Before assembling a Kanzashi flower, there are some basic things to know and consider. Having the right size of flowers is key, "Interestingly, the size of fabric square you use to fold each petal will be the same size s your finished flower" (Gilleland 28). Surprisingly enough, if you make your petals from 4 inch squares, the finished flower will be about 4 inches in diameter. Another key thing is to consider how many petals you are going to need. You can make the flower with any number of petals you like, but generally the larger the flower, the more petals you will need. The author advises, "More petals provide more stability, especially with larger flowers" (28). It is not the same case with smaller petals though. For example, "A two inch petal looks lovely with six petals, but ten petals would be quite crowded" (28).
1. Keep a steady hold on one petal, poke the needle through the base. The needle should be about 1/8" away from the edge of the petal and centered across its width.
2. Pull the thread through the petal. (make sure the petals are all facing the same way and in the order you want them in)
3. Repeat steps 1-2 with the remaining petals, until they are all strung side by side on the thread like beads.
4. Cut the leading end of the thread to remove the needle. Tie the two ends of the thread in a double knot. (Be careful not to pull the string too tight as the petals will need to be readjusted a few times to make a perfect circle)
5. Cut the loose ends of the thread off.
What is one thing you've made that you were so proud of?
Your instructions are simple, neat and easy to understand! I love how you add extra notes to ensure the best results.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed by the amount of patience and dexterity it takes to make this, perhaps I should try making a kanzashi hair clip one day as well... To answer you blog question, I think one thing I made that I was proud of was 8 handmade yukatas for a Japanese play once.
This flower is very cute! I like how you mentioned to plan what size the flowers will be before you start making them and finding exactly where the spot to put the needle through. It can help you plan ahead and you don't mess up. It looks very hard to be able to sew together the petals so that they are even with each other and I appreciate how you paid attention to the little details required for making a flower. I actually tried my hand at something similar to this, by sewing some fabric together to make patterns on clothing.
ReplyDeleteI think that one thing that I've made that I was so proud of was successfully folding a paper crane for the first time after taking many tries to do it.