Pop-up Workshop at West Elm VB
I'm excited to share a bit of the sewing workshop that I held at West Elm, VA Beach last weekend. Earlier this year, I heard that West Elm was looking for local crafters to feature. I sent an email introducing myself and telling a bit about what I do. The next thing I knew, we had a meeting and decided to schedule a Spring Sewing Workshop. Thrilled at the chance to collaborate, I went home and set to work designing a fun little project.
I'm excited to share a bit of the sewing workshop that I held at West Elm, VA Beach last weekend. Earlier this year, I had heard that West Elm was looking for local crafters to feature. I sent an email introducing myself and telling a bit about what I do. The next thing I knew, we had a meeting and decided to schedule a Spring Sewing Workshop. Thrilled at the chance to collaborate, I went home and set to work designing a fun little project.
We set up shop at the West Elm, VB store for the workshop and exclusive DIY Bunny Kit. I brought machines, hand sewing needles, my favorite pompom tools and lots of felt. We divided the kids into groups and got to work.
I was so excited to have goodies from The Royal Chocolate. The candies were a hit! They were cut into fine little nuggets- just right for snacking.
Of course, the real joy of sewing with kids begins when the kids start to stuff their softies to bring them to life.
Thank you to the families who came to sew with us. It is such a joy to be able to share my passion for sewing (and making pompoms!). Thank you to the West Elm team for putting this together. We had a ball and look forward to popping-up again!
Felt Lovebirds Pattern and Tutorial
Make these pretty felt love birds for Valentine's Day. With these sweet love birds you can show the one you love how much you care.
Make these pretty felt love birds for Valentine's Day. With these sweet love birds you can show the one you love how much you care.
MATERIALS FOR LOVEBIRD
White Felt
Pink Felt in two shades for feathers and wings
Small piece of Black Felt for beak
Handsewing needle
Thread
Black embroidery floss
Metallic thread (optional)
Poly-fil
A free Lovebird Template, printed and cut out (This pattern has a 1"/ 4CM test square. Measure the test square, and if it does not measure correctly, check your print scaling options.)
SIZE
8 1/2"x 4 1/2"
MAKE THE LOVEBIRD
CUT
Using the Lovebird Template, cut 2 bird body pieces, 1 gusset, and 1 wing out of white felt. Cut the beak out of black felt and tail feathers from each of the pink. Cut one more set of wings from pink.
MARK
Using a water-soluble marking pen, Begin marking the fabric with the pattern piece still pinned to it. When you mark a pattern, you always want to begin at the pattern pieces outside edges and work toward the center. Easy, right? Let’s do it! Using a straight pin, pierce the pattern piece and fabric right through the center of the first dot. Carefully lift the pattern paper (while still holding the pinned fabric in place) and mark the fabric with the pen. Repeat on the underside of the next piece of felt so that the sides are mirror images of each other.
STITCH THE EYES
To sew the eyes, we are going to use a basic running stitch. It's beautiful in its simplicity, utility and function. Vary it with size and color and it adds such vitality and expression your projects.
The pieces should be marked as to be mirror images.
BEAK
Fold the beak along the center line and stitch along the long side using a 1/8" seam.
Turn right side out. It helps to use a tool to push the tiny end through. A chopstick or eraser end of a pencil work well for this.
MAKE THE LOVEBIRD
Take a bird body piece and the gusset, place them with the Right Sides Facing Together and match the markings. Pin and stitch around the outside edges of one side from tip to tail, using a 1/4" seam allowance.
Pin the other bird body to the opposite side of the gusset and stitch.
Pin and sew the bird body together at the center back seam beginning at the dot level to the eye around the head and to the top of the tail. Leave the area where the beak will be attached open.
TURN AND STUFF
Turn the bird body right side out and stuff nice and firm with polyfil.
ATTACH THE BEAK
Add a tiny bit of stuffing to the beak. Pin the beak to the bird and whipstitch around the beak to attach it to the bird body.
TAILFEATHERS
Insert the tail feathers into the body of the bird. I shifted the layers of feathers a bit to create some visual interest. Pin in place and stitch in an inverted V shape to secure.
WINGS
Arrange the wings and pin to the bird. Again, I shifted the placement of the wings to overlap just a bit.
Stitch in place. I used some silver metallic thread to attach the wings and give them a bit of glam. Feel free to add your own touch!
Trim threads and use a quick bit of steam from the iron to get rid of your markings.
Would you like to learn how to make the perch? Come back tomorrow!
XO, Hilarie
On the ninth day of Christmas... A Sew a Softie Round up
The last two weeks, we've celebrated everything hand-sewing and softie-related and it’s clear you love sewing with kids as much as we do. In this post you will find all of the inspiration you will need to sew an ornament or toy for Christmas.
But perhaps the best part of Sew a Softie for Christmas is the blog tour. These lovely ladies showed us their take on simple sewing projects with kids. So many of our blogger friends have posted darling sewing projects over the past few days, it's hard to know where to start!
The last two weeks, we've celebrated everything hand-sewing and softie-related and it’s clear you love sewing with kids as much as we do. In this post you will find all of the inspiration you will need to sew an ornament or toy for Christmas.
But perhaps the best part of Sew a Softie for Christmas is the blog tour. These lovely ladies showed us their take on simple sewing projects with kids. So many of our blogger friends have posted darling sewing projects over the past few days, it's hard to know where to start!
Sew a softie for Christmas Round-up
This is the Christmas Treat Cone that I made.
Christmas tree softie http://www.ourdailycraft.com/2016/12/02/sew-christmas-tree-softie/
Thank you so much to everyone who is included here. Such a lot of wonderful sewing you've done with this idea! What are you going to make first?
XO, Hilarie
Sew a Softie Day!
Sew a Softie Day! Shopkin-ish edition.
I am so very honored to be included as a guest contributor to Sew A Softie Day! Trixi Symonds of Colored Buttons envisioned Sew a Softie Day as a way to share the craft of hand sewing. As a sewing teacher (and a mom!) I know first hand how seriously excited kids are about making things with their own hands. Sewing is a skill that they can learn that is super useful, accessible and fun. Yet there are so few adults in their life that sew anymore. I have a fun project for you In case you need a little inspiration to get started.
First, I'd like to share some thoughts on sewing with kids. To begin, ask them what they want to make. Kids really take to sewing when the rules are limited and they have lots of creative freedom and attractive materials to choose from. Good supplies are essential! I hate to sew with cheap fabric, flimsy needles and dull scissors. Sewing supplies don't cost that much money and the nicer felts, fabrics and tools make sewing so much more pleasurable. Get the better quality stuff. You will thank yourself. Kids are so much more invested in a project if they get to pick out the fabric and thread. Take them to the store, (seriously), and let them pick out the thread, felt, and buttons they like. The color combinations they choose are always fantastic.
If you are teaching a group of kids, have a sample made. Understand that sometimes what we think is terrific, they will not want to make. When this happens to you, try not to be disappointed! Ask them how they would change it and adapt. Kids know what they like.
Preparation is key. Precut the patterns, gather the supplies, thread the needles, tie the knots. Have it all ready to go. I find that simple 2-D shapes work best for little hands and growing minds. A simple shape is a blank canvas for them to embellish. (and they will!) Kids love to personalize whatever they make, More is more.
Turn on some music, thread some needles, snuggle up with your favorite little ones and have fun with it. To begin hand sewing with kids, I have them choose a small piece of felt and a few colors of embroidery floss. Then I draw a path of dashed lines each about 1/2" long across the felt. I give them a strand of floss and knot the end with a "tail" below the knot. We begin by pushing up through the back of the felt. We pretend that the needle is a dolphin or a mermaid who bursts up from the water (beginning of the line) and dives back in (the end of the line). However, the mermaid has to hold her nose when she dives (pinch the thread around the eye of the needle). Because she is just a little mermaid and just learning to swim. At this point we are focusing on process only. Wonky stitches are just fine! In fact, most kids prefer them. They want their stitches to show so that everyone else will know that they made it.
Kids need a lot of help threading needles and tying knots. They eventually get it, and when they do, they feel incredibly accomplished. They can't wait to help their struggling classmates.
When I joined Sew a Softie Day, my original project was going to be a marionette puppet. I thought it would be lots of fun and couldn't wait to show my resident focus group (my own children). While they liked to play with the puppets, stringing them and making them move correctly proved really frustrating. I needed plan B! Later that week, in one of my sewing lessons, a young girl asked to make an avocado "Shopkin". Shopkins! Yes, of course, Shopkins are the perfect project! If you don't spend a lot of time around elementary aged girls, Shopkins are these adorable little shopping themed characters. Food, household items, clothes. Cute stuff that kids collect, trade and promptly loose.
While this project is not exactly a Shopkin, it has been a huge hit. The ideas are endless and can be tailored to each child's interest. Omit the inner circle on the doughnut and suddenly, it's a cookie or an alien spaceship. Perhaps make 2 circles and it becomes a Starwars BB-8! Simple shapes, few "rules", cute details and fun colors. Are you ready to try it?
Felt Shopkin-ish
Supplies Needed:
Felt
Embroidery Floss or Pearle Cotton
Embroidery needles with a large eye
Scissors
Chalk pencil or Frixion pen
Stuffing
To begin, download and print the pattern. (Make sure that the scaling square measures one inch.) Trace around the templates and cut on the trace line. It may help to trace the pattern onto cardstock or posterboard and then cut the shape out for the kids to trace onto felt. Paper can be tricky for most kids to align, pin and cut.
Once you have your shapes, decide where to add the eyes, cheeks and smile. Since I didn't add a template for the eyes and cheeks, just have your kids cut out small circles out of scrap felt. I used a paper punch for mine.
To sew the facial features and details, we are going to use a basic running stitch. It's beautiful in its simplicity, utility and function. Vary it with size and color and it adds such vitality and expression to this project.
To sew the sides together (wrong sides together, we want to see those stitches!) I used a blanket stitch. Feel free to use any stitch you feel comfortable with.
Each Shopkin-ish is stitched and assembled in the same way. Eyes, cheeks, mouth, sprinkles, sides, stuff, close and finish.
I hope that you have enjoyed this tutorial and make something awesome with your special little ones. Thank you again, Trixi for inviting me to contribute.
XO,
Hilarie
The force is strong with this one.
This past winter in my weekly sewing classes, the kids wanted to make something Star Wars. (The classes take on a whole different attitude when they include boys!) It only took a few minutes to come up with the idea, but why not make a "lightsaber" that they can actually hit each other with and not get hurt. This is a super easy project, that kids love!
This past winter in my weekly sewing classes, the kids wanted to make something Star Wars. (The classes take on a whole different attitude when they include boys!) It only took a few minutes to come up with the idea, but why not make a "lightsaber" that they can actually hit each other with and not get hurt. This is a super easy project, that kids love!
May 4th and 5th, are highly regarded holidays around our house. My kids can't wait to go downtown to the annual Revenge of the Fifth Lightsaber Battle. They have been plotting details and their battle strategies for weeks now. In honor of May the Fourth and Revenge of the Fifth, I've prepared a DIY Lightsaber tutorial for you.
Materials Needed
Wool felt grey and black for the hilt and blue, green or red (Jedi or Sith?) for the blade
thread
needle
3/4" button
polyfill
a 30" piece of yarn or string
Cutting
one 5"x5" piece of grey felt for the hilt
one small piece of grey felt to cut into a circle to cap the hilt (we will cut this out a bit later)
one 13"x5" piece of colored felt for the blade
two 1/2" x 5" strips of black felt
four 1/2"x 2" strips of black felt
Sewing
Begin by threading a needle with about an 18" length of thread. Stitch each black piece of felt to the grey hilt. Sometimes it helps to use a glue stick and glue each piece first. Let it dry for a couple of minutes, then stitch over it.
Next, sew the button between the two longer horizontal strips.
After you have stitched the button and each black strip, place the right sides of the hilt and blade together, pin and stitch.
Turn over and stitch across the hilt, make sure to tuck the previous seam toward the hilt and topstitch across.
It's coming along nicely, right? I told you this was easy. Almost done.
Take the piece of yarn or string and lay it down the middle of the blade. Fold the lightsaber in half lengthwise and pin. When pinning, begin at the hilt, making sure to evenly line up the black strips. After pinning, take a pen and draw a nice curve around the top of the blade. This is going to be your stitching line. Begin stitching at the bottom of the long side of the hilt. Using about 1/4" seam allowance, sew straight up toward the top of the blade. When you get to about 2" to the top, slow down and stitch around the curve that you drew. Make sure that you stitch over the yarn. Back stitch to secure and trim your threads. Now trim the felt closely around the stitch line being careful not to cut through the stitches.
Tie a slip knot in the yarn, right above where you just stitched. Grab the yarn on the opposite end and pull gently. As you pull you will begin to turn the lightsaber right side out. Fun, right?
Once you have it turned, you can cut the yarn. Now it's time to stuff.
Using small bits of Poly-fill, begin to stuff. A chopstick or eraser side of a pencil makes this much easier. As you stuff, roll the lightsaber against the table, like a rolling pin. This will help to keep the stuffing from looking lumpy.
When you are satisfied with the firmness and shape, its time to close the hilt. You may call it quits and just stitch right across the top or you can cut a circle and hand stitch that piece to the bottom of the hilt and close it nicely. I like to use button and craft thread for this. Its a bit thicker and tends to withstand play a bit better.
Ta-da! You did it!! Now you can give it to your child and let him go for it! (If you are going to give this to a child under 5, you may not want to use the button)
Let me know if you have any questions.
XO,
Hilarie