Twine Flower Photo Tutorial

We have been packing today, slowly, my belongings are disappearing from around me. My yarn, fabrics and sewing machine were boxed up today....so there'll be no more sewn projects for some time! I am holding tight to my paper crafting goodies though. We don't leave here for another 3.5 weeks and I need to have something to keep me entertained.

After yesterdays effort, Paula asked for a photo tutorial for my twine flower, so I knuckled down and did that this afternoon. The photos are not great. They are taken indoors, in poor lighting, but you can see what I am talking about...I hope. I am sure there will be other tutorials out there in cyber-land, but maybe they won't be exactly the same as mine. On with the show...

TWINE FLOWER TUTORIAL

Materials:

• Scallop Circle Die - I have used the 3 inch wide scalloped circle die from my Spellbinders Nestability set, but you can use pretty much any size you like. Try different sizes for different effects.
• Circle Punch - I have used the 1 3/8 inch circle punch by Stampin' Up! You just need a circle big enough to allow you to crochet around the flower centre.
• Twine - for this tutorial I have used Stampin' Up!s Linen Twine and it works beautifully. I have always loved SUs Linen Twine. You could also try their Hemp Twine, it is much thicker, and would give quite a different look.
• Washi Tape - I don't think I've waxed on much about how much I love Washi Tape! I have just a wee collection here ;-), and I use it a LOT. I use it for decorating envelopes, I use it to make pretty tags, I use it to fasten balloons to streamers, I use it to hold my dies in place while I am running them through Mr Cuttlebug and for this project, I also used it to hold the twine in place while I was wrapping it about my makeshift loom.
• Crochet Hook - I have used a 2.5 mm hook, but any fairly fine hook will do.
• Scissors - to cut your twine and to cut away the loom once you have finished.

Step 1:

Create your cardboard loom by punching your 1 3/8 inch circle in some cardstock and then cutting your die over the top. As I mentioned above, I use my Washi Tape to hold my scalloped circle die in the correct position over the punched hole while I am running it through my Cuttlebug. Washi rips easily by hand, and pulls off your cardstock with out any damage (if you do it gently). I buy most of my Washi Tape from Washimatta and Pretty Tape who both stock beautiful Japanese Washi Tapes...

Step 2:

Fix your twine to the loom with some Washi Tape, so you are not continually losing that end (like I did the first three times I made these)...

Step 3:

Commence wrapping it around your loom. You wrap from one side of the loom to the diamterically opposite point, and then move to the next scallop petal and repeat all the way around...

Step 4:

Repeat wrapping around the loom three times....you'll use up lots of twine....rest assured! Try not to pull too tight, as you will end up buckling your cardstock and distorting your homemade loom (one thing you won't have to worry about if you use a store bought hard plastic loom). This is what your loom and twine will look like now...

Step 5:

With the free end of your twine now at the back, you are ready to start crocheting the circle of chain stitches around the flower centre. This circle of chain stitches will hold the twine in individual 'petals', and hold the whole flower together once the loom has been removed. This bit is tricky to show with photos, because I can't crochet and photograph at the same time (only having two hands and all)....but I've done my best.

You need to carefully separate the first clump (or petal) containing three strands of twine (at the back and front of the loom) with your fingers. Then, in the first gap, push your crochet hook through from the front to the back, loop the free end of twine over it and then pull the loop of your twine back through to the front of your project. This starts getting hard because twine is hairy and therefore it doesn't slip easily....make the loop around your crochet hook as loose as possible to help the twine move. You now have one loop of twine on your crochet hook...

Step 6:

Keeping the first loop of twine on your crochet hook, move across to the very next gap between the clump of three strands of twine, use your fingers again to separate the clump of three strands (at the front and back of the loom) and then put your crochet hook through from the front, loop the free end of the twine over your hook (loosely) and bring it forward, through the gap. You will now have two loops of twine on your crochet hook...

Step 7:

Now you have to pull the second loop of twine (the one closest to the pointy end of your crochet hook), back through the first loop of twine on your hook. The first loop goes over the top of the second one and off the end of your crochet hook. It ends up becoming the first chain stitch around your flower centre, and you are left with one loop of twine on your crochet hook. You then repeat Steps 6 and 7 right around the flower until you are back where you started...

Step 8:

For my last chain stitch I just chained through my very first chain stitch and then pulled my twine right through the loop, and then through to the back of the project using my crochet hook, so the loose end was back there, and then I just tied it off using any old loop.

Then, using some small sharp scissors carefully go in and snip the cardstock loom into small pieces, right the way around (mind you don't cut any strands of twine in the back as you are doing this)...

Step 9:

Gently wriggle out all the little pieces of your cut cardstock loom, et volia! You have a pretty twine flower! You can attach a button or other bling to the centre to dress it up, or just go au naturel...

FAR OUT, now I remember why I don't write tutorials. That took FOREVAH! Hope it sounds less like Indo-Finnish now :-). Let me know if anything isn't clear and I'll try and fix it...

Blogged to: Original Sin - INXS, Feels Like Heaven - Urban Cookie Collective, Starlight - The Supermen Lovers featuring Mani Hoffman, Sunshine After the Rain (Two Cowboys Club Edit) - Berri,  Total Control - The Motels, Science Fiction - Divinyls, Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles, Sweet Child o' Mine - Guns N' Roses and American Pie - Don McLean.