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Cut a piece of ribbon that is 2W (2 times the ribbon width). (The ribbon in this example was 1-1/2" wide.) The length of the ribbon cut was 3" inches in length. Fold the ribbon in half and finger press lightly to mark the center of the length of the ribbon. Fold the two sides of the ribbon to meet at the center line that you just finger pressed. | |
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Finger press the side folds lightly to help keep the the folds in place. Mark a diamond with a chalk marker as shown in the picture at left, and then with matching thread sew a diamond with small running stitches. | |
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Once the running stitches are completed, make sure that the needle exits the fabric on the side of the ribbon without the cut edges. Gather the ribbon by pulling gently on the gathering thread, making sure that the cut edges of the ribbon are on the inside, so that they will be covered by the rest of the ribbon. You might want to insert the tip of your finger into the "poofy" part of the Fuschsia flower, to keep it puffed out. When drawing up the gathering thread, you might want to hold the petals to keep the "poofy" part from being crushed. Once the ribbon has been gathered, fluff out the petals to the shape that you like, and wind the matching thread around the top of the blossom. Attach to your fabric and add leaves and stamens. There are various methods for making stamens. Some of them are: Make a long straight stitch with floss and add a tiny bead to the end of the straight stitch. Make a long straight stitch with floss and add a French Knot at the end of the straight stitch. Make a "Pistil Stitch" which is in effect a long straight stitch that has a French Knot at the end to anchor it to the fabric--in other words, begin a long straight stitch, but before you take your thread back down through the fabric at the end of the stitch, make a French Knot, and this will end the straight stitch. | |
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