Here in Portland many of the trees are in full bloom. There are beautiful dark brown plum trees covered in tiny pink blossoms and also some other blooming trees with lovely cream colored flowers.
So to celebrate spring here is a quick and easy tutorial for making blossom embellishments to add to your bags. For those of you who have made yo-yos before these are essentially backwards yo-yos.
1. Cut out circular pieces. I've used the bottom of a vitamin bottle for my template. I'm also using two layers because as you can see the fabric for the outside is very sheer. If your fabric isn't sheer you just need one circle per flower. P.S. The circles don't have to be perfect--just a general circular shape will do.
2. Sew around outside edge. Insert your needle anywhere close to the edge and insert it from the right side of the fabric as shown below.
Stitch all the way around the outside and end by coming out the right side of the fabric.
3. Pull the threads to make a cup shape and then add a small piece of batting to the wrong side of the fabric.
4. Pull threads to close the blossom. Tie a knot and snip your thread.
5. Sew pistils. Thread a needle with embroidery floss or other decorative thread. I'm using a metallic all-purpose quilting thread. Insert the needle from the bottom of the blossom and come up off-center. Make one long stitch crossing the middle.
Repeat making X shapes across the middle. Use one or two tiny stitches in the middle to tack the longer stitches down.
6. Make leaves. Cut a piece of ribbon about 1.5" long and fold it into a loop shape. Sew through the ends to hold the loop shape. Tie off or leave needle attached for sewing the leaf onto your bag.
7. Attach blossoms and leaves randomly across your surface.
