Delicate vintage-style brooch

Tweet

Our traditional secret Santa / handmade gift exchange at the office came and went.. and so did 2010! Can you believe it? Oh well. In early December, we drew the name of our gift recipient from a tea cup, and off I ran to my little crafting room. Easily enough, just thinking about the person inspired me to pick out specific material from my boxes.

Lace, there had to be lace. But not white lace - too common, too traditional. The person I picked doesn't seem "traditional", her style is actually very unique and original. From one of my boxes, I pulled out a dirty faded blue lace band - different, modern and vintage at once - perfect! From the lace, it was just natural to opt for golden chains and buttons. I must say that the use of chains came to me from the brooch I was wearing (I am forever in love with this brooch by marmod8). Last but not least, I wanted to use one of my favourite button - a soft-looking fabric-ish button that I found at Michaels in California.

Fabric button, golden button, chain, pinback, lace band.

I didn't have a clear design in my head - I never really actually do - but I set on to make my first original brooch (yes, I guess I always knew that's what I wanted to make!).

Fold the lace band like an accordion, pinching in the middle, making it look like a flower.
Hold the flower in place by sewing the middle a few times.

Sew the fabric button unto the lace base.
Not shown: sew a round piece of felt on back side and sew pinback onto it.

Wrap the chain around the lace base and around the fabric button.
Secure the chain to lace at different spots.

Hot glue the golden button onto chain and... voilà!

I wanted to present the brooch in a box that would complement it. Without seeing what it would contain, Caro gave me a box that was just the right size! I lined it with a piece of Japanese paper I purchased at the Paper Place in Toronto. It was white with lovely golden patterns all over... beautiful and delicate, it was the perfect match for my brooch.

Über cute and stylish Jeanne was very pleased with the gift, so that made me super happy as well...! And she was kind enough to pose for a few flicks!

This first-time project truly made me want to create more brooches. Well, if I stick to my new year's resolutions, there should be more brooches to come... ;-)

- lychee -