New Flower Brooch Tutorial: Sew Some Felt Peonies!

Wanna sew some pretty felt peony brooches?

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These layered felt flower brooches would look really lovely pinned to your jacket or cardi this summer. You can make them in one or two shades of peony pink, or just pick your fave colours or one that matches your favourite outfit.

 

The flowers would also look great on a headband, or you could make a few of them (maybe printing out the templates at different sizes?) and add them to a wreath.

They're quite easy to make, but you do have a few layers of felt to cut out. I think they're actually a perfect project to try if you feel your cutting skills need a bit of practice. It doesn't matter if peony petals are a bit wobbly, does it? However messily you cut out these layers the finished flowers will still look great.

Remember I always recommend investing in a pair of embroidery scissors to help you with cutting small or fiddly felt shapes - the small, narrow blades make it so much easier than using standard sewing scissors.

As well as the peony brooches tutorial, new subscribers to my newsletter will also receive a stack of books embroidery pattern and a tutorial for making a fun felt swan mask (I'll share some snaps of that tomorrow!).

Plus, if you sign up to to pattern segment of my newsletter you'll get a new free project in your inbox for every month you're signed up! Sometimes I don't quite manage the "monthly" part of the schedule, but I always get caught up in the end :)

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Click here to visit my tutorial archive for lots more free embroidery patterns and other crafty projects.

Felt Teacup & Teapot Brooches Tutorial: Available Now!

I've finally shared a new tutorial with my pattern newsletter subscribers! Hurrah!

The latest free tutorial is a step-by-step guide to sewing cute felt teacup and teapot brooches:

These are so fun and easy to sew and make sweet gifts for tea lovers. You could even make a whole batch of them, have a tea party (once the lockdown is over, of course!!) and give a brooch to each of your guests as a memento.

 

Polkadot felt makes these brooches extra cute. I found mine on Etsy, but lots of craft stores sell it. I love these mini dots but I've made these brooches before with bigger spots and they looked just as nice. If you just have plain felt you could add dots with some simple embroidery, or maybe embroider a little flower instead.

 

This tutorial has been in progress for a couple of months now, they've been weird months and I'm so glad to have finally got this project finished and sent out to share with everyone. 

Not yet signed up to my newsletter? Subscribe now and get this tutorial for free! Right now you'll also get a free floral pattern, too. I'm also working hard at the moment to get properly caught up with my "monthly" freebies, so there should be a flurry of new projects heading out to subscribers over the next few weeks.

Click here to read more about my newsletter (as well as free patterns, you can sign up to hear what's new in my shop and here on my blog and get behind the scenes crafty updates).

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

Sewing Tutorial: Felt Teacup and Teapot Brooches

I'm running a little behind with 2020's first freebie for my pattern newsletter subscribers... so I thought I'd make it a double tutorial!

This year's first free project will be a step by step sewing tutorial for making cute little felt teacup brooches...

... and felt teapot brooches, too.

A felt teacup or teapot (or both) would look lovely pinned to your favourite jacket this spring, and one of the brooches would be a fab gift for the tea lovers in your life (along with some tea, of course!). You could also swap the brooch clasp for a hairclip to make Alice in Wonderland style hair accessories, or add a ribbon loop to make a cute teacup ornament.

Polkadot or other patterned felt is optional when making these brooches but it looks super cute. If you just have plain felt you can easily add dots or other patterns with sequins, seed beads, or some simple embroidery.

If you've been following my work for a really long time you might remember these designs (and these photos) from the days when I sold lots of tea-themed brooches. It's so nice revisiting these old projects to share them with you guys and having a nostalgic browse back through my photo archives.

I used to make blue and red versions of the teacups and teapots, both on a zingy yellow felt background but you can of course make yours in any colours you fancy.

 

Choosing matching sewing thread will help your brooches turn out lovely and neat - I took this photo when I sat down to sew blue teacup brooches and had dozens of blue threads but none in the shade I needed!

Here are some teapots and flowers in progress - I love looking back at these colourful work-in-progress pics.

Since I took this photo back in 2008 the forget-me-nots have evolved into a design I included in my first book, and a version of the primrose design is now available in my shop as a printable pattern. Aaaaand of course now I'm working on a tutorial for the teapots,.

Want to sew some felt teapots or teacups?

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If you sign up to my monthly pattern newsletter you'll recieve a free project from me in your inbox approximately 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.

New in My Shop: Fabulous Felt Flower Brooches Tutorial & Floral Embroidery Patterns

I added a new printable PDF pattern to my shops this week: a tutorial for sewing lots of fabulous flowers!

The PDF file includes full size templates and step-by-step instructions (with lots of photos) for sewing several styles of big, bold flower brooches. Choose from the pointed or curved petals, and top your brooches with a button or some seed beads.

 

These brooches are really easy to sew but the finished result is fabulous and they make a really big impact. The biggest brooches are about 12.5 cm (5 inches) wide.

 

I used to sell lots of these flowers in my shops back in the days when I sold handmade things...

 

 

It's been really fun revisiting this design and revamping it so I can share it with you guys as a printable PDF. As well as adding the curved petal flowers, I've also drawn a couple of floral embroidery patterns. I'm so pleased with how they've turned out!

The file includes detailed and simple versions of each of the embroidery designs and a short guide to how I stitched my flowers. They look great framed in a 5 inch embroidery hoop but you could stitch them on anything you fancy.

You could also use the felt flowers for other crafty projects: I used to sell the smaller flowers as haircombs, and I think a few of them would look awesome glued to a wreath!

Remember, when you buy any patterns from my shops you have my permission to use them to make handmade things to sell at craft fairs or online.

Click here to buy my Fabulous Flowers PDF from my Etsy shop (the files will be available to download immediately after purchase), or click here to buy it from my Folksy shop (I'll email you the files within 24 hours). Shop before December 12th to get my flower designs at the bargain launch price!

P.S. I've got lots more patterns coming soon, here on my blog and in my shops. Subscribe to my newsletter for crafty updates and/or a monthly free project.

New in My Shop: Felt Fox & Badger Brooches PDF Tutorial

There's a new printable PDF sewing pattern in my shops!

Sew a pair of cute woodland animals: a fox and a badger.

The pattern download includes clear step-by-step instructions for sewing the fox and badger (including lots of photos!), plus three easy-to-print sizes of the templates (the size shown in the photos and two larger ones).

The tutorial shows you how to turn your finished felt animals into cute brooches to pin to an autumn sweater or winter coat, but I think these little guys would also make adorable ornaments for your Christmas tree! Just add a loop of ribbon instead of a brooch clasp and, ta-da!, one woodland animal decoration.

 

You could also use the fox and badger to embellish other things, either by using them as a patch or by sewing them directly onto a larger sewing project.

Plus: when you buy my fox and badger pattern (or any other printable pattern from my shops) you have my permission to use it to make handmade things to sell at craft fairs or online!

Click here to buy my Fox & Badger PDF from my Etsy shop (the files will be available to download immediately after purchase), or click here to buy it from my Folksy shop (I'll email you the files within 24 hours). Shop before December 6th to get these designs at the bargain launch price!

Want to know when I add new patterns to my shops? Subscribe to my newsletter for shop updates and/or a monthly free craft project.

Felt Fox Brooch Tutorial

UPDATE: this tutorial is now available as a printable sewing pattern from my shops!

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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.

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!

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

Visit my shop to buy my printable PDF sewing patterns:

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!