TSUMAMI KANZASHI FLOWER Kanzashi are the hair ornaments used in traditional Japanese hairstyles and in the Western

world it's often referred to the folded fabric flower technique....but this is actually the Tsumami Flower used to create some forms of Kanzashi. There are a lot of variations to create different petal shapes and quite frankly I could set up a whole website purely for this art but for now...here's a Wiki link that explains all the different meanings etc http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanzashi#Types_of_kanzashi and I have put here a basic instruction for a petal which once you have mastered, you can adapt to your own requirements. Traditionally the flowers are made out of intricate and delicate Japanese silk scraps, usually tiny 1inch squares and require the use of fine tweezers to help shape and hold the fabric. I do think this type of fabric really does make the best flower as the fabric can be shaped and manipulated well....but it possible and easy to create the folds out of many other fabrics. This allows you to adapt the flowers to suit your project, be it traditional, grungy and modern etc. You may also be surprized to discover that the traditional technique uses glue to hold the petals in place.....a lot ofWestern adaptation tutorials you might come across use stitching...and I really think you need to decide and work out what best suits you and the fabric you use. In my tutorial I had some old cotton shirt scraps to hand and unlike the traditional fabrics, this didn't need starching to stiffen it up as it was heavy enough to hold it's shape and I opted to stitch the folds in place...which isn't as complicated or difficult as it looks and was much quicker than having to wait for the glue to dry before moving on to each next fold. I also discovered a few variations in the folding which you might be interested in looking at as these can also help you with using different fabrics and how you intend to use the flowers. When I first started making Tsumami Kanzanshi Flowers I created them out of quite large squares of fabric so I could concentrate on mastering the folds...then the more confident I got, the smaller I made them...and this will probably be the best way for you to go too if you've never attempted anything like this before. After that...the worlds your oyster!...try out cottons, silks, felts and synthetic fabrics and you'll be amazed how each flower can take on an individual look. INSTRUCTIONS -

TOOLS REQUIRED - Squares of fabric, matching cotton and needle or fabric glue, good sharp fabric scissors. Button or other adorment for the centre. In this tutorial I have made a seven petal flower so therefore required seven squares of fabric and these were cut to 4inch square. Place your fabric square out on the worksurface in front of you....if it has a particular colour, texture or pattern that you wish to show on the front, this needs to be placed face down to start off with. Mentally note the top left and bottom right hand corners - shown in the photo (above far right) as B and A.

Fold the square diagonally in half so that corner A meets corner B and a triangle is formed (your pattern, colour etc will now be showing). Then rotate the triangle around so that the folded edge is horizontal to you. Take the bottom right corner (both layers of fabric) and fold this up so that the corner meets the top corner of the triangle.

Repeat with the other bottom left corner so that a square is now formed, placed in such a way so that it looks like a diamond shape. You will have the bottom corner/point made up of folded fabric which is point A....and the top corner/point made up of the cut raw fabric edges which is point B. Now flip the whole thing over so that point A is now at the top...and point B at the bottom (see photo above middle. You will also note I have used a pin to hold it all together - this is purely to keep in in place while I took the photo). Imagine a centre line running down from A to B and take the right hand corner and fold it inwards to meet this centre line.

Repeat with the left hand corner (At this point you might wish to hold the folded points in place with a stitch but it isn't necessary unless the fabric you're working with is quite silky and slides out of shape

easily). You now have a lozenge shape with two folded edges A and B as in the photo above centre. Fold the whole piece in half vertically so that edge B meets edge A. The front of the petal will be the side on the right...the back of the petal is the edge to the left.

The next step is how the petal is traditionally made - excess fabric is cut away. The cut line runs from the corner point 1 horizontally across to point 2 of the right hand edge. The bottom section is discarded. You will need a good pair of fabric scissors to achieve a sharpand straight cut but some fabrics will still fray...don't worry too much about this as it will all be hidden and secured in the final assembly of the petals. To secure the base of the petal, add a tiny stitch or dab of glue (if using glue then you must wait for it to dry completely before moving on to the next stage.

All your folding is now complete and you're ready to now shape the petal. At this point I tend to make up all the petals I need, then shape and assemble them together into the final flower. Grasp the base of the petal between your thumb and finger of one hand and hold it so that the front of the petal faces towards you (the longest vertical side which comprises of three folded sections of fabric). Gently push down on the top of the petal as indicated in photo top right to open it out to the shape you require....the more you open it out the rounder the petal edge.

Using a needle and thread, Gather up all your petals, running the cotton through all the bases, near the edge. Tie off the two loose thread ends together so that the petals form a circle then spend a little time reorganizing and reshaping the petals until you achieve the flower shape and look you are happy with.

The flower formed here is quite deep and this really depends on how tight you thread and gather your petals together. If you string them up quite loosely you can squash the petals down a bit more to make a flatter flower. The back of the flower will have raw edges and possibly fraying fabric that you'll probably want to tidy up...really depending on how you intend to use the flower in your project. You can glue the back to stop further fraying and even attach a base of fabric or card to neaten it off....this is important if, for example you are attaching a pin to make the flower into a brooch or hair slide.

The raw edges of the flower centre on the front also need tidying up....it really is up to you what you want to use. Here I have used a decorative button (photo above middle) and a brad covered in matching fabric (photo above right). You could use anything from coins, brads, specialist flower stamens, ribbon bows etc. FOLD VARIATIONS When I first started making up these flowers I tried out a few different folds to see if it was possible to create a petal without having to cut off the excess fabric. Depending on how thick your fabric is, it does actually work but needs securing with a few stitches or glue. You will achieve a much more substantial flower base with no raw edges and therefore no unwanted fraying.

Follow the above instructions to the point where you fold in the edges to form the lozenge shape. Now instead of folding and cutting off the end, fold it up (all the layers) to meet the middle point - the piece will look like a mini envelope. Stitch or glue to hold in place, then fold the whole piece in half to form the completed petal. The base of the petal will now have neater folded edges rather than raw cut ones. Continue on with shaping your petaland assembling your flower as shown in the previous instructions. SHAPE VARIATIONS

THIN DEEP PETAL - Squeeze in the sides of the petal base and secure with a stitch or glue to form a traditional shape.

FAT FLAT PETAL - Squeeze in the top and bottom of the petal and secure with a stitch or glue to create a wider petal shape that when assembles, forma s flatter flower that will be more suitable for cardcraft etc or when you don't want the flower to be too prominant.

TECHNIQUES - Ribbon Flowers

This page covers various techniques on how to form flowers using ribbons.

STITCH & FOLD PETALS/LEAVES

Flower petals and leaves formed using individual strips of ribbon. This technique tends to work best with opaque coloured and material ribbons such as satin, grosgrain etc. If you use sheer ribbons like organza, then bear in mind that the stitches you make to form the top and base of the piece will be visible through the material. You will also need a material that is thin so that it gathers and folds easily. If you are using wired edges ribbon, then it is advised to remove the wire - just just take hold of one end and pull it gently out. I prefer making these pieces using quite wide ribbon....usually a minimum of 1inch wide but it is possible to create the shapes with any width. Ribbon narrower than 1inch will however be more fiddley to stitch but if you can persevere you will create lovely sweet tiny flowers and leaves. Try not to cut your strips to short. As a general guide I will use a 3inch strip if the ribbon is 1inch wide...and this will create a 1.5inch completed petal. HOW TO CREATE A SINGLE PETAL/LEAF: TOOLS - ribbon, scissors (fabric scissors for cutting the material and smaller embroidery ones for cutting the threads and trimming frayed edges etc), fine needles and cotton threads, ruler, embellishments for the centre (buttons, brads gems etc), glue if required.

Gather together your choosen ribbon and tools then measure out and cut a strip of ribbon. For this example I am using satin unwired ribbon that is approx 1inch wide and cut to a length of approx 3inches. This will result in a petal about 1.5inches in length. To form the tip of the petal, fold your strip of ribbon in half lengthways. Find the centre and over stitch the edges together at this point with some thread. I have used a brightly contrasting thread so you can see where you need to stitch....but for a clean professional look I advise you select thread in the same colour as the ribbon so that any stitches remain hidden once the petal is formed.

Lay the strip of ribbon vertically with the stitches facing the front. Then taking hold of the top cut edge (point A) fold over and down (the ribbon should be now folded in half) to meet the bottom cut edge (point B). Now stitch together, using basic running stitches across the width of the ribbon, just a few millimetres up from the cut edge. Keep the thread ends looses (do not stitch or knot the ends in place). Now pull the threads up reasonably tight to gather up the edges of the ribbon and secure off with a few stitches or knots.

You have now formed a single basic shape that can be used as either leaf, or with more to create petals for a flower. If you wish to know how to assemble a flower....read on! ASSEMBLING A BASIC FLOWER This tutorial shows you how to make a basic flower shape using 5 petals...but once you know how to assemble the piece, there is nothing stopping you from experimenting and creating flowers with even more.

Start off by cutting 5 equal lengths of ribbon. In this example I am using baby pink satin ribbon, each piece 1inch wide and 3inches long. Prepare fine needle and thread with a minimum of 6inches of cotton. Assemble your first petal by following the above instructions....until you get to

the stage where you need to add the running stitches. BEFORE you do this, just put in a couple of over stitches, over the edg/side of the ribbon as indicated in the photo above (middle photo). This is to secure the end thread and is only required on the very first petal you make. Do not gather up and do not cut off the excess thread.

Make up your second petal and stitch in the running stitches continuing on and using the SAME THREAD that is attached to your first petal. Slide it along until it is next to it and repeat with the remaining 3 pieces of ribbon until you have all five petals in a chain. Taking the loose end (where you have just added your final petal) pull up carefully to gather up all the edges of the petals and bring them closer together to form a ring. You may have to keep straightening up and rearranging the petals as you you do this to stop them twisting up.

Once you have gathered up the petals to the desired tension, place a couple of holding stitches in the last petal to secure the thread, then stitch this petal to the edge of the first petal...to complete the circle and form the flower. Lay the flower out flat to check it is in it's correct shape and once you are happy with it's look, place a couple of holding stitches (or glue if prefered) in the centre at the back. If you use glue to do this, it will help stop the ribbon edges from fraying...however care should be taken to ensure the gluedoesn't soak through to the front where it could be seen and ruin the appearence of the flower. Turn the flower front side up and attach a centre of your choice. In this case I have sewn on a small gem encrusted button. Your basic5 petal flower is now complete and ready to be attached to your project....be it worn as a corsage, attached to a hair clip, bag or card....the situation is which you could use this flower are endless! Now you know how to make this basic flower you can expand on the idea and create flowers with more petals....and even with different layers with different sized petals or embellish with other materials. See the EMBELLISHMENTS section for more ideas.

Here's the same flower as made in the tutorial, with an additional layer of thinner white satin ribbon that has been twisted to form a basic petal shape and stitched into the centre before adding a centre decorative button.

TWIST & FOLD PETALS/LEAVES

Flower petals and leaves formed using individual strips of ribbon. This is an interesting variation on the 'Stitch and Fold' technique and is good for sheer materials that stitching would be visible on and possibly ruin the look....such as organza ribbon. The look created is slightly more loose and unstructured as the twist doesn't really hold the ribbon in place to form the point of the petal/leaf, more like it justs adds texture and a point at which to fold. For these sort of ribbons it looks nice to make a flower with longer petals and more of them to create a soft loose daisy like effect. A much more controlled and structured look can be obtained using wired ribbon. The enclosed wire edging holds the twist in place and the petals and be manipulated to create the shape, movement and dimension that you desire. TOOLS - ribbon, scissors (fabric scissors for cutting the material and smaller embroidery ones for cutting the threads and trimming frayed edges etc), fine needles and cotton threads, ruler, embellishments for the centre (buttons, brads gems etc), glue if required, pins and foam mat if required. NON WIRED RIBBON FLOWER

Cut to your desired length & number, equal strips of ribbon. In this tutorial I am using 1.5inch wide 3inch long organza ribbon. Taking your first strip, measure out the mid point then twist tightly two or three times. Fold in half so that the cut ends meet up and the twist forms the top point of the petal. Over sew the edge at the point shown in the photo( above far right) to secure and then sew a line of a running stitches across the width, near the cut ends of the ribbon. Pull the thread gently to gather up the end, leaving the cotton loose and free to add on your next petal.

The 5 stages of forming your single petal/leaf are shown here (photo above far left) pinned out on a foam mat. I find it easier to work on one petal at a time as the twist comes undone very easily but if you wish to make up all your petals ready to sew together, then it's worth pinning each piece onto a foam mat. Once you have added all your petals with the running stitch, take the loose thread end and start to gently pull and gather up all the petals so that they join together to form a circle and the petals spread out to form your flower shape. Take a moment to arrange the petals to your desired placement then turn over and sew a few holding stitches into the back to keep it all secure and fixed together.

Now add an embellishment into the front centre and your flower is complete! WIRED RIBBON FLOWER

The same technique can be applied using wire edged ribbon but the look is very different with more control and structure. The advantage of having the wire is that you have more control over the positionaing of the petals and they keep their shape. This can also be used to create leaves.

In this example I have made a 6 petal flower. The equal pieces of ribbon are all 1/2inch wide and 2inch long. The photo above (far left) shows the stages you go through....following exactly the same process as if done for the non wired ribbon flower onl in this instance you can make up all your individual petals beforehand, then sew them all together in one go. They do not have to be pinned as the wire retains the shape you fold and twist the ribbon into. So, tightly twist each strip at the midpoint then fold in half so that the cut ends meet and sew running stitches across the bottom. Once all the petals are attached together, pull up the loose thread end to gather each petal together Arrange the petals to your choosen shape then put in a few holding stitches (or glue) at the back and add a decorative centre to the front.

Heres the same flower with an added layer of simple twisted white satin ribbon petals.

KNOT & FOLD PETALS/LEAVES

Flower petals and leaves formed using individual strips of ribbon. This is a very similar technique to the Twist & Fold only you make a knot instead! It's a useful form to make if you're using shiny, silky non wired ribbons that won't hold a twist and you don't want to stitch. The little knot at the top of the petal/leaf gives interesting texture and shape.

Cut your ribbon into the desired equal lengths. In this example I have used organza ribbon 1/2inch wide and 3inches long each completed petal will end up being barely 1inch long as the additional material taken up by the knot has to be accounted for. Knot each piece at the mid point, fold in half so that the knot forms the top of the piece and sew running stitches across the bottom.

Sew and gather all the petals together to form your flower (in the same way as the other Stitch/Twist & Fold techniques) and add a decorative centre. FLORAL FANCY TIP - If you struggle to tie knots in the short piece of ribbon, try knotting the full length of ribbon first before you cut it up. Take your length of ribbon, tie a knot a short way in from the end, then cut the ribbon and trim to your desired size.