About the service
I have been burning flowers out of synthetic fabric for twelve years, and every order still begins with the cloth itself. Nylon is light, stretches under the needle and holds the finest lace, but it forgives nothing: hold the tip a second too long and a slit becomes a hole. Organza gives a crisp, springy petal and singes beautifully to a caramel tone along the edge. Satin is heavier, the edge sets into a thick bead, but a satin flower stands like a casting and will not crush inside a bag. Most of the time I mix them: a satin base, organza on top, and the centre hidden under pearls or fine seed beads.
I cut to my own templates, tier by tier, with a hot needle over glass, then stack the layers from the largest to the smallest and warm them together. The edge seals itself and never frays afterwards, and that is the whole charm of the technique: the piece needs no overlocking and no glue along the cut. Each petal is shaped over a flame or a heated ball tool, and the fabric remembers the curve. Then comes assembly: a brooch pin, a hair clip, a hair tie, an applique flower for a bag strap, a framed openwork panel, or a wedding set in a single palette for the bride and her bridesmaids. If you want a warm gradient, I scorch the rim harder, from honey to deep brown.
What I tell every client before we start:
— the needle is red hot and melting synthetics give off smoke and smell, so I work only under an extractor hood or at an open window, cover the table with a non-flammable mat, and keep solvents, varnish and paper off the workspace entirely;
— the melt sticks to skin and burns, so there are no children at that table and I run no classes for small kids;
— natural fabrics are not cut this way: cotton, linen and silk char instead of melting, the technique needs synthetics, and I say so in advance if you bring your own cloth;
— never press a finished piece with a hot iron, the petals will flow; keep it in a box, do not crush it, dust it with a soft dry brush;
— timing: a brooch takes three to five days, a full set up to two weeks; I record the palette and can repeat the set later if more bridesmaids join.
I cut to my own templates, tier by tier, with a hot needle over glass, then stack the layers from the largest to the smallest and warm them together. The edge seals itself and never frays afterwards, and that is the whole charm of the technique: the piece needs no overlocking and no glue along the cut. Each petal is shaped over a flame or a heated ball tool, and the fabric remembers the curve. Then comes assembly: a brooch pin, a hair clip, a hair tie, an applique flower for a bag strap, a framed openwork panel, or a wedding set in a single palette for the bride and her bridesmaids. If you want a warm gradient, I scorch the rim harder, from honey to deep brown.
What I tell every client before we start:
— the needle is red hot and melting synthetics give off smoke and smell, so I work only under an extractor hood or at an open window, cover the table with a non-flammable mat, and keep solvents, varnish and paper off the workspace entirely;
— the melt sticks to skin and burns, so there are no children at that table and I run no classes for small kids;
— natural fabrics are not cut this way: cotton, linen and silk char instead of melting, the technique needs synthetics, and I say so in advance if you bring your own cloth;
— never press a finished piece with a hot iron, the petals will flow; keep it in a box, do not crush it, dust it with a soft dry brush;
— timing: a brooch takes three to five days, a full set up to two weeks; I record the palette and can repeat the set later if more bridesmaids join.
