Thank you everyone for all the information. I did not want the bulkiness of the machine stitching so I ironed 3 layers of freezer paper, cut it in 1/8" and 3/8" strips. Then I cut a bias cut through my fabric, ironed the strip to the wrong side of the bias fabric, then cut each side leaving a narrow amount of fabric on each side. I then used a light starch on one side and ironed over onto the wrong side of the freezer paper. I then used starch to the other side of the strip and repeated on that side. The stems turned out beautifully in both widths. I tried it just to see if it would work. I like the flat stems for my newest project.
Thank you to everyone who helped give me ideas. I will use them for other projects, I am sure.