NEW!!! - Tutorial on Making Patchwork Flowers and Leaves with the Sew Simple Shapes Templates!

Today I wanted to show you 

how to make

 patchwork flowers and leaves

with my Sew Simple Shapes

A few weeks ago I did some tutorials

on how I prepare my pieces for

 appliqué using the 

BLOOM Sew Simple Shapes.

CLICK HERE 

to see those tutorials

 if you missed them:)

If you don't have your 

BLOOM Sew Simple Shapes yet...

CLICK HERE

And join the fun!

First up...

 I'll be using the 

A-23 Sew Simple Shape 

from the set.

This is what the flower

 looks like using one 

fabric for the entire flower

 and one fabric for the center .

I used A-2 Sew Simple Shape 

for the circle.

Today I want to show you

 how you can make the flower

by doing just a little bit 

of patchwork first:)

Choose 4 - 2 1/2" squares 

from your scrappy stash 

and sew them together 

into a four patch like this.

Use a scant 1/4" seam allowance.

Press the seams open 

and place the A - 23 template 

onto the wrong side...

 lining up the center marks

 on the template

 with the center of the 

seam allowances and 

trace around the template...

Like this.

This line is your stitching line:)

I  use a .05 mechanical pencil 

for a nice thin line.

Now cut a 5" square of the

 Lightweight Sew-In Pellon

Pin together with your 

marked lines facing up...

And stitch directly

 onto the lines...

all the way around.

Don't forget to backstitch 

when you stop and start:)

After stitching...

trim an approximate 

1/4" seam allowance

 all the way around 

like this.

*This step is important!

There are 4 "cleavage" areas 

in this A - 23 Sew Simple Shape. 

You will need to 

clip right up to the stitching

 (but not into or past the stitching)

just like this...

so that your flower will 

lay flat when you 

turn it inside out.

Clip all 4 cleavage areas of the flower.

Now pinch the Pellon 

away from the flower front 

and make a small clip 

in the Pellon only.

Cut an "X" like this 

for the opening to turn.

Turn right side out and 

use a smoothing tool to help

 push out the points and curves.

***Use this tool gently...

don't poke through the Pellon:)

Press it nice and flat 

from the front...not the back.

Cute right?

It looks complicated and 

somewhat like

 english paper piecing

but as you just saw...

it's machine sewn and easy peasy!

I chose to use

 A-2 Sew Simple Shape 

from the set to make 

the center circle for 

this cute patchwork flower.

I used a 3 1/2" square of fabric

 from my scrappy stash 

and a 3 1/2" square of Pellon.

I traced the sewing line

 onto the Pellon.

Pinned...

Stitched and trimmed...

Cut the"X"...

Turned and pressed.

You know the drill by now!

Now I have a cute patchwork flower

 ready for hand or machine appliqué:)

It's time for some leaves.

I cut a 3 1/2" x 4" 

piece of fabric 

and also Pellon...

and traced around the A-11 

twice onto the Pellon.

If you are making a set

 of matching leaves...

 it's easier to do them 

both on one piece of fabric:)

Two matching leaves done:)

Now for a 

fun and easy patchwork leaf!

I used 

Sew Simple Shape A-12 

for this set.

I cut each fabric strip 

1 1/2" x 4 1/2"

and sewed them together.

Lay the template onto 

the wrong side with the

 seams pressed open and 

trace the stitching lines 

like this.

Pin to a piece of Pellon...

 cut 2 1/2" x 4 1/2"

Stitch and trim...

Turn and press.

I love how these 

patchwork leaves look...

don't you?

Again...

it looks very complicated

 but is sew simple!

Next time...

 I'll show you how to

 make stems and even more 

patchwork flowers using 

different Sew Simple Shapes.

See you then!

xx

Lori

Part 2 of Hexie Tutorial - Flowers

Well hello again...here I am for part 2 of my tutorial....making a hexagon flower.

I like to join the sides (petals) of the hexagons together first.

Again...I DO NOT stitch into the paper at any time while joining the hexies.

I only take a small bite out of the fabric that is on the edge of each one that I am joining together.

I first join 2 with right sides together...then 2 more and then the remaining 2.
Then I join those segments together to form a ring.
I always knot off after joining one hexie to another.



Joining the petals first just works out better for me...and I can "audition" several hexie prints for the center...to see which one I like the best.

I leave my papers in when forming the rings.

However...I like to take the paper out of the center hexie, making it more pliable and a little bit "stretchy" if needed for allowing me to stitch the corners together perfectly.

After I have completely stitched the center hexie in...I knot off my thread and carefully pull out the papers. (see part 1 for paper removal)

If I am making a larger flower, at this point I would add another row of hexies before removing my papers....but I am using small flowers for this project.

By the way...I press the papers to use again just like I explained in part 1.

Then I press...and I mean PRESS...( I do not move my iron back and forth)...I just set it on my flower for a few seconds on the backside...

...and then I spritz it a little on the front with Mary Ellen's Best Press...and press the front.

I let it cool completely before picking it up. I like how the best press gives my flower a crisp new feeling ...and it smells good too! I used the Lavender Fields scent on this one:)

I used a regular whip stitch on the green and yellow flower above....which works just fine....however....I normally do a little something extra with my whip stitch that I want to show you.

Below is a close up of my variation of the whip stitch.

I feel that stitching this way secures my stitches better and helps to hide the stitches from the front.

I do a regular whip stitch but before I pull my thread up all the way...I insert my needle through the loop and then finish pulling the thread snuggly but not too tight as to break it ...or distort my seam so that it won't lay flat when I open my hexie flower.

This is what my stitching looks like from the top view of the seam.

This stitch is also how I knot off my thread...so I guess you could say that each stitch is a single knot

.

However when I knot off, I do the stitch two or three times in the same spot as needed for securing properly.....I also leave a small tail when cutting my thread after knotting.

I feel that by doing this, it's harder for the knot to come undone when pulled while stitching into a quilt.

I don't worry about the tails showing...I just make sure that they stay tucked in the back of my flower.

I have a good start on my flowers now....

I am making them very scrappy and all with a vintage look.

I am trying to make the centers of my hexie flowers matchy while not being too matchy (if that makes sense to any one but me)...lol!

I hope that you have enjoyed my tutorial on how I do my english paper piecing.

It works for me...and I hope it works for you too.

I would love to hear what you think!