April showers bring May flowers. Fabric flowers can add a touch of color to a headband, can be used as a brooch on a jacket, can be attached to a ribbon to make a beautiful napkin ring, or just be scattered on a table.

Supplies:
fabric – approximately 3” x 45” strip
3” square of felt
Cutting Instructions:

1. Make a circle template approximately 2 1/2” in diameter. You might use a spool of thread to trace around. If you use the felt, this can be used as your cutting template as well as the flower backing.
2. Select fabric that looks good to you on both sides because both sides will show. Cut a strip ¼” wider than the diameter of your template.
3. A flower requires approximately 20 circles of fabric. One method to create multiple circles easily is to fold the fabric and cut multiple layers at one time. Another method is to mark and cut one layer at a time. Multiple layer cutting is described below.
4. Fold the fabric to create squares slightly larger than the template.
5. Use your circle template to cut around. You can trace and then cut, or just hold the template on top of the stack of fabric and cut.
6. The circles do not have to be perfect. Irregular edges add interest to the finished flower. You can trim edges later if desired.

Construction Instructions:

1. Pick up a fabric circle, wrong side towards your palm, and scrunch the fabric right sides together with you thumb and fingers.
2. Your scrunched circle of fabric should be similar to the above picture.
3. Place the scrunched up fabric on top of the felt circle so the raw edges extend about ¼” past the edge of the felt circle (raw edges facing outward).
4. Sew the tip in place.

5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 (scrunch – sew), making sure each new scrunched circle is snug to the previous one.  Add more circles until you complete the bottom layer.
6. This sample outside layer has 9 circles.
7. The second layer of scrunched circles goes on top the first, but place the tips about ¼” closer to the center of the felt backing piece. Repeat steps 1 to 4 until each successive layer is filled.
8. As each layer gets smaller, the flower will start to look rounded.
9. The diameter of your flower will determine how many layers you will need. The sample has 3 layers.
10. If you can still see your felt in the center and there is not enough room to sew another full layer, there is solution. Reduce the size of 3 fabric circles by ¼” all the way around. Do the fabric circle scrunch, but sew each scrunched circle by hand to the center of the felt.

Above is a back view of the completed sample.

Add a pin back fastener to make a lovely flower brooch.

A flower can be sewn or glued on an item for permanent attachment.

Now, the decisions you have to make are how many flowers do you make, what colors, and how are they going to be used.