Vintage button and fabric scraps brooch Tutorial

~I just had a big sale on my new online store and I needed something to send as a "thank you" to all my sweet customers. I usually send a blank handmade card, but several of these ladies were repeat customers so I wanted to do something different. Plus the sale items had all been shirts so I thought brooches would be fun as well as relevant....This is a fun and super easy project. It is a really nice project to use vintage scraps or quilt pieces with. It is also a great way to showcase some of those pretty vintage buttons you have been hanging on to. (if you are using quilt scraps make sure to use the interface)~I was inspired by my very talented friend in Houston At Tanto Craft. Back around the Maker Faire I had gotten a Frida Pin from her . Inspired by this beautiful pin I made a few at Christmas but each one was completely different, and I worked them one at a time, so I had not really gotten the process down. I was still trying to figure out the best order to do it all in. Anytime I decide to do a batch of something I usually figure out a good recipe for the project. I am not sure if this is how Tanto makes hers but here is what I came up with.

Vintage button and fabric scraps brooch Tutorial

materials
fabric scraps
fusible interface(optional)
round template(i used a jar bottom)
felt
1" bar pin(jewelry notion)
glue gun
thread
needle
button(s)
sewing machine(optional)
Iron

1.Trace and cut out your pattern from the felt (backing ) and one piece of fabric with interface attached to it. ...you can use any pattern you would like for your brooch. I decided to use a circle. I wanted it to be easy to repeat and versatile, since I was making 5. I used the bottom of a pickle jar for my template and just traced it directly onto my fabric ( the back of course) with chalk
2. Sew the bar pin to the back of your felt piece. Think about where you want the location of the pin to be when you wear it. Make sure the opening of the pin is facing up so when you put it on it is easy to use.

3. Design your brooch with fabrics and buttons. Figure out where you want everything. ...Then start attaching each item from the bottom layer up.~ It helps to use your iron here. Iron all the scraps first. Then and if you want add interface to the back of them. Iron the entire brooch after you attach each layer; this keeps everything nice and flat. I like to add decorative stitching to the final layers. Then I arrange a few buttons, or just one special button.
4.Decide which way you want the brooch to be worn and where the pin should be located in relation to that.
5.Apply Glue to the back piece . I like to go around about a 1/4 " away from the edge of the brooch with a thin line of glue. Then sort of zig-zag in the middle. ...Then gently and evenly apply the top piece to the backing. Take care not to squirt excess glue out the sides.

6. Trim any excess fabric

......Tada!