Making Fabric Flowers

The last two years have been nothing short of challenging, but many people have embraced the situation and found creative ways to occupy their time with crafting and gardening. Of course engaging in craft and gardening projects is also great therapy as well to help manage stress and stay healthy.

New crafters and diehards alike are now interacting more than they likely would have in person prior to the pandemic via special interest groups on social media platforms like Facebook to share ideas and inspiration and ask for tips and advice. A post in one of those groups I read this morning had me thinking of an article I'd published a while back on teaching children to sew. This led to my looking for said article and looking at all the salvaged pieces still waiting to see the light of day, and here we are. 

The following article was previously epublished in May of 2013 on a platform that did not include images.

Create Beautiful all Occasion Fabric Flowers

Fabric flowers are lovely to give and receive and just like their fresh, natural counterparts, can serve for almost any occasion when chosen carefully.  There are many ways to make fabric flowers, but for the finished flower to be suitable for any occasion the key is to stick to flowers that are not associated with specific events such as funerals.

Another thing to keep in mind when creating all-occasion fabric flowers is color. Roses are a prime example of flowers that can have different suitability based on their hue. If you really want to go all out, you can make your fabric flowers based on perennial growers that bloom year-round.

One great all occasion flower which is easy to make in fabric is roses. There are two ways of making fabric roses; one method involves making individual petals, and the other uses one long piece of fabric wound around a central base.

Of course you can avoid flower type casting all together and stick to craft flowers that do not necessarily resemble any known bloom found in nature.  These all-occasion flowers can be made of any fabric and in any color, though if they are meant to be worn as accessories, it is probably better to use fabric in solid colors rather than prints that may clash with an outfit.

Make your fabric flowers from scraps, remnants, old T-shirts or other clothing, old scarves or bandanas, ribbon, or fabric trim such as ric rack. Depending on the type of flower you create, you’ll need scissors, a product that prevents fraying, floral tape, wire, buttons, needles, and thread.

For a unique fabric flower that can also be functional, you can make fabric roses from folded handkerchiefs or towels to give as gifts. These can be presented on a variety of different occasions from birthdays to bridal showers. You could also fold a silk scarf into a unique fabric flower by following an origami diagram.

Generic fabric flower how-to

Did you ever made tissue flowers from stacking squares of paper when you were a kid? You can use the same technique to create pretty all-occasion flowers in solid or multi-colors. Use pinking shears to cut squares of fabric that are five by five inches. If you don’t have pinking shears you will need a product to prevent fraying to use on the fabric’s edges. You could also use a serger on the edges or just leave them be to fray as they may over time.

Stack three to five squares one on top of the other with the “right” side of the fabric face up. Next, carefully accordion fold the fabric (ever make a paper fan as a kid?) taking care to smooth out the fabric with each new fold. Be sure lift and turn the fabric with each fold so that it doesn’t bunch up. Once it’s folded, hold the folds in place with a clothespin, bag clip, or extra-large pin.

Depending on how your fabric flowers will be used, you can secure the folds in the center with tied string, thread stitching (baste and gather), or floral wire. While it’s tempting to use a rubber band, over time rubber bands can become gummy or even break.

Once the middle has been secured, fan out the folds so that you almost flatten the pleats. Slowly peel back the top layer of fabric, carefully pulling it towards the center. Repeat for each layer of fabric until you get to the bottom of the flower which you will pull downward slightly.

If you secured the center of the flower with floral wire, you may want to cover it now with floral tape. If the fabric flower is to be used for a nosegay or boutonniere you can save this step for later. If you decided to sew or tie the center to secure the flower, you can now attach it to a pin back, barrette, headband, hat, or whatever you like. 

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UPDATE: This was a simple how-to article created for a now defunct web site that shared it's ad revenues with content creators. At the time there were no images included with the articles. If you are a visual person and would like to see images of flowers you can make from fabric as well as see instructions, I have a number of links bookmarked to Pinterest. You can find them here: Flower Crafts

Note that as I update boards (organizing into folders didn't exist back in the day) some pins may move. 

Wearables: Tips For Knitting Scarves

The great thing about knitting a scarf is that it can be done in just a short amount of time.  It is the ideal first project as you only need to cast on a dozen or so stitches (possibly less depending on needle size) and you can start actually making something immediately.  Best of all, because knitting a scarf does not require a pattern and gauge is not a factor, even a beginning knitter can create a one in a matter of hours the very first day with a little guidance.

Much like crochet, the knitting of a textile is accomplished by creating a series of loops and linking them together in rows.  Unlike crochet, knitting is done with two longish needles instead of a single short hook and the loops are held onto the needle as you go along (Tunisian crochet is the exception to this).  Because a scarf is somewhat narrow, the loops will not bunch up too much as you work and the textile won’t easily lose its shape.  (Another reason knitting scarves is appealing to the beginner.)

Normally when creating a knitted textile from a pattern a sample swatch would be created to check the gauge of the knitting.  Gauge is the number of stitches per inch and is used to help the knitter determine what needles are best for the yarn being used.  Thinner needles create a tighter “weave” and larger ones create a more loose one.  Knitting a basic scarf requires neither pattern nor gauge; only the ability to manipulate yarn on the needles.

There are two stitches used in knitting, knits and purls, but a person need master only one of them (knits) to create a scarf.  To begin to knit any type of item whether it be a garment, home décor item or toy, you begin by what is known as casting on.  A textile that is made up of all knits and no purls is basically repeating the same process used for casing on but transferring the knitting stitches back and forth from needle to needle.  It is a lot simpler than it sounds or even looks to the novice at first glance and is quite easy once you get the hang of it.

Knitting generally takes a long time to create something larger than a square for a blanket or dish towel.  This is the reason many beginning knitters often get frustrated with the process and quit before finishing that awesome sweater they thought it was going to be so great to make.  Making squares to be connected for a blanket not only takes a lot of time, it can get a little boring in the repetitiveness of it.  Knitting a scarf though can be done in one sitting, especially if large sized needles are used.

For a beginning knitter, just like with crochet, creating scarves is one of the quickest and most satisfying projects that can be undertaken.  Whether the scarf is intended for personal use or to be given as a gift, completing it brings a sense of accomplishment and the instant gratification that will motivate the person to keep going with more and more knitting projects.  (From scarves one can move on to shawls, stoles and other wraps.)

Knitting requires a significant amount of yarn and choosing the right texture of yarn for a scarf is extremely important for novices.  Like sewing, the prettiest materials and garments are not necessarily the easiest to make/work with.   Fluffy yarns such as eyelash and wavy yarns such as bouclé are not always the best for beginners. 

Where a hat or scarf could be made with just one skein of some yarns in crochet, knitting can require double that amount or more.  It is always a good idea to purchase a couple of extra skeins just in case as some yarns have a dye lot and color matching may be difficult if the purchase of more is required to complete a project.

By knitting a scarf on large needles using all knits and no purls the result is a stretchy fabric in what is known as garter stitch that is simple and attractive, particularly when using a variegated (multicolored) yarn.  Also, the larger the needle the more “lacy” a knitted item will appear.

Things to keep in mind about knitting scarves:

-Using large needles reduces knitting time from several hours or even days to a matter of hours.

-Knitting requires a significant amount of yarn.

-Beginners should use the largest (thickest needles) they can find.

-Choose yarn carefully.

Knitting a scarf is a practical and satisfying activity that is a great way to relax and the end result is a beautiful and unique hand made item that can bring many hours of enjoyment long after it is completed.