Velvet Fabric

• A soft hand fabric such as velvet is classified as a warp pile cloth. The warp refers to the yarns which run lengthwise when constructing woven goods. Thicker velvets, referred to as plush, have more than an 1/8 inch pile height. The thickness of the fabric influences the style of velvet flower. For example, plush velvets are generally used for large flower shapes. The petal pattern has a wider base to gather, referred to as shirred, to form the petal shape into a full flower.
  
  

Velvet Flower Making

• Crushed velvet used when making simple velvet flowers makes the flower appear rich and soft. Velvet trim with different border finishes such as scallop are made by inserting thread or embroidery floss along the trim's edge. Once the thread is pulled, the trim begins to curl as it rounds. By tying a simple knot to secure the flower round, attaching embellishments such as rhinestones or beads to the flower center, adds a different dimension to the flower.
  
  

Silk Fabric

• The strong natural fiber made by the silkworm is used to produce silk fabric. Different types of silk-based fabric products such as georgette, organza, chiffon and net are cut into individual petals and made into silk flower blooms. Although these flowers are used in floral arrangements and sold separately by the flower type in arts and crafts stores, the flower technique is also used to create apparel driven embellishments such as brooches and hair accessories.
  
  

Silk Ribbon Flowers

• Novelty trims such as silk ribbon are also used to make fabric flowers. By passing a hand sewing needle on one end of gathered ribbon in alternation loops, the flower is shaped. The open ends are attached with a liquid seam sealant and the loops are fanned out creating the flower bloom. Although this technique is used with different ribbon textures, silk has a soft and lightweight hand, facilitating the alternating loops. Silk ribbon motifs are made in a variety of sizes and are often seen on apparel or home décor items.
  
  

Velvet and Silk Flowers for Scrapbooking Pages

• Making fabric flower motifs for scrapbooking pages, adds dimension as well as embellishes the page. Velvet and silk floral rounds are attached to the pages to tie in with a special event such as wearing a velvet dress for a holiday family gathering or a silk dress for Easter Sunday. Saving fabric scraps from making a special occasion dress is a "green" way to recycle and recreate it into velvet or silk flowers for your pages.
  
  

Care and Maintenance

• Fabric flowers are susceptible to collecting dust and debris and the color intensity will also diminish over time. By placing the floral arrangement away from direct sunlight, the original color will be prolonged.
  
  Special cleaning sprays are readily available at craft and home décor stores to extend the life of velvet and silk fabric flowers. The spray generally removes the dust when applied onto the individual petals. Usually the spray is held 12- to 14-inches away from the flower petal to avoid excess drips. It is also important to use sprays geared for your flower's fabric type to avoid damage.