Covered cupcakes (oops)..buttons

Some things just scream summer. That is what this darling cupcake print from Susan Branch did for me. I got it from Jan at Bessie Mary. I love Susan Branch graphics anyway, so it was a given I would like her graphics in a fabric. My first thought was to make a bishop smocked with cupcakes, and I still have enough, but then decided to use it to make a CC Taylor. On the Delphi Heirloom Sewing and Smocking board we had a Taylor challenge. Since I had never made this pattern before I decide to try it. It is a sleeveless bubble that I adapted to have a yoke. I paired the cupcakes with what else, gingham. I swear if you used gingham with burlap it would be adorable. Things go better with gingham! (I wonder if the Coco Cola Bottling company will mind?) I didn't have any cute buttons to go with it so I decided to cover some to match. I LOVE covered buttons almost as much as I love linen. And since I liked these little cupcakes so well, I wanted to make sure I had cupcakes on each button.

Covered buttons can be intimidating for some, but are really quite simple. And since I liked the cupcakes it took a bit more planning to achieve buttons with cupcakes on each center. I decided to share with you how I did that. As always you can click on the image to enlarge.

1. These are the supplies you will need. The covered button kit. These are readily available at most fabric stores.
2. A scrap of your fabric.
3. Temporary spray adhesive
4. Scissors, both paper and fabric.
5. Blue water-soluble fabric marking pen.
   

Using your paper scissors, cut out the appropriate sized circle from the cardboard backing of the button kit.

Decide which motif you want to feature on your button. I chose this cute little cupcake with the cherry on top. Trace around the cardboard circle with a blue water-soluble marker. Cut out traced circle.

I have marked the base of the button kit with a black marker. This is so that when I place the covered top into the base, I can position the cupcake right side up. This will be important when attaching the back. Otherwise your button turns out with your cupcake facing sideways. Ask me how I know this.

Pay close attention to this very technically savvy process. Stick the button front on the end of your finger. Spray button front with spray adhesive. It doesn't take much, you just want it to be tacky enough to catch your cupcake and not let it slip as you push it into the white base. (I told you it was technical.) Place button face down on back of fabric circle. It will stick to the fabric while remainng on the end of your finger. Pick up fabric circle and button front, place over white base making sure that the top of your motif is placed below the black mark you made on the base. Shove, press, push what ever verb suits you, the fabric and button front into the well of the white base.

After you shove it into the base, tuck the excess fabric down into the button. You will think it is too much, it rarely is. You can trim a scant amount of excess if you are dealing with a heavier fabric. If you trim it too close, the fabric won't be held securely by the button back. After you have tucked in the extra fabric, place the blue "pusher" thing, (I am sure it has a name that I don't know.) down into the back of the button front to make sure that the extra fabric is snug into the button front. Place button back on top of fabric making sure that the shank is horizontal to the black mark on the white base, thus aligning motif upright on button. Push down pretty hard. Sometimes you will feel the back snap into the button front. Remove blue pusher, check that back is snapped down all the way around. If not, repeat wit h blue pusher.

Twist white base to remove button.

Voila! Cute little cupcake button to go on my Taylor.