Mother's Day Corsages

Materials:

ribbon flower books (see resources)
64" of 5/8" purple bias cut silk or wired ribbon
16" of 7/16" yellow bias cut silk ribbon
41-1/4" of 1" pink/cream/mauve wired ribbon
48" of 1" green wired ribbon
3 yards of 5/8" green bias cut silk ribbon or green floral tape
18" organdy ribbon
2" square of crinoline
45 faux double-headed yellow stamens
25 pieces of 6" long, 32-gauge thread-covered wire
size 33 black and/or white beading thread
size 10 millinery needles
hot glue
tacky glue
scissors
ruler

1. Use the directions found in The Secrets of Fashioning Ribbon Flowers and Heirloom Ribbonwork to make eight ribbon violets and six curved ribbon leaves. Each violet uses eight inches of 5/8-inch wide ribbon. Cut 3-1/4 inches for the back set of petals (figure A) and 4-3/4 inches for the front set of petals. Each violet center uses two inches of 7/16-inch wide silk ribbon (figure B). Each leaf uses four inches of one-inch wide ribbon.

2. Put a stem on each violet and leaf (figures C and D). Cover each flower stem and leaf stem with green floral tape or green bias silk ribbon.

3. Make three pinch petal roses and six curved leaves. Each rose has five petals surrounding 15 yellow double-headed stamens (figure E). Each petal uses 2-3/4 inches of one-inch wide ribbon. Each leaf uses four inches of ribbon.

4. Put stems onto the leaves and flowers then cover each flower and leaf stem with green floral tape or green bias silk ribbon.

5. Assemble six violets and six leaves in a bunch and tie them together with thin wire. Wrap an organdy bow around the wire and glue a pin back to the corsage.

6. Assemble three roses, two violets and six curved leaves and combine the stems together with thin wire. Cover the combined stems with bias silk ribbon. Place this arrangement in a lapel holder to wear on a coat, sweater, or jacket.