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Stitching An Open Centre on a Loomed Flower

The open centre is excellent for a lacy look, or if you want to stitch your flowers to a background fabric and would like a space to sew a button or bead in the centre.

1: When you have finished winding you will have a slight gap in the middle like the flower in the photo shown on the left.

It can be more difficult to see with some yarn/loom combinations than others. If you can’t see it on your loom, gently stick the end of your little finger in the middle of the criss-crossed section in the centre and you’ll usually be able to find it as the threads will move to one side.

2: Thread the cut end of your yarn into a blunt needle.

Put your needle through the centre of the flower and up to the right right hand side of the last petal you wound on the loom.

You will want your needle to come out between the petals.

3: Bring your needle back through the centre, then out beween the next two petals.

Pull the yarn quite firmly in a downwards motion towards the centre of the loom each time you stitch, so the stitches are pulled tight and the hole is centred on your flower.

4: Continue all the way around until you have made thriteen stitches (including the first one).
5: You’ll end up one petal past where you started, with a firm stitch between each of the petals.

If you think your stitching looks a bit spindly, stitch a second round (I like to do two or three rounds, depending on the yarn).

6: To fasten off, put your needle back through the centre, but come up through the same gap as your last stitch.

Thread the end of your yarn through the loop and pull tight, pulling the yarn up towards the outer edge of your loom so that the knot will fall to the back of your flower.

If you want to make a knotted edging on your flower finish here, but don’t cut the yarn as you’ll use it to make your edging before taking the flower off the loom.

If you are not making a knotted edging continue with the next step.

7: Stitch both of the loose ends of yarn into the centre stitching at the back of your flower and trim the ends.
A finished flower with a single round of stitching in the centre.
The flower on the left has a double round of stitching in a contrasting colour.

If you want to make a centre in a contrasting colour work as follows (this also works for flowers with a knotted edging worked in the same colour as the petals):

Bring your petal colour back across the loom to the opposite side and fasten off onto the back of the loom (wind it round the knob or stitck it to the back with some tape).

Take your new colour and work the centre stitching.

Darn all the loose ends into the back of the flower as before. If you want to make a knotted edging stop at the end of step 6.


Copyright Sarah Bradberry September 2006. All rights reserved.