Helpful sewing tips and tricks for beginners

 Are you looking for a fun and relatively quick sewing project that yields a stunning decorative piece? This folded fabric medallion, often called a "quilted wreath" or "folded star," is surprisingly simple to make and creates a beautiful dimensional effect. It's perfect for a centerpiece, a hot pad, or even a unique wall hanging, especially with festive colors like the red and green polka dots in our example!

Let's gather our supplies and get started!

Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate Finished Size: Approximately 10-12 inches in diameter (can be adjusted)

What You'll Need:

• Fabric 1 (Green Polka Dot in example): 1/2 yard of cotton fabric. This will be your "background" fabric and the base of your folded sections.
• Fabric 2 (Red in example): 1/4 yard of cotton fabric. This will be your contrasting "petal" fabric.
• Fabric for Backing (Optional but Recommended): 1/2 yard of cotton fabric. This will cover the back of your medallion.
• Insul-Bright Batting (Optional but Recommended for Hot Pad): 1/2 yard. This heat-resistant batting is great if you plan to use your medallion as a hot pad or trivet. Regular cotton batting can also be used for shape and softness.
• Coordinating Thread: To match your fabrics.
• Rotary Cutter, Mat, and Ruler: For precise cutting.
• Fabric Scissors: For general cutting.
• Iron and Ironing Board: Crucial for crisp folds!
• Sewing Machine: With a standard presser foot.
• Fabric Marking Pen/Pencil: Erasable.
• Large Circle Template/Compass/Plate: To draw your initial circle (around 10-12 inches in diameter).
• Pins or Fabric Clips

Cutting Instructions:

Before you start cutting, pre-wash and iron all your fabrics.

1. From Fabric 1 (Green Polka Dot):

   • Cut one large circle. Use your template or plate to draw a circle approximately 10-12 inches in diameter. Cut it out. This will be your base circle.
   • Cut 24 squares, each 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches. (You'll need 12 for the outer green petals and 12 for the inner green petals, but we'll cut them all the same size and use them in different ways.)

2. From Fabric 2 (Red):

   • Cut 12 squares, each 3.5 inches x 3.5 inches. These will be your red "petals."

3. From Backing Fabric:

   • Cut one large circle the same size as your Fabric 1 base circle (10-12 inches diameter).

4. From Insul-Bright (or other Batting):

   • Cut one large circle the same size as your Fabric 1 base circle (10-12 inches diameter).

Assembly Instructions:

Part 1: Creating the Folded Petals

This is where the magic happens! Each square will be folded into a petal shape.

1. Take one 3.5" x 3.5" square (either green or red).
2. Fold it in half diagonally to form a triangle. Press well.
3. Fold it in half again diagonally, bringing the two short points of the triangle together to form a smaller triangle. Press well.
4. Fold the two top points down towards the center base of the triangle. This will create your "petal" shape with a straight top edge and two folded corners forming a point. Press well.
   • Important: For the outer green petals and the red petals, ensure the raw edges are at the bottom and the folded edges are at the top, forming a clean point.
   • For the inner green petals, you will be attaching them slightly differently, but follow the same folding technique for now.

Repeat this folding process for all 24 green squares and all 12 red squares. You'll have 36 folded "petal" units in total.

Part 2: Assembling the Medallion - The Outer Green Ring

1. Take your large Fabric 1 (green polka dot) base circle. This is your foundation.
2. Place the Insul-Bright (or batting) circle directly underneath your base circle. Align them perfectly. (You can baste them together if you like, but it's not strictly necessary at this stage.)
3. Arrange the first set of 12 green folded petals around the outer edge of the base circle.
   • Place each green petal with the raw edges facing the outer edge of the base circle. The folded point of the petal will be pointing inwards towards the center.
   • Overlap each petal slightly with the previous one. Pin them in place as you go.
   • Ensure they are evenly spaced around the entire circumference. Aim for a consistent overlap to create a smooth ring.
4. Once all 12 outer green petals are pinned in place, stitch them down. Sew a seam approximately 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch from the raw edge of the base circle, securing all the petals. This seam will eventually be hidden by your backing fabric.

Part 3: Adding the Red Inner Ring

1. Now, take your 12 red folded petals.
2. Arrange them directly on top of the green base circle, just inside the stitched-down green outer ring.
   • Position each red petal so that its pointed tip covers the seam line you just stitched for the green petals.
   • The folded point of the red petal will be pointing towards the center of the medallion.
   • Overlap them slightly, just as you did with the green petals, ensuring they are evenly spaced.
3. Pin the red petals in place.
4. Stitch them down. Sew a seam about 1/4 inch from the raw edge of the red petals. This seam will also eventually be covered.

Part 4: Creating the Inner Green Star/Flower

This is the central part of your medallion. You will use the remaining 12 green folded petals.

1. Arrange these 12 green petals in a circular formation in the very center of your medallion.
   • This time, the pointed tips of these green petals will be pointing outwards, meeting the inner edges of the red petals.
   • The raw edges of these green petals will be at the very center of the medallion.
   • Overlap them slightly to form a tight, complete circle in the middle, resembling a star or flower.
2. Pin these inner green petals securely.
3. Stitch them down. Stitch approximately 1/4 inch from the raw edges in the very center. You can stitch in a circle, or go back and forth across the center to secure them well.

Part 5: Finishing the Backing

1. Take your backing fabric circle.
2. Place it right sides together with your medallion. The backing fabric will cover all the raw edges and the batting on the back.
3. Pin around the entire circumference of the medallion.
4. Sew around the edge with a 1/4 to 3/8 inch seam allowance, leaving a 3-4 inch opening for turning.
5. Trim the seam allowance around the curved edge, being careful not to cut your stitches. You can also snip small notches around the curve to help it lie flat when turned.
6. Turn the medallion right side out through the opening you left. Gently push out the edges to get a smooth circle.
7. Press the entire medallion thoroughly. Make sure the edges are crisp and the folded petals lay flat.
8. Hand stitch the opening closed using a ladder stitch (invisible stitch) for a neat finish.

Optional: Topstitching (Recommended)

• To give your medallion a more finished look and help the layers stay flat, you can topstitch around the outer edge, about 1/8 inch from the edge.
• You can also topstitch around the inner rings of petals if you desire, but it's not strictly necessary.

Video tutorial

Your Beautiful Fabric Folded Medallion is Complete!

You now have a unique and charming piece to add to your home decor. Experiment with different fabric combinations and sizes to create a whole collection! This project is also a fantastic way to use up fabric scraps.

Enjoy your handmade masterpiece!