Materials Required
To make each Suffolk Puff you will require a circle of fabric. To make this project I used:
Fabrics
Plain Red cotton: 2 x 10cm diameter circles
Plain Green cotton: 2 x 10cm diameter circles
Christmas print cotton fabric: 7 x 10cm diameter circles
Silver Lame: 1 x 10cm diameter circle for star motif at top of tree
Other materials:
Any trimmings such as sequins, beads, strung beads, sequin waste (as shown on model, cut into snowflake motifs)
Decide on the desired finished size of each circular Suffolk Puff (measuring from side to side across the centre), then double it: a 10cm circle will give a 5cm finished suffolk Puff.
Any fabric can be used for this: cottons, silks, satins, polyester/viscose, voiles, organzas...anything that can be sewn really, though if worked in fine silk crepe or chiffon they tend not to hold their shape very well so they work best when they are to be appliqued to a base fabric.
Instructions
If you are wanting to create a fabric of Suffolk Puffs, such as for this christmas Tree motif, then each motif will need to be the same size. If this is the case, either use a circle cutter or create a circle template from card so that you do not have to draw each design freehand.
Draw around the circle template with a pencil or water-soluble pen as shown. Make the required number of circles as detailed in the Materials section.
Before starting, print off or download the Tree Template at the top of the page.
Cut out the circle around the traced line.
Using sewing thread double, fold over a small hem and work a running/gathering stitch all round the outer edge as shown. The larger the stitch the less gathers there will be, therefore the hole in the centre will be smaller; the smaller and closer together the stitches are, the less the fabric can gather up, creating a larger hole in the centre.
Note: Start and finish sewing on the right side (not the side with the hem) leaving long ends for drawing up.
Now turn the circle of fabric over so that the ends of the thread are visible.
Create half a knot as shown...
Start to gather up the fabric to form the folds.
Download or print off the Tree Template diagram. For instructions on how to do this, click here.
Make your separate Suffolk Puff motifs ready to stitch together. For step-by-step instructions, click here.
Start to stitch your Suffolk Puffs together to form the tree shape as indicated in the Tree Template Diagram.
Handy Hint: You can also flip them over so that you mix smooth sides with the gathered-up sides.
Remember to stitch the rows of Suffolk Puffs together in staggered rows as shown here...
...rather than in a horizontal and vertical grid pattern as shown here.
Create the "star" motif - as shown here - by bringing a thread out to the right side through the centre, taking it over the outer edge of the fabric and back through the centre again, pulling up the fabric - see Star Diagram which can be downloaded from the link at the top of the page. Repeat for each section of the "star".
Attach the star to the top of the Tree.
Embellish with cords, beads, sequins, etc. If required, add a Hanging Cord to the back of the top-most Suffolk Puff.
