Dear John: Upcycled Poppy Tutorial

My father was an Army Brat...

His stepfather was in the Army and they moved around alot in his formidable years.

My father had lots of stories.

My Papa had lots of stories.

My mother's father was in the Army also.

She too was an Army Brat.

My Grandpa lives close to us now.

He visits us and often brings books or photos of the Army life.

Last time he visited, Pumpkin kept asking him,
"who's that?"

"are they still your friend?"

Most often his answer was "no" because they died "a long time ago".

Fighting for the freedom of our Country.

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If you don't wear a poppy on November 11th

why not?

Is it because you forget?

Often I have.

But not last year and never again.

I made this poppy from an

old red t-shirt.

Super easy, super quick and fashionable way to

Remember...Lest We Forget...

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Cut out 2 flower shaped patterns.

I free handed but if you want to you can use the pattern pieces here

(just don't cut down the dotted lines)

you will need 6 large flowers
and 3 small flowers
=9 layers in total
I just fold my t-shirt over a bunch of times and then cut them all out at once...
because I'm lazy...
I mean efficient!
the ones on the bottom of your stack do get a bit wonky like this one,
but I just go back and shape them up.
this is not an exact science.

layer all 6 large flowers just off centre from one another so that the petals over lap...
then add the top 3 small flower layers the same way, consistently turn the petals so they are offset.
Grab a button of your choice, black and brown are my preference.

I also like a larger sized middle in my poppy so I choose a large button.
(sorry I forgot to take a pic)

Sew the button on through all the layers and finish off at the back.
No need for neatness as you're going to cover up your handiwork with a pin.

Cut a small rectangle from the remaining shirt scraps and glue on your pin back.

(make sure to secure the pin more to the top than the middle so it won't buckle under the weight of the button and fabric--in other words, if you centre the pin your poppy will always fall forward...attach it a little higher)

Cover it nicely with the scrap, leaving the pin open.

Now this is what takes your poppy from an old t-shirt to November 11th

the secret is in the s-t-r-e-t-c-h!

That's right, on ever layer pull and stretch that poppy until it's in the curly/frilly

poppy that you're going for.

Done!

Some pictures of some I made last year for family and friends.

Now you're ready for that moment of silence

on November 11th ...

to remember not only those that died but for those that fight to protect us daily.