Here’s what you’ll need:
Fabric scraps
5/8 “ button with four holes
1 ¼” button (not the shank type, or remove the shank as you need a flat back)
size 11 yellow seed beads
3mm drop beads in a color to coordinate with your flower fabric
22 gauge craft wire
Art Glitter Pee Wee monochrome glitter kits in green and pink (or another color to coordinate with your flower fabric)
Art Glitter Ultrafine Opaque Glitter in Golden Orange (UFO #347)
Art Glitter Fabric Dries Clear Adhesive (FDC)
clutch pin back
heavy beading thread (such as Fireline) and beading needle, scissors, small sharp scissors, sewing machine, file card for leaf pattern, pencil, 2-part epoxy glue
Begin with the Leaves:
Draw a leaf pattern on the file card and cut it out. It should be a simple shape about 2 ½” long. Cut six rectangles of leaf fabric just large enough for the leaf pattern. Arrange them in pairs, wrong sides together, and draw around the leaf pattern with the pencil. Mix and match the fabric colors if you like – I think a variety looks good. Working with the sewing machine and one pair at a time, sew a straight stitch up the center vein them back down the vein leaving about 1/8” space between the two rows of stitching. When you reach the bottom of the vein, turn away from the vein and stitch around the outside edge of the leaf, stopping at the bottom of the other row of vein stitching. This will leave the bottom edge of the vein open for inserting the wire. Cut the fabric leaf out, cutting around the outside edge of the leaf and close to the stitching, but being careful not to cut the thread. Cut a piece of craft wire about 3” long and thread the wire into the channel formed by the two rows of stitching for the vein. Trim the end to about ½”.
Then the Flower Center:
Cut a 2” square of fabric scrap and glue it to the back of the 5/8” button with the Designer Dries Clear Fabric Adhesive, being sure not to cover the holes in the button. Let the glue dry completely. With the Fireline threaded on a beading needle, add the bead strands to the center of the button as follows: Leaving a 4” tail, thread the needle from the back through one of the holes in the button. Thread the needle through 5 yellow seed beads then one drop bead, then, skipping the drop bead, back down through the 5 yellow seed beads and the hole in the button. Pull the thread snug and repeat for the other three holes. Thread the needle back up through the first hole and the first 2 yellow seed beads from the previous step. Thread the needle through 3 new yellow seed beads and one drop bead then, skipping the drop bead, back through the 3 new yellow seed beads, back through the first 2 yellow seed beads on the original strand and back down through the hole. Pull the thread tight and repeat for the other three holes. Tie the end of the thread and the original tail in a tight knot and trim the thread ends. Trim the excess fabric from around the button, leaving a margin of 1/8” fabric showing all around the button.
Then the Two Rows of Petals:
Cut two strips of flower fabric on the diagonal. Cut one strip 7” x 7/8” (the inner petals) and the other strip 1 ½” x 13” (the outer petals). Fold the larger strip in half matching short end to short end, then fold it again in thirds. Cut a long scallop shape along one long edge about 5/8” deep. Unfold the strip – you should have a strip with six scallop shapes along one long edge – these are the outer petals. With the Fireline threaded on a needle, run two rows of small running stitches along one long edge of the smaller piece and along the long straight edge of the scalloped piece. One row should be 1/8” from the edge and the other should be ¼” from the edge. These are the gathering threads. Leave 3” of thread on each end. Now, working on the sewing machine, run a row of zig-zag stitch right along the long edge opposite the gathering stitches on each of the two petal pieces and trim away the ends.
Now add the Glitter:
I really like Art Glitter’s Pee Wee Kits. They give you a lot of variety at a value price and are perfect for projects like this where you have a number of colors to match. I will use a variety of greens from the Green Mono kit for the leaves and, to coordinate with my flower fabric, I’ll select a pretty color from the Pink Mono kit for the flower edges. Around the center of the flower I’m using Art Glitter’s Ultrafine Opaque Glitter in Golden Orange. To add the glitter, just run a bead of glue around the edges of the leaves, along the zig-zag stitched edges of the flower strips, and around the edge of the button center, then generously sprinkle the glitters over the glue – greens on the leaves, pinks on the flower strips, and Golden Orange around the flower center. Let the glue dry. Now gather the petal strips by pulling on the gathering threads and tying the ends of the gathering threads in tight knots. You want to gather as tightly as you can.
Now for the Assembly:
Mix up a bit of the 2-part epoxy and glue the wire ends of the leaves to the right side of the 1 ¼” button. Catch a bit of the leaf fabric in the glue so that the leaves don’t slip off the wires. When the glue is set, mix up more and glue the large petal piece, then the small petal piece, then the button center. Do all three of these pieces at once and press down firmly while the glue sets. Now mix up more glue (that fast set time has its pluses and minuses!) and add the clutch pin to the back.
I hope you enjoy your glittery shabby chic flower pin!
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