Welcome to our first step-by-step tutorial, prompted by the lovely Kathryn from Fields in Trust, who came to us to ask if we had any creative ideas for the Jubilee celebrations.
Well, Rosettes are one of my favourite things to make. They are so easy and they always look great, even if you are not a neat sewer.
Of course I have made this one in Jubilee colours, but you can make them in any colour or fabric to suit other events like birthdays, or if you remember we made some mothers day ones at the Pop up shop in March.
OK lets get started.
You will need...
three 25cm squares of fabric, 30cm of ribbon, thread to match your fabric, a sewing needle, scissors, stickers or sellotape, a circle of card, a safety pin, a button for decoration, PVA glue (not shown)
Take your cardboard circle and stick the safety pin to the back of it with the sticker/sellotape. This makes the base of your rosette.
Then take the ribbon and cut it in half and cut a v in the two ends.
Take the ribbon and use the pva to glue them to the cardboard, try and place them at a slight angle to each other. Set this to one side to dry.
Take your first square of fabric, the one you wish to be at the back of your rosette and fold it in half, then in to quarters, then once more to create a triangle.
Then take your Scissors and cut from the shortest side of the triangle in a curve to the other side, to create a cone shape. This doesn't have to be perfect, you are just tying to create a rounded piece of fabric.
Using the first piece as a guide take your next colour and cut it approx 2cm smaller than the first.
Then do the same with the third piece, you should end up with three decreasing circles of fabric, as I said they don't have to be perfect, once they are stitched it wont matter how round they are.
Take your needle and your smallest circle and a matching thread. (I have used white so you can see where I have stitched) turn a small hem as you go and stitch a running stitch all the way around the edge of your fabric.
When you get to the end start to gather up your thread, by pulling gently on the free end.
Once you have gathered it up put one more stitch in to hold it tight in place and tie a knot in the end of the thread.
Your circle will now look at bit like a drawstring bag, so you need to flatten it out, trying to get the hole in the centre of your rosette shape.
You will then need repeat this with your other two circles
Once you have sewn all three colours you can place them on to of each other and sew them together.
If you want to attach a button, I found this little diamond look one, perfect for her majesty's 60th Jubilee! You can stitch this on to the centre at the same time.
Using some more pva, cover your base and glue it down to the back of your rosette.
There you have it a lovely Jubilee rosette to wear over the bank holiday.
They were founded back in 1925 as the National Playing Fields Association by King George V. Their mission is the same now and as it was then: to ensure that everyone – young or old, able or disabled and wherever they live – should have access to free, local outdoor space for sport, play and recreation. These spaces are vital to building happy and healthy communities and sadly continue to be threatened by all kinds of development.
We are a national charity and operate throughout the UK to safeguard recreational spaces and campaign for better statutory protection for all kinds of outdoor sites.
What are you doing for the Jubilee?? Street party perhaps? going to a local event? Whatever you are doing we hope you have a lovely Bank holiday weekend and that the sun is shining whereever you are!
Making it Red white and blue!
Sammy xxx
