German Dorset Buttons - Zwirnknopfe

I learned how to make these in a free class that was offered in the Making Zen Fall 2026 sessions.

The tutorial was by Kimberly Ligocki.

The ring size is 1-1/8 inch in diameter, so they are quite small and fiddly. It took me at least 8 attempts to do step 1 of the first button, but once I got a hang of it, the rest was just a relaxing, repetitive stitching.

The design is called “wagon wheel”. The first step was the spokes, the second was the hubcap, and the last was the wheel or tire. You can get so many looks from the same pattern by changing up the colors, the order of the colors, and the number of wraps.

I enjoyed making these and will find special projects to use these buttons.

Thanks for looking!

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These are really cool!

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Pretty! It reminds me of temari, I wonder if the techniques are similar.

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Actually, it is similar. It is also similar to making an eye of the god. And, Spirograph! :laughing:

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These are really cool! I can’t wait to see how you use them. So special!

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This looks like it was a fun class. My hands hurt thinking about this process, haha. You did a fabulous job. I love your color choices.

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I paid for it. I woke up in the night with cramps in my hand and had to soak my hand for a bit at 2am. It was fun but I am moving on to the other classes, plus the Tasters Wild Nature classes start tomorrow as does the Fodder Challenge! Too many classes, not enought time!

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These are absolutely lovely!

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So pretty and intriguing.

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These are entrancing!

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This was the ONE class that interested me. You did it beautifully. Aren’t they the coolest?

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Thank you, everyone! I just wish my hands could tolerate such a small size. My thumbs are still aching.

I imagine! So tiny! I would need to use a microscope to do this. Excellent work friend!

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