Cloth Flowers

Real Quick, then I'll refine this later, but as I don't know when "later" will be - I'm info dumping on you Dear Readers. Forgive me.

I'm making a ball gown right now: The Daffodil Dress. A flight of fancy perhaps, and I've been keeping it in the back of my brain for a while, waiting for the right opportunity. This is it.

But I hit a snag... no good directions on how to make cloth flowers. Oh, plenty on the pansy-type things... just cut & sew. But nothing on the origami jobs that I wanted to make. So, here yea be. These are quick & dirty, cotton bias tape in 1" wide and 1 1/8" wide, but any width will do.
You can fray check or leave raw. If you are going to fray check, do it first, your life will be a lot easier.

Buds:

1: cutting bias tape lengths














2: Folding the "triangles"
(for whatever reason the directions photo is turned funny. Grumble - it's not fixing)









3: Tucking in the ends (really part of 2 because we are still folding)
if you don't tuck the ends in it puffs out like the ribbon flowers below & looks funny in bias tape.






4: gather & stitch buds
The first one here looks like I haven't tucked the end, but just wrap the thread around to the other side to get that to lay down.














5: cut "paper" wrappers out of tan/gray cloth, roll & stitch.

You could also glue them, but I think you'd still have to stitch it.









Ta-Da!



Oh, wait... but we aren't done! The flowers have to bloom!




Flowers:
(You will need 3 pieces of bias tape: 2 cut on an angle for the outer petals & 1 rectangle for the central tube)
6: cut pieces & fold
view from the top so hopefully that clears things up a bit.








7: pinch, gather & stitch petals & center tube together.
When you pinch them, try to pinch the tube first, then wrap the petals around it. It'll make a nicer flower than if you pinch it flat.








Ummm... pretty now.









8: Place & wrap the bias tape "paper" bit and stitch it closed. Leave more on the end than you will need. This is the same size as the one above.

Ummm... pretty. Maybe a bit like a crocus, but it'll work out.










Here is the unfinished dress (I'm waiting for the yellow silk to get here for the sash because the cotton is "blah"). I placed the flowers around the flounce, placed the wide grosgrain ribbon with them & then stitched it all together. Have to tack a few flowers in place, but otherwise the dress is done. It's not quite as over-the-top as it should be for 1815, but I'm very happy with it.

I have no idea how well or poorly it will wash.

I'll leave you with some links on silk flowers & ribbon flowers.
A fellow blogger: http://fashionribbonwear.blogspot.com/2011/01/silk-rose.html
HG t-v: http://www.hgtv.com/crafting/ribbon-photo-album/index.html scroll down for the flower part & ignore the picture frame.