips of the sheep as an accent on the waist and around the leg cuffs and brought in the sheep again as 3 dimensional button closures...

These are 4 swatches of our green and yellow apples...printed in various sizes and configurations...

I cut out 2 of the larger apples and appliqued them onto this store bought bib...then added an Incomparable apple core button at the closure...a great quick gift...

Our friendly green dinosaurs walking along blue strips of ribbon make a wonderful print...

I cut out a strip of fabric and appliqued it onto this store bought onesie...

...and transformed it into something completely unique.

Incomparable fabric is now available through Spoonflower...we'll be adding new designs daily...

Quilt Inspiration

2011-07-05T20:32:00.000+02:00

Have a scroll down to see some of the lovely quilts on display this week in Stellenbosch at the Quilt Show.

This quilt of the guinea fowls bathing in the dust is absolutely exquisite...

...hard to choose a favourite - look at the elephants in the top middle quilt...

...the attention to detail and amount of work and love that has gone into these is quite breath taking...

...the one below depicts the traditional Cape Dutch style house found in the wine lands...

I wish I could credit all the artists but I wasn't given the names - if you see your work up here, please let us know so that we can tell you how clever we think you are...

Steamed Fish Parcel with vine tomatoes

2011-07-05T00:44:00.000+02:00

This is a recipe mum and I threw together just before heading out for a walk along the Roman path in France 3 weeks ago. We paid a quick visit to the fishmonger in the vieux ville first...this is what was on offer.

Next was a stop at the fruit and veg store...

We placed our fish in 2 layers of foil in an ovenproof dish...poured in a cup of good red wine, dotted some butter and garlic in the dish and popped some dill on top. Then sealed up the foil parcel and popped it into an oven at 180-200 degrees Celsius for about 25-30 minutes. Your fish will steam in its parcel - ours was quite a thick piece so it took slightly longer than expected.

In a separate dish, we put the tomatoes still on the stalks and splashed some olive oil over...straight into the oven alongside the fish dish for roasting...before (above) and after (below)...

Served with a delicious vegetable bake (recipe to follow soon) and a glass of the aforementioned good red wine...with a view over the bay...bon apetit!

We just have to take a quick look at the amazing variety of tomatoes once again...

Dropping by the Stellenbosch Quilt Show

2011-07-03T23:41:00.000+02:00

My brother is ~~taking lots of photos~~ helping our mum out at the Stellenbosch Quilt Show and sent through these pictures. Above are the colourful flags emblazoned with a quilt block. Looks like a lovely clear sky day for the middle of winter.

A few of the old Cape Dutch style buildings in the centre of town...

The 'old college' building...

And the view from the parking lot at the back of the show grounds...isn't that a spectacular setting to work in.

Perhaps I'll upload a few photos of the stand tomorrow - it's hard to concentrate on work with all this distracting beauty in the surroundings.

Stellenbosch Quilt Festival 2011

2011-06-30T22:48:00.000+02:00

Jen is at the Stellenbosch Quilt Festival this week...from the 1st-7th July...for any of our followers in South Africa this week, pop by and say hello...

Our youngest helper to date is my niece Em, she was so excited to help out and wishes she could be manning the stand this week...

Stellenbosch is a beautiful region near Cape Town famed for its vineyards and the classic Cape Dutch buildings from the days of the first settlers. There are some wonderful restaurants with a wide choice of different cuisines...hopefully not offering too much distraction for Jen this week!

Tortoise Button Winners

2011-06-29T22:10:00.000+02:00

Maria (pictured here in her beautiful traditional dress with intricate bead work) picked our 10 lucky winners from our tortoise button give away.

The following people have won a set of our tortoise buttons. We will be contacting you all shortly but you are welcome to email us with your postal details.

If you would like to win an additional set of our heart buttons with your tortoises, post about our buttons and company mission on your blog and let us know that you have done so by emailing us details and we will send you two sets of button cards instead of one!

Bip Bip;

Clara;

Roberts Filava;

Knitting dancer;

Isabella;

Coccinelle;

La fata giopi;

Bietje;

Rosa-kreattiva;

Pepetta.

Congratulations!

Thank you for helping us to raise awareness of our company and as a direct result, enabling us to create employment for our wonderful team of women in South Africa.