What an unexpedted delight. My sewing group meets in a local library and when we walked in today we were greeted with this new art installation.
Aren’t they great? There was a recent class about making these flowers and I guess this was the collective result.
They’re made from paper and each one is about the size of a dinner plate.
I’m thinking there must be a way to do something similar with fabric. You could stiffen the fabric, right? Or maybe use something already fairly sturdy. Felt, maybe? Perhaps I’ll investigate.
Ellen Lindner
Beautiful and eye-catching!
You could make them malleable and poseable by zigzagging jewelry wire around the edge of each piece, similar to what I did for my 3-D piece on Bird of paradise.
Joan Shay figured this out years ago with her Pelal Play Appli-bond technique. https://youtu.be/Is_9uMyE8Nw It is fun and easy.
I wonder if a white glue.. watered down . 2:1 . Wonder if that would work?
Fuse 2 pieces of fabric together r s t. Then cut out.
That should read wrong sides together.
I’ve used “Stiff Stuff” . Its basically like Elmer’s glue but thinner. Cut piece to shape, lay them on the top of a storage bin lid and brush on the stuff. Let dry and its stiff fabric. Yardage can be stiffened and cut later. You could drape it over something to get shapes and curls as it dries.
Now that you mention it, I did something similar back in the “decorate a basket with a stiff country bow” days. We actually used half and half water and glue. And, as you suggested, we put large cups in the loops of the bow so they would dry big and tall. Thanks for reminding this. Now, I’m wanting to try it again!
I think they need some tone on tone, plaid & batik fabrics added in.
Oh, that’s an excellent idea! Maybe even some black and white hounds tooth, and more! You’re thinking, Barb!
Oh, I do hope you find a fun way to make some of these flowers with fabric!
Joan Shay had a book about fusing and stretching fabric for curling petals. There are lots of books on fabric flowers, ribbon flowers, etc.
There are several brands of fabric stiffener. I have used it before to make fabric fortune cookies, but I forget what brand I used. Aileen’s is one brand.