Choosing a fabric for making flowers

We have already talked about tools, as well as paints and other accessories that we need to make flowers. There is no need to list everything. As you enter this interesting and exciting work, your desk or cabinet will be replenished with more and more necessary items, and the experience will grow with each new flower. Sometimes I see girls on the street with flowers in hair or on dresses. These flowers are made quite simply and uncomplicatedly - it depends on who has what taste and requirements.

In our stories about how to make flowers from fabric, we try to show and prepare those who take up this business, to make flowers so that their beauty is perfect for everyone. But still, choose for yourself which style suits you, simplicity or perfection. In any case, you will find useful tips on how to prepare the fabric for making flowers.

The fabrics must be starched. Why is starch needed? Fabrics become much more manageable during the manufacturing process. Silk is both natural and artificial starch with gelatin, and cotton fabrics and velvet with potato starch.

Fabrics are starchy after dyeing, if necessary.
How to prepare starch: 1 tablespoon of starch is diluted in a small amount of cold water, then, stirring continuously, add a glass of boiling water.

How gelatin is prepared: 1 tablespoon of gelatin is poured with a glass of cold water and set for an hour to swell the gelatin. Then the solution is heated to dissolve the gelatin, stirring continuously.

The fabrics are dipped in a hot solution and then lightly wrung out. It is advisable to dry it on a fishing line, attaching with clothespins.

Correctly starched fabric should rustle like paper. If it is too starched, then the fabric will stick to hot tools, if too little, it will be difficult to form flower details out of it. If something goes wrong, don't be discouraged. Soak and dry the fabric again and repeat the starching process.

Velvet is starch from the seamy side, and so that not just moisten, but lubricate the material so that the solution is not soaked on the front side.

It is better to use fabrics in size 50 x 30 cm, you can also use less.
Denser and thicker fabrics tend to starch weaker and thinner fabrics stronger.
The fabric is ironed. If it is too dry, it will be difficult to iron, then place the cloth between two damp towels and iron.

It is very convenient to starch and dry the fabric on the hoop, especially for velvet and panne velvet.
The threads for the stamens are also starchy. If you want the threads to become "golden", add bronze paint to the starch.

No matter how you do flowers - according to your own imagination or clearly agreeing with what nature gives, you still need to starch the fabrics.