How to make a flannel flower

If you’re just joining us, this blog is actually about men’s tailoring; it’s just that I’ve had a few requests to show how I made the flannel flower I’m wearing on my suit. It was made from leftover scraps of the suit cloth when the suit was finished.



Start by cutting 5 to 7 rectangles twice as long as wide, on the bias (see post about grain lines if you don’t know what the bias is). 1 ½” to 2 ½” wide is a good size. These are the petals.

Cut one small square and one or two leaf shapes as shown.


Fold one of the petals in half, and join the open ends using a running stitch.



Pull the thread tight and secure with a few stitches.



Fold over the corners and slipstitch in place (two or three tiny invisible stitches).



Do all petals like this. Then take one petal and wrap it tightly and secure with a few stitches.



Wrap the next petal around this one, a little less tightly. Keep working around the flower until you have attached all petals



Fold the small square into a triangle and use it to finish the bottom of the flower, wraping it around a bit like a head scarf.

Using a running stitch, work around the edges of the leaf, holding the stitch a little bit tight. Don’t worry about getting the stitches very even- it looks better if they are a little uneven.



Fold the leaf in half and run a stitch right along the folded edge.



Working from the center outward, do the same to create a few veins. Open the leaf out and give it a shot of steam from an iron. Work it into a shape you like and let it dry. Give the flower a shot of steam and place the petals the way you like them, then let dry. Then attach the leaf (or leaves) to the flower. Use a corsage pin to pin in place.