POSITIVITY PINS
SPREAD OPTIMISM WHEREVER YOU GO WITH THESE FEEL-GOOD FLORAL BADGES MADE USING CHEERFUL SHADES
Spread happiness wherever you go with Clare Alban’s cheery flower badges
Designer Clare Albans
MATERIALS
Cotton fabric: 18x18cm, aqua, blue and pink
Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of blue, grey, orange, pale orange, pink, teal and yellow
Embroidery hoop: 10cm diameter Mini embroidery hoop: 4cm diameter x3
Brooch fastening: 2.5cm x3
Strong craft glue
Basic embroidery kit
STITCHES USED
Backstitch, French Knot, Satin Stitch, Stem Stitch
NOTES
Find the templates on p77. Work in three strands of thread, unless otherwise stated.
01 Transfer the designs from the templates onto the respective fabrics using your preferred method. We placed design 1 on the aqua fabric, design 2 on the pink fabric and design 3 on the blue fabric. The outer circles on the templates are a guide only and should not be transferred. Insert your first fabric into a 10cm hoop ready to stitch.
For design 1, begin by stitching the petals in Satin Stitch using blue. Work your stitches so they are stitched horizontally across the petal, adjusting the angle as needed.
02 Using the pale orange, stitch a dense cluster of French Knots to fill in the centre of the flower.
03 Swapping design 2 into your hoop, start by working the centre of the flower with Satin Stitch in orange. The petals are filled in rows of Backstitch using yellow. Start by outlining the petal shape and then fill in the rest of the space with rows of Backstitch. Alternate your stitches to prevent gaps.
04 Add the stem in Stem Stitch using teal. To stitch the text, use two strands of grey and very small Backstitches.
05 Now, swap design 3 into your hoop and stitch the centre of the small, complete flower with Satin Stitch in yellow. Work the petals in Satin Stitch with pale orange, stitching from the outside towards the middle.
06 Work the petals of the orange flower using small Backstitches, as in step 3, and fill the centre using Satin Stitch in yellow. Sew the pink flower petals using Satin Stitch in pink, then fill the centre with French
Knots in yellow. You only need to stitch the visible French Knots, so use your mini hoop as a guide to work out where to stitch up to. Mount the designs in the mini hoops using the instructions in the packet. Finish by gluing a brooch fastening to the back of each hoop. Once dry, they’re ready to wear!