Crazy Quilted Brooch
For mini projects such as this one, choose fabrics that are lightweight and do not fray easily. Silks are ideal. Among my favorites are hand-dyed jacquard and Habotai silks, but there are many types that will work well for jewelry pieces.
The brooch shown here is approx. 2-1/3" wide by about 3" long not including the fringe or the wire. Make yours any shape you like- round, oval, square, rectangular, or odd-shaped.
Leather is my choice for textile jewelry backings. Use a thin leather with one side suede and one side smooth that can be hand sewn .
Tools Needed:
- fabric shears
- embroidery scissors
- paper-cutting scissors
- pencil
- hand sewing and embroidery needles
- pins
- iron
- 5" embroidery hoop
- beading needle
- wire-bending tools (optional)
Materials Needed:
- poster board
- silk fabric scraps
- 7" square of muslin fabric
- cotton sewing thread
- embroidery materials of your choice
- cotton batting
- buckram
- leather
- size 15 seed beads
- beading thread
- 12" of 18 gauge jewelry wire (or purchased pinback)
- rubber cement
1. Cut the poster board in the shape of your brooch to make a pattern. Lay the pattern on the muslin fabric and draw around it so you will have the shape on the muslin.
2. Cut patches and lay them to extend 1/2" beyond the pencil line. Pin. Baste the patches in place and remove the pins. Lay on the pattern and baste around it so you can see exactly where the edges are.
3. Place the piece into the embroidery hoop and work embroidery and embellishments as desired. The photo shows silk ribbon embroidery worked first as the "centerpiece" of the design.
4. When embroidery is finished, remove the piece from the hoop and trim away excess fabrics leaving 1/2" beyond the line that was basted around the pattern.
5. Using the poster board pattern, cut one of buckram, two of cotton batting, and one of leather (suede side upwards). Trim the batting pieces so they are slightly smaller than the pattern.
6. Lay the pattern on the back of the sewn piece and carefully press the edges onto the back of the pattern. This makes a crisp and neat edge for the brooch.
7. Remove the poster board pattern and place the two pieces of batting followed by the buckram onto the back of the sewn piece. Thread a needle with cotton sewing thread and sew back and forth to hold the fabric edges flat against the back of the piece. Work carefully so the piece stays flat. In the photo below, this stitching is finished, the beaded edging is worked, and the leather and wire pieces await assembly.
8. Sew a beaded fringe using the seed beads, beading thread and beading needle. I used 6, 9, 12, and 18-bead lengths to make a varied fringe.
9. Wire Pin Back. Bend the wire into a pin shape. Note that the wire is bent back and forth in the area that will be fastened to the sewn piece. This will keep it from shifting about. Shape the pin as you like using the top photo on this page for a suggested shape. File the pin end so it is smooth and rounded. Sew the pin to the back of the sewn piece checkiing that the pin is placed as you want it.
9.a. Purchased Pin Back. If you are using a purchased pin back, finish step 10, then sew it to the leather, OR, if the leather is too thick to easily sew through, sew it on before step 10, by poking sewing holes with a heavy needle.
10. Place the leather on the back of the piece and check that it is slightly smaller than the sewn piece. If not, trim the edges slightly. (You don't want it to show on the front). Place rubber cement on both the sewn piece and the leather. Let it dry. Place them together. Thread a sewing needle with cotton thread and stitch all around keeping stitches tiny and invisible.
This pattern is for personal use only. Not to be sold, copied, or distributed in any way, shape, manner, or form.