How to use a stick pin style brooch (originally published 24 November 2017)

As a little girl, I was sometimes allowed to poke through my mother's and grandmother's jewelry boxes and one item that always caught my eye were the brooches!  Whereas pendants and earrings were often of a smaller scale, the brooches were bold and colorful.  I have vivid memories of cradling them in my then small hands and watching the light reflect off faceted stones and polished metal.

Little wonder then when I started making jewelry that I would want to try my hand at brooches. To date I've done several styles but what both have in common are unusual ways of securing them to fabric.  Take the Dahlia Bud Brooch in the picture above; it uses a stick pin pushed through from one side to the other.  This style of brooch stays secure through friction and gravity, so it is important to use them correctly.  I also recommend that this style of pin is worn only with knitted or loosely woven fabric as the stick pin is a brute and it will leave a hole in a tightly woven fabric.

To help people become familiar with this style of brooch, I've done a short video and posted it on my YouTube channel.  Hope you find it helpful!