Show & Tell #14

One of the best bits of my job is seeing what people have been making from my books and free tutorials. I love seeing the photos of finished projects that people share with me, and I love sharing them with you guys too as part of my ongoing (though somewhat infrequent) Show & Tell series.

It's been a while since my last Show & Tell post, so I've got lots of crafty goodness to show you...

Holly stitched a fab cassette phone case using my pattern from Mollie Makes #41.

Lisa shared this in-progress photo of an angel bear she was sewing from my first book, Super-Cute Felt. Her daughter helped trace the pattern and was "very insistent that the colours are as close as possible" to the ones in the photos.

Kate bought a big bundle of felt from my shop and used it to create two colourful patchwork projects, which she shared as tutorials on her blog.

Felt patchwork table mats...

... and a rather fabulous felt patchwork blanket.

 

Louise emailed me these photos of a cute woodland garland she'd sewn using patterns from my second book, Super-Cute Felt Animals. It looks like lots of happy hours of sewing went into this!

 

Liz used my vintage felt baubles tutorial to decorate her Christmas cards last year. Look at all those baubles!

Liz said she made the ornaments "then attached them to cards using a brad, so the recipients can take the ornaments off and keep them when they are done with the card" She "made the cards from a very heavy cardstock so they wouldn't tip over" and "sewed on the coordinating borders with my machine". Such a great idea.

Linda wrote a lovely review of Super-Cute Felt Animals. "The day the book arrived in the mail our granddaughter was here and we had a wonderful time looking through the book and picking out animals I would make for her. She chose a cat and a dog"

Instead of stitching eyes (which can be quite fiddly at this scale) Linda added cute googly eyes instead.

She also stitched a pair of blackbirds using my free pattern.

The delightfully named "A Foolish Twit" tweeted photos of a whole bunch of things she's been making from my books. She said "Without your patterns I would never have got back in to crafting, now I love it!" which makes me very happy.

She combined two projects in Super-Cute Felt to make this bee needlecase...

 

... stitched lots of safari animals from Super-Cute Felt Animals...

... and made a whole army of mice finger puppets (I wonder what the collective noun would be for finger puppets?). You can also spot one of my floral projects in the bottom pic - patterns for the mice and the flowers can both be found in Super-Cute Felt.
 

My previous Show & Tell post was all about the sky blankets other people have been making, inspired by my sky blanket.

Here's Leanne's finished blanket - congrats, Leanne!

 

Amy is making a fab crochet version of the sky blanket, crocheting a granny square a day and using cheerful yellow yarn for sunny days instead of sticking with shades of blue.

She's blogging about the blanket as it grows. It's looking great, and has a surprising amount of yellow in it.

Amy wrote "I can't actually say just how much I love this project - it is great seeing how it grows, as I have no idea what colour the squares are going to be from one day to the next" ... "this blanket is bringing me nothing but pleasure" - which sounds a lot like how I felt when making my sky blanket. Such fun!

And last but by no means least, Polly stitched a tree stump pincushion using this guest tutorial shared on my blog by the talented Manuela.

Polly adapted the pattern slightly, using French knots to add the white spots on the toadstools which look great. She says "I'm really pleased I made this! I like having practical items which are also visually pleasing, and this makes me happy every time I use it." What more can you ask for from a crafty project?

You can see see all the previous show and tell posts here. My archive of free patterns and tutorials can be found here and you can read more about my books here.   

If you want to share what you've been making from my patterns (or from supplies you bought from me back when I still sold them, or when I've done a destash sale) please do get in touch. If you just want to share your work privately and don't want to be included in a future Show & Tell post that's totally okay! :)

You can leave a comment and link here on this post, send me an message via my contact form or share a photo over on my Facebook page.

Please note: the Amazon links in this post are affiliate links. 

How To: Make a Cute Cat Pincushion

Today I'm sharing a tutorial for all you cat fans: how to make a sweet felt pincushion in the shape of a sleeping kitty!

This project originally appeared in docrafts Creativity magazine, last summer. It was inspired by our little old lady cat who curls up in a small ball when she sleeps - often at the other end of the sofa to me when I'm sitting doing some sewing.
 
The pastel blue felt I used was from this felt bundle. You can, of course, make your pincushion in any colour you fancy, but make sure the face embroidery will stand out clearly from your chosen felt - pastels are perfect for this! Here's the prototype I made for this design, using lilac felt:

 

You will need:

- the templates provided at the bottom of this post
- a sheet of felt
- sewing thread to match the felt
- embroidery thread/floss in a similar shade as the felt
- black, pink and white embroidery thread/floss
- sewing scissors
- sewing needles and pins
- toy stuffing
- optional: air-erasable fabric marker

To make the pincushion:

1. Use the templates provided to cut out the four pieces from your chosen felt - two base pieces, one side piece and one face.

2. Position the cat's face on one of the base pieces, as shown in the photo at the top of this post. Sew it in place with whip stitch and matching blue thread.

3. Add the details with half strands of embroidery thread (i.e. for six-stranded thread use three strands), switching to a larger needle if necessary. Use pale pink thread to sew inverted Vs for the ears and a small triangle for the nose, filled in with more small stitches. Backstitch the cat’s closed eyes and mouth with black thread and sew single white stitches for the whiskers.

4. Backstitch the tail with pale blue embroidery thread – you can stitch this freehand or draw a guideline with an air-erasable fabric marker.

5. Hold the top and side pieces of the pincushion together (with right sides facing) and gradually sew them together with whip stitch and matching sewing thread. There should be a bit of excess felt left when you’ve sewn around the top of the pincushion – trim the side piece to fit as required.

6. Sew down the side of the pincushion then add the bottom piece, sewing most of the way round with more whip stitches. Turn the pincushion the right way out, stuff it with small pieces of toy stuffing then finish stitching up the gap.

 

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 pincushions as you want for yourself or as gifts, but please don't make any for sale. You may borrow a few photos 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.

12 Awesome Free Pincushion Tutorials

Inspired by the guest post I shared last week - a tutorial for a super cute Felt Tree Stump Pincushion tutorial last - today I'm sharing a round-up of links to 12 more pincushion tutorials. You can never have too many pretty sewing accessories, right? :)

 

1. Hedgehog Pincushion - Maker Land. So cute and fluffy!

2. Teapot Pincushion - Join the Mood. Perfect for tea addicts (like me!)

3. Spring Violets Pincushion - Heather Bailey. Such a pretty design.

4. Mouse Pincushion - The Long Thread. I love this mouse but I'd sew him with a smiley face as he looks a bit sad at having pins stuck in him!

5. Crocheted African Flower Pincushion - Cherry Heart. Great for using up scraps of yarn or practising your crochet skills (mine need a lot of improvement).

 

6. Birdie Pincushions - Sharon Holland Designs. These lovely birds would also make sweet ornaments.

7. Felt Teacup Pincushions - Betz White / Martha Stewart. Such a fun project, using old woollen sweaters.

8. Felt Toadstool Houses Pincushions - The Little House by the Sea. Toadstools are always awesome.

 

9. Faux Cathedral Windows Pincushion - Diary of A Quilt Maven. A pretty, quilt-y project.

10. Cactus Pincushion - No Wooden Spoons. Make a cactus that has pins instead of prickles.

11. Wool Flower Pincushions - Better Homes & Gardens. The large pincushion design would also make a great cushion (pillow) if you scaled it up.

12. Apple Pincushion - Mollie Makes/ The Guardian. A lovely combo of fabric & felt.

Psst - for more crafty ideas, check out my archive of free tutorials!

Guest Post: Felt Tree Stump Pincushion Tutorial

Kicking off my new series of weekly Guest Posts (so exciting!) is a felt pincushion tutorial from Manuela, who blogs at i ManuFatti.

To make a cute tree stump pincushion, you’ll need:

- Brown (russet) felt, approx. 25 x 15 cm
- Fawn felt, approx. 9 x 9 cm
- Red felt, approx. 8 x 5 cm
- Beige felt, approx. 8 x 9 cm
- White (ivory) felt, approx. 10 x 7 cm
- Moss green felt, approx. 6.5 x 5.5 cm
- Apple green felt, approx. 6 x 5 cm
- Matching sewing threads + black sewing thread (for the eyes and mouth)
- Light brown and brown embroidery thread (6 stranded)
- 2 x round black glass beads, 4 mm in diameter
- Stuffing
- Needle, pins and sharp embroidery scissors
- Hot glue gun (optional)
- Paper and printer to print the templates at the bottom of this post.

For this project I've used wool blend felt (40% wool) 1-1.5 mm thick.

1. Print and cut out the templates. Pin the tree stump paper pieces on felt and cut a brown (russet) rectangle (the ‘body’), a brown circle and a fawn circle. Separate three strands of the brown embroidery thread and backstitch a series of lines on the ‘body’ shape, at an approx. distance of 1cm from each other (don’t stitch them perfectly straight!).

 

2. Whipstitch the ends of the ‘body’ together, leaving a 1cm seam allowance on one end (see picture).

Sew the black beads (the eyes) with black sewing thread. Use the same black thread to backstitch a little smiling mouth. To make the cheeks, cut out from red felt a small circle (approx. 8mm) and use it as a template to cut out a second cheek. Whipstitch the cheeks below the eyes with matching thread.

 

 

3. Separate three strands of light brown embroidery thread and backstitch a series of rings on the fawn circle shape. Keep an approx. 1cm distance from each ring and start sewing the biggest ring first. Pin the fawn circle on the ‘body’ and sew it completely, with blanket stitch in brown thread.

 

4. Stuff about ¾ of the pincushion, pin the brown circle to the bottom of the ‘body’ and sew with blanket stitch in matching thread. Leave a 2cm opening to insert the rest of the stuffing, but be careful not to overstuff the pincushion or it will end looking more like a ball than a tree stump! Use a stuffing tool to gently push in the stuffing (I use the handle of a long paintbrush). Sew up the gap when finished.

 

5. Cut a moss green circle and trim the edge to make the grass. Repeat with apple green felt. Sew the grass shapes on the top of the tree stump, with a couple of stitches.

 

6. The toadstools are different in size, but they are both made the same way.

Cut out a beige stalk, a red circle and a white circle. Cut a tiny circle of white felt (approx. 6-7 mm) and use it as a template to cut out the other toadstool dots (I’ve used eight dots in total, for both toadstools). Whipstitch the dots on the red circle with matching thread.

Sew the red and white circles together with red thread, using blanket stitch. Leave a tiny 1cm opening to insert the stuffing and sew up the gap when finished.

 

7. Take the beige stalk and whipstitch the ends together, with matching thread.

 

Turn the stalk inside out and sew the bottom closed, as pictured.

 

Turn it right side out and stuff it. Pin the stalk to the cap and whipstitch along the edge, across the stalk and into the cap (see picture). Repeat steps 6. and 7. to make a second smaller toadstool.

 

8. Take the bigger and smaller grass paper pieces and cut out 2 moss green bigger grass shapes and 2 apple green smaller grass shapes. Pin the grass shapes to one side of the tree stump, apple green grass on moss green grass, and backstitch them together on the tree stump along the bottom edge, in matching green thread. Repeat to add more grass to both sides of the tree stump.

 

9. Attach the toadstools to the grass on the tree stump with a thin layer of hot glue. If you don’t have a hot glue gun, you can simply stitch the toadstools to the pincushion with a few hidden stitches. Be careful when using hot glue: add just a thin drop of glue to the stalk and hold the toadstool on the pincushion for at least 5 seconds until the glue cools down.

That’s it, your cute tree stump pincushion is now ready!

 

Click here to view the templates in another tab/window & print. 

 

Please, respect my work and my creativity: if you want to make an item from my tutorial or to blog about this project, remember to credit me and link back to this post. Do not reproduce my entire tutorial on your site. This tutorial is for non commercial use only. Thank you!

----------

Manuela is a cat lover, a chocolate addict and a felt-obsessed Italian girl who lives in a small city by the sea, in Slovenia. She runs a blog, www.imanufatti.blogspot.com, where she shares free tutorials for cute crafty projects. She collects teapots and has a thing for buttons.

 ----------

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

Hurrah!

Ah, if only elections here in the UK could feel that exciting...

I've been busy with non internet-y things today, so there's just time to mention that I've spotted what may be the first finished Christmas ornaments made with one of my tutorials (yay).

PLUS check out this fab shot of one of my felt fancy pincushions being used in the making of lovely notebooks over at TheLapwingPrintworks...... it makes me so happy to think that my crafty creation is helping make even more crafty things! :)

New Stuff, Old Stuff

Oops, I forgot to blog yesterday: sorry! I am blaming this on working a different pattern of shifts this week (it's thrown my routine right out) but really I'm just naturally a bit forgetful :)

Sunday's craftiness largely involved custom items (photos another time) but at the end of the evening I made a quick prototype of a new design for my shop: a treestump pincushion! I sewed a mini one just to see what it would look like (sometimes these things just don't look how they do in your head) and stuffed it with the teeny scraps left over from the day's sewing:
Then yesterday (day 360! how exciting!) I worked on some old designs: cutting out pieces to make Christmas ornaments that I designed last year...
I do have some new Christmas designs to reveal soon (to join the robins, wot I made earlier) but it's nice to be reviving the old ones in the meantime! All this cold weather we've been having makes it seem much nearer December than it really is: I'm feeling festive already! (Psst: if you're interested, the large mistletoe will look something like this)

Special Requests (C365/355)

Yesterday I finished all the teacups from the day before, then drank a celebratory cup of tea and settled down to work on some custom orders... I've had a sudden flurry of them recently, and they're proving a nice bit of variation from batch-sewing. Last night I worked on a special fawn-coloured version of my squirrel pins ...
... and a pincushion version of my forget-me-nots brooches:
I made a bit of a mess of the kitchen table in the process!

A Box of Oddments (C365/328)

Last night I was out babysitting for some friends, so I took a box of sewing to keep me entertained...
I finished a batch of ginger moustache disguises, worked on some more battenburg pincushions, finished the last of the tree brooches, and beaded a few poppies destined to be hairbands. It's always nice to finish things and I always have things lying around that need to be finished! :)

Rainbow Circles (C365, 300)

Hurrah for hitting day 300 of my Crafting 365 project! It's so awesome to think I've spent 300 days crafting (and most of those blogging about it, too). I know I've fallen off the crafty wagon a couple of times & I've had a few enforced absences from this blogging lark (no internet, no camera, etc) but boy does it feel good to hit that big number.

My task for day 300? Sleepily cutting out lots of circles which are destined to be muddled up and sewn into one big circle-y necklace:
Another big number is in sight: I'm only 12 items away from 1000 items sold in my little Etsy store. I am genuinely planning a small party for when this occurs, and the buyer of my lucky 1000th item will be getting a whole parcel of presents in celebration. Big numbers always make me smile (Flickr stats and shop hearts and blog views and things like that really help me build up confidence in my work) but hitting 4 digits? That will be pretty special.

(Someone hurry up and buy 12 things already! Haha)

In other news: I have finally started taking proper product shots of all the new items I've been building up over the past few weeks... Expect lots of shop updates over the weekend. I may go a bit goggle-eyed staring at the computer screen for so long, but I am itching to get those babies listed... Here's another shot of things to come - lots of yummy fat pincushions:
Oh, and check out the awesome sewing scissors my mother-in-law bought for me in Paris: scissors in the shape of a bird! Fantastic stuff: