As promised, here is one easy step by step tutorial for the shabby fabric flower.
I created this fray flower 3 years ago, using remnants and scraps while making Marta's BD dress set, when I took all the pictures with aim to create the tutorial, but unfortunately some things never happen. At least not as firstly planned. But better late than never, right? And speaking about planned tutorials, I have also taken the pictures for the tutorial for these baby shoes and never had time to make the PDF pattern and write the tutorial. Well, some day:)
OK, back to this tutorial.....
If you don't like the fray, raw edges that gives this shabby look, you can perfectly use the 1.5" (4 cm) satin or acetate ribbon. Tulle looks great in this style too. Or even the knit jersey fabric strips to obtain great casual look(this is the great project to use with some old t-shirts that can easily be cut in strips)
You can create these flowers and use them as embellishments for garment pieces and/or accessory pieces, for clips, headbands, shoes, bags etc.
Sewing machine is very helpful, but optional, you can always use the basting stitch, sewing through the center of the fabric strip, leaving each of the thread ends long, pulling and gathering the fabric strip, trying to avoid gaping, creating the ruffled strip. And than you need to stitch it to the felt base, as following...
Needed supply:
1. 2 pieces of fabric cut in strips (around 1.15" x 48" (4 x 120 cm) for one flower, this length will depend on the ruffling) - the best for this project are the cheap polyester lining fabrics (fabrics that imitates silk like crepe, taffeta and satin that will allow nice fray, raw ends)
2. thread and needle
3. piece of felt for the base
4. clip or pin that will be attached to the flower base
Click on the smaller pictures to obtain the better view;)
To start, you'll need to ruffle the fabric strip. There are many ways to do it, but maybe the simplest with the sewing machine is to either gather with your fingers, ruffling it on your own or by setting the tension wheel on the machine so that one thread will be tighter than the other.
For the bases, you'll need to cut the felt(or other sturdy fabric), upon desired size of the flower. The peachy flowers shown in the first picture are made on the 3"(7 cm) diameter base. You can use any circular jar, plate or similar thing to draw the circle on the base.
Now you need to stitch the ruffled strip to the base, beginning from the edge of the circle going toward the center, creating some kind of the spiral.
Roll it up till reaching the center, cut the eventual remnants of the ruffled strip.
This is the finished flower, both sides.
Now you can attach the clip or whatever you prefer to the base and it's ready:)
Happy crafting:)
xo, Katarina
