Pattern #6 : Estelle the flower

A possibly biased logic pushed me to create Estelle the flower : if I sew lots of flowers maybe spring will come sooner.

Estelle is simple and funny, she has a face or not, it's up to you. She can be used as an accessory if you hang a brooch on her back, an elastic band or a hair clip. Or sew a few to decorate a wreath for your front door. Would you like to make a bouquet out of it? The free pattern of the month is actually a stem and a leaf to turn Estelle into a real flower.

New techniques

With this pattern we explore two new things, the use of batting and gathering. Batting is like a padding sheet, it is often used to make blankets or quilts, it can also be used in the sewing of coats. Since I prefer we use what we find at home I do not give an exact thickness, if yours is thinner your flower will simply be softer. If it is thicker it will hold better, be careful that it is not too rigid to be able to turn the petals.

We will use the gathers to create the center ball. Gathers are folds in the fabric made with a long stitch that is pulled to create volume. Here we pull to the maximum and add fill in the center creating a ball. It's the same technique I used for Lulu's tail.

Fabric

Petals can be sewn in pretty much any medium weight woven or knit. The important thing is that it is flexible enough to be able to be turned over through the small opening. With a thicker fabric, you can omit the codel. You can also try a thinner fabric for fun, something like a voile might be interesting here.

The center should be stretch knit, it will create a nicer ball. If you choose another type of fabric, there may be more visible creases.

For the Ultimate club members, I chose a textured canvas with different colored threads and a loose weave. Then for the ball, an ultra soft yellow jersey. Both fabrics have been in my stash for years - the yellow having been bought from a discount fabric store that sadly no longer exists and the green was given to me by someone who was cleaning up their workshop.

The label

I made the decision for Estelle not to add a label, I thought she was doing well without it. That said, I still included it in the envelope. If you want to add one, it can be sewn by hand or by machine like with Pépé, meaning open. I suggest on the back.

In conclusion

Estelle was supposed to be my pattern for the month of May, but I couldn't wait for spring to arrive. So I'm going back to the drawing board for next month. 🌼

May spring be with you,