Rosettes, Something More To Add...

So what do you do when you've made a lovely garment which is perfection except for that one tiny mistake you know is there? Even though no-one else will spot it, if you have to look at it one more time you'll want to unpick the whole garment. The answer is easy, do what the 18th century seamstresses did, put some trim on top of it.

So here begins my first tutorial on 18th century trims. Not that I think anyone needs to be shown how to gather a strip of fabric. It's just that when you're doing it for the first time it's nice to have a step by step to follow. Plus I need to update my blog to cover up the fact I still haven't finished the button holes on my jacket.

Rosettes start with a strip of fabric. A good rule of thumb for sizing is thus....

1. The finished rosette will be slightly wider than your beginning strip.
2. The length should be 4 and half times the width
3. The heaviest fabric you can easily use is medium weight such as the denim featured (about the same weight as jeans).

I began with a strip of denim 8cm wide and 36cm long. First of all sew the short ends together to create a ring.


Then fold your ring lengthwise with the right sides out and press. Do two rows of a running stitch about 1.5cm from the raw edge. Remember to line up the stitches on the first and second rows to get even gathering.



Pull the gathering threads until the fabric forms a tight flat circle. If your rosette doesn't sit flat it means your beginning strip wasn't long enough. Using matching thread sew the pleats together to make the shape permanent. You'll leave the gathering stitches in, but with stiff fabric like denim your rosette will have a tendency to pull out again so oversewing in this way is necessary. With lighter fabrics and smaller rosettes you can get away with just tying the threads.



Place either a button or a smaller rosette over the hole in the middle. I used a smaller rosette since the hole was quite large then a self covered button in the middle of that. Sew onto your garment in desired position.



Apart from looking presidential, rosettes are very french revolutionary too. Stick them on hats, shoes, bodices, hair decorations et al...