Pretty Petals

The first day of Spring is in 8 days!  Yeah!  And there's snow in todays forecast.  What better way to bring a little sunshine and warmth into the house than flowers.  Cut flowers never last long enough, why not make a few of your own?!  I made this one from a tutorial over at Snowy Bliss.

Here's my changes to her lovely tute.  It's like a recipe...who can follow it exactly, I always alter to my tastes.  

Alteration #1, the yellow center is a 2 1/4 square of yellow fabric with a 3" square piece of batting folded in half twice. 

 My low temp glue gun made quick work of this.

Alteration #2  the tutorial has raw edge flowers, mine are sewn smooth edges.  Instead of placing fabrics wrong side together I placed mine right sides together, sewed on the scallop line that I drew with the bottom of a spray can.  Then pinked the edges and clipped into the point.  Turned it right side out and pressed.   My gathers were made the same.

Alteration #3  since the flower had raw edges on the bottom they needed to be covered. 

I drew a circle on a piece of muslin, layered it right sides together with the green print.  Sewed on the marked line, cut a small hole for turning right sides out.

 turned and pressed, cut a very tiny whole in the center to slip over the stem.  

 Alteration #4  I used a wire coat hanger for the stem.  With a pair of wire cutters it was easy to cut it to the length needed. 

Alteration #5  Wrapping(spiraling) the stem with a .50 piece of fabric.  Just a dab of hot glue at the top and then at the bottom.

This is my desk pen and pencil holder.  I glued 4 bobbins stacked together and then glued to the bottom of the vase.  (These bobbins don't fit any of my machines)  The center hole will support my flower stem.

 Tada!  She's Perky!  The plan was for a full vase of flowers, but I kinda like the whimsy of just the one flower and I can still use it for my pens.

~Lea Anne~