After you make one of these flowers, and find how very easy they are, you’ll find yourself tucking them hither and yon! Cotton calicoes were used to make this flower, using the same pattern we used to craft our Rolled Felt Flower. The calico will be smaller than the felt flower, but it is washable, whereas the felt ones are not. Make one or make 30! A fun and fast project!
Materials:
4″ x 28″ piece of calico for the flower
4″ x 5″ piece of calico for each leaf
small piece of thin batting for leaves
sewing thread
embroidery floss
2 copies of pattern
(optional: bar pins for brooches or contour barrettes for barrettes)
Preparing pattern pieces:
The pattern piece for the flower will require taping together 3 pieces. Make 2 copies of the pattern. Cut out the 2 end pieces. Cut out 1 center piece. Cut the leaf out of the 2nd center piece. Tape the 2 end pieces to the center piece, matching the 3 inch sides. You should now have 1 long piece, measuring 3″ x 25″, with both ends pointy.
For the leaves, you will need to add 1/4″ seam allowance around the entire leaf.
Cutting:
Cut 1 flower piece
Cut 2 leaf pieces for each leaf. IMPORTANT: Remember: You must add a 1/4″ around the leaf piece for the seam. (When making felt leaves you do not need to add a seam allowance.)
Cut 1 thin piece of batting for each leaf.
Directions:
1] Make 2 copies of the pattern and piece together as explained above.
2] Cut out pieces.
3] Fold flower piece along the fold line with wrong sides together. Finger press the fold and pin the raw edges together.
4] Mark a 1/4″ seam allowance along the raw edges using a fading or washable marker.
5] Using 2 strands of floss, sew a close running stitch along the 1/4″ line. Leave a long tail.
6] Sew a 2nd running stitch an 1/8″ below the first line of stitching. (It will be between the line of stitching and the raw edge.) Leave a long tail.
7] Holding both tails, gather the flower until it measures 9″. Secure the end so the gathering does not come loose.
8] Using one of the tails, start rolling the flower, tacking as you roll. You will want to tack about every 1/2″. Make sure you keep the raw edges even.
9] When the flower is rolled, secure end.
10] To make each leaf, place the right sides of 2 leaf pieces together. Place them on top of a leaf cut out of thin batting.
11] Using a 1/4″ seam allowance, sew the leaf together, leaving the leaf open about 1 1/2″ for turning.
12] Trim the seams, turn right side out and press.
13] Use a ladder stitch to sew the open over. (See glossary for how to do a ladder stitch.)
14] Referring to the photo, draw on and stitch a center vine using 6 strands of floss and a stem stitch.
15] Make as many leaves as you would like to surround the flower. My calico flower has 2 leaves and my felt flower has 3 leaves. Lay out the leaves, placing the flower on top to check positioning. The leaves should overlap slightly. When you are happy with the position of the leaves, sew the leaves together using a hidden stitch.
16] Sew the flower onto the leaves. To sew the flower on, use thread that matches the color of the flower material. Sew the flower to the leaves by sewing inside the outer ring. If you would like, you can open the flower slightly, and tack it farther out of the leaf.
The flower is now done. It can be sewn directly onto a garment, or it can be sewn to a bar pin or a barrette.
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