Field Trip: Tender Buttons, NYC

We almost went right by it, my sisters and I, as we walked along 62nd Street in Manhattan on a humid morning in July. Luckily, the golden button hanging above the storefront caught our attention and we found ourselves on the doorstep of Tender Buttons, a shop that's been beloved by button collectors and needle artists of all sorts for more than five decades. 
I first learned about Tender Buttons in the 1980s when I was working as an assistant copy editor at McCall's Needlework & Crafts magazine. Before each issue's photo shoot, the fashion editor would make the short trip from our office on 53rd Street to Tender Buttons to select the perfect buttons for the knit and crochet sweaters that would be featured. Back in the copy editing office, we made sure Tender Buttons, along with the yarn companies, was credited in the captions. After the issue was published, I was responsible for sending tear sheets to each credited vendor. Although I found the buttons that came out of…

About Me

Welcome! I'm Kathleen Berlew, a compulsive needlecrafter and yarn addict. I love to cross-stitch, crochet, and sew pretty things from felt and fabric. I couldn't possibly pick a favorite type of stitching, so I make time to do them all. 

On this blog I'll be sharing patterns and projects that I hope will inspire your needlework compulsion. I'll also keep you up to date on my maker's life, including when my designs are featured in magazines. (So far my credits include American Patchwork & Quilting, Quilts and More, Make It Yourself, Quilter's World, Crochet!, Crochet World, I Like Crochet, Just CrossStitch, Cross-Stitch & Needlework, and Craft Ideas magazines.)

When I'm not stitching or crocheting (or more accurately, while I'm stitching and crocheting) I love spending time with my amazing family and watching British mysteries and campy sci-fi films. I also like to cook and read, but I can't do either of those with a hook or hoop in my hand.

If you'd like to learn a little bit more about me, visit my profiles on the Make It Yourself and National Nonwovens websites. You can also click on the American Patchwork & Quilting Podcast button on my homepage to hear my interview with Pat Sloan of All People Quilt. 
crocheted shawl, cross-stitch in progress, close up of felt butterfly applique