New Pattern: Beau & Belle Snow Tuffets

It Began with a Snowman

If you were following Just Another Button Company in 2011, you'll remember the crazy ambitious idea we had to celebrate our 15th year in business with "15 Fabulous Pincushions."  We were 15 and Fabulous, and we did it, starting with Jabco the Snowman.

Over the years since, we published over 50 wool pincushion patterns--all carefully written so all sewers can successfully make the pincushions, even beginners without a machine.

Now flash forward to 2021--our 25th year in business.  We've been making plans for wild and wonderful projects and celebrations.  It's a big deal for a small business to make it to year 25, right?  At the beginning of January, we updated our website and social media with a new logo and prepared to jump into the plans feet first.

Bring It On 2021--Let's Have Fun!

Continuing the snowman theme, did you happen to see the JABC post on January 1?  Whoa--I won't be challenging the universe like that again.  By the next day, COVID was in the house.  Quarantine/home school was our life for the next few weeks, and of course I was the last to get it, so I went the entire month of January without working in the office. 

Saved by the Wool

For some reason, the last thing I had grabbed to carry home for the New Year holiday weekend was a stack of Weeks Dye Works wool that randomly caught my eye--it made me think of the colors in our latest Take Heart Tin.  There were plenty of days when I did nothing, but the part of my brain that continued to function was, oddly, designing a pincushion from the colorful wool I had stacked on my dresser.  You know how your brain does the same thing over and over again when you're sick?  Yes, my brain designed a pincushion.

Eventually, between naps, I cut wool and stitched by hand. I didn't have to make many decisions--the functioning part of my brain seemed to be on remote control.  Within a day or two,  Belle was ready for buttons and pins, but like the buttons in the Love Notes tins, she appeared to need a companion.  And so there was Beau.  We call them "tuffets" because they are a bit taller than our usual pincushions--about 8".

Learning to Think Again

Cutting and sewing is one thing, but writing a pattern needs a whole different part of the brain.  After major testing and editing, the pattern PDF is ready for release.  Buttons are packed and pins will be ready by the end of the week. 

Click HERE to find the listings for the Pattern PDF, the button pack and the Pin-Mini. The pattern PDF gives you a list of the Weeks Dye Works wool colors we used, and a link to lots of shops that sell wool.

Thank you to my wonderful Button Crew who kept JABC functioning. And thank you to the dyed button customers and the clay button customers who are patiently waiting for me to get my buttons made.  I feel the love. 

Be well friends.