sewing is therapeutic for me... settled in a cozy spot with craft supplies and hot tea within reach. it's not uncommon for the dishes and laundry to wait patiently while i retreat to such a spot.
lemon baby hoot consider this an invitation to sit with me on the couch to sew some baby hoots! this is my first tutorial, so if something is unclear, leave a comment and i'll do my best to clarify. if you're not confident about sewing this type of craft, you should check out
aranzi aronzo's the cute book, which was a big inspiration for me. also, a big thanks to jamie for helping me take pictures.
gather:craft felt
(i used yellow, cream and camel)
embroidery thread
(i used yellow, burnt orange, and green)needle
pen
scissors
polyester fibre fill
1" brooch pin (optional)
baby hoot template (
download the pdf file here via
adobe reader)
1. download, print, and cut out template. you'll use the body section three times: the front and back, and once more for the underlying layer of the front. for the feet, cut out two small rectangles -- i never measure, but they are usually about 1/3" wide and 2/3" tall. also cut a tiny square for the beak -- again, no template or measurements, i just eyeball it.
2. trace the face & belly templates onto the back of what will be the front of the hoot. (basically, you're trying to avoid having any ink on the front of the finished product.)
3. cut out the face and belly. i've found it's easiest to fold the section in half and cut inside the lines. be creative with this step -- it doesn't have to match exactly. slight variations in these cuts give the hoot character.
4. for the feet, cut tiny notches to make toes. for the beak, i go for an upside-down teardrop shape. use the scraps from the last step to cut out the tail.
5. sew on the beak. use the top layer to measure where you want it to be -- you only have to sew through the underlying layer. i use two strands of embroidery thread. two small stitches going through the middle of the beak does the trick.
6. tie double knots for the eyes. i use all 6 strands of the embroidery thread, tying only two knots for each eye: the first knot is the actual eye, the second knot is to secure it on the back.
7. for detail, stitch tiny lines on the belly. on the back of the hoot, sew on the tail and the brooch pin.
8. stack the pieces together and sew around the edges of the hoot, making sure to sew all three layers together. i start at an ear and work my way around, using two strands of embroidery thread. put the needle in at an angle to make the stitches come out nice and neat.
9. add the feet. when i get to the bottom of the hoot, start stitching in and out rather than around the edges. hopefully the picture illustrates what i'm talking about.
10. when you have about an inch or so left to sew, add the fibre fill a little bit at a time.
11. finish off with a double knot. enjoy!
a happy table
lemon baby hoot
1. download, print, and cut out template. you'll use the body section three times: the front and back, and once more for the underlying layer of the front. for the feet, cut out two small rectangles -- i never measure, but they are usually about 1/3" wide and 2/3" tall. also cut a tiny square for the beak -- again, no template or measurements, i just eyeball it.
2. trace the face & belly templates onto the back of what will be the front of the hoot. (basically, you're trying to avoid having any ink on the front of the finished product.)
3. cut out the face and belly. i've found it's easiest to fold the section in half and cut inside the lines. be creative with this step -- it doesn't have to match exactly. slight variations in these cuts give the hoot character.
4. for the feet, cut tiny notches to make toes. for the beak, i go for an upside-down teardrop shape. use the scraps from the last step to cut out the tail.
5. sew on the beak. use the top layer to measure where you want it to be -- you only have to sew through the underlying layer. i use two strands of embroidery thread. two small stitches going through the middle of the beak does the trick.
6. tie double knots for the eyes. i use all 6 strands of the embroidery thread, tying only two knots for each eye: the first knot is the actual eye, the second knot is to secure it on the back.
7. for detail, stitch tiny lines on the belly. on the back of the hoot, sew on the tail and the brooch pin.
8. stack the pieces together and sew around the edges of the hoot, making sure to sew all three layers together. i start at an ear and work my way around, using two strands of embroidery thread. put the needle in at an angle to make the stitches come out nice and neat.
9. add the feet. when i get to the bottom of the hoot, start stitching in and out rather than around the edges. hopefully the picture illustrates what i'm talking about.
10. when you have about an inch or so left to sew, add the fibre fill a little bit at a time.
amazing fall weather...
a stroll...
a lovely out-of-town wedding...
an aquatic adventure...
apples
apple bake, with a few servings already gone
joseph cotten as uncle charlie
chicken skewers...
harper boys...
fabric finds...
smallwoods sewing... with a very special person...
yum
lime hoot brooch
a rainy, three-day weekend...
mah jongg...
baking (recipe to follow)...
pulling up...
cousins...
snack time...
grocery shopping... (always more fun with a balloon)
crafting... (keeping up my reputation for starting new projects before finishing old ones, but who's counting?)
a happy little stack of books
one of my favorite finds (this picture does the artwork no justice!)
after. there is no before. it was too sad.
love notes at breakfast
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