The nattily attired folks and frisky pups you see here all share a secret--they were once ordinary pieces of felt. The fact that they are now appealing playthings that you and your child could make is due to felt's surprising manageability. Unlike most fabric, felt is made like paper: fiber and water are pressed into flat sheets. As a result, felt cuts like paper and has no frayable edges to hem, making it ideal for beginning sewers.
Our two families' worth of kids--five of them, now ages eight to 19--all enjoyed using felt in their first sewing projects. We still have many of their wonderful early creations, complete with gigantic, zaggy stitches and loopy threads knotted here and there.
The projects that follow are ones that our kids have loved, and that we hope yours will too. Don't worry if you don't have sewing experience. All that's required is one simple stitch. We suggest that you cut two sets of any one pattern so that you and your child will each have one to make. (Click here for a printable version of patterns--"felt_patterns.pdf".) The necklace is the easiest, followed by the doll, and then the dog. After trying one or two of our ideas, chances are you'll both feel ready to make whatever you imagine.
BEGINNER: FELT BEADS
As they create this soft, colorful jewelry, beginners will learn the basic sewing skills of cutting shapes and using a needle and thread.
INTERMEDIATE: FELTY FRIENDS
This Felty Friend is similar to cloth dolls made in the 1800s, except that we've inserted a pipe cleaner skeleton to make the doll posable.
ADVANCED: FELT PUPS
Here's a pattern for an adorable dog with movable legs.
EXTRAFANCY FELT
Some helpful informaton abut choosing felt.
THE ONLY STITCH YOU NEED TO KNOW
The overcast stitch, in which the needle always enters on the same side of the fabric, does the trick for the Felty and the pup. To start, thread your needle with a single 16-inch strand of thread and knot one end. Then make small stitches as shown. Sewing buffs will appreciate that for these projects, there's no need to stitch on the wrong side and then turn the fabric right-side out!
