I wanted to share with you a basic
sewing idea that most children can achieve, that is simple and utilises items
you possibly already have in your home.
You need around an hour of time
for the project, a hand-sewing needle, thread, felt (be it an old
blanket/jumper or store-bought), stuffing (If you have no fleece, make a
beanbag using sand, rice or lentils) and a pen.
The only skill required is that
of not pricking your finger with the needle!
(In my experience, even a 2 year old child
will only do this once
– it hurts)
This is an activity to do
alongside your child, guiding and encouraging them along the way. You will know yourself, how many of the
following steps your child will require help with. Safety first.
Find a basic animal shape ,
either around the home (I have used a farm animal stencil from our art
cupboard. A biscuit cutter or tracing from a story book would work well too) or
from a computer. Enlarge if required, to about a 10cm width (any larger might
take too long to sew. Any smaller might be too challenging and fiddly for a
beginner.)
Simplify the design – curve and elongate any tight corners.
Use a pen to both- trace the
shape onto paper, cut out carefully, then trace around this template on to your
piece of felt, twice. Remember to turn the pattern over (ie reverse image) when
tracing the second copy.
Cut both of the shapes from the
felt as carefully as you can.
Thread a needle with a long piece
of thread (try the length of your arm from wrist to shoulder), tying the ends
of the thread together with a knot.
Pass the needle through the (pen
line side of the) felt and pull all of the way until the knot is secure in the
felt and the thread is now anchored, ready to begin.
Match the two felt shapes
together (pen lines on the inside) and sew around the entire outer edge,
stopping to leave a hole to stuff from.
 |
left to right Blanket-Whip-Running stitches
|
You can use any stitch at all – make
one up! As long as it joins the two pieces with minimum of space between
stitches to avoid the stuffing falling out.
Once filled with stuffing, sew up
the hole. Knot the thread and pass the needle back through the animal to hide
the tail of the thread. Snip off any excess and your felt animal is now a soft
doll/beanbag. Or sew a piece of
ribbon or thread to the top of the animal, to hang it.
Happy
Crafting!
ღ
Labels: All things Felt, Autumn, Craft, Creative, Hand~sewing, How to...Tutorial, Little Finger Activity, Seasonal Festivals, Spring, Upcycling
