Sew Denim Rosette Brooch

This is the last tutorial on how to fully recycle an outgrown denim dress into a 4-piece outfit: make a denim rosette brooch out of a sleeve and its hem.

I got this idea from the denim-roll brooch I made from a jean’s side seam, which was meant to match my 100% recycled tote bag. Instead of the plain rolling, I made a few stitches to create petals of the rosette. Without wasting the denim fabric of the sleeve, I cut 2 leaves from it to cover the bottom of the denim rosette and attach a brooch pin.

This method is not confined only to sleeve and it’s hem, you can use any outfit’s double roll hem to make. Also, it hasn’t need to be denim, you can try it on other type of fabric. Thicker and longer hem creates bigger flower.

Sew Denim Rosette Brooch

Materials:
1. Hem (Double roll type) from denim clothing.
2. Strong thread (closest color to the denim)
3. Strong needle for hand sewing
4. Brooch pin

Tools:
1. Scissors
2. Pliers (optional)
3. Leather scrap (optional but helpful)

This is the sleeve I salvaged from my daughter’s outgrown denim dress.
The leather scrap and pliers are optional but they are handy when hand sewing a thick pile of fabric.

Cut the seam of the sleeve. We don’t need that thick seam, you can throw away or keep it for other purposes.

Cut along the hemline of the sleeve. Retain the sleeve, don’t throw.

Roll 2 rounds on the hem to make the center of the denim rosette.

Make a few stitches at the bottom to secure it. Use leather scrap and pliers if you find it is difficult to push and pull the needle through.

To make the “petals” of the rosette, simply pull the “fold” edge of the hem down to the bottom by making a stitch on it.

Look at the arrow (not my ugly fingers, please!), that is the stitch which forms petals of the rosette.

Keep pulling and stitching to create more petals as you roll the hem.
Make sure you also make some stitches to the inner round of the rosette to secure all the rollings.
Loosen the gripping tension of the hem a little as the denim rosette gets bigger so that the petals at the outer layer look bigger too.
Continue rolling and stitching until you reach about 1″ from the end.

Bend the hem end away from the denim rosette and under it, sew at the bottom.

The bottom of the denim rosette.

The top of the denim rosette. You can use it as it is, or continue the tutorial to make it into a brooch with leaves.

To make the denim rosette into a brooch, you need 2 denim leaves and a brooch pin.

Draw and cut 2 leaves from the balance denim fabric of the sleeve.

Overlap the leaves and sew the brooch pin on them.

Place the leafs+pin combo on the back of the rosette, stitch them to the denim rosette. Only sew on the circumference of the leaf.
You can glue it on too but I like to sew which make it more securely fastened. I don’t have to worry to throw it into the washing machine for cleaning up when it gets soiled.

The back of the denim rosette brooch.

Pin it on anywhere you like.