Cloth Napkin/ Silk Poppies

I will admit some of my ideas do come from Martha Stewart.  These poppies came from her latest issue May 2011.  I decided to try making one of them because I just love the look of poppy flowers.  There was only one problem.  I didn't have a lot of silk.  I did however have some vintage cloth napkins I had picked-up at a yard sale.  They already had fringed ends and I didn't know what I was going to do with just a few matching napkins. 

Here is what the final flower will look like if you use all napkins (or cotton).



1. These flowers can be all different sizes and colors so go crazy.  You will need to cut 1 rectangle about 8-12 inches long and 2-5 inches wide.  The wider the rectangle the higher the flower will stand-up.  The second rectangle should be a few inches shorter and narrower.  The third piece should be even smaller.

2.The red fabric here is silk and the gray is part of a napkin.  When cutting the silk make sure you are able to remove some of the threads so you can create the fringe.

3. Next you will sew a running stitch 1/4 inch away from non-fringed edge.  (I used white thread so you could see it...you will want to match up your thread and fabric.)

4. Gather the whole edge and overlap the ends just a little.  Sew together.  You might need to trim off the corners if they stick out to much.  Do the same with the rest of the strips. 

5.Sew them all together and add a button to the center to complete the poppy look.  Now wasn't that easy!  

I think these would be really cute if you add stems and sew them to a purse.  The ones made out of cloth napkins are more sturdy (and washable) and the ones made with the silk are a little more delicate.