Soft Touch

Simply constructed from felt, Susie Johns' set is both delightful and easy to make

Susie Johns, MJ Designer

"When it comes to creating jewellery, i can’t stop using buttons. i think they add a real touch of charm"

This fun set is incredibly versatile. The corsage has a pin stitched to the back, perfect for fixing to the lapel of a jacket, or decorating a hat band or a handbag, but you could also mount it on a hair slide instead. The choker, meanwhile, is a single flower shape attached to a length of ribbon, but why not scale it down and tie it around your wrist as a pretty cuff. Blanket stitch adds a nice folksy feel, and it also protects the cut edges of the felt and helps the pieces to hold their shape.

Choker

1. Using the template provided cut a medium flower from lavender felt, and seven 2.6cm diameter circles using a two pence piece as a stencil. Trim five leaf shapes from turquoise felt and five 9mm diameter circles from pink.
2. Thread an embroidery needle with three strands of embroidery thread and work blanket stitch all round the flower and circles. Place the five turquoise felt leaves on the flower, radiating out from the centre, and secure with a few small stitches to represent veins.
3. Place the five pink felt circles in between the leaves and secure each one by stitching a tiny turquoise button in the centre. Sew a flowershaped button in the centre and a tiny pink button in the middle of this. Place the flower in the centre of 1m of organza ribbon and attach by over sewing the edges of the ribbon with small, neat stitches.
4. Attach the blanket stitched circles to the ribbon, overlapping slightly, three on each side of the flower, in the same way. Stick or sew the remaining circle to the back of the bloom, to hide some of the stitches and give a neat appearance.

Corsage

1. Cut a 8cm diameter circle from lavender felt, then trim a large flower and a small one using the templates provided. Cut five leaf shapes from turquoise felt, and five 9mm diameter circles from pink.
2. Thread an embroidery needle with three strands of embroidery thread and work blanket stitch all round the circle and the flower shapes. Place the five turquoise felt leaves on the smaller flower, radiating out from the centre, and secure with a few small stitches to represent veins.
3. Place the five pink felt circles in between the leaves and secure each one by stitching a tiny turquoise button in the centre. Sew a flowershaped button in the centre of the bloom and a tiny pink button in the middle of this.
4. Place the larger flower centrally on the large felt circle and the decorated flower on top of both. Secure by stitching through all three layers, then sew a brooch pin to the back.

Ring

1. Cut two of the smallest flower shapes from lavender felt. Trim a 1.2cm circle of turquoise felt and a 9mm pink circle. Work a few straight stitches on one of the flower shapes, radiating out from the centre, then place the turquoise circle in the centre with the pink on top.
2. Secure with one or two small stitches, then sew a turquoise button in the centre. Position the decorated flower on the front of a ring blank and the plain one on the back. Blanket stitch the edges together to hold them in place (for the two side petals just stitch the decorated shape as the plain petals will sit inside the ring blank).