As a soft home furnishings designer and fabricator, I am passionate about embellishing my creations. This embellishment I call the Flowing Flower Embellishment and I use this on drapery panels, window valances, or pillow covers, just to name a few. The source for my flowing flower inspiration was this picture of a sweater in a clothing catalog.
My inspiration began with the embellishment on this sweater.
Group the Flowing Flower Embellishment
I liked this sweater embellishment so well I decided to come up with a fabrication method to include this in my designs.
Using the Flowing Flower Embellishment on the lead edge of a drapery panel
Flowing Flower Embellishment on a window valance
Flowing Flower Embellishment on Pillow
I started by marking and cutting bias strips four inches wide. When forming the flowers, bias strips create more flow than a strip cut on the straight of grain.
Mark fabric for the bias strips
Join the short ends of the bias strips to make one long bias strip. For one flower you will need about thirty continuous inches of bias fabric strip.
Stitch a one half-inch seam allowance in the bias strips.
To make turning the strip right side out easier, I insert a cord inside the strip as I stitch the long edges of the bias strip together. Sew one short end closed with the cord in the seam. Be sure catch the cord in your stitches as you stitch the short edge. When stitching bias strips, using small stitches will create less of a chance that the stitches will break as you turn your bias strip.
Inserting a pull cord into the bias strip for easier turning.
Begin turning the bias strip right side out by pulling the cord which is now on the inside of the tube. Try not to stretch the bias strip as you turn it right side out or the stitches may break.
Turning the fabric tube right side out.
Press the turned, bias strips and you are ready to begin creating your flowing flowers!
Press the bias tube
Using a fabric adhesive or fringe adhesive, add dots to use as glue basting to help hold the fabric as you begin to fold your flower. I like to turn the top corner in at first. Next begin to roll the fabric tube, forming the flower.
Glue basting the flowing flower embellishment
Leave a short tail at the end of the flower for flowing into the next flower as you will see later. On the back side of the flower, hand tack with a needle and thread.
Hand tacking the flowing flower embellishment.
Join the flowers by overlapping one flower over the previous flower’s flowing tail.
Joining Flowing Flowers
Strategically place the flowing flowers on your item to please you, pin in place, and hand stitch to your piece.
Flowing Flower Embellishment on Pillow
Single Flowing Flower Embellishment on Valance
Flowing Flower Embellishment detail on drapery panel
That’s it. You’re done. I hope you will share your creations with me so I can see more beautiful ways to use the Flowing Flower Embellishment in soft home furnishings!
