Leafy Scrap Fabric Buster

Three ways to make leaves from fabric scraps.

Method #1: Turn rectangular fabric swatches into leaves

1. Start with two rectangular pieces of fabric with similar dimensions.

2. Face the "good' side of the fabric together, aligned at the center. Stitch down the center the "long" way. 

3. Fold the fabric back so that each fabric is folded back against itself. Iron the fabric flat (optional). 

4. Sew down the center the "short" way. 

 5. Here's what the fabric looks like at this point.

 6. With good quality scissors, cut the rectangle into a leaf. Imagine the longer thread going up the center of the leaf.

7. The finished leaf!

Method #2: Turn tiny fabric strips into wavy leaves

1. Cut a piece of felt into the shape of a leaf and set little strips of fabric on top. Then stitch down the center of the felt leaf. I used a zig zag stitch but any stitch will do.

2. Flip the fabric over and sew a straight stitch around the edge. You can do this with the regular foot and feed dogs up, just go slowly so you can curve the fabric as you go.

3. Use good quality scissors to cut around the edges... the finished leaf!

Method #3: Turn tiny fabric strips into patchwork leaves

1. Gather a bunch of strips of similar widths. The smallest of thse is about 1/2" x 2.5".

2. Put "good" sides together aligned at one of the long edges.

3. Stitch together with a 1/8" to 1/4" seam. The blue tape is my 1/4" reference. 

To save thread, leave the first pair on the machine and keep sewing the second (see next step).

4. Grab another two fabrics and repeat steps #2 and #3.

5. Sew the second pair without taking the first pair off the machine.

6. Cut the two pairs apart.

7. Sew another bit onto one of them if you have more strips.

8. Sew the two together.

8a. Here's what it looks like now.

9. Iron flat.

10. Make another just like the first.

11. Using the two patchwork pieces of fabric, follow the same process as in METHOD #1. {In a nutshell - place good sides together. Sew the long way, fold back the fabrics on themselves. Sew the short way, then cut into a leaf).

Another patchwork leaf!

Find more photographs and ideas for leafy + petally + scrappy fabric projects here and more here!