If you haven’t yet encountered the work of the incredibly talented Emerson of Emersonmade, I highly recommend browsing her site…just as soon as you get done reading about how I cloned her starched linen flower, of course.

Her originals are all kinds of elegant, and I’m thoroughly convinced that she uses some kind of special, kick-tail kind of starch not available in normal stores since I used heavy starch, and mine still weren’t nearly as stand-at-attention stiff as hers.

I also cut out my petals on the drive down to San Antonio during our weekend away using my memory as my guide, and when I went back and looked at the Emersonmade version, I discovered that mine were…different.

But you know what? I’m good with that. It means that mine has its own personality. And I’m all about personality.

Remember this lovely movie bathroom mirror shot?

Or maybe this one…yeah..that’s a little better.

Well, here’s what you’ll need to make your own (in fact, making your own seems to be your only option anymore; I just checked Emerson’s website, and I can’t find the flowers anywhere).

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    • Linen, or heavy-weight cotton (I used this lovely aqua linen that I snagged from a friend for $2/yd)
    • Starch (I used heavy)
    • Felt
    • Scissors
    • Needle/thread (I used gold to add a decorative touch)
    • Brooch pin
    • Flower petal template

1. Using your templates…(which I had laser-cut by a professional, obviously)

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…cut out a pile of large and small petals.

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I cut mine into a heart shape with a squared-off base. My large petals were approximately 2 1/2” X 2 1/2” (at the widest point), and my small were 1 1/2” X 1 1/2” (at the widest point). I used 10 large petals and 4 small.

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2. Treat and iron your petals according to the directions on the starch bottle (I starched mine twice for a little extra stiffness).

3. Cut out a 1 1/2” square piece of felt (I just used craft felt)

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4. You guys know how fond I am of my Glen the glue-gun, but he is getting pretty decrepit, so I gave him a break and actually sewed my brooch pin on the back of my piece of my felt. What can I say? I was feeling fancy today. (Glen, you know I still love you, right?)

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5. Once your petals are starched, make a crease in the bottom center portion and iron it in place. This will give the petal a bit of a curve so that it doesn’t just lie there all flat and stiff when you put it on.

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6. Begin stitching your petals around your felt square (feel free to play with the arrangement before you commit to a spot, but the actual process is pretty forgiving). I used 6 large petals for the base, 4 large petals for the second layer, and 4 small petals on top. You can, of course, add more layers for a fuller flower.

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7. (Optional) Cut a very small strip of fabric (maybe 1/4” X 1”), roll it up, then stitch it to the center of your flower to add a center “bloom.” Notice that I used my gold thread to sew decorative “X’s” to hold my petals in place. Not necessary but a nice touch. And it’s how Emerson did it. So…who am I to argue?

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I think I’m going to experiment with various petal shapes and make a few more to wear on a blazer or a sweater (plus I scored two more colors of linen from my friend…I love variety!).

And the best part?

One of these beauties is going into the October Giveaway (coming soon)!

Speaking of giveaways—if you haven’t yet entered to win The September Giveaway or the Lisa Leonard Designs $75 Giveaway, make sure you get right on that. Entries for both close on Oct. 1!

That’s it for me this Tuesday. But I’ll be back tomorrow with another round of Thrifted or Grifted. Are you up for the challenge? Make sure you comment and make it lively because the commenter I pick as my fave will get 5 free entries into the Lisa Leonard Designs Giveaway!

Linking up:

Funky Junk's Saturday Nite Special

Gussy Sews Inspiration Workshop!

5 Comments

  1. Love it! BTW I wonder if Emerson used liquid starch? I remember back in the days that my hubby was in the AF the cleaners would dip his uniform in some sort of liquid starch and then hang to dry – his pants could stand up by themselves…lol

  2. I’ve seen alot of fabric flower tutorials online (who hasn’t???) and this one ranks among the top in cuteness! I just bought some tiny glass beads from Hobby Lobby (half off – woohoo!) so I think it would be fun to sew those into the middle (or use my trusty glue gun). Either way – really cute! Now I’m off to check out the link I just saw for your apple almond crostata……I’m hungry!

I love hearing from you guys!