Thursday, August 14, 2014

Add a Vintage Touch with Wool Flowers

Heavy, felted wool is a beautiful material for crafting and sewing. You can cut out shapes with little or no fraying so felted wool is ideal for appliqué and accent pieces. Because it is the same on both sides, it doesn’t always require a lining. For an easy and fast appliqué apply Pellon® Wonder-Under® transfer web to on side of a piece of wool felt, cut out letters or shapes and then peel away the paper backing and press onto another piece of fabric. This is a great way to make school banners, or a quick, custom pillow!

For a vintage look, use wool felt to make pretty, romantic flowers that can be pinned to hats, coat or dress lapels or attached to hair clips or bands. Use an assortment of wool flowers to create a one-of-a-kind bouquet or corsage. For larger pieces, use hot melt glue to attach the flowers to a base. We are sharing three flower designs for you to try. What a great way to use up wool fabric scraps!

Also consider using felt instead of wool for the same effect!

Rose Petal Flower

  1. Draw a quick five-petal flower pattern about 3 inches across. It doesn't have to be perfect!
  2. Cut out the flower pattern and trace around it on your fabric. You will need six for each flower. Cut out the shape, fold in quarters and clip a hole in the center.
  3. Fold each flower in half and roll up so that it looks like a rose. Hand stitch at the bottom.
  4. Continue making individual roses and stitching them together.
  5. When you have six pieces sewn together (or as many as you like), whip-stitch them all together so that all the pieces are connected.
  6. Your pretty rose petal flower is finished!

Chrysanthemum Flower

  1. Cut a strip of wool felt 2½ inches x 15 inches, fold in half lengthwise and machine down the cut edges ¼-inch from the edge.
  2. Using a pair of small, sharp scissors, clip the folded edge stopping within ¼-inch of the stitch line, creating a fringe.
  3. Roll up the fringed strip, hand stitching on the bottom as you roll it up.
  4. When you get to the end, fold over and hand stitch to the bottom.
  5. Fluff to finish your flower!

Daisy Flower

  1. Cut a strip of wool felt 1½ inches x 12 inches. Fold in half and then fold into thirds.
  2. Cut a slight curved shape on one side through all the layers.
  3. Unfold the shaped strip. Using a needle and thread, sew a large running stitch along the straight edge and pull up to gather, creating the flower shape. Overlap the cut ends, adding a stitch to secure the ends together.
  4. Sew a button in the center and you have a darling, daisy flower!
To make your wool flowers more lifelike and interesting, add leaves made from silk fabric. The shimmer of the silk makes a pretty contrast with the matte wool felt.

  1. Apply Pellon® Wonder-Under® transfer web to a piece of green silk.
  2. Peel away the paper backing, cover with another piece of green silk and press, fusing the two pieces together. Cut out simple leaf shapes.
  3. For added dimension, fold each leaf in half lengthwise and press to create a center crease.
  4. Hand stitch of glue leaves to the back of your flowers.

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