I woke up two hours early today so that I could get everything done that I needed to...but today had other plans. Things have gone well, don't get me wrong, just not according to what I had planned. ~250 miles into the day, with another 6 hours to go, I've got just enough time to pause and get this Pinstrosity out to you.
Sara sent us in a Pinstrosity she ended up with while trying to make fabric flowers. Here's the original pin:
The Original Pin
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| http://www.digu.com/pin/t2ypaj1xt6zpo |
Cute, no!?
Sara said "I saw the cute flower tutorial and thought it could make an adorable hair-clip for my baby daughter. I know that photo-tutorials often turn into Pinstrosities, but I figured, if it didn't work out I'd just send it in to you! :) And, here it is. I imagine if I had used a different fabric it might have turned out better. I used a satin-type fabric, because that's what I had around the house. I wasn't about to purchase anything new for an experiment. I followed the directions exactly, but since there weren't a whole lot of directions, that doesn't say much. :) If you have any other ideas on how it could've worked better, I'd love to hear them!"
The Pinstrosity
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So I decided to try this out, starting first with satiny fabric like Sara used and my results came out slightly different, but not much better. I found that keeping your stitch lengths all the same is key to this flower turning out right.
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So then I pulled out some stiffer fabric from my stash to see how it fared and it went much better.
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While the thicker fabric did help a lot, I really found that what made the most difference was keeping all my stitch lengths the same; that creates a more uniform flower.
So what can you do to keep the edges from fraying? As is, I doubt it would last long. But perhaps you could write it off as shabby chic?
ReplyDeleteThere are anti-fray products you can buy at fabric/craft stores. I've seen them with cross-stitch supplies. Clear nail polish can work, or even fine glitter polish (with clear base) for a little shimmer, but it will result in very stiff, slightly shiny edges. Or you could just rock the shabby chic results.
DeleteThe originals might be laser cut or cut with a hot knife and therefore less prone to fraying.
ReplyDeleteCute! I like the last one! :) Lauren, they make a solution called "Fray check" and you can get it at craft stores in the sewing section. It comes in a little bottle and is inexpensive. You just put it wherever the fabric is fraying and it dries clear. Major lifesaver!
ReplyDeleteHow about lightweight fusible interfacing on the back of the fabric (before cutting out the petals)? That would both prevent fraying and make the fabric stiffer.
ReplyDeleteAlso, to make the middle of the flower more smooth, notice how in the original pin, the edges of the folded circles are each caught up in a stitch. That helps each circle's edge to tuck neatly into the center, rather than flopping out. If that makes sense.
ReplyDeleteuse a lighter to quickly singe the edges, i make bows for my daughter and thats how i keep the ribbon/fabric from fraying....and its FREE whats better? also dont cut circles, i use more ribbon than fabric but: use a washer (from the husbands stash or your local hardware store) that is the width of your ribbon, and cut a SEMI circle and have a square end. instead of trying to stitch even stitches fold the fabric/ribbon (like we used to make fans in school back and forth) and just push the needle and thread through, that will keep all your stitches straight, have about 4inches of slack so you can tie the thread together, i recommend using coat thread you know the heavy duty stuff, so when you tie it it wont break! this will show a little bit of what im talking about, but like i said i singe them with a lighter, or candle so i dont have a blister on my thumb for striking the lighter so many times ! and i also use the washer idea.... http://joyhager.blogspot.com/2011/04/quick-and-easy-ribbon-flowers_05.html
ReplyDelete