Free Motion Cotton Fabric Flower Insert

SUPPLIES & TOOLS:

• Denim Jacket with panel construction on back
• 1 Fat quarter or 1/2yd black cotton fabric
• 1/8yd each of 5 solid colors of quilt fabric
• 1/8yd solid green fabric for the stems
• 3/4yd Shape-flex interfacing
• 1/2yd tear-away stabilizer
• Black all-purpose thread
• Glue stick
• White marking pen (fine) by Clover
• Basic sewing supplies
• Sewing machine with free motion foot. (Machine needs the capability of dropping the feed teeth or have a cover for the feed teeth for the free motion stitching.)
• Iron & pressing surface
• Paper larger than back panel of jacket
• Pencil
• Scissors

DIRECTIONS:

1. Press the jacket and the fabrics.
2. Place the paper on top of the jacket panel and pin the paper to the panel in the middle so the paper does not shift. Press the paper down against the jacket seams pressing a line into the paper where the thick seams meet the panel to be covered. Follow along the same line with the pencil to make a pattern the same size as the panel minus the seams. Cut out the pattern. The pattern should be just like the shape and size of the jacket panel.
3. Place the pattern on the fabric side of the interfacing and draw around it with a pen or pencil. Cut out the interfacing 2" larger than the pattern all around. Fuse the interfacing to the back of the black fabric. Cut out the black fabric along the edge of the interfacing. The interfaced black piece will be the background for the free motion flowers.
4. Place the pattern centered on the black background and draw around it with the white marker. Tip: The lines of the marker disappear when ironed.
5. If light fabrics are being used for the flowers use the leftover interfacing on the back of the light fabric to avoid the background showing through the light fabric.
6. Set up the sewing machine with black thread on the bobbin and top. Set the machine for a straight stitch and drop the feed teeth. Tip: Stitch length does not matter because the length of the stitches depends on the movement of the fabric by the person sewing.
7. Cut out three petal-like shapes for each of the side view flowers and one 1/4" strip of green for the stem. Cut out five or six smaller petals for each of the front facing flowers as well as a stem piece. Place the petals on the background in their flower shape to determine placement of the flowers for the design. Move the flowers around until you achieve the look you want.
8. Swipe glue along the back side of the stems and place them on the background and remove the flowers. Sew the length of the stems making three or four sewn rows. Glue the petals of the flower furthest back in the overall design on the background fabric. Sew around the petals four or more times to make sketch like black lines on the petals. See photograph. Add the rest of the flowers one at a time from the back of the design to the front as some of the front flowers may overlap the back flowers.
9. When the design is complete, double check to be sure the pattern is the size and shape of the jacket panel, inside of the stitching. Pin the pattern on the finished design and cut 3/4" out from the edge of the pattern all around. Fold the 3/4" edge to the back of the fabric and pin to the jacket panel.
10. Change the foot on the sewing machine to the regular sewing foot and bring up the feed teeth. Select the straight stitch with a stitch length about 3.0. Top stitch the design on the jacket about 1/8" from the folded under edge.