Flower Pins - Revamped Tutorial

The patient one.

The day after Thanksgiving I had some extra time, what? what is SPARE time? I feel like that is a term so foreign to me. I should really rephrase that and say, I did not feel like doing any of the homework that I should have been doing so, I ended up with some free time. I had been eyeing flower pins that My Momma Made It had posted a tutorial for. I figured making a pin shouldn't be that hard. There were two major things standing in my way though, 1. I had not touched a sewing machine since my 8th grade home-ec class and 2. I needed supplies. Mom to the rescue on both accounts! She is a superhero, I swear. She had just the material that I needed stowed away in her fabric bins in the garage from some well-intended project that she never completed - you see, we are related, I come by this naturally! And of course, she is a pro on the sewing machine, now, all she had to do was teach me. ha.

Here is the link to the tutorial that I followed: Large Layered Flower Pin How To. As Mom and I worked our way through the steps, I felt like there was some information I'd like to add. I am the kind of person that doesn't like to leave much room for my own artistic interpretation. At least the first time through a project I want the teacher to hold my hand, I want to be told exactly what to do to complete each step.

The flower pin turned out great results in a short amount of time. I learned to use the sewing machine, granted I only had to make straight, loose stitches, but still, I had to be taught. I have been wearing the pin with mixed responses. I love it, it's huge, gorgeous, rough but not rough look has me pinning it to everything. I do think that some people are thrown by it, uh yeah, like when I walked into the kitchen wearing it and Dad asked what "it" was. I can see myself making a bundle of them to embelish a shirt or sweater, possibly even a purse. It was very rewarding to be able to sit down with the fabric and turn out something that I would pay money for, something that looked like more than an arts and crafts project. My little secret, right?

1. Rip strips of fabric of any color you like into the following sizes:

Fabric #1

3"x18"

2"x18"

Fabric #2

2 1/2x18"

1 1/2x18"

Fabric #3

2 1/4x18"

1 1/4x18"

2. Iron all of the pieces flat. The frayed edges give the look that you want for the flower texture, don't worry about the fray.

3. Stitch along one side of each strip. Secure one end of the thread around a straight pin and pull the other to scrunch the strip.

4. Heat up the glue gun! The finishing of the pin is easy with a glue gun and plenty of glue, and trust me, you will see none of it! Cut a circle out of any fabric you like. I used a heavy duty fabric that I doubled over and glued together to give my pin a solid base. Glue a standard pin to the back. To finish the pin just glue each of your scrunched up strips in a circle and secure it to the base. Use the strips to give the flower the shape that you want it to have. I added detail to my pin by sewing a few pearls into the center. You could easily use any sparkly detail you like.

Finished product: