Who doesn’t love a bouquet of fresh flowers? However, finding an attractive container for the bouquet can be tricky. In this project, I’ll show you how to cover an ordinary canning jar and turn it into a unique custom gift that’s a perfect Mother’s Day gift. This is a fantastic opportunity to take something plain and ordinary and turn it into something utterly unique. Accent this clever cover with the Brother free embroidery design of the month beautiful lacey butterflies! Finally, create a greeting to insert in the floral bouquet and you have an ideal gift for Mother’s Day! This clever cover is perfect for a cheery addition to any room, and it makes a great gift for any occasion when you want to brighten up someone’s day. Are you ready? Let’s go sew!

Note: Project created with the Brother NS1750D sewing and embroidery machine.

Materials and Supplies for Tea Towel:

• Brother sewing and embroidery machine with 4-inch or larger hoop capability.
• SA580 Brother medium-weight tear-away stabilizer.
• SA541 Brother water-soluble fibrous stabilizer.
• Embroidery threads and embroidery needle.
• Curved tip scissors for trimming.
• Basic sewing notions including good quality thread for sewing cover.
• Large needle with dull point, or small safety pin for feeding ribbon through slits made in netting.
• Circular patterns from included pdf files,FD_5_22_5.5_Circle and FD_5_22_4.5_Circle.
• Fabric and fleece:
  • Two rectangles of printed cotton fabric measuring 14.5-inches wide X 9-inches long for inside and outside cover pieces.
  • Two 5.5-inch circles of printed cotton fabric, cut using included pdf pattern
  • Two rectangles of fusible craft fleece measuring 13.5-inches wide X 8-inches long for backing inside and outside cover pieces.
  • Two 4.5-inch circles cut from fusible craft fleece using included pdf pattern.
• Fine netting (also known as bridal tulle) for free-standing butterflies. You’ll need two layers of netting cut to fill the hoop you choose to use. Note: One butterfly design will fit in the 4-inch hoop. You can choose to stitch multiple butterflies in a larger hoop if you wish.
• One 8-inch piece of white craft felt for creating greeting in hoop.
• One yard of 1/4-inch wide satin ribbon
• Wide mouth quart size canning jar.
• Wood chopstick or something similar to hold embroidered greeting piece
• Fabric glue or fusible webbing to secure ovals together.
• Brother Free Design of the month, See Figure #1 below.

Figure #1

Please read through all instructions before beginning this project. Basic steps are as follows:

• Embroider Butterfly design on netting to create free-standing lace butterflies
• Create greeting to insert in bouquet.
• Prepare pieces for cover and add fusible fleece.
• Sew cover together and add butterflies attached to ribbon

All Steps to Create Cover:

1. Follow the steps below for each butterfly:

Hoop two layers of fine netting with a layer of the water-soluble stabilizer underneath. Embroider design, remove from hoop, and trim away excess netting taking care that you don’t cut embroidery stitches. Tip: Leaving a little netting along outside edge of butterfly won’t hurt. In fact, it will pretty much disappear when the butterflies are floating on the fabric. See Figure #2a, #2b, and #2c.

Figure #2a



Figure #2b



Figure #2c



Wash out stabilizer in warm water, and lay pieces flat to dry. Press with low iron temperature and set aside temporarily.

2. Hoop craft felt with a layer of tear-away stabilizer. Create a combination design a scalloped oval, a second oval in a straight stitch, and greeting in the center. See example and recommended sizes in Figure #3.

Figure #3



Embroider combination design. Remove piece from hoop and trim just outside the straight stitch on the final oval. Cut a matching oval piece of plain felt to use as a backing. Mark position for two ½-inch long buttonholes in center of plain felt oval. Gather oval pieces together with your chopstick and prepare to finish greeting. See Figure #4.

Figure #4



3. Set up machine for buttonhole sewing. Open out the buttonhole foot approximately ½-inch or long enough to accommodate size of your stick. Place a piece of tear-away stabilizer under the felt. Stitch two horizontally placed small buttonholes, centering them on plain oval felt piece. See Figure#5a. #5b, and #5c.

Figure #5a



Figure #5b



Figure #5c



Cut buttonholes open. Remove stabilizer and markings. Apply glue or fusible webbing around outer edge of the embroidered oval and glue together with the buttonhole backing piece, taking care to keep buttonhole area free from any glue. Be sure glue is dry before handling. Slip stick through buttonholes. See Figure #6a and #6b.

Figure #6a



Figure #6b



4. Prepare to create the cover by gathering your cut pieces together. See Figure #7.

Figure #7



5. Center fusible fleece on wrong side of each corresponding piece and fuse in place. Note: Fleece is cut one inch smaller than matching piece, so the ½-inch seam allowance area stays free from extra bulk. Sew container cover pieces together as follows: Begin by staystitching a scant ½-inch from one long edge of each rectangular piece. Prepare to sew the circle to bottom of the cover by first clipping up to, but not through the staystitching, spacing clips about 1-inch apart. This edge will be your bottom seam. Next, pin short ends of each rectangular piece. Sew a ½-inch center back seam, creating tubular pieces for inside and outside of cover. See Figure #8.

Figure #8



Press center back seams open. Quarter mark each circle and tube to prepare for stitching bottom seams. See Figure #9.

Figure #9



Now, select a circle to sew to one of the tubular pieces. Pin circle to tube, matching quarter marks, keeping raw edges even and easing layers so they match from the beginning to the end. Add more clips if necessary. See Figure #10.

Figure #10



Sew pieces together using a 1/2-inch seam allowance, keeping raw edges even as you stitch. Tips: Sewing a straight edge to a circular edge takes some maneuvering. Sew slowly, turning the fabric as needed. I like to stitch with the clipped edge facing up. Be sure your stitches form beyond the clippings for a secure seam. Repeat process for second set of pieces. See example of finished bottom seam in Figure #11.

Figure #11



6. Turn one container piece right side out. Turn and press under ½-inch on the unsewn end of each piece. See Figure #12.

Figure #12



7. Place one container piece inside the other with wrong sides facing. Pin pieces together with center back seams matching. Set machine for free arm sewing. Topstitch close to top edge to secure pieces together. See Figure #13a and #13b.

Figure #13a



Figure #13b



Tip: Press container piece by rolling up a towel, pushing it inside and carefully running iron over the top of it.

8. You’re almost finished! Place jar inside cover and fold down the top edge to make a small cuff. See Figure #14a and #14b.

Figure #14a



Figure #14b



9. Cut small slits in the open area of each butterfly to make opening for ribbon to slip through. See red arrows indicating area to cut in Figure #15.

Figure #15



Use large eyed dull needle or safety pin to feed ribbon through the slits. See Figure #16.

Figure #16



Wrap ribbon with butterflies around top of jar and tie shut. Adjust so butterflies are evenly spaced along the top. You are finished! Add a bouquet of flowers to your jar and insert your embroidered greeting! Enjoy!

See close-up images below: