Button Ornament Base #3

 

I've switched to a 7/8" two hole button, so I had to figure out a different base pattern. These are scrapbooking buttons that I purchased quite a while back. I wish I could remember where I found them! 

Have you noticed that some button holes are generous while others are very skimpy? Because of that, I've written the pattern for six joins in each hole or for three joins in each hole. Either way, the result has twelve rings going around the button, making it a nice base for snowflake patterns. 

Spending years teaching students about Snowflake Bentley has made me a bit of a snowflake snob. The designs I've done so far are ornaments, because the pattern repeats are not multiples of six. Studying snowflakes drives home the fact that snowflakes have six points or multiples of six. It can't be a snowflake if it has ten points. There... I've said it! 😉

December 15 Button Ornament Base #3

Materials:

7/8" two hole button

size 20 thread

Shuttle and ball

Symbols:

+ join

- joining picot

-- decorative picot

Round 1:

Ring: 5 - 5 + 5 - 5, join to hole in button, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5, reverse work

*Ring: 5 + 5 + 5 - 5, joining to previous ring and hole in button, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5**

Continue around from * to ** with six joins in each button hole. This will give you a total

of 12 rings and 12 chains. Lock join final chain to base of first ring. Cut, tie, and hide

ends.

If the holes in your button are too small for six joins, this pattern is easy to adapt.

Round 1:

Ring: 5 - 5 + 5 - 5, join to hole in button, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5, reverse work

Ring: 5 + 10 - 5, joining to previous ring, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5, reverse work

*Ring: 5 + 5 + 5 - 5, joining to previous ring and hole in button, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5, reverse work

Ring: 5 + 10 - 5, joining to previous ring, reverse work

Chain: 5 -- 5, reverse work

Note: when using this pattern as a base for other designs, change the decorative picot on the chain to a joining picot.