Everlasting Boutonnière

Step 2

Using 2-drop increasing brick stitch, work row 2. Pick up 4x R10A and pass your needle under the thread bridge on top of the 2 pairs of R10A in row 1 and back up the last 2 R10A just added. Complete the row by picking up 2x R10A, passing your needle under the same thread bridge and back up the 2 new R10A. Figure 2.

Step 4

Using 2-drop decreasing brick stitch, follow the pattern in Figure 4 to work the rest of the leaf. Decrease rows are worked in the same way by picking up the first 2 stacks together, but the first thread bridge is skipped with the R10As added to the second thread bridge as shown in Row 11. Only 1 stack is added to all the other thread bridges. Tip – for a professional finish, pass your needle through the first 2 stacks in each decrease row a second time as this avoids gaps.

Step 6

Following the pattern shown in Figure 6, add 2x R10B between all the odd-numbered stacks in the centre of the leaf. Pass down and up the 2 stacks at the base of the leaf and retrace the thread path to secure the R10B. Tie off and trim the working thread only.

Step 8

Using the 3 thread bridges created in the previous step, begin working tubular brick stitch from the base of the leaf. Pick up 2x R10A and pass your needle under the nearest thread bridge created in the previous step and back up the second R10A just added. Pick up 1x R10A and pass your needle under the next thread bridge created in step 7 and back up the new R10A. Ladder stitch the first and last R10A added in this step together to create a new triangle. Figures 8a – 8d.

Step 10

Add 1x R10A to the tip of the stem, then travel to the top of the stem passing through connected rocailles. Pull the thread firmly as you work to strengthen the stem. Tie off and trim the thread and set the leaf aside.

Step 12

Pick up 2x R10A and pass your needle through the second R10A added in the previous step, through the first R10A from the previous step and through the first R10A of the current row. Figure 12.

Step 14

Join the strip of beadwork into a ring by passing your needle through the first R10A added in step 11, through the second R10A added in step 11 and through the second R10A of the final row. Figure 14a. Check that the stem of your leaf will pass through the new ring and then reinforce the connection by passing through rocailles on either side of the join several times. Tie off and trim both threads. Figure 14b.

Step 16

To make the wire spray:

Cut an 80 cm length of wire and gently fold it in half leaving a small loop in the middle. Slide 1x F to the centre and using your non-dominant hand pinch the 2 sections of wire together approximately 10 - 12 mm from the F. Using the other hand, pinch directly below the F and twist the wire approximately 12 – 14 times until a neat spiral forms which captures the F. Figure 16.

Step 18

Hold the 2 main wires together and with your non-dominant hand pinch them approximately 7 mm below the twisted section. Using the other hand, pinch where the twists meet and gently twist the wire approximately 7 – 8 times until a small section of the main stem is neatly twisted. If there are any gaps along the branches of F, twist them again until all gaps are closed. Figure 18.

Step 20

To assemble the buttonhole:

Pass the two bands along the stem of the leaf and slide the wirework spray through the bands to sit at the front of the leaf. Figure 20.

Step 22

To wear, pass a pin through the back of the jacket lapel, through the ribbon knot at the back of the buttonhole and through the lapel again. Figure 22.