Pattern Making

Today I thought I'd share how I make my patterns for felt items and embroidery.

I usually start sketching using any notepad and pen that is closest to hand. (please excuse my drawing .. I'm no artist by any means). This one was done while looking at photos of Boston Terriers on the computer. 

I then scan this in to the pc and if I want to make to image larger or smaller I do this in Photoshop.

These are the original and re-sized versions.

As the outlines on the original were very sketchy and drawn using a Biro the larger copy looks quite faint so I draw around the outlines using a black fine-liner or Sharpie.

After going around the image with a pen, this copy is scanned then tidied up in Photoshop. It is then from this image that I make any templates for patterns or use for embroidery.

It seems like a bit of a long winded process but it actually doesn't take too much time to do.

Lion Embroidery

This week I've been drawing and sewing a design of a lion after I took a photo of this litter bin on our trip to Blackpool. This one is just outside the Pleasure Beach at the side of the Noah's Ark. 

While I was pressing the design on to my fabric I managed to burn the tracing paper and fabric, twice. I don't know if my iron was having a funny moment but this one was my third attempt.

The lion measures 16cm x 12cm. I used two strands of embroidery thread for the dots and outlines on the eyes and three strands of thread for the rest.

This is the pattern that I made for the embroidery.

Christmas Jackalope Ornament

Today I've been making some Christmassy jackalopes to hang from our tree.

I drew a silhouette of a rabbits head using a photo then added some antlers. The head and antlers were cut from thin vinyl taken from showroom sample books.

A hole was made with a hole punch in the top of the head and the antlers were painted. I didn't have any metallic paint and wasn't keen on Little L's glitters so I painted mine using nail polish.

When the paint (nail polish) had dried, the antlers were then glued on to the head and a length of thin ribbon was used for hanging up the ornament .

This is the template that I made to make the jackalopes.

Love Heart Brooch

Yesterday afternoon I made this love heart brooch and thought I'd share it on here.

MATERIALS

Red and cream felt

Matching thread

Assortment of tiny beads and buttons

A brooch back

Cut out two red hearts using the largest heart shape and one cream heart using the smallest heart. Using small stitches, sew the cream heart onto one of the red heart. Sew a brooch back onto the other red heart, remembering to reverse the shape.

Start sewing the beads and buttons on to the cream heart shape. I placed the largest pieces on first then filled in with the beads.

Using a red thread, sew both hearts together and it's finished.

Spring Flower Garland

After taking down my last garland ( a Christmassy one ), I was now faced with an empty space again in my hall so this week I decided to make another. This time one with flowers to remind me that Spring isn't too far away.

Materials

Felt - 2 different shades in pink, green and blue and 1 shade in yellow

Embroidery Threads

Beads

Buttons

A length of ribbon or binding to attach the flowers

I cut the flower shapes from the pink felt then using a contrasting shade of embroidery thread, sewed around each shape in running stitch. The flower middles were cut from yellow felt using pinking shears then all the pieces were stacked on top of each other, a button was placed in the centre then sewn together as in the photo.

Small circles were cut from the contrasting shades of blue felt then I snipped out tiny triangles around each circle to make it look more flower like. These were then placed on top of each other with a bead in the centre, then sewn together.

The leaf shapes were sewn together using a contrasting thread.

I wanted to place the blue flowers and leaves in a little cluster and as the binding I was using was quite narrow, I positioned all the pieces onto a small piece of felt then sewed them on. When I had finished I snipped off the excess felt.

The flowers were attached to the binding by sewing the larger flowers through the button and the flower clusters were sewn on through the felt holding the cluster together.

Christmas Bunny

This is what I have made this week, a Christmas bunny decoration. I know that rabbits aren't a creature traditionally associated with Christmas but I love them. The pieces that I used for the rabbit are at the bottom of the post.

MATERIALS

Felt

Thread

Stuffing

Ribbon

A bell, pom pom or button to add to the hat - (The bell I used on mine was originally on a chocolate bunny)

 

I placed my rabbit pieces in position on to the felt I choice as my background colour. I used a dab of craft glue to keep them in place.

The pieces were stitched in place using tiny straight stitches.

Next embroider on the rabbit's face.

I then cut around the rabbit leaving a small edge of the background felt. With the same felt which was used as a background, cut out a matching shape and sew the two pieces together, inserting a small length of ribbon at the top for hanging. Slightly stuff before closing up.

Bobble Crochet Pillowcase Edge

I love bobble edge trim and wanted to try and replicate a bobble edge using crochet. I'm sure there must be another way of making a crochet bobble but this is the only way I know.

Foundation Row  Edge the pillowcase using blanket stitch, 1cm down from the edge and the stitches 1cm apart

Join the wool in to a blanket stitch using sl st

Make bobble - Ch4, 3tr (leaving the last loop from each tr on the hook), pull wool through all 4sts, ch4, sl st in to htr.

Row 1  - 3dc in to each blanket stitch, join the row end with sl st

Row 2 - 4ch, skip 2dc, htr in next dc, * 2ch, skip 2dc, htr in next dc. Repeat from * to end, sl st in ch2 of beg 4ch.

Row 3 - Ch4, 3tr (leaving the last hoop of each tr on the hook), pull wool through all 4sts, ch4, sl st into beg of 4ch, * 2 sl st across 2ch, sl st in to htr, 2 sl st across 2ch, sl st in to htr and make bobble. Repeat from * to end. Fasten off with sl st.

Winter House

This week I have been making more of these Christmas trees which I made last year and this little winter house decoration.

All the pieces are cut from felt and sewn together using tiny straight stitches. Seed beads were sewn on to look like snow. A small length of ribbon was inserted at the top for hanging and it was slightly stuffed before closing. The pieces I made for the house are below.

Crochet Pillowcase Edge

This weekend I rummaged out some odd pillowcases which I had and treated them to a crocheted edge. I made the pattern up as I went along and I have put it below incase anyone wants to use it.

Foundation Row - Edge the pillowcase using blanket 1cm down from the edge and the stitches 1cm apart

Join wool into any blanket stitch using a sl st. I always joined at one of the seams.

Row 1 - 3dc into each blanket stitch, join row end with sl st

Row 2 - 4ch, skip 2dc, htr in next dc, * 2ch, skip 2dc, htr in next dc. Continue from * to end , sl st in ch2 of beg 4ch

Row 3 - As row 2

Row 4 - 3ch, sl st into the sl st made to join the end of the last row, * 2dc in 2ch space, sl st in htr,   3ch, sl st into previous sl. Continue from * to end.

I hope this makes sense to anyone trying to follow it and if you find any mistakes please feel free to let me know . I've discovered that it is so much more easier to read a pattern or go into autopilot and do your own thing than try and write down instructions. Hats off to all the pattern designers out there.

Love Heart Sweets

I made these felt love heart sweets a while ago. I remember eating these when I was little and my love/hate relationship with them. I loved the pastel colours and the wording but hated the taste of the things. I used to munch my way through them quickly just to see what was written on the next one.

MATERIALS

Felt plus matching thread

Red embroidery cotton

Stuffing

1) Cut out two circle pieces of felt

2) Using tracing paper, trace out the heart shape and wording of your own choice and tack the design on to one of the circles of felt

3)Then using the red cotton start to embroider through the tracing paper. I used chain stitch for the heart and straight stitch for the wording.

4) When you have finished the embroidery carefully tear away the tracing paper. It does come away from the stitches quite easily

5) Now using a thread which matches the colour of your felt sew the two circles together. I used blanket stitch for this.

6) When you have almost reached the end of the circle leave a small gap, stuff slightly then sew to the end

Skull Book Marks

I made these quick book marks yesterday using scraps of felt and ribbons

Using one skull shape, I sewed on the eyes ,nose and teeth using small straight stitches. I then sewed the two skull pieces together, inserting the bone shapes as I went along until I reached the chin part of the skull where I inserted a length of ribbon then sewed shut.

When I cut my ribbon off to the length that I wanted I dabbed on a tiny bit of clear nail varnish to prevent it from fraying.

I think this skull would also be suitable for making into a nice brooch or hairclip.

Little L's Owl

Little L is always wanting me to make her something, anything will do usually but recently she told me she wanted some pictures in her room ( not that she spends much time in there ). She asked for pictures of an owl, a panda and a teddy bear. Here's the owl picture that I finished last night.

For this I used a 7in embroidery, felt and threads in matching colours, cotton fabric for background. Where I have used printed cotton on the face and belly, I ironed on some light weight interfacing as the fabric was quite flimsy. When positioning the felt pieces I always put a stop of fabric glue on them to prevent them moving about ( its safer than using pins round Little L as she can't help touching things even when she knows she shouldn't ). I then sewed the pieces on using tiny straight stitches.

Pieces used the owl



Feeling Christmassy

It doesn't feel as though Christmas will soon be upon here at the moment but I think that is just because we haven't put the tree or decorations up yet so I decided to start the Christmassy feeling off with some seasonal tunes and paper chain making. I discovered that Little L does not care much for Nat King Cole or Bing Crosby. She likes something a little more upbeat. Also I found out that the strips of paper for making paper chains these days have changed since I made them with the boys. They have glue ! . No more waiting for the gallons of slobber to dry then bodge them up with sellotape.

In the afternoon I rustled these up for my mum. Last week my mum had been to a garden centre (she haunts the places at Christmas, drawn to all the lights and decorations) and told me about some little felt trees she had seen. She told me that they were plain felt and just glued together. Now I know she was a bit disgusted at the prices charged for these thrown together items but I don't know if it was also a hint for me to make some or not .. so I made her some anyway. Just hope mine don't get the comments that the offensive little trees in the garden centre did.

For theses I cut out 2 tree shapes with pinking shears and used straight stitch round the edges inserting a small length of ribbon at the top for a loop and a piece of brown felt at the bottom. When I had nearly reached the end, I pushed in a small amount of stuffing. I then sewed on tiny buttons for baubles