project: animal pins

Although I haven't made any of the projects from yesterday's Stuffed Animals book review yet, it did get me inspired to make a few animals of my own to share. These are the kind of critters that you keep with you, even as an adult, pinned to your favorite sweater or bag. And the good news is, they don't take long to make, so you can stitch one up for yourself and one for mom too! (Mother's Day will be here before you know it, after all...)



You will need:

Linen (or another solid)
Cotton print fabric
Cotton batting
Embroidery floss
Pin back

Animal Pins pattern PDF



Print the pattern page and choose which animal you are making. For each pin, cut out one shape from linen, one from the cotton fabric and one from the batting.



Sew the pin back to the right side of the print fabric. I used a doubled piece of regular thread and took a few stitches on each side of each hole in the pin. You can also use embroidery floss for this.



Hold the linen and batting together and embroider the face and the fur. Because these are pretty small, I didn't like the way that a regular french knot looked. Instead, I used tiny satin stitch to form the eyes. Also, I freeform stitched the fur, because the pattern is more of a rough guide for something like this.



When the embroidery is done, place the print piece with the pin back behind the batting layer and stitch around the edge with running stitch. Go close to the edge, but not too close or it may fray too much.



Once you've made one, I can almost guarantee that you'll want to make more. They are cute and addictive that way!

A few notes on linen: First, this is a material that can be expensive. But with a sale or coupon, you'll be glad that you're treating yourself and having some on hand. Next, this is also a material with a weave that frays. Work with caution, while appreciating the charm that the fraying gives!



I wasn't lying about getting excited about making these. Not only did I make a set for me, but I made some extras to give away! Enter below using Rafflecopter, and 3 winners will each receive an animal pin. (I'll choose which animal to surprise you!) Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

book review: stuffed animals

Stuffed animals are treasured by young and old, and those of the handmade variety are even more special. But where do you start if you've never made a plush friend before? The world has an easy answer now: Stuffed Animals by Abby Glassenberg. Some books on making stuffed creations jump in with very little extra information, which can be intimidating to someone like myself with limited experience. That's not the case with this book.

Before I get too far, a word of disclosure. First, Abby and I are Twitter friends. That said, the topic of her book scared me. Next, Lark Crafts, who published the book, sent me a copy for review. It's almost as if they knew that I needed to learn all the good stuff in here. Nevertheless, all of the opinions I share here are my own.




Stuffed Animals is more than just a book of stuffed animal projects, but let's start with the 16 creations presented. Every single one is adorable! Abby gives her creatures such personalities, and it makes for some very unique critters. There's a dinosaur, a crab, a monkey, a bunny, a monster, a teddy bear (classic!) and more. When I passed the book around to a few folks in my family, the reactions were all the same: "Oh, how cute!" "Look at this one!" "Did you see the _____?"

I haven't shown the book to my little sister yet, however, because she'll immediately start placing orders for every animal, and then bug me until they're all done. Speaking of bugging...check out this sweet bee!




Here's where we start getting into what makes Stuffed Animals different from the rest. The bumblebee is a spherical plush, which Abby uses to demonstrate how to make spherical plush. That may sound redundant, but here's what I'm saying: it isn't just about making the bee. It's about learning a concept and applying it. Really, that's what each animal does. Each chapter has lessons that can be used on lots of animals, including those you design yourself.




There are tips on how to make things stand properly, different ways to make eyes, ideas on ear placement, how to make jointed animals, working with fur, shaping a muzzle, and a whole list of other things you need to know. At first it seems like a lot to take in, but it's all organized so well, and you have the opportunity to follow the lessons as you make things.

I plan on starting at the beginning and working my way through, as if it were a text book. This book is the next best thing to taking a class from Abby herself. Really, this is the text book and taking a class from her all in one!



Abby put so much effort into this, from the full sized patterns to the extensive testing, this is a labor of love. Not only that, but when I mentioned to her that she was going to put herself out of a job by training people to make stuffed animals so well, she told me that was the goal. Not to put herself out of work (as if that could happen to this creative lady!), but to pass on what she knows to others.

This is the crafting community at work. I love it, and I love Stuffed Animals: from concept to construction.

printable: hexagon cuties

For those who like hexagons, but don't sew, and for those who just can't get enough hexagons, this printable is for you. I took the embroidery pattern from the other day and colored it, and found myself calling them hexagon cuties. Right away I wanted to make a mobile/garland out of them, but there's lots of ways to put your printed hexies to use. But let's start with a banner.

Download the Hexagon Cuties PDF

Print the PDF onto card stock and trim the hexagons. Line up the pieces so they are all facing the direction you want them.



Flip the shapes over, taking care that you know the direction they're facing, then use tape to secure them to a string.




I made mine so it will hang straight down, but they'd make lovely little garlands to string around the room.

Download the Hexagon Cuties PDF

Other ideas for these printable hexagon cuties: Stickers, Tags, Memory Game, Scrapbooking, Magnets, Cupcake Picks. How will you use them?

project: felt and fabric hexagon accessories

I never get tired of making my own simple accessories, mainly because I can whip up something to go with anything, without spending a lot of time or money to do so. Today's projects fit the bill for ease and they also show off the hexagon love! We'll start with a necklace, and at the end of this post I'll show you the headband version that I made. It's inspired by another quick necklace that I made a while back.

For the necklace you will need:

A Hexagon (Here's how I made mine)
Some felt (wool or wool blend is recommended)
Embroidery floss
Stuffing (optional)
A plain necklace



Place your hexagon onto the felt and cut around the shape, leaving a small amount of felt showing.



Fold the top of the felt down and cut two small, parallel slits in the hexagon.




Stitch the hexagon onto the felt backing using running stitch. To give your hexagon charm a bit of dimension, add a tiny bit of stuffing between the layers before you finish sewing them together. The stuffing is optional. This hexie will look just as cute if it's flat.



Turn the hexagon over and slide the necklace through the slits in the felt.


>

Your necklace is ready to wear! Make them to go with different outfits or give them as gifts to your quilting friends. These would also be a great place to incorporate one of the hexagon patterns I made!



You can use this same basic method to create a super sweet headband! I love that only the hexagons really stand out, and they look like they are clinging to my head sort of like a little fascinator.

For the headband you will need:

3 Hexagons
Some felt (wool or wool blend is recommended)
Embroidery floss
A Blank headband (I use these)




Start by joining the three hexagons together. (A brief how-to can be found here.) Place the joined hexies on the felt and cut around the shape.

In each hexagon area of the felt, cut two parallel slits, forming three tabs for the headband. Stitch the hexagons onto the felt with running stitch, then slide the headband through the back.




I wore mine so that the hexagons are off to one side a bit, which is kinda cute. But you can slide it to wherever you want it. I love this one so much that I might try a few more variations. Maybe only one hexie? Or possibly five or six?

Also...this is the first that I'm showing off a peek at my new hair. I recently chopped off almost 12 inches! Thankfully, headbands still work with shorter hair!

pattern: hexagon embroidery

I've loved teeny tiny embroidery for a long time, so it seems like a perfection thing to combine with my new love of hexagons. In my shop I have several sets of teeny tiny patterns, but I've also made some to perfectly fit in my hexagon pieces, and I'm sharing them here today!

If you're adding these paper-pieced hexies, there are two ways I recommend for stitching these. The first method is better, but the second will work for when you only have small pieces of fabric, or want to use already made hexagons.

1) Trace and embroider the designs onto a larger piece of fabric, then center the embroidery on your hexagon piece when you go to cut out the shapes.

2) Make your hexagons, join them, and remove their paper centers. Trace a pattern onto a hexagon and stitch. Hooping your joined hexies isn't a great idea, so you may want to use stabilizer.

Of course, you really don't need to be stitching hexagons to use these patterns. You can just trace the teeny tiny motifs, or keep the entire piece together for a larger embroidery!

Download the Hexagon Patterns PDF

project: hexagon striped towel

Here's the thing about English paper piecing hexagons: they are lovely to make and you want to make lots, but to construct a whole quilt from them is an overwhelming thought. While I'd like to think that I'll do that someday, I'd like the gratification of putting my hexies to use sooner than when I reach retirement age. Projects like this are the answer!

With a handful of hexagons ready to go (my towel uses nine), you can stitch up a set of towels for yourself or as a gift!

You will need:

A dish towel
Hexagons (see how I make mine here)
Thread
Embroidery floss

NOTE: Towels and fabrics will shrink in different ways, so pre-wash to avoid unexpected results. Or...live on the edge!




To start, lay out your hexagons along the short side of your towel to determine how many you'll need to go across the entire width. Next, you'll join all of them to form one big stripe.

There are several methods that folks use to join their hexies, and I've always been a whip stitch gal. Recently, however, I read a post which suggested running stitch for joining, and I think it's a winner!

Hold two hexagons with right sides together. Using regular thread, knotted at the end, stitch a tiny running stitch along the edges you are joining. Stitch very close to the edge so that you catch the fabric, but not the paper inside the hexagons. It can be tricky at first, but once you get used to how it feels to only stitch the fabric, it goes very quickly. Secure the end with a knot.

If you're joining these into flower shapes or other formations, you can keep on stitching without knotting at each side.




As you work, you can see how the stripe is forming as you open the stitched seams. The gratification is already starting!



Remove the paper from the hexagon on one end, then pin the hexie in place, making sure that the stripe is straight. Continue removing papers and pinning, working across the row. I find that working one hexagon at a time makes it easier to work with.

You can see the difference in shape between those that are pinned and those with the paper still inside. A bit of pucker and "relaxation" is normal, but you can help combat this with some ironing and extra pins.



Using running stitch and three strands of embroidery floss, stitch around each hexagon shape, securing the thread with a tight knot. Towels get washed a lot, so you don't want these coming undone!




Simple, but effective. This is the kind of thing I like. And fortunately, you can't even see that coffee that I spilled on my towel! Yes, really. Right in the middle of making this. Ugh.

By the way, someday I may right an entire post on the topic (or maybe I already did a while back?), but this is one of those projects on which I make no claims to originality. Although I didn't look at them before making this project, there are plenty of posts and Etsy listings for towels with hexagons sewn onto them. Try different arrangements to make this your own!