tothenci

The translate of the tutorial:
I have made a new type of dahlia using the textile-origami technique. This time I remembered to take pictures as I went…to meet Enigma’s request :o)

Let’s see how this flower is made. I’ll try to keep my comments between the pictures brief and limited to what’s absolutely necessary to explain… Many of us have made such a flower, probably in many different ways. I will share my own version with you now. I took it from Ledanna’s blog, though with some modifications.

Dahlia step by step:

Select 7 different fabrics, in co-ordinated hues. Then cut squares of 15x15 cm out of each fabric, in total 8 squares per fabric. The flower will have 8 petals and every petal will be made up of 7 different fabrics. This means that you’ll need 56 squares of 15x15 cm in total. You will also have to cut a base square of 35x35 cm onto which the petals will be sewn.



Once done with the small squares as well as the base square, you can start folding the fabrics. Take one square, fold it in half and „iron” the fold with your nails. Then fold it in half again, but open up the second fold backwards. This fold will be at the middle of the petals, and it will also be your guide to keep your stitches straight (we’ll come back to this later on).





When all the squares are folded, take the one that you want to start with, that is, the one which will be the centre of your flower. Place this square down, folded out, and lay the rest of the squares on top of it, leaving about 1 cm distance, in a way that the folding lines should overlap.
Do the same for all 8 petals.



Now take the base square and fold it in half twice across, and then also diagonally. „Iron” the folds thoroughly, again using your fingers, and then unfold it into a square again. Maybe this picture is not clear enough but if your folds are visible enough, they will help you as a guiding line in sewing.



Now we’re ready to do the sewing proper. It is high time, isn’t it? :o)

Lay down the base square and place the 7 squares, folded in two, along one of the folds in the large square. Take care that the folds cover each other exactly, also perfectly adjusted to the fold in the base square. It is extremely important to keep the centre accurately pointed out. Using straight stitches, sew all 7 fabrics onto the base square.





Fold the fabrics, now sewed to the base, along the seams, on top of one another.



On the next fold of the base square, place another „7-pack” of fabrics, and sew it onto the base square as above.





This pack of fabrics should also be folded along the seam line.


...
Now it’s time to fold the petals…
The centre of the petal, or else the first fold is done in a different way than the rest, as it is folded in two steps, while the others are made in one single fold.
This is how you proceed: always start on the left and progress towards the right, in order to create petals of equal sizes. Fold the first square diagonally, iron the fold with your fingers, fold it back outward and fold it along the third of the square. This explanation may be overcomplicated to read but the pictures will help you understand how to do it. Seriously, it is harder to write down how it’s done than it is to do it!!! :o)

This is how to fold the first petal in three:

The easiest way to find the point where it can be folded in three is to fold the fabric in two and then, after unfolding it, fold it up to the line created by the first fold.



...fold in the square on the left, up to this one-third point...



...then to the two-thirds point...




And then fold it onto the base square which it will nicely cover.




Do the same on the right side, as well.



Start folding in the second petal from the left, too. Fold it in up to the seam line, then fold it onto the first petal. Fold in the right side in the same way, then proceed to the third petal from the left, and so on, until the small petals are all done.







Now the first petal of the flower is done! Now you can start sewing the next petal…and the next, and the next…


When all 8 petals are sewed onto the base and folded in, you have made a dahlia using the origami technique! :o)






I hope this tutorial made you want to start making a dahlia now!
Sorry if my explanations were not all clear.. :o)
Of course I’ll be here to answer your questions if something is still unclear. I want to see a lot of beautiful dahlias in fresh bloom!!! Enjoy the work!!! :o)