After experimenting with a number of things, I found that the things shown in the image to your left gave me the best results. These included glazed hand quilting thread, acrylic paint, and fabric stiffener. First, I rolled my flower petals and set them aside. I cut the thread into strands approximately 24 inches long, dipped them into the fabric stiffener, and then I hung them across a clothing rack to dry (do not let strands touch). The drying only takes a few minutes. After drying, I rapped the thread around a 2 1/2- inch piece of cardboard that I used as a cutting gauge. Next, I cut each end of the thread. Finally, I dipped each end into the acrylic paint.
Finally, the stamens are finished. One group of stamens on the tray below is commercially prepared; can you tell which one? They are the stamens on the extreme left. To the right of these are stamens that I double dipped, first in yellow paint and then in purple paint to obtain the same effect as the first group of stamens (click on the image to enlarge it.). I used the non-gloss paint for the second dip because it is not as thick as the glossy paint.
Tips: For a larger stamen tip, dip stamen ends several times. The glossy paint yields a larger stamen tip because it is thicker. Also, setting the paint aside for approximately 15 minutes before dipping will also yield a larger tip because the paint thickens the longer it is exposed to the air.
I know this is not for everyone, but for those of us that just like to make things, this will work. Enjoy!
Posts
