Cockade Tutorial

eighteenth century ribbon accents



I learned this technique by taking apart a cockade purchased at Colonial Williamsburg.
In this demonstration I used a piece of fabric but you can also use ribbon.
To make larger or more visually interesting cockades, use up to four layers of fabrics and
ribbons stacked between the felt and button. For best results don't skimp on the length of your ribbon!


The following was used in this demonstration:

scrap of felt
5/8" pewter button
scrap of organdy, aprox 2.5" x 15", torn on the grain and slightly frayed
needle and thread


the tutorial

1. Cut a circle out of the felt, slightly larger than your button (in this case I used a quarter coin as my template). Set aside.

2. Once your fabric/ribbon is cut to the desired length, fold in half width-wise and stitch the two frayed edges together with a running stitch.

3. With a new length of thread, sew the two ends together.

4. Finish with a flat-felled seam.

5. Gather up the bottom running stitch until the hole is at it's smallest diameter. Tie off threads.

6. Sandwich organdy/ribbon between felt and button. Sew button to felt.
You can also stitch the felt to the organdy along the edge of the felt if desired.

(ta da!)



