Buttons, buttons and more buttons!

Whilst I was away in Kent Higham Piecemakers had a workshop making Dorset buttons, felted buttons and Fimo buttons.  Somebody very kindly provided me with the instructions for all three and so far I am trying to master Dorset buttons.  I only have one size of plastic ring at the moment, about an inch from outside to outside and I have experimented with different colours of Pearl cotton. As a beginner there have been problems getting the spokes centred but I think I have cracked that at last.

I love the dark multi-coloured one as the colours are so vibrant, but the pink shades show up the 'spokes' so well.  The white and gold one is slightly off centre and it shows up on the photo, but I have further ideas for using this thread.  I just need to get some larger rings.  I also have ideas for Christmas Tree decorations but these are still at the drawing board stage and may never come to fruition!! Don't hold you breath on this last one.

As well as these buttons, I am pressing on with my smocking, and at the same time I want to speed up on my embroidery drawn thread sampler.  I have two classes in June and then we stop for the summer and when we come back in September I want to make embroidered Christmas tree decorations, so the sampler is priority for the next few weeks.  All the ladies at the class are far more experienced than me and produce the most exquisite work and I am hoping to persuade one of them to let me take a photo.

I am currently waiting for a delivery of more colours of Stylecraft yarn so that I can try out another Mandala pattern that I got off the Attic 24 site.  I will show them on the blog but crochet club get first dibs!!  I will then have to decide which to send here for Yarndale 2014.  Decisions, decisions.