https://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/rose-corsage • Posted by Charley H.
To make a rose you need a long strip of fabric 6cm wide, with no raw edges. To create this, you need to cut a piece 14cm wide which spans the entire length of the fabric. You need to make it as long as possible to get lots of petals and detailing.
Fold your strip of fabric over so that it is now 7cm wide and machine stitch 1cm from the edge.
*click on image to see full method* Turn your fabric inside-out and press it with an iron. Fold the two loose ends, at either side, in on each other and hand-stitch them together so that no raw edges are showing. Roll the end of your strip of fabric into a small, diagonal cone and secure with a couple of stitches at the bottom.
*click on image to see full method* Fold your fabric back on itself and forth again, as shown in the diagram, below, to stop the cone from sticking out. Stitch in place at the bottom.
Wind your fabric round the cone (tell you what – if it weren’t winter, right now, all this mention of cones would have me seriously craving ice cream! Alas – I digress!) for about two full revolutions – these will be your rose petals. Stitch loosely around the bottom in the way shown in the diagram.
Pull the stitching at the bottom in to create a drawstring effect. Stitch at the bottom and knot to secure your fabric.
*click on image to see full method* Then stitch through the top of your rose, in and out of the tip of the cone, and pull, so that the cone goes back into the petals and looks like a small bud in the middle. Also, fold the sides of the petals down.
*click on image to see full method* Finally, fold the rest of the strip around the bottom, as shown in the diagram and secure with some stitches.
*click on image to see full method
Repeat with however many roses you want to add, maybe throw in some frills (See: A View to a Frill entry) or some fabric drapes. You can finish off the edges by folding the fabric back 1cm at the edge, cutting away the excess fabric up to the stitching, folding the fabric back on itself again and securing your fabric in place with top-stitching.