How to Join African Flower Crochet Motifs Neatly

Joining African Flower motifs is one of the most important stages when making a 3D crochet animal.

The individual motifs may look beautiful on their own, but the way they are joined together determines the final shape, structure and overall finish of the project.

For my own African Flower animals, I prefer a neat, secure join that keeps the motifs sitting closely together without creating bulky seams. I either crochet them together as shown in the main photo above (great for if you need to redo a seam as it's fast and easy), or I use the mattress stitch, shown below (joined and ready to pull the tails to close the seam). See my blog on how to work the mattress stitch in more detail.

The good news is that once you understand the method, joining becomes much easier and much more enjoyable.

Why Joining Matters

When you are making a blanket, joining motifs is mainly about creating a flat surface.

With African Flower animals, the joins do much more than that.

They help create:

• curves

• body shape

• legs

• heads

• necks

• wings

• tails

• other 3D sections

The motifs effectively work together like pieces of a three-dimensional puzzle.

This is why it is important to join the correct sides together and keep your tension consistent.

Before You Start Joining

Before sewing or crocheting your motifs together, I recommend laying them out in the correct order or joining with stitch markers or spare yarn. Join the corner apex stitches together and this will help you map out where you need to join, and in which order.

If you are following one of my patterns, check the placement carefully before joining anything permanently.

It is very easy to accidentally join the wrong side or shape if you are working with several similar shapes.

A few minutes spent checking the layout can save a lot of unpicking later (another reason to crochet together rather than sew).

Keep Your Motifs the Same Size

For the neatest finish, your motifs should be as consistent in size as possible.

This is why even tension matters so much when making African Flower animals.

If one motif is much larger or smaller than the others, it will affect the way the finished piece fits together.

Tiny differences you may get away with, but if you notice a big difference, it is worth checking your stitch count and tension before continuing.

Which Sides Should Be Joined?

African Flower motifs are made up of different numbers of sides.

You may be working with:

• hexagons

• Octogons

• Nonagons

• pentagons

• squares

• triangles

• other specially shaped motifs known as modified shapes. These will be for ears etc and will have big differences in round four and beyond.

Each side of the motif is joined to a specific side on another motif.

The number and arrangement of these joins is what creates the final 3D shape.

Always follow the joining diagram or written instructions carefully.

If you are unsure, place the motifs together first and check how they sit before stitching them.

My Preferred Joining Method

For my own projects I generally crochet together a new design (to allow for easy unpicking if I need to reposition or swap a shape). I prefer a method that creates a firm, tidy seam and actually like the ridge that it creates between shapes. You do have to be careful to make each side of the animal or bird symmetrical though, by working the seams in the opposite direction on each side. This is because the seam sits to one side and therefore will look different if you connect the shapes in the same direction each time. Each pattern will tell you in which direction to crochet ie. towards the head or away from the head, and will use coloured markers such as are shown below, and will instruct you to work from one colour to another, making it obvious which direction to work in.

I position the two motifs with the correct sides facing each other, making sure the stitches along both edges line up.

I then work evenly along the edge in single crochet, matching the stitches as closely as possible.

The exact joining method can vary and I sometimes sew the shapes, using mattress stitch if I am after a flatter join. This is all depends on the design, but the most important thing is consistency.

If you use the same joining tension throughout the whole project, the finished animal will look much neater.

Take Your Time at the Corners

Corners are especially important when joining African Flower motifs.

This is where several motifs may meet, and small differences in tension can become more noticeable.

Try not to pull the yarn too tightly at the corners.

You want the join to be secure, but not so tight that the motifs pucker or distort.

Equally, a very loose join can leave gaps.

Aim for a firm, even seam.

Join in a Logical Order

When making a 3D animal, it is usually much easier to join sections in a planned order rather than trying to attach motifs randomly. You will also have far fewer tails to sew in or knot together. I tend not to sew them in as they will all be inside your work anyway. But if you do sew them in then do this before you start to crochet the shapes together.

For example, you might build:

• one side of the body

• the opposite side

• the head

• the legs

• then join the larger sections together

The exact order depends on the pattern.

Following the recommended joining sequence helps prevent the project from becoming awkward to handle.

It also makes it easier to see how the shape is developing.

Check the Shape as You Go

One of the most useful things you can do is stop regularly and look at the project from different angles.

As the motifs are joined, you should gradually see the 3D form beginning to appear.

If something looks twisted, uneven or unexpectedly flat, check the motif placement before continuing.

It is much easier to correct one join than to undo a large section later.

Stuffing as You Go

For many 3D crochet projects, it can be helpful to add stuffing before the final opening is completely closed.

This gives you more control over the shape.

Do not overstuff but stuff firmly enough that the project keeps its shape. Legs especially need to be firm to hold the whole project up. Weak legs will spoil the whole look.

Too much stuffing can stretch the joins, distort the motifs and make the filling show through the stitches.

I prefer to add stuffing gradually and gently shape the project as I go.

How Tight Should the Join Be?

The seam should be firm enough to hold the motifs securely together, but not so tight that the edges curl or bunch.

If the motifs start pulling inward, your joining tension may be too tight.

If there are obvious gaps between motifs, the join may be too loose.

The best result is a seam that sits neatly between the motifs without distracting from the flower design.

How to Avoid Gaps Between Motifs

If you are seeing gaps between joined motifs, check three things:

First, make sure the stitches along both edges are lined up correctly.

Second, check your joining tension.

Third, make sure your original motifs are crocheted firmly enough.

A very loose motif can be difficult to join neatly, especially if the finished project will be stuffed.

Should I Block the Motifs Before Joining?

You can block motifs before joining if they are uneven or slightly distorted but it's not necessary as they will stretch out over the stuffing..

For 3D crochet animals, I personally prefer the motifs to keep some natural structure rather than becoming too soft or stretched.

If you do block them, keep it gentle.

The aim is simply to even out the shape, not to dramatically stretch the motif.

What If My Motifs Do Not Line Up Perfectly?

Do not panic. Handmade crochet will always have small variations.

If the difference is very slight, you can usually ease the stitches together as you join.

If the difference is large, check:

• your stitch count

• your hook size

• your tension

• whether you have used the correct motif shape

Sometimes remaking one motif is much quicker than trying to force two very different-sized pieces together.

Common Joining Mistakes

A few common mistakes can make joining more difficult.

These include:

• joining the wrong motif sides together

• pulling the seam too tightly

• leaving the join too loose

• skipping stitches

• joining motifs in the wrong order

• adding too much stuffing

• not checking the shape as you work

The easiest way to avoid these problems is to work slowly and check your progress regularly.

Why I Enjoy the Joining Stage

For me, joining is where the project really starts to come alive.

You begin with a collection of flat African Flower motifs, and slowly they turn into a recognisable animal.

It is one of my favourite parts of the whole process because you can see the shape developing with every seam.

That is also why I always encourage people not to rush this stage.

A neat join makes a huge difference to the final result.

My Final Tips

Before you start, lay out your motifs and check the placement.

Keep your joining tension even.

Do not pull the corners too tightly.

Check the 3D shape regularly.

Stuff gradually rather than all at once.

And most importantly, do not worry if your first joins are not perfect. Like everything in crochet, the technique becomes easier with practice. Practicing joining before you commit to the whole project is a really valuable use of time.

Once you have joined a few motifs, you will start to develop a rhythm and the process will feel much more natural.