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| See you after the honeymoon! |
Thursday 14 November 2013
Saturday 31 August 2013
How to: Dinosaur
Hi everyone!
I've had a huge break from felting this year (I've taken up compulsively reading wedding blogs instead). I have done one big felt project though - a T-Rex for a friend's birthday. I kind of made up the design as I went along, as always.
Step 1. Cut up felt pieces. Two dino-shaped side pieces, a piece with legs and tummy for the front and a leaf piece of the back of his head.
Step 2. Join the two side pieces together by sewing along the back of the dinosaur starting from the tail. Then sew on the back of the head.
Step 3. Now pin on the front piece and sew along all the edges.
Step 4. Now flip him inside out.
Step 5. Sew on some eyeballs and teeth.
Step 6. Cut out a piece for dino's bottom.
Step 7. Stuff and seal!
Step 8. Add a ribbon and T-Rex is ready to rumble!
Monday 25 February 2013
How to: Axolotl
Time for something silly and completely different!
An axolotl is a type of salamander (I always knew them as Mexican walking fish). They look kinda creepy but still somehow cute. You take a look at this site for more info on axolotls - www.axolotl.org
I had lots of pink felt left over from all those roses, so I decided to make a pink axolotl (a pink one would be more cute and less creepy).
The toughest bit of creating a new felty is making the template. The main challenges were to make a body and head that would not be flat and to make the wavy bits on its head. This post takes you through my journey through these steps.
Step 1: Making the body
This is the template for the axolotl's back. The cuts in the centre create a rounded head and back when the sides are sewn together.
Like this. I also sewed a strip of felt along the back to make a fin. Real axolotls have quite long legs, but I like little stumpy feet.
Trim the fin to shape and stitch on a smile. Sew on some beads for eyes.
Step 2: Making the wavy bits
Cut out 2 three-pronged shapes in a lighter colour and a darker colour (darker colour a bit bigger than the lighter colour) and stitch them onto the axolotl's head.
Stitch the light wavy bits to the dark wavy bits. I've snipped the edges of the dark felt so it looks fuzzy. But I don't think it looks fuzzy enough. Next time I would just stitch some fuzzy yarn to the edges of the wavy bits.
Wavy bits complete!
Step 3: Stuffing and finishing
Cut out a salamander shape for the belly of the axolotl and stitch it to the back. It was a bit tricky to get the belly piece the right shape, so I cut the belly shape a little bigger than required, then trimmed it as I sewed.
Leave one side open for stuffing. Once stuffed, stitch the side closed.
An axolotl is a type of salamander (I always knew them as Mexican walking fish). They look kinda creepy but still somehow cute. You take a look at this site for more info on axolotls - www.axolotl.org
I had lots of pink felt left over from all those roses, so I decided to make a pink axolotl (a pink one would be more cute and less creepy).
The toughest bit of creating a new felty is making the template. The main challenges were to make a body and head that would not be flat and to make the wavy bits on its head. This post takes you through my journey through these steps.
Step 1: Making the body
This is the template for the axolotl's back. The cuts in the centre create a rounded head and back when the sides are sewn together.
Like this. I also sewed a strip of felt along the back to make a fin. Real axolotls have quite long legs, but I like little stumpy feet.
Trim the fin to shape and stitch on a smile. Sew on some beads for eyes.
Step 2: Making the wavy bits
Cut out 2 three-pronged shapes in a lighter colour and a darker colour (darker colour a bit bigger than the lighter colour) and stitch them onto the axolotl's head.
Stitch the light wavy bits to the dark wavy bits. I've snipped the edges of the dark felt so it looks fuzzy. But I don't think it looks fuzzy enough. Next time I would just stitch some fuzzy yarn to the edges of the wavy bits.
Wavy bits complete!
Step 3: Stuffing and finishing
Cut out a salamander shape for the belly of the axolotl and stitch it to the back. It was a bit tricky to get the belly piece the right shape, so I cut the belly shape a little bigger than required, then trimmed it as I sewed.
Leave one side open for stuffing. Once stuffed, stitch the side closed.
Squishy axolotl pet complete!
Saturday 16 February 2013
Yarraville Festival
So how did the stall at Yarraville Festival go anyway?
Well, turns out the council wasn't happy for us to have a little table out the front of my uncle's shop without a permit, so we moved our table indoors.
I got some lovely compliments from festival goers, but unfortunately not many people actually ventured into the shop to take a closer look. Nevermind! I had a lovely time being at the festival and it was really nice to see how many people liked my felties.
Thanks to Jennie and my fiance and family for turning up to show their support! Next time I'll set up a proper stall and hopefully we'll have a little more business :)
Well, turns out the council wasn't happy for us to have a little table out the front of my uncle's shop without a permit, so we moved our table indoors.
I got some lovely compliments from festival goers, but unfortunately not many people actually ventured into the shop to take a closer look. Nevermind! I had a lovely time being at the festival and it was really nice to see how many people liked my felties.
Thanks to Jennie and my fiance and family for turning up to show their support! Next time I'll set up a proper stall and hopefully we'll have a little more business :)
How to: Bunnies
My lovely cousin Jennie suggested that we sell my felties outside her dad's shop at Yarraville Festival. A few bunnies found new homes last year, so it was time to stock up!
In the middle of sewing, I realised I've never put up a bunny tutorial. Unfortunately I was already quite a few steps ahead before I remembered to take photos, but I think you can figure out how to do it from the pictures, the bunny templates aren't too complex.
How to make a bunny:
1. Cut out felt shapes:
- 2x coloured bunny shapes (one with a heart shape cut out in the belly)
- 3x white circles (2 for eyes and 1 for tail)
- 2x small black circles for eyeballs
- 1x small heart
- 1x square of patterned fabric
The eyes and tail are sewn on to the bunny's front and back respectively. Then stitch a little smile. The bunnies could also have a nose added, but I think they look cute without noses.
2. Pin the patterned fabric behind the bunny's belly heart hole and sew around the hole to attach.
3. Stitch the small felt heart on the bunny's chest.
4. Stitch together the front and back. Leave one side open for stuffing, then seal up the bunny.
Yay! New bunnies! So many bunnies!
In the middle of sewing, I realised I've never put up a bunny tutorial. Unfortunately I was already quite a few steps ahead before I remembered to take photos, but I think you can figure out how to do it from the pictures, the bunny templates aren't too complex.
How to make a bunny:
1. Cut out felt shapes:
- 2x coloured bunny shapes (one with a heart shape cut out in the belly)
- 3x white circles (2 for eyes and 1 for tail)
- 2x small black circles for eyeballs
- 1x small heart
- 1x square of patterned fabric
The eyes and tail are sewn on to the bunny's front and back respectively. Then stitch a little smile. The bunnies could also have a nose added, but I think they look cute without noses.
2. Pin the patterned fabric behind the bunny's belly heart hole and sew around the hole to attach.
3. Stitch the small felt heart on the bunny's chest.
4. Stitch together the front and back. Leave one side open for stuffing, then seal up the bunny.
Yay! New bunnies! So many bunnies!
Saturday 5 January 2013
How to: Roses
It's been a while since I posted a how-to because I always forget to take photos while I'm sewing. So I thought it would be nice to share how I'm making my roses while I'm still in the middle of making them.
All the bouquets are now pretty much complete. I'm now making roses for buttonholes for my fiance, the groomsmen and our families. I'm also going to make some roses to go in my hair (and maybe some for the bridemaids too, if they want to wear them). I've still got a lot of felt left over, so I may also make roses for a cake topper and to decorate our wishing well...
I spent a while surfing the web to find a easy method to make felt flowers. After a bit of experimenting, I came up with this technique to make felt roses.
1. Cut out seven circles for the rose petals. I used a large button as a template for my circles.
2. Roll up a circle to create a curl for the centre of the rose.
3. Wrap layers of petals around the central curl.
4. Now you can see your rose taking shape.
5. Sew together the bottom of the petals. Make sure you push your needle through all the layers of petal or some may fall out!
6. Pull back the petals to add volume to your bloom.
7. Voila! One rose!
Now repeat the process like a person possessed until you have enough roses to decorate your wedding :)
All the bouquets are now pretty much complete. I'm now making roses for buttonholes for my fiance, the groomsmen and our families. I'm also going to make some roses to go in my hair (and maybe some for the bridemaids too, if they want to wear them). I've still got a lot of felt left over, so I may also make roses for a cake topper and to decorate our wishing well...
I spent a while surfing the web to find a easy method to make felt flowers. After a bit of experimenting, I came up with this technique to make felt roses.
1. Cut out seven circles for the rose petals. I used a large button as a template for my circles.
2. Roll up a circle to create a curl for the centre of the rose.
3. Wrap layers of petals around the central curl.
4. Now you can see your rose taking shape.
5. Sew together the bottom of the petals. Make sure you push your needle through all the layers of petal or some may fall out!
6. Pull back the petals to add volume to your bloom.
7. Voila! One rose!
Now repeat the process like a person possessed until you have enough roses to decorate your wedding :)
Monday 24 December 2012
Bouquets
Some big news - I'm getting married! So there may be a little less felting next year, but there is one big project I'm working on.
I've decided to make my own bouquets and buttonholes of felt roses. This way I can have a huge bouquet of roses at a fraction of the cost of the real thing and we don't need to worry about picking up fresh flowers from a florist on the wedding day.
The bouquets are still a work in progress because I keep wanting to add things to the bunch, but I think they're looking pretty good. All that's left is to add some more foliage and choose ribbon that will match the bridemaids' dresses.
I've decided to make my own bouquets and buttonholes of felt roses. This way I can have a huge bouquet of roses at a fraction of the cost of the real thing and we don't need to worry about picking up fresh flowers from a florist on the wedding day.
The bouquets are still a work in progress because I keep wanting to add things to the bunch, but I think they're looking pretty good. All that's left is to add some more foliage and choose ribbon that will match the bridemaids' dresses.
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