ISBN 1 56158 146 1, Softcover, 113 pages, The Taunton Press, 6300 South Main Street, Box 5506, Newton, CT 06470- 5506

There is something for everyone in this book.  Buttons can be used on clothing, added to jewelry and combined into artwork.  The introduction has a skill level guide to indicate the skill level required for each project; easy, moderate and challenging.  Nehring states the appropriate skill level is listed with each project.   Nehring offers button possibilities for new creativity and alternatives for those who can not find quality buttons at local shops.  Materials and Techniques provide information about fiber choices and sizing of those fibers, materials selections, types of button molds and  illustrations of mold shapes from a side view.  Making removable buttons, commercial button molds and shapes such as disks, rings and stuff-ball molds are explained.  Other materials for molds, lining options and gift ideas follow.  Backing for buttons include commercial backs, making a solid back, making a thread back and adding a woven shank.  There are many good ideas and tips in this chapter.  Needle-Lace Buttons is the first group of projects with the Clock Wrap, X-Wrap and Dorset Buttons which include Ring, Crosswheel, Basket and variations, Knob and Grindle.  These buttons all look different and each technique is explained and step-by-step directions provided.   These buttons have open areas and netted looking build ups between.  Some are flat and others dome shaped and thick.  The Grindle looks like a spiral design and could be real exciting in variegated thread colors or with beads integrated.   Victorian Woven Buttons is the next group which contains Victorian Flag, Flower and Star and are very elegant.  Shirtwaist Buttons is a complex design and has depth in the button interior.  Leek Buttons, wha...?  Actually these buttons are named for a place in England and include the Death's Head, Star Leek and Checkboard Leek.  These button techniques are listed as challenging and the fiber strands run in opposite directions and meet in some areas.  Death's Head sounds like a terrible name for such a lovely button that has a cross type motif as the centerpiece.  Teneriffe Buttons are elaborate in appearance and Sun Lace, Ferris Wheel and Darned-Net are the projects you can make.  The "Darned" button is just too cute with small bunched up motifs like little puffs all over.  Braid Buttons with the Ring Braid Button and Soutache Rings offer very easy to make buttons.  The soutache rings include the Single Ring, Stacked Ring and Double Ring.    Soutache fiber makes the pattern stand out and adds firm ridges to the design.  Wrapped Braid Buttons are enticing with these choices:   Soutache Checkerboard, Chainette Checkerboard, Square Soutache Checkerboard, Crossroads, Diamond in a Square, Morning Star and Evening Star .  They are all listed as easy with the exception of Morning and Evening Stars which are considered moderate.  The star patterns could have beads in the centers for contrast.   The Diamond in a Square and Crossroads are two I really like and both area easy.  I guess I will have to try making these two buttons.  I could see making these buttons with an ultrasuede backing so they are flat and then sewing a "slew" of them all over a hat, belt or bracelet or even adding them to a fiber loom woven piece!  Knotted Buttons look like beads and you could make a necklace with the knotted buttons as beads.  This chapter includes Silk Bar, Ball, Toggle, Monkey's Fist and Turk's Head.  Wow, what titles!   Crocheted Buttons, you know I am going to love this one; Circular Crochet, Cluster s, Ring and Bullion Buttons.  You only need to know basic crochet stitches to make all these wonderful buttons.  Circular Buttons are easy to make with basic stitches for Circles, Pearls and Spirals.   The pearls look like big beads and you could certainly add seed beads to them.   The Cluster buttons look like flowers and are titled Irish Rose, Floribunda Arch and Cluster.  The illustrations are big and easy to follow for each technique and the illustration for covering a ring is excellent.  The Bullion Buttons include Stacked Bullion, Concentric Ring and Baby Bullions.  Baby Bullions are my first choice.   The bullion stitch can be added to many motifs and designs.  There is also an illustration of attaching bullion stitches to a ring, again, an excellent illustration. Frog Closures are next, gribbit-gribbit!  The name may be strange but most of us have heard of frog closures and are familiar with these closures for clothing, especially oriental motifs.   Frogs are broken into sections; Looped Frogs encompasses the Three-Leaf Clover, Double-Loop, Palmate  and Double-Spiral.  Decorative Knots include Double-Knot, Flat-Weave, Fishes, Spirals, Snails and Flowers.  The Looped Frog projects are the ones most of us have seen, however, the Decorative Knots are more exotic and could be adapted for use as embellishment anywhere on clothing and other items.  All the frog buttons are interesting and have many possibilities.  The Fishes have captured my interest and are going to be explored soon.  Tailored Buttons look quite intriguing.  Covered Buttons, Singleton, Ribbed and Plaited Ribbon are the choices.   What really grabbed my attention was the button with birds in flight that are embroidered.  Yes, you could embroider them, however, you can often find small motifs on fabric that is already embroidered and use to cover a button.  Also, old lace handkerchiefs often have small embroidered lace motifs you could use.  Woven fiber by weavers using small motifs would also be applicable.  Floral Buttons is last with Fabric and Ribbon Flowers, Soho Twist and Rosettes.   These flower buttons are easy to make and can be embellished around the edges with beads of course.   There is a regular Index and a Button Index which lists all the projects by name with pages numbers under the headings of Easy, Moderate and Challenging as a quick way to pick projects within your area of expertise.   If you master the easy and moderate projects then the challenges should be easy to accomplish. This book has my head reeling with ideas; forget all the other things I need to do, I am going to trash the place looking for odds and ends to make some buttons!   50 Heirloom Buttons to Make begins with buttons but can be your spring board to innovative new ideas.