String Flowers

Can I make a flower from string, was my first thought when I saw the current challenge at Anything But a Card.  Then I remembered  the woollen flowers I used to make with my Mum, twisting the wool around eight pins which Dad had nailed onto a piece of wood - if you are my age you will probably have had one too!  I remember also getting a swish yellow plastic one in the 70s as well.

I'll post some pics later in the post to show you how I did it, but here is my tag for the challenge (I have not made a tag in absolutely ages!). 

The challenge is to incorporate things that can be tied: twine, ribbon, thread, wire, rope, cording, trim, seam binding, etc.

I am in a bit of a tone on tone mood at the moment, which suited the colours of my twine.

So on the tag I have used:
: hemp for the flowers
: sailing twine for the   curls and button
: string on my spool
: paper string to make the small leaf heads
: a small piece of tape measure ribbon
: seam binding on the base of the tag and to adorn the top. 

I also made some leaves out of muslin died with Vintage Photo Distress Ink but watch when you dry them with a heat gun (they burn very easily!). I added a bit of lace and a handmade button, and some stitching.

The little pair of scissors were in my mother's sewing box.  They have been waiting nearly fifteen years to be used, but I am glad they have now found a home.  The gold was a bit bright so I covered them with gesso and then some ginger alcohol ink.



So to the flowers:

In order to create a little "loom" I cut two circles from card and stuck them together with a little bit of PVA glue.  Roughly divided it up into eight segments and pushed some pins in between the circles.  (I remembered using something similar at an SWRI workshop a couple of years ago!)

Then using the hemp I wound it around the top pin and then the bottom, then over to the next one on the right and then to the next on on the left.  I hope that makes sense!

Then when each pin had two petals I started doing a back stitch around the middle to secure the flower but also to separate the petals.

You can then remove the pins and your flower is "free".  I tied the hemp at the back, but use a bit of PVA as even using my best sailing knots it came undone very easily. 

And here are the two I made first from sailing twine.  They were a little big to put on the tag, so I made smaller ones from hemp.  The one on the right I used "backstitch" for the middle, and the one on the left I wove in and out, but I don't think it looks as neat as without an odd number of petals, you have to jump one now and then.

I hope this all makes sense!  Just email or leave a comment if you need help.  I hope you have a go!

Thanks for looking!  Oh and do pop over to the Anything But a Card Challenge page HERE, as there are some wonderful DT pieces - in particular a gorgeous necklace and an amazing bag and tag.