DIY Network

Fabric Flowers A fitting touch to the fabric vase: fabric flowers From "Uncommon Threads" episode DUCT-224

Allison Whitlock and her guests, Sew Simple Ladies Amy Stalp and Ellen Marchant, fashion flowers out of fabric and decorate them with buttons and hand-painted stems to complement their stunning fabric vase.

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	Fabric Flowers
	PDF Large flower: click to download template.
	PDF Small flower: click to download template.

Materials:

fabric in assorted colors and prints
double-sided stiff fusible interfacing
matching or contrasting colored thread
scissors
iron
fabric-marking pen,
press cloth
spare buttons
hot glue gun and glue sticks
green ribbon or green paint
flat or square 50" dowels

1. Cut the dowels to the desired length, if necessary. Paint green or wrap with green ribbon. These will serve as flower stems.

2. Cut two 18" squares from one fabric and one 18" square from the interfacing. Use the iron to fuse a fabric square (with wrong side facing the interfacing) to each side of the interfacing. Using a fabric-marking pen, draw flower shapes on the fabric. Cut more fabric and interfacing and repeat as necessary, drawing some large and some small flowers on each piece of fabric (figure A).

3. Cut out the flowers. Don't worry about leaving behind any stray fabric-marker lines around the edges -- satin-stitching will cover them (figure B).

Figure A

Figure B

4. Set the sewing machine to a satin-stitch setting and stitch all the way around the outer edge of each flower.

Tip: When you reach the end of a flower petal, be sure that the sewing needle always ends in the downward position, allowing you simply to lift the presser foot and pivot the fabric to the next petal and continue. Computerized sewing machines generally have a setting allowing you to preprogram this action.

5. Position one small flower on top of a large flower, turning it slightly so the petals don't line up. Hand-stitch a button in the flower center. Repeat this process until all small flowers have been "buttoned" and paired with a large flower (figure C).

6. Now join two "buttoned" flowers and, with the wrong sides of each flower facing together (buttons for both facing out), use the sewing machine to straight-stitch the two large flowers together. Stitch just inside the perimeter of the satin-stitching. Leave a small opening at the bottom to allow room to insert the dowel stem (figure D). Be careful to not catch the petals of the smaller flower in the stitching by going slowly and moving the petals out of the way as you go.

Figure C

Figure D

7. Insert dowel between the flowers using the small opening left in the straight stitching. Glue the dowel in place using a glue gun.

8. Repeat this process until you've created enough flowers to make a bouquet.

Note: Folding the petals of the smaller, outer flower down and steaming with a hot iron gives the flower more depth and dimension.

GUESTS :

Ellen Marchant
E-mail: sewnews@sewnews.com
Website: www.sewnews.com

Amy Stalp
E-mail: sewnews@sewnews.com
Website: www.sewnews.com