Felt Fox Brooch Tutorial

I've just sent out this month's freebie for my pattern newsletter subscribers - a tutorial for sewing a felt fox brooch.

This is another old design that I used to sell in my shop which I'm now sharing as a pattern. I'm really enjoying revisiting these old projects and I hope you guys are enjoying sewing them!

There's still time to get this tutorial for free, just sign up to my newsletter before the end of the month (July 2019).

Click here to read more about my newsletter and subscribe!

If you sign up to my monthly pattern newsletter you'll recieve a free project from me in your inbox once a month, and you can also sign up to hear about what's new on my blog and in my shop.

Click here to visit my tutorial archive for lots more free patterns and project ideas.

Plant Lady Brooches: Felt Monstera Leaf Brooch Tutorial

Here's the final tutorial in my trio of plant lady projects: an embroidered felt monstera leaf brooch!

 

These leafy designs would make great gifts for the plant-lovers in your life! You could also leave off the brooch backs and use the designs as patches to sew on your rucksack, jacket, or other items that don’t need regular washing. (Here's the Plant Lady brooch tutorial and here's the Cactus brooch tutorial).

The tutorials originally appeared on the Village Haberdashery's blog and were created using felt and other craft supplies from their shop.

You will need:

- The plant lady brooch templates (follow the link to view and download the PDF template sheet)
- Light pink felt and mid green felt
- Matching sewing thread
- Mid green embroidery thread
- A brooch clasp
- A sewing needle and pins
- Sewing scissors or embroidery scissors (these are great for cutting out small shapes!)

To make a monstera brooch:

1. Use the template provided to cut out a monstera leaf from mid green felt. Place it on a piece of light pink felt and sew it in position with whip stitch and matching mid green sewing thread.

2. Embroider the veins of the leaf, using the photo and/or the drawing on the template as a guide. Use backstitch and three strands of mid green embroidery thread (from the six strands in the skein). Start by sewing the central line down the middle of the leaf then add the other lines.

3. Trim the backing felt, leaving a narrow border of felt around the leaf. Use this shape as a template to cut out a matching backing piece of pink felt.

4. Turn the backing shape over. Sew a brooch clasp in position with a double thickness of matching sewing thread. Place the front and back of the brooch together and sew around the edges with whip stitch and more matching thread.

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This tutorial is for non commercial use only: you can use it to make as many brooches as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a couple of photos if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to this page on my blog, and do not reproduce my entire tutorial / share my templates on your site. Thanks!

New in My Shop: 3 Fun Felt Brooch Patterns - Sew Teacups, Rainclouds & Tree Stumps

I added three new PDF patterns to my shop yesterday - another bargain pattern bundle!

 

 

With this trio of simple step-by-step tutorials you can sew three different felt brooches: little teacups, rainclouds, and tree stumps.

There are clear photos and instructions for each step of the process, and different size options for the templates so you can make bigger brooches than mine if you'd like.

I used the medium teacup templates yesterday to sew this floral teacup - isn't it cute?

 

 

 
These would be so perfect for using up scraps of pretty floral fabric you can't bear to throw away. I've had that scrap of Liberty Tana Lawn in my stash for years and am so glad to have found a use for it! If I still sold handmade items I would definitely be adding this version of my little teacups design to my product range and can't help myself from picturing a whole row of brooches with different floral prints and different colours of embroidered detailing to match the fabrics.

The good news is that this is something you can do if you'd like! When you buy any patterns from my shops (including the bargain bundles) you have my permission to sell items any items you sew from them, as long as you credit me as the designer.

Click here to buy the pattern bundle from my shop - it'll be available to download and print immediately after your payment goes through! For even more of a bargain, shop before June 27th to get this bundle at the launch price.

P.S. All of these patterns were originally shared with my newsletter subscribers - click here to sign up for crafty updates from me and/or a monthly free project!

New in My Shop: 3 Easy Felt Flower Patterns - Make Sunflowers, Dahlias & Layered Flowers

I've just added a new PDF pattern to my shop... well, three new patterns, actually!

 

 

My latest listing is a bundle of 3 easy-to-sew felt flower designs: sunflowers, dahlias and layered flowers.

 

 

 
You can use the tutorials to make brooches or headbands, and there's also a template for making poinsettia brooches for the Christmas holidays.

 

 

When you buy any patterns from my shop you can of course make lots of things for yourself and to give as gifts, but you can also sell the finished items at craft fairs or in your Etsy shop, etc, as long as you credit me as the designer.

You can buy this bargain bundle of printable PDF patterns from my shop - it'll be available to download immediately after your payment goes through! Shop before May 29th to snap up the flowers at the bargain launch price. 

 

P.S. I've got lots more patterns in progress at the moment - subscribe to my newsletter for all the latest updates from me and my shop.

How To: Easy Felt Bow Brooch

Today I'm sharing a quick and easy tutorial for making a pretty felt bow brooch.

 

The bow would make a great gift topper. Tie a gift with co-ordinating ribbon then attach the brooch to “top” the parcel. Once the gift is unwrapped, the bow can be kept and worn as a brooch or used to decorate more gifts in future.

I made this brooch with felt from docrafts. This tutorial didn't make it into their magazine, so I'm sharing it with you guys instead! Yay!

 

You will need:

- The templates provided at the bottom of this post.
- Felt.You need felt that will keep its shape and not flop so avoid very thin and soft felt. 100% wool felt would be perfect for this but thicker synthetic felts would also work well and is what I used to make my bow.
- Matching sewing thread.
- A brooch clasp.
- Sewing needle and pins.
- Sewing scissors.

To make the brooch:

1. Use the templates provided to cut out the following pieces from your chosen felt: 1 x bow, 2 x ribbons, 2 x brooch backs and 1 x centre circle. Turn over one of the ribbon pieces so you have a left and right ribbon.

2. Arrange the ribbons and bow on one of the backing shapes. The tops of the ribbon pieces should overlap each other slightly then be hidden behind the bow piece.

3. Fold the ends of the bow piece so the ends meet in the middle and the 3D bow shape is created. Hold the four pieces together firmly in one hand and sew all the layers together. Use matching thread and keep your stitches in the centre of the bow so they’ll be hidden under the circle piece in the next step.

4. Add the circle to the middle of the bow. Sew it in position with a double thickness of matching thread, sewing two stitches in the centre to form an X shape.

5. Turn over the second backing shape and attach a brooch clasp. Sew the clasp securely in place with a double thickness of matching thread.

6. Place the front and back of the brooch together. Use whip stitch and more matching thread to join the edges of the backing shapes.


Click here to view the template sheet, make sure you're viewing it full size then print it at 100%.

This tutorial is for personal use only: you can use it to stitch as many brooches as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a photo if you want to blog about this project, but remember to credit me and link back to the original source, and do not reproduce my entire post or share the pattern itself on your site. Thanks!

Enjoyed this free tutorial? Buy me a "coffee" and help support my blog!


Subscribe to my newsletter for a monthly free pattern and visit my crafty tutorial archive for lots more free projects.

Crafty Ladies: Meet Laura Harris

Say hello to another Crafty Lady - Laura from Laurafallulah. 

Laura's shop is filled with pretty, colourful, vintage-inspired jewellery and accessories. I especially love her stylish felt flower brooches!

Laura & I have been crafty chums since the early days of Etsy and it's been lovely seeing her shop develop over the years and to meet up from time to time to chat about the ups and downs of making and selling and being your own boss.

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Hiya, I am Laura also known as Fallulah, hence the Laurafallulah.

I am a designer/maker from SE London who uses my interest in vintage design along with my love of bright colours and bold pattern to create fun individual accessories. I work from the spare room in my flat, which I share with my partner Richard, although I can often be found stitching on the sofa in front of the telly.

I spend my weekends walking, be it in near by Greenwich park or round galleries, and eating! I just love food and London has a great thriving street food market scene which I am gradually working my way round. I am also a member of our local cinema and the ICA so spend a lot of time watching all kinds of movies from arthouse to mainstream.

Recently I’ve been making…

I am currently working on new flower brooch designs to add to my classic collection as well as some new paper products to add to my Garden Party range which includes a few different cake topper designs. I like to have a range of things which are all year round items as well as a few seasonal things.

For summer I have a new range of jewellery based on the bright colours and intricate style of Papel Picado, Mexican paper cut banners. I love taking influences from all over and the mix of bold colours and patterns of Mexico really appeal to my taste.

 

I’ve been working on…

I have also been trying to spend some time working in my sketchbook on my drawing skills. I haven’t spent too much time perfecting my drawing recently as it is easy to get caught up in technology and the practical side of making. I would like to some day use more illustration in my work, but for now I am enjoying doing something a little different just for the sake of it.

I’ve been reading…

I love blogs, they really appeal to the nosy side of me as its like looking in on a little section of peoples lives. I have a few blogs that I have followed for years such as the classic design blog Decor8 and the lifestyle blog SFGirlbyBay . I have also more recently started loving the more journal type of blogs such as Dainty Squid and Skunk Boy, I love both of their mix of fashion, design and just life experiences.

I am also really interested in health and nutrition so I regularly catch up with Whole Heartedly Healthy and try out Lauras great recipes and health tips.

While I sew, I’ve been watching…

I will pretty much watch anything! I love all different kinds of TV and movies and can usually be found binge watching RuPauls Drag Race or The Office (an American Workplace).

I am not really the kind of person who can sit and do nothing so I frequently irritate my partner by punching confetti while we catch up on which ever latest American drama we are watching at the time. I also like catching up on some classic movies which I can’t believe I hadn’t seen like Fargo and City of God, which I saw recently and both of which I adored.

Laura’s 3 Top Tips for Running a Creative Business:

1. Inspiration: Sometimes it is hard to feel inspired when you work alone, my advice it to switch off the computer and get out, go for a walk, go to a exhibition, meet a friend for a cuppa. Sometimes technology can be as much of a hindrance to your creativity as it is a help. I love my computer as much as the next person but sometimes you just need to switch it off and talk to people in real life or see things in the flesh to get those creative juices flowing.

2. Comparison: So this is a kind of buzz phrase at the moment, the kind that pops up in your Pinterest front page about 10 times a day but “Comparison really is the thief of Joy”. This counts for all kinds of areas in life but definitely when running a creative business. Just do you, and do you to your best ability.

3. Take it easy on yourself: I know I struggle with this, sometimes beating myself up for not completing my to do list one day or worrying about where I am spending my money. From speaking to many people, who chose to work in the creative sector and specifically those of us who chose to work from home, it seems many of us suffer with anxiety. Try some mindfulness training, taking the issue, dealing with it (or not as the case may be) and then letting it go. It is a hard practice to get in to but it can make a huge difference to you work and also your work/life balance. Few things are unsolvable and most are not worth losing sleep over with worry. Easy to say, hard to do but working on it every day does wonders for your mental health.

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Click here to visit Laura's shop and see her full range of pretty accessories. You'll also find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read more posts in the Crafty Ladies series.

All Stocked Up

I am not going to run out of brooch bars for a while...


... and now have no excuse not to get these brooches finished immediately!

Sunny Brooches

It's not very sunny outside today, but my workbox is full of sunshine!

In my workbox

Here are a few things I'm working on at the moment...

Flower garden crowns:


I'm making about half a dozen crowns, each one is a different shade of green and has a different trio of flowers. The crowns & the embroidered flowers are made from eco felt (recycled from plastic bottles).

Beaded corsages:


I'm making these flowers using some of the needlefelted felt I bought before Christmas. I'm hoping the soft, thick felt will result in lovely textured flowers with a more 3D effect than my usual designs... fingers crossed!

And (last but by no means least) teapot badges:



Cute teapot buttons + felt + embroidery thread (floss) = badges for tea lovers.

I've had these buttons in my stash for simply ages and thought it was high time I used them! I found some cute tea-themed charms I'd forgotten about, too, so expect quite a few tea-obsessed designs in the next few weeks :)

Spoilt Rotten

I have been thoroughly spoilt this Christmas. Among other assorted lovely things I'm now the proud owner of...

... some gorgeous teatowls from New House Textiles, including two teatime-themed designs by Charlotte Farmer. I know, I know, I don't exactly need more teatowels, do I? but they are so very nice... (images taken from the New House Textiles website)


... some adorable owl print fabric by Cloud9 Fabrics, much admired and finally purchased from Saints and Pinners thanks to some Christmas money.


... brilliant brooches from Made By Anna - another Christmas-money-funded treat - an oak leaf and an ampersand, so nice and both total bargains. I'd been oohing over Anna's brooches for a while but when she added the ampersands to her shop I could resist no longer! (Images taken from Anna's shop)


Plus - thanks to the boyfriend, who I think regards it as an investment in "a bit of peace and quiet" - many happy hours of Agatha Christie fun:


I should be able to get quite a bit of sewing done while watching / listening to that lot! :)