Freestanding Fabric Magnolia (In-the-Hoop)

Craft a relaxed and sophisticated look with this unique magnolia design! Felt fabric petals and leaves are accented by embroidered detail to create a soft, realistic look. We'll show you step-by-step how to make this magnificent flower bloom!

Supplies & Materials:

Project Materials or Supplies
- 1/2 yard of acrylic, polyester or wool felt (for petals)
- 1/2 yard of acrylic, polyester or wool felt (for leaves)
- Embroidery thread
- Scissors
- Button (1/2" or larger)
- Hand-sewing needle
- Sewing threads matching the felt colors

The designs used in this tutorial include:

- X14671, Freestanding Fabric Magnolia (In-the-Hoop)

Special Note: To make a full magnolia, embroider a total of 3 copies of the pieces labeled with an "c" and "d". Embroider only one of the pieces "a" and "b".

Gather Materials:

Freestanding fabric designs have been specially digitized to sew on only a hooped piece of felt, so there is no stabilizer used of any kind.

After the pieces are embroidered and cut out, only the embroidery and felt remains, allowing for the pieces to look pretty on both sides. When you download the design, you will find multiple embroidery files containing all the pieces.

Three embroidered beige and cream fabric leaves with detailed stitching form a cluster on a dark wooden surface.

As the freestanding fabric pieces will be seen from both sides, wind a bobbin to match every thread color used in the design.

Three spools of shiny beige and light brown embroidery thread with loose ends, arranged on a dark wooden surface.

Start Embroidering:

Hoop the piece of felt firmly. Make sure it is nice and tight with no wrinkles.

Embroidery hoop with white fabric secured, placed on dark wooden surface; hoop is rectangular with rounded corners and plastic frame.

Attach the hoop to the machine and load file "a". Embroider the design.

The first thing to embroider will be the "cut line". This marks the area on the felt where the piece will be cut out later.

White fabric with a stitched outline of a magnolia flower in a sewing machine hoop under a presser foot, ready for embroidery or sewing.

Follow the color change sheet, and embroider the rest of the design, changing out the bobbins to match every thread color.

Embroidery machine stitching three overlapping leaf shapes on white fabric secured in an embroidery hoop, with visible thread outlines and pattern details.

After the embroidery has finished, unhoop the felt. Then, using a scissors, carefully cut along the inner edge of the "cut line".

Cutting right along the inner edge will remove the cut line from the edge of the felt piece, leaving a clean felt edge after the piece is cut out.

White fabric with an embroidered three-leaf design in white thread on a dark wooden surface, next to gray scissors with light gray handles.

Repeat the steps above to embroider and cut the rest of the felt pieces. To make a complete magnolia, make sure to embroider three copies of the single petal (file "c") and leaf (file "d") pieces.

Embroidered fabric pieces arranged on a dark wooden surface: three green leaves with vein details, two sets of four white petal shapes, and three smaller white petals with beige shading.

The single petal (file "c") and leaf (file "d") pieces have darts on them.

The dart is the triangular cut out at the bottom of the each piece. To sew the dart, match up the two edges with right sides together, and hand-sew the edges together using matching thread.

Close-up of fingers holding white fabric with needle and white thread sewing along edge of a textured embroidered magnolia petal piece.

Repeat to sew all the darts on the six felt pieces.

Six fabric embroidery pieces shaped like magnolia leaves and petals are arranged on a dark wooden surface, with three green leaves and three white petals showing detailed stitching.

Take the smaller triple petal piece (file "b"), and lay it on top of the larger triple petal piece (file "a") with the right sides facing up. Hand-stitch through the center to adhere the two pieces together.