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These are brief instructions on how to make fabric flowers but let me start by telling you how it all started.

Last December, my co-workers and I went to the mall to buy gifts for our significant others for Christmas. We all ended up buying fashionable pocketbooks from the same store. Personally, I wanted to make my wife's pocketbook stand out from the others in some way and not look like all the others. I pondered over this for a few days afterwards, then I had a marvelous idea. Some of my wife's favorite things are from the fabric store and the flower shop. Since I am an avid origami flowers buff making the usual paper origami flowers would be predictable, therefore that was the answer - Making fabric flowers.

My only worries were that I would not know where, or what materials I needed to make them, or even exactly how to make the flower since I had only been accustomed mainly to paper crafts, including paper flowers. To my relief, the needed materials were very easy to acquire at the local hobby shop.

The other thing I was worried about was the time it would take to make the fabric flower, since I didn't know how long it would take to make and Christmas was quickly approaching. Not to mention messing up this new and expensive pocket book and whether or not my flower, even if created correctly, would look okay on it! Again, to my relief it was very inexpensive to buy all the supplies and once everything was acquired it took very little time to make it.

There are only a few items that are needed to make this fabric flower for your significant other, or even your mom or daughter. You will need some fabric, a little piece of felt, some thread (preferably of the same color), some fabric glue (this is optional), and a template (this is the pattern of your design that you trace on the fabric) which you can easily draw the outline for yourself, have someone do for you or find on the internet and print out. The only tools needed are scissors, needle, button (this is used to hide the stitches), and a pin back.

The first step is use your scissors to cut out the number of flowers needed (indicated on the template) in your fabrics. Use the dotted line to cut into each flower.

Next, take the two large pattern flowers and stack them neatly on each other. Fold in half, then lay the smaller flowers on top of the larger flowers, overlapping them.

Then, use your needle and thread to make stitches in the center to hold all the petals together. Now, tie the button over the stitches with the remaining thread from the previous step.

Finally, cut off a round piece of the felt and secure the pin back on to the felt and then sew the felt to the center of the back of the flower.

You can use a dab of fabric glue behind the felt for more security.

I have to tell you that I stupidly tried making my first flower on the pocket book and I did mess up the fabric flower and then had to buy another pocket book. Ouch! I guess I was anxious to get it done on time and my better sense eluded me. I learned my lesson and I recommend you practise a bit on some paper or cheap cloth first. However, I ended up getting it right and it came out great.

After the holiday was over, my wife began showing off her new pocketbook with the cute fabric flower on the front of it. All her friends were in awe because they didn't understand how I could have found the time and the patience to make the pocket book with the fabric flower and how different I had been from most in the originality of my gift. Unbeknownst to them, it took me about an hour to make it and a ten minute stop at the store to get the supplies. That was it!!!

I never thought that in a million years that this would be a hobby to recommend to others. I had grown fond of paper and origami crafts but never fabric in this sense. I admit that I was terribly mistaken.

Now I recommend this creative hobby to you or anyone that is asking for a fun and inexpensive way to express your creativity, not to mention impressing your wife and friends. Just don't go starting out experimenting on expensive pocket books like I did!

In the next step you should not have to go to great lengths to learn How to Make Fabric Flowers or other kinds of flowers including paper flowers. Undoubtedly you could also use visual help. Erich invites you to visit his free site with images, instructions, videos and more plus this other web site on How to Make Origami Flowers [http://blog.paper-flowers.org] which is his #1 recommended resource.

Making A Brooch Using Jewellery Findings

Brooches can be very simple or extremely intricate and detailed pieces. Using jewellery findings, it is possible to make your own brooches, honing your skills until you are capable of creating brooches at the level you desire.

Brooches can be created very simply; buying jewellery findings such as brooch blanks and gluing stones or mosaic pieces to them. Pins can be glued to the backs of the blanks and a very basic brooch is made. A popular effect is layering. Not only does it add an intricacy to the piece, but stones can also be incorporated for eye-catching effects. Round-nosed pliers are advisable in this process to cope with minute manipulation of the wire involved.

Firstly, you need to decide on the backing for your brooch: gold, or silver. Once you have made your choice, you will need gold or silver half-hard wire; - 0.50 mm in diameter. The hardness of these wires makes them perfect for incorporating small beads, gems or pearls into your design.

Take one continuous length and, using your round-nosed pliers, create a tine curve in one end; this will act as a seal. Form a looping circle and place your beads, stones or pearls onto the wire. Looping the wire into petal shapes, form the outline of a flower. Depending on how much wire you have, you can continue to loop petal shapes and layer them onto the petals behind, forming a succession of overlapping petals. These do not have to be perfectly aligned; it is often more interesting to see the petals at the back, as well as those on top. Ensure, however that you leave enough wire free to fix a central stone or gem.

Thread the exposed wire through your chosen centrepiece and then pull it through the centre of the flower and out through the back of the piece. Once again, using the round-nosed pliers, roll the end of the wire in on itself to form a securing seal. This can then be flattened using the pliers and a small amount of glue used to act as security.

Attaching pins, or pinbacks, can be either glued or soldered on. Soldering is an advanced technique that requires specialist equipment and is more suited to attaching clasps and other jewellery findings to denser brooch-bases, such as blanks.

Depending on the materials you have used to create your brooch, you may or may not want to seal them. This should be done before attaching the pinback. All raw brass should be sealed, as it will oxidise and discolour if it is not. There are many spray lacquers available, but it should be noted that many of them create toxic fumes and should only be used in well-ventilated areas. Glass and gemstones do not need sealing, but pieces of porcelain and anything that is unglazed will require it. Once sealed, the brooch should be given 8 - 12 hours to dry and a further 8 hours once the pinback has been added.

Some lacquers continue to release gases for up to three days after spraying and, if this is the case, the piece should be allowed to rest for that time, before wearing.

About the Author

Adam Hunter - E-commerce Marketing Manager of cooksongold.com. Cookson Precious Metals offer a choice of supplies from over 10,000 products including gold and silver solder,
jewellery findings
, findings, precious metal clay and precious metal sheet - gold and silver. For interviews, quotes, images or comments contact: Adam Hunter E-commerce Marketing Manager Tel(DDI): +44 (0) 121 212 6491 E-mail: adam.hunter@cooksongold.com

How valuable is jewelry stamped West Germany?

I have a cameo pin that I bought years ago in a antique store. Paid very little for it. It has a black background with a frosted cameo on it. It is edged in gold paint(?) design. The pinback is very basic(gold tone) and stamped West Germany. I would prefer answers from people in the vintage jewelry industry, please. Already checked Ebay, I don't feel that is a good judge of what the market will bear.

Without any visual aid it is impossible to tell. The stamp does not tell us anything except that it is probably made in west Germany...but why it does not say "(West) Deutchland" is a mystery to me. It may mean it is a mass produced export piece.

I guess you payed the right amount for it and the price has not increased the last years.

Hexagonal Brick Stitch Pins
Simple pins that work up very quickly for gifts including graph paper.

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