Days of Wine Glasses and Roses... A Flower Tutorial

OK, I am trying to get to grips with Pages and failing miserably... so I may well need the wine glass filled by the end of this tutorial or maybe I will raise it in celebration?

So let's get cracking, you will need:
Two pieces of complimentary fabric
Scissors, needle and pins
Sewing machine
Wine glass and shot glass... 
Cardboard
Self covering button or a large decorative button
Glue gun
and... you know what is coming next, an iron and ironing board

Using the rim of your wine glass as a template, trace out five circles on each of the pieces of fabric.  Wash wine glass and set aside :)

Pin together with the wrong sides facing.  Sew together using a seam allowance of 1/4" - if you check you will probably find that the right hand side side of your machine foot is 1/4" from the needle so you can use this as a guide as you sew round.  Leave an opening of approximately an inch so you turn the petal inside out.

Turn all the petals inside out and press lightly.  Fold the petals as shown above and catch firmly with a stitch.

Now layer them up like a compass and stitch through all your fabrics to hold them firmly in place.

Now take your shot glass, bet you wondered when I would use it - I am using a Schnapps glass that my father brought back from Germany when he was stationed there after WWII and this is probably one of the few times it will get used - as we are now going cover the back of the flower.  Using the base of the glass as a template cut out a piece of cardboard and using the rim of the glass cut out another circle of fabric.

Now if you are making a fridge magnet, glue your small magnet to the cardboard and allow it to set.   Place a knot in your thread and using running stitch, sew around the fabric just a 1/4" from the edge. Put the cardboard disc in the centre and gather up the fabric around the disc and stitch it firmly.

Turn over your flower and glue it in place.

Now covering a button is done in exactly the same way, cut the fabric to be about 1/2" larger than the button... I often find that a search through your purse will find you an appropriately sized template, although avoid the 50p's!
I like to open up the petals and sew them together as it looks prettier but you can leave them in their closed state.  Glue or sew your button onto the top of your flower.

If you are making a brooch or handbag embellishment, you can glue your fitting onto the back of the flower.


Handy Tip - If you are making a handbag embellishment, cut out a circle of felt or a flower shaped motif and sew or glue it to the underside of your flower as this means it will not scratch your bag.


Now remember the wine glass we washed and set aside earlier, go and get out a bottle of wine to toast your crafting skills!

Cheers!  BTW, if you are making more than one you do not need to drink a glass for every flower you make...

Armed and Dangerous?

Do you ever have a week when you wonder what you actually did?  The days have gone past in a blur but you really don't think you have achieved anything... and then the day when you thought you would be allowed to slob about and chill is the busiest in the week.


Well, I was getting really disheartened with the job search as I did not get a contract role which I wanted but they are keen on me for two perm jobs which are available.  And it is possible that I may have a temp job to tide me over in between so hopefully things are getting better.


Anyway, Friday was my birthday and I thought, yippee, I will have a lie-in, but the fates conspired against me.  My friend Deborah needed a house sitter to wait for the BT man, so I was sitting in her lovely living room watching the tide come in whilst removing the sleeves from a dress.  Said dress was needed by my neighbour's daughter for a trip to Spain... little did I realise that I would have to get through three separate sets of seams to remove them but the dress did make it to suitcase in time for the trip.


Then Sally (who had the cushion last week) asked me to create Summer rag wreath for a chum with a local cafe, so I had to sort out a bunch of gingham and floral FQs to grace the walls of the Tea Garden... and this is what I managed:

I also found some smaller hearts and I am thinking of making some really jazzy rag wreaths to hang from door handles.

I also took charge of a new toy during the week, I am now officially armed and dangerous... stand well back I have a glue gun and after a little bit of practice, I am not afraid to use it!   Now if I can just work out how to stop it dribbling like a new baby, I will be chuffed to bits, but I have to admit to taking a perverse pleasure in picking off the excess.

To get some practice in I made a couple of Kanzashi Flower brooches, using the square technique rather than the circles and I have managed to make a 1.5" flower with a modicum of swearing but I think if I try the one inch flower the air will be blue.

I had a look through my stash and found some lovely silk that I bought from the Silk Route, which I think will make some even lovelier brooches, what do you think?

So on reflection, maybe just maybe, I did do more than I thought last week.  And if you want to see what the rest of the gang have been up to, take a look at Wendy's Handmade Monday, but be warned it is very addictive seeing what everyone has been up to!