needle-felted sheep kit in the shop!

 

A few weeks ago I made my first sheep and mentioned that I was putting together a needle-felting kit.  I'm happy to say that I've done it and was able to share it for the first time yesterday at Celtic Fest at St. Mathias Farm. (what a wonderful time, by the way.  Thanks to everyone who stopped by to say hi)

 

There are two color options, one in all white with teeny Targhee locks for a coat, and a black sheep with a white coat.

 

I wanted to make this kit with materials that made me feel good.  It took some time to put together.  I chose wool from small producers, often local, in breeds that needle-felt easily (not all breeds are created equally in this regard).  Where color was needed, I used environmentally-conscious dyes free from heavy-metals and hand-dyed it myself.  The packaging and even the felting mat is made of eco-friendly materials.  The mat is made of natural material, including soy grown by US farmers.

 

 

The kit has 11 pages of illustrated instructions, written and photographed by me.  It comes with the wire for the armature, 2 sets of glass bead eyes, the wool, and 3 sizes of needles.

 

A few people have tried the kit and I love how each little sheep has its own personality.

If you'd like to try a kit of your own, or know someone who would, please stop over and have a look in my shop.

Thank you!

Hope you're all having a wonderful weekend.

mushrooms and flower brooches from felted stones

Since I shared my tutorial for making felted wool stones the other day, I thought I'd also share some ideas for using those stones that don't turn out exactly as you like.  Maybe the color isn't what you like or it it didn't turn out quite as smooth as you'd hoped, there's still lots of opportunity in that wool.

For this first one I've liberated the stone by making a cross cut through the bottom of the wool.

I needled the flaps down until I have a little cap.

I had a piece of felted "rope" on hand already so I cut off a piece, tucked it into the cap, and grabbed some roving.

I used the handle of my felting needle to tuck in a good layer between the stem and the cap, then needled it in place, being careful not to poke all the way to the outside of the cap.  That would make the white wool show on the outside of the cap and it wouldn't look very nice.

I needled on a few white spots and just like that I have a cute toadstool.

Another idea is to use the wool in a flower brooch.  You can see I've cut open the bottoms of the smaller stones but cut the wool off the long rock into two somewhat equal pieces.

I flattened the green piece and sewn through it to act as a leaf.  I've left the open end alone for now but once it's sewn to the other pieces, the open end will be sewn shut on the underside of the flower.

I took the two blue pieces, cut a few slits for the petals of the flowers, and turned the pieces inside out which causes it to flare out a bit.  I rounded the petals a little then sewed over them with a blanket stitch.

I cut the smallest piece with a fringe.

After stacking all of the flower pieces onto the leaf, I tucked a wool bead in the middle and sewed them all together down through the center of the flower.  I took a few extra stitches through the open end of the leaf and attached it securely to the underside of the flower. 

Stitch on a pinback and you have yourself a brooch, or sew it to a headband, or you could tie it to a present...

The best part is that you still have those rocks to work with again.

I keep a set of stones on hand just for this purpose.  You can make cute little pouches this way, or finger puppets, or the projects I've just covered...so much possibility!  So the next time your rocks don't turn out as you wanted, don't think of them as mistakes.  Rock your mistakes instead!  (I know, I'm such a nerd)

Have fun, everyone!

how to make a felted stone

I've been making felted stones for several years now and I've often been asked how I make them.  There are different ways of making stones, but this is my method, one I've tweaked over time to suit me.

Want to give it a try? Purchase the tutorial HERE

apple and pear ornament tutorial

I'm trying something new, friends.

I've begun writing some pdf tutorials, starting with my little apple and pear ornaments, and am offering them for sale in my Etsy shop.  This one is geared towards the beginner and intermediate sewist.  For those of you that may not have easy access to felted garment wool, or who want to be spared the trouble of felting and preparing this yummy wool, I'll soon be offering a materials kit as well.



(apple and pear ornaments - make us!)

While writing tutorials is not new to me, (I've written several for various books and offer some free here on my blog), writing them to sell is new to me.  I'm hoping that by sharing my techniques I'll help more people fall in love with making things by hand, appreciate the beauty of using repurposed materials, and compensate myself (even if modestly) in the process.

As I mentioned the tutorials and kits will be found in my etsy shop, however my other completed works will continue to be in my big cartel shop.

Speaking of which... I have a few new pieces nearing completion and I'll be having my next shop update sometime in the last week of November, after the whole Black Friday craziness is over, and blood pressures return to normal.  Normalish?  I hope you'll find something for the art-lover on your list.

Have a good start to the week, everyone. 

pocketed placemat tutorial

If you find this, or one of my other tutorials, helpful and would like to make a monetary contribution to help me keep wool in my basket and ideas flowing, I'd be so grateful.  By clicking the "Buy Now" button below you can choose your own price for the tutorial.  It's completely optional, but oh so appreciated.

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It has been a while since I've spent time crafting for myself.  I decided to change that this week and do something with the canvas dropcloth I've been tripping over in my workshop.  I love the almost linen-like look of the untreated canvas and decided to use it on my tabletop.  A few cuts, a few stitches, and some collaboration with my little ones and I had myself some placemats.

Placemats with cute little pockets!

They were incredibly easy to make and here's a little how-to if you'd like to give them a go yourself.

Materials

canvas

sewing machine threaded with your choice of thread color

paint - acrylic or fabric paint

leaves

waxed paper

You'll need to cut two pieces of canvas for each placemat.  Mine are 11" x 15" which fit my plates and silverware nicely.  When determining the size I laid out my dish and the silverware pocket to check for a proper fit.  You'll want to adjust the size to fit your own dishes as needed. 

Cut a piece of canvas roughly 3" x 4" to act as a pocket on your placemat.

Enlist the help of children to do botanical prints on your pocket pieces.  If you don't have any children laying around, then go on and do it yourself.  Instructions for making nature prints are here.

After your leaf prints are completely dry you'll want to sew across the top of each one to stop the fabric from fraying too far.

Pin the pocket to the front of your placemat and sew down the side, across the bottom, and back up the third side.  Be sure to back stitch at the beginning and end so your pocket holds securely.

After your pocket is sewn on, pin the top layer of your placemat to the bottom layer.  I'm going for a simple look with an intentional fray around the outside.  None of that turning inside-out fanciness for me today.

Sew the two layers of placemat together, keeping the stitches 1/4" from the outer edge.

Fray the edges of the placemat and the pocket by removing the threads running parallel to your stitches.  Be careful not to tug the stitches out in the process.

Give your placemat a good shake or a once-over with a lint brush and there you have it!

Ready to serve.

My kids think the little pockets are super cool and the younger ones were eager to set the table.

Eager.

To set the table.

That alone makes this project totally worth it for me.

If you're so inclined you could also treat these to make them more stain-resistent.

I think these would be cute made from denim too, maybe with pockets made of bandana material or leather?  Or made of felt perhaps?  Or recycle a thrift-store raincoat and make placemats that can withstand a storm of peas and carrots, that would be cool.

If you try it, I hope you'll share the results.  I'd love to see where your creativity takes this.

Felt Poinsettia Brooch Tutorial

If you find this, or one of my other tutorials, helpful and would like to make a monetary contribution to help me keep wool in my basket and ideas flowing, I'd be so grateful.  By clicking the "Buy Now" button below you can choose your own price for the tutorial.  It's completely optional, but oh so appreciated.

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Feeling festive?  How about making a pretty poinsettia for your lapel?  

A blog reader asked for a tutorial for these and I thought maybe some others would enjoy making them too.  They're a really simple design that anyone can do so grab some felt and get a'making.

What you'll need:

felt - (I use felted coat and sweater material)

in a flower color and a leaf color

a pretty button

thread

needle

scissors

pinback

Using a simple flower template like the one above, cut out your three flower shapes and your leaf shape from your felt.  (you should be able to print the template above and adjust the size as needed if you don't feel comfortable drawing your own.  Print this in landscape orientation.)

Using the tip of your scissors, snip a small "x" in the center of the smallest flower piece.  Cut small circles in the center of the remaining two flower pieces.  You'll want to make the hole smaller than the size of the button you're using for the center.

Add some decorative stitching to the flower petals if you wish.  If you're making these with kids or just want a simple brooch, leave the stitching off and continue to the next step.

Sew a pinback to the back side of your leaf shape.  By sewing it slightly above center the brooch will hang nicely when on.

Turn the leaf rightside up and stack your flower shapes on top of it.  Alternate the position of the petals as you stack so they look nice and full.  Start by taking a stitch down through the center of the stack and through the leaf, and then back up through the stack before sewing your button on.  Sew the button on securely, catching the inside edges of the holes you cut in the flower shapes as you go.  This holds the piece securely together and the holes help the button sink into the flower center, giving it some shape.

Make a knot and tie off your thread, snip the tail and proudly wear your new brooch.

They'd make nice little gifts and you can make them as ornate or as simple as you'd like.  Change up the stitching, do different colors, make them your own through little touches that are uniquely "you".  By using felted garment wool and vintage or reclaimed buttons, you'll be making them more eco-friendly too.

If you make some, I'd love to hear how they turn out.  Drop me a note in the comments if you do.

Have fun!

Tiny Birch Bark Canoe Tutorial

If you find this, or one of my other tutorials, helpful and would like to make a monetary contribution to help me keep wool in my basket and ideas flowing, I'd be so grateful.  By clicking the "Buy Now" button below you can choose your own price for the tutorial.  It's completely optional, but oh so appreciated.

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As promised, a birch bark tutorial! 

Since so many people seemed to love these tiny birch bark canoes, I thought I'd share how I make them.

What you'll need:

birch bark (bark, not birch paper)

raffia or waxed thread/artificial sinew

a sturdy needle

scissors

small twigs

clothespins or small binder clips

I've found it really helpful to soak the birch bark for several hours or overnight before doing this project.  It makes the bark more pliable and seems to keep it from tearing quite so easily.  If your bark starts to dry out while you're sewing you can dunk it in a bowl of water or steam it with your steam iron (which is also a nice way to convince pieces of bark to lie flat since the bark wants to curl up.  Perfect for making gift tags.).

Cut a rectangle of bark to the length and twice the height of the boat you want to make.  The piece I've cut is about 2 1/2" x 2".  Gently fold it in half but don't try to crease it.  I lay my finger along the center and use even pressure when I fold.

Cut the top curve of the canoe while holding the top edges together, making sure to get a symmetrical cut.

Clip a clothespin on one end of your canoe to hold it in place while you cut the curves at the other end of the canoe, again making sure the two sides match up evenly.  Repeat for the other side.

You now have your canoe shape and can begin to sew.  Use the clothespins or binder clips to hold the ends together while you work or to hold the piece together if you have to leave the project for a minute.

Thread your raffia or waxed thread onto your needle and prepare to sew.  You'll be sewing the entire canoe with one length of thread so make sure  you snip a long enough piece.  I cut about 20" for this tiny canoe.

note: if you have a dremel tool with a very tiny drill bit you can pre-drill your holes.  This makes the job much easier and the bark is less likely to tear while sewing.  If you don't have one it's OK, just sew carefully and keep a distance between your stitch holes and the edge of the bark.

Begin stitching at the bottom of one end, sewing through both layers of bark.  Sew up the curve and over the top of the "point" using a whipstitch.

Hold a twig flush to the side of the canoe and whipstitch around it and the top edge of the canoe side. 

When you reach the "point" on the other end of the canoe, stitch through both layers of bark, down then back up the second curved end, making an "x" or shoelace pattern.

When you reach the top of the curve your needle should be on the unfinished side of the canoe.  Sew a twig to this side as you had done on the other side.

Sew the "x" pattern down the end curve, and tie a small knot at the end.  Trim any excess twig and you have a canoe!

I choose to add some decorative stitches under the twig supports, but you can leave it as is if you'd like.  You can add a loop to use as a hanging ornament also.

You can also simplify the process by just sewing each end and skip the twig supports.  This style is more prone to tearing so handle these with care.

I made one of these canoes out of a cereal box for the boys to play with and the cardboard is a great weight to practice with.  I think these would also be really sweet made out of felt.

This is a decorative canoe and won't float as is.  By sealing the holes and weighting it properly though, it could be.

If you give this a try, I'd love to know how it turns out.

Happy sailing!

My PSA:  I think it should be noted that I gather my birch bark from trees that fall in our woods.  You can read about that process here.  Although I've read that you can harvest birch safely from a live tree, it seems unnecessary and destructive to me.  That's not my kind of thing.  Birches are plentiful where I live, but if they're not plentiful in yours, I'd bet you can find some suppliers of sustainable bark online.