It was the wedding of the year. You know the one. (Or perhaps you don’t, in which case you’ve probably stumbled upon the wrong blog.) Those of us who had already read the books were aware of the big plot twist that was coming but no one was prepared for that dress. A wearable garden, draped in a tangle of thorn-studded vines and blooming roses, Margaery Tyrell’s wedding gown immediately became the hottest cosplay project in the fandom.
Having decided to take the project on, I searched “how to make ribbon roses” to find tutorials on folding bits of ribbon or fabric into convincing roses. What I found were dozens of videos showing how to make gorgeous little roses that look absolutely nothing like those on the dress I was trying to recreate.
So I experimented. I stared at reference photos and played with bits of fabric until I had a suitable replica. Here, I aim to save some time for the other brave souls who endeavor to take on this project, by sharing my method.
To begin, each rose will be comprised of:
In addition to these materials, you will need the following tools:
To begin, fold your rectangle of fabric in half along the longer dimension, right side inward. Stitch/serge along both of the shorter ends.
Having decided to take the project on, I searched “how to make ribbon roses” to find tutorials on folding bits of ribbon or fabric into convincing roses. What I found were dozens of videos showing how to make gorgeous little roses that look absolutely nothing like those on the dress I was trying to recreate.
So I experimented. I stared at reference photos and played with bits of fabric until I had a suitable replica. Here, I aim to save some time for the other brave souls who endeavor to take on this project, by sharing my method.
To begin, each rose will be comprised of:
- A rectangle of fabric (since the roses vary in size, so should your rectangles, but keep the ratio between 1:3 and 1:4)
- A circular piece of fabric (something that will not fray or unravel - I used felt) about 1 ½ inches in diameter
- A piece of cord for the stem or vine
- Thread
In addition to these materials, you will need the following tools:
- A needle for hand sewing
- A sewing machine and/or serger
- Scissors
- A lighter (This is used to melt the ends of the cord so that it doesn’t unravel. If the type of cord you are using doesn’t require this, the lighter is unnecessary)
To begin, fold your rectangle of fabric in half along the longer dimension, right side inward. Stitch/serge along both of the shorter ends.
Turn the folded rectangle right-side-out and stitch/serge along the longer unfinished edge. Using a sewing machine or hand needle, run a gathering stitch along the same edge, close to the finishing stitches but not on top of them.
Gently pull the gathering stitch tight and knot the ends of the thread to keep it in place.
Place one end of the cord at the edge of the gathered fabric and secure it with thread. Slowly wrap the fabric around the cord in a spiral, stitching through the fabric and cord as you go, until the fabric is completely wrapped around the cord and well secured. You now have a flower with a stem. The next steps will involve covering the gathered edge of the fabric and the place where it joins the cord.
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Cut a radius in the circle of fabric, from the edge to the center. Stitch one side of the radius to the free edge of the rectangle, as shown. Wrap the circular fabric snugly around the cord and fabric, fully enclosing and concealing the gathered edge.
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Using small, careful stitches, hand sew the edge of the circular fabric to the flower itself, all the way around until it is secure. Knot the thread and cut away the extra.
Repeat between 200 and 300 times.
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