Hello everyone! Today’s fabric flower tutorial is actually going to be part 1 of 2, in the making of a beautiful, shabby flower covered lamp shade tutorial. The plan is, that by next week I will have a lamp shade, and we will be applying these fabric flowers that we make today, to it. If you already have a lampshade, great! If you don't have a lamp shade yet, you can either wait to make your flowers until you get one, or just start making and estimated amount right now, and then make more as needed when you find the perfect shade. Each flower is 2" in diameter, so measure your lampshades' circumference (if you have one) at its base, then the circumference 2" higher up, until your reach the top of your shade. Take these measurements, and divide each by 2; this will tell you how many flowers (approximately) you will need for each level/tier of the shade. You may decided that you want to scrunch the flowers a little closer than 2" apart, to give your shade a "fuller" look, so go ahead and make a few extra flowers just in case!
For example: If I were to use the lampshade shown here, my measurements would be 31.5”, 25.5”, 20.5”, and 15.5”, rounding these up to the nearest whole even number, my measurements would be 32”, 26”, 22”, and 16”.
To determine how many flowers I will need, I need to add all of these measurements up, and then divide the total by 2. Based on my measurements this is 48 (always round up to nearest even number!).
I determined that in using a 2” fabric circle for my petals, 7 petals made the best looking flowers, so you will need to cut 7 – 2” fabric circles for each flower. So, to determine how many fabric circles you need to cut, multiply 7 times your needed amount of flowers, and start cutting! In the case of my example shade, I would need approximately 336 – 2” fabric circles. I know this sounds like a lot, but if you follow my step for cutting circles below, you’ll have all the fabric circles you need in no time!
SO…. Without further ado… Let’s begin!
This pattern is the property of Kaylie’s Closet. I don’t mind you using it to make creations for yourself, as gifts, or even for selling, but please credit my pattern and blog whenever possible. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at
[email protected], or at www.kayliescloset.blogspot.com
Frilly Fabric Flower Materials
Fabric A good pair of scissors 2” circle template
Hand Sewing Needle Coordinating Thread
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you can easily make one yourself from anything sturdy enough to cut around
(Let’s just pretend that there is a really nifty pair of scissors in this photo!)
Step 1: Cut your Circles Ok, so I know cutting 2” circles is easy, and really doesn’t require me telling you how to do it, but for the sake of this being a tutorial, and maybe cutting some time off of your cutting of 300+ circles, here’s how I get this step done FAST! 1. With your fabric lying flat, fold over the edge so that the overlapping part is just bigger than your 2” circle.
This pattern is the property of Kaylie’s Closet. I don’t mind you using it to make creations for yourself, as gifts, or even for selling, but please credit my pattern and blog whenever possible. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at
[email protected], or at www.kayliescloset.blogspot.com
2. Continue to fold the fabric back and forth, like an accordion, until you get approximately 4-5 folds. a. Keep in mind…. Too many folds will cause your cutting to not be as accurate!
3. Pin your fabric folds in place, so that the fabric doesn’t move while cutting, and cut out as many 2” circles as you can along this folded strip of fabric. a. You’ll have to move and adjust your pins as you proceed up the strip.
This pattern is the property of Kaylie’s Closet. I don’t mind you using it to make creations for yourself, as gifts, or even for selling, but please credit my pattern and blog whenever possible. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at
[email protected], or at www.kayliescloset.blogspot.com
4. Continue folding and cutting your fabric, until you have all (or a good sized stack to start with) of your circles cut!
Step 2: Fold Your Circles
(It’s easiest if you fold and sew at the same time, until you get 7 petals on the thread. See Step 3 for sewing)
1. With the wrong side of your fabric facing up, fold your circle in half. a. Once folded, the right side of your fabric will now be showing.
This pattern is the property of Kaylie’s Closet. I don’t mind you using it to make creations for yourself, as gifts, or even for selling, but please credit my pattern and blog whenever possible. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at
[email protected], or at www.kayliescloset.blogspot.com
2. Fold your fabric in half again.
3. Fold the top flap of the fabric over towards the folded edge
4. Fold the bottom flap of fabric back towards the folded edge
This pattern is the property of Kaylie’s Closet. I don’t mind you using it to make creations for yourself, as gifts, or even for selling, but please credit my pattern and blog whenever possible. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at
[email protected], or at www.kayliescloset.blogspot.com
Step 3: Sew Your Folded Circles 1. Take your first folded petal, and pull your needle and thread through the tip of the petal, being sure to catch each flap of the petal.
2. Continue to string each petal on the thread until you have 7 petals total.
3. Push all the petals together at the end, and line them up so that all the tips of the petals are facing straight up. Sew through the tip of the first petal again, to join the first and last petals together. Pull the thread taught and gather the petal tips together in a circular clump.
This pattern is the property of Kaylie’s Closet. I don’t mind you using it to make creations for yourself, as gifts, or even for selling, but please credit my pattern and blog whenever possible. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at
[email protected], or at www.kayliescloset.blogspot.com
4. Sew across the “circle” of flower petal tips, catching 2 petals at a time, that are across from one another. Do this 2-3 times, switching the angle and petals that you sew, to secure the petal tips together, and make sure that the flower is securely bound.
5. Bind off, and hide the end.
This pattern is the property of Kaylie’s Closet. I don’t mind you using it to make creations for yourself, as gifts, or even for selling, but please credit my pattern and blog whenever possible. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at
[email protected], or at www.kayliescloset.blogspot.com
Step 4: Finishing Touches 1. Turn the flower and separate and open each petal, “fluffing” them up a bit, and filling them out, to the flower a completed look.
(unfluffed)
(fluffed)
The finished flower measures 2” in diameter.
This pattern is the property of Kaylie’s Closet. I don’t mind you using it to make creations for yourself, as gifts, or even for selling, but please credit my pattern and blog whenever possible. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at
[email protected], or at www.kayliescloset.blogspot.com
A bowl full of flowers!
This pattern is the property of Kaylie’s Closet. I don’t mind you using it to make creations for yourself, as gifts, or even for selling, but please credit my pattern and blog whenever possible. If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at
[email protected], or at www.kayliescloset.blogspot.com
