Lark Craft’s upcoming book Heart-Felt Holidays: 40 Festive Felt Projects to Celebrate the Seasons is the follow-up to Fa La La La Felt. The book comes out in April, but Lark Crafts are starting the fun early by offering this Mushroom love brooch project by Lisa Jordan.
Mushroom love brooch project by Lisa Jordan
What You Need
- Templates – see image below
- Basic sewing supplies (needle, thread, thimble etc)
- Turquoise, white, yellow, and red felted garment wool or wool felt, Plus dark gray felt (optional, see Tip)
- White, red, turquoise, and yellow embroidery floss
- Pin/brooch back
- Fabric glue (optional)
What you need to do:
- ONE: Using the templates provided, cut one small heart from the turquoise felt, one medium heart from the white felt, and one large heart from the yellow felt. Cut an additional large heart from the dark gray felt, and set aside. Use the templates to cut the two small half-circles from the red felt for the mushroom caps and the V shape from the white felt for the mushroom stems.
- Tip: To simplify, cut the second large heart shape, which will be the brooch back, from the yellow felt instead of dark gray.
- TWO: Using the photo for reference, position the mushroom stems on the turquoise heart, and whipstitch them in place with a single strand of the white floss. Add a few small running stitches down the center of the V to help define the two stems. Use one strand of the red floss to whipstitch a red mushroom cap on top of each stem.
- THREE: Thread your needle with two strands of white embroidery floss and add a few decorative French knots to the mushroom caps.
- FOUR: Stack the turquoise heart on top of the white heart, and stitch them together using the whipstitch and three strands of the turquoise floss. Then stitch this stack of hearts onto the large yellow heart, using three strands of red floss and the running stitch. Set aside.
- FIVE: Sew a pin back to the felt backing piece. (If you like, you can cover the base of the pin back with a small felt heart.) Then position the heart stack on the backing, tacking it in place with the fabric glue if desired. Begin sewing the stack to the backing using a blanket stitch and three strands of the yellow embroidery floss. Stitch around the entire piece, hiding the knot beneath the stitches.
Button-up Cup Cosy
This cute and cheerful cup cosy would make a great gift, or else you might like to make a few to brighten up your tea set for when guests visit.
Materials
- 2x Scrap of fabric approx 30 x 15 cm / 12 6 inches
- Small piece of thin elastic (an elastic hair band will be perfect)
- Button
- Needle and thread
- Pen and paper
Step 1. Make your pattern
- - Grab your favourite mug or cup and lay it down on your piece of paper, resting it against the handle. While rolling the cup from end to the other, trace the base and then the top of your mug. Draw a joining line at the ends. After you have cut out the pattern, check it is symmetrical. Do this for each of the cups you wish to make a cosy for.
Step 2: Sew together
- - Place your 2 pieces of fabric right sides together and then pin your pattern on top of your double layer of fabric, and cut it out exactly without adding any seam allowance. Then sew around three of the outside edges, leaving one short end open.
Step 3: Add the tie & button
- - Turn the sewn piece right side out, and press flat. Press the seam allowances on the open end under. Then take your piece of elastic and fold it in half and pin it inside this open edge. Then sew this edge closed, enclosing the elastic, sew over the elastic a couple of times to strengthen it. Sew a top stitch around the perimeter.
- - Sew a bright button on the opposite side of the cup cosy piece and you are done!
Katie grew up in Ohio and now lives in Boston, so she knows the value of a good double-layer mitten. She has been known to draw diagrams to illustrate her point. To read more about her creations, visit her blog: Foxflat
How to make Convection Mittens
Convection Mittens are serious handwarmers for serious wind and cold! They’re for when whimsical winter accessories just don’t cut it, and for all the times your hands can’t be shoved into coat pockets (carrying grocery bags home, pulling a sled, holding a dog leash).
When I saw how much fleece-lined wool mittens cost in stores, I tinkered with a pattern that could be made quickly and cheaply. Convection Mittens are sewn from felted wool with a fleece lining. They can be made in a couple of hours using repurposed thrifted clothing, and the pattern can be enlarged or shrunk on a copier to fit your whole family’s hands. Give them a try – I’d love to see how they turn out!
Pattern:
DOWNLOAD PDF: includes illustrated instructions and a printable pattern for making your own pair of Convection Mittens.
Materials:
Sewing machine, shears, needle, thread :: 1/2 yard (metre) each of felted wool and thin polyester fleece
Notes:
Felted wool and polyester fleece can both be purchased new, but they’re easy to find at a thriftstore. For the fleece, pick out a thinner weight pullover or a pair of pajama pants. Black fleece is always classy for adults, but for kids you could pick out something in a fun color or pattern.
For the felted wool, find a lightweight, 100% wool sweater with a care tag that says “dry clean only”. It’s going to thicken significantly when it shrinks, so it’s important to start with something lightweight or the felted version won’t be pliable enough to go through your sewing machine. I chose a tweedy solid, but you could also pick out a fun pattern like snowflakes or fair isle. Felt the sweater at home in your washing machine. If you haven’t felted a sweater on purpose before, The Magic Onions has a nice photo tutorial. The one thing I would add is that I always shave the final product with a disposable razor to remove extra fuzz.
Back to school lunch kit
This washable and re-usable lunch sack is perfect for school or work or even picnics.
Materials:
- 2 cotton tea towels or other sturdy washable cotton/linen fabric
- (For the large bag: 4 pieces 35x40cm; for the small bag: 4 pieces 25x35cm)
- Stiff iron-on interfacing (optional)
- Small length of elastic (elastic hair tie is perfect) + a cute button
Tools:
- Sewing machine
- scissors, pencil
- Ruler and pins
Step 1
- - Cut your fabric 2 pieces each for the outside + 2 for the lining (35 x 40 cm / 14 x 16 inches for the large bag or 25 x 35 cm / 10 x 14 inches for the small bag)
- - OPTIONAL: Cut out 2 pieces of interfacing the same size as your bag pieces (this is to stabilise and strengthen the fabric). Iron this onto the wrong side of 2 of your pieces of fabric. This will become the lining.
Step 2
- - Sew, with rights sides together, your 2 pieces of fabric for the outside of the bag. Only sew the sides and bottom seams, leave the top open.
- - Then turn the bag so that the seam are aligned and the base makes a diamond shape. Mark 5cm in from the corner tips and draw a line across (see the photograph). Then sew across this line. And trim off the excess fabric.
- - Repeat these steps for the lining and turn it right sides out.
Step 3
- - Place the lining and outer bags one inside the other, with right sides facing and seams aligned. Then sew around the top of the bag, leave a 5cm gap in which to turn the bag right side out. Pull out the lining through the gap and then push the lining back into the bag, so that you have right sides facing outwards. Sew a top seam around the top edge, which will also sew the gap shut.
Step 4
- - Press the bag so that it resembles a gusseted paper bag. Sew on a button onto the front of the bag and an elastic tie onto the top, to close the bag. Alternatively you could attach velcro.
How to make a Chef’s Hat
Kids and adults and everyone in between will love wearing this chef’s hat in the kitchen, it can be made in all kinds of fabric combinations and sizes and it is practical for keeping your hair out of the food too.
Materials
- Strip of fun fabric for band – approx 20 x 60cm / 8 x 25 inches
- Square of white fabric for top – approx 60 x 60cm / 8 x 25 inches
Tools
- Sewing machine and thread
- Scissors, pins, pencil and measuring tape
- Iron
Step 1: Making the band
- - Measure the chef’s head circumference (approx 54-56 cm / 21-22 inches for child, or 60-64 cm / 24-25 inches for adult).
- - Cut the band fabric to this length and 20 cm / 8 inches wide. Press it in half lengthways with wrong sides together.
- - Open it back up and place the short ends right sides together, pin and sew. Then press this seam open.
- - Fold it back along the pressing line to form a ring with the wrong sides together. Put this aside.
Step 2. Making the top
- - Cut your square of fabric into a circle, to help with this fold your square of fabric on the diagonal – first in half, then quarters then eighths. Mark the corners as shown with a pencil and cut off these corners to form your circle.
- - Sew a line of stitches around the perimeter of the circle with a large loose straight stitch, don’t backstitch at the beginning or end. Pull the threads gently to gather the stitches until the circle circumference is the same as the band.
Step 3. Putting the chef’s hat together
- - Pin the raw edges of the band and the top of the hat together – rights sides facing. Adjust the gathers if you need it to be bigger or smaller to fit the band properly.
- - Sew together with a straight stitch, then sew the edges with a zigzag stitch to tidy the raw edges. And hey presto you are done!
