Flowers

Dear Rick,

This is a Dior rose. Make a series of football shapes--the largest one about the size you want the rose to be; the smallest about half the size of the largest. You'll need about five to seven petals--three large ones, two mid-sized ones, and two small ones. Fold the football shape in half, so that the raw edges match. Gather along the raw edge, and pull up. For the center, tightly roll the two smallest shapes, and sew them on the raw edge to keep them together. Continue with the larger shapes until they are all connected. Add or subtract pieces for different sizes or buds. For leaves, you can make another football shape, but this time, sew around the shape, leaving an opening for turning. Quilt lines of stitching on the leaves for the veins.

Another way to make roses is with polyester fabric, such as thin lining. Cut heart-shape petals. Hold over a candle to singe and seal the edges. Make a loop in floral wire, and tightly roll the petals around the loop. This type takes about nine to eleven petals to get a good shape.

Yet another way to make roses is with construction paper. Follow the instructions for the polyester fabric, except wet each petal and scrunch it up in your hand. Then curl the humps of the heart over a skewer or knitting needle. Then proceed to roll the petals around the wire loop. These look so real you have to touch them to know they're construction paper. One of my fiber arts students did this with 4-year olds, and they came out beautiful, so they're obviously not difficult to make.

Teri

Which way do you fold the football shape? when its folded would it look like this:

|> or this: ------- \____/

That sounds like a fun project!

Michelle

"Rick" schrieb im Newsbeitrag news:4570317b$0$96175$ snipped-for-privacy@dread14.news.tele.dk...

To keep it in the spirit of the season: how about pointsettias made from white felt? I've been googling for the instructions but haven't found them so far, but I remember that they were dead easy to make and quite nice to look at. If you are interested I'd go on with my search. If I don't hear anthing from you in the ng I know that I was far off the mark. ;-)

U.

Dear Michelle,

Yes, that's right. It will be obvious when it's cut out--the curved edge is raw, and is the one to be gathered.

Teri

Rick,

If you can get your hands on the "threads" magazine, January 2007 Number

You can go to THREADSMAGAZINE.COM to see the rose.

HTH, Sharon

Thanks a lot to all responses... :o) While you were writing I was trying to make what I posted first; A lot of petals from small to big (from the middle to the edge). I used unbleached cotton to test. It doesn't look that natural though but still okay. I think, the football shape you are writing about will come out more natural.

I made a picture, so you can watch the result:

- rick -

Dear Rick,

That didn't look half bad for your first try. Try scrunching the petals, and make them less pointy for of a natural look.

Teri

That looks pretty good, Rick! Well tried!

I like the idea of poinsettias also. And you are right. In my language, they have a nickname called xmas roses. In my oppinion the poinsettias are quite flat. I would like something more three dimensional. But perhaps I could make the poinsettias in some other occation.

- rick -

Threads' rose reminded me of the ribbon roses we made back in the fifties: crease a ribbon at forty-five degrees so that the two ends are at right angles to each other. Lift the lower ribbon and fold it over the triangle so that it creases at the edge of the other end, and still lies at right angles but pointing the opposite way. Fold the other end over the edge of the first one in the same way, and repeat, creating a square stack.

I've described it as if the ribbon were lying on a table, but it's very quick and easy to do in the air, with no tool but your hands.

When one end is used up except for enough to sew it on by, hold the short end firmly and pull the other end until the square stack looks like a rose. I forget whether the ends were knotted or sewn to hold the rose in shape.

This procedure make small roses suitable for trimming a dress.

Joy Beeson

Beautiful flower, -rick-! Emily

Last night on David Letterman there was a kid (age 16) who had made some really astonishing flowers out of duct tape! Would love to see the directions for those.

--Karen D.

Beverly, who admits the thought of a sewist DH/DBF makes me fantasize...