FELT CRAFT - Sannie & Danny Felties

My step daughter from a previous marriage just turned 18. Anyone with teenage kids will understand when I say that they really do grow up fast - I remember when she was six and we went shopping for trainers in the local market. I have been blessed with maintaining a lovely friendship with her, one that I will always treasure. So when her 18th was fast approaching I wanted to do something special and I still had felting fever. Stephen suggested a CD with every music track that was number one on her birthday every year. The two felt plushes would represent the artist who was at number one when she was born and the artist who was number one on her 18th birthday.

[caption id="attachment_94" align="aligncenter" width="672"] Sannie and Danny in their presentation box[/caption]

 

In 2012 Danny O'Donoghue of The Script, was at number one with 'Hall of Fame' feat. Will.I.Am.

I wanted to have another go at the bunny, like Celeste, from my Felt Friends from Japan book, but this time I wanted to add a twist by using patterned felt. Have you ever tried to get patterned felt? I could only find animal print and dots. So I took to Ebay. Still, very few options. Then I found the most beautiful paisley design.

 

[caption id="attachment_97" align="aligncenter" width="606"] Danny the Bunny made from paisley felt[/caption]

 

In 1994 Sannie 'Whigfield' Carson was at number one here in the UK with 'Saturday Night'
- oh the memories that song holds, dancing with a group of kids I didn't know at a Folkstone hotel

Since completing another bunny I wanted to create her play-mate, a faun. Using the same patterned felt and the template from Felt Friends From Japan I achieved Danny's little pal. The paisley felt couldn't have worked any better.

 

[caption id="attachment_99" align="aligncenter" width="636"] Sannie the Faun using paisley felt[/caption]

 

Much like Celeste I created a gift/presentation box. Taking the paisley theme that had emerged I made the box following a similar template to that of Celeste's but made the window slightly different and made it more shallow, resting the felt plushes on a sheet of organza.

[caption id="attachment_95" align="aligncenter" width="672"] Sannie and Dannie on their organza[/caption]

Making such a beautiful gift is certainly worth it when it is appreciated. I wouldn't mind making these for myself using the paisley felt too.

Rating:-
Design: Felt Template from Felt Friends from Japan by Naomi Tabatha
Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Additional: Making a display box can really set of a 3D gift perfectly and with a 3D felt keepsake the organza roll gives it that professional look. When attaching the heads of both of these little animals, sit it on a flat surface and manipulate the head until it sits comfortably. Check this several times whilst attaching the heads.

 

FELT CRAFT - Bird Hanging Decoration

I moved to East Anglia from the Midlands in 2004. My family remain in the Midlands but I have created my own family here, and have made the most wonderful friends. One special friend came from out of the blue. Stephen teaches a Creative Writing course for a  major university here in East Anglia. In the Winter of 2010, half way through one of the courses, we found out we were expecting our son Vincent. At the same time one of Stephen's students also revealed she was expecting. We became close and shared our pregnancy experiences. I hated the experience of being pregnant but loved the new friendship that developed. In July 2011, a week apart to the day, our babies were born.

[caption id="attachment_87" align="aligncenter" width="610"] Hanging Decoration - Felt Birds and Flowers[/caption]

Since I made Celeste and Millie I was really in the mood to keep the felt crafting going. This time I wanted to make something different. The bird designs came from researching bird felties and taking inspiration from different designs and then incorporating the chosen colour theme (the colours that are in my friend's home) and flowers - designs taken from Felt Friends from Japan book.

[caption id="attachment_88" align="aligncenter" width="540"] Bird and Flower Hanging Decoration[/caption]

The hanging decoration was complete with two cat bells - yes, that's what I said, two cat bells. I couldn't get to my local craft store and it was far too close to my friend's birthday to order online so I improvised and sent Stephen to the local pet store to get three cat collars for Bubbles, Felix, and Syd, and took the bells of two of them. I really worked.

[caption id="attachment_86" align="aligncenter" width="608"] Gift Bag with a friendship quote on the sides[/caption]

Next I wanted to present them in something other than boxes. At this point I had had enough of making boxes, so I made a gift bag with acetate windows, friendship quotes, diamantes, ribbon, and lined with, my never ending supply of Organza.

I love to make for special people and this friend, Helen, is one of the most special people I've ever met!

Rating:-
Design Medium: Felt
Level: Beginner
Additional: Making a gift bag can really set of a 3D gift perfectly

FELT CRAFT - Millie the Manatee

As most of us British have no problems in complaining about the weather I will not let the side down when I say, IT'S TOO HOT! However, it’s a lovely day for a very special someone who found out today she passed her AS levels (one more year to go!). We are so very proud.

I never really know what to do on these kind of hot days. I mostly want to stay in out of the rays – I’m white than white (the little blimp that spacemen can see walking round on the planet as the sun bounces of my lily white skin) therefore if I emerge from my four walls I’m likely to spontaniously combust. It’s always nice to have a chat with friends in the Summer though. The hot weather giving socialising a more pleasurable accomodation. This project is dedicated to my neighbour and friend, Louise.

I’ve never been a fan of neighbours. My property is quite large for a suberban place. We have a lovely sized front and rear garden and are hidden behind the main stretch of houses (even googlemaps with it’s super fantastic photographic view of every street cannot see my house). We are up a longish drive whereby there are two properties, mine and Lou’s. However, the driveway belongs to us giving our neighbours access only. Over the years the battles we’ve had with neighbours regarding the use of the drive had become boring and frustrating, the previous neighbour blocking us in nearly every night whilst I was heavily pregnant (couldn’t even fit our motorbike between the vehicles). When the new neighbours moved in Stephen and I were on pins again. As it turned out we have super duper neighbours who I’ve told can never ever move – we’re now good friends and our babies play together.

[caption id="attachment_68" align="aligncenter" width="674"] Milli the Manatee in her box[/caption]

So when it came to Lou’s birthday I couldn’t resist a new challenge. Our Lou loves Manatees -sea cows. And there the challenge begun. I searched for crafted Manatee’s and found a great felt template from craftster.org. There were no instructions so it was a guessing game as to how it was constructed but I got there in the end.I constructed this using the inside out method. First I sewed the fins and lightly stuffed them. I then took the two sides and sewed the top part of the sides together stopping 2/3 of the way to the snout. I then began to attached the belly piece not sewing the tail as I had decided that was were I was going to turn it inside out and stuff at the end. Before reasching the snout I placed the fins in the correct place sealing the stuffed fin as I went along. The snout was a bit complicated but by leaving the third of the top open it allowed me to stitch it as neatly as possible.

[caption id="attachment_69" align="aligncenter" width="672"] Milli the Manatee on her sea of Organza[/caption]

I then turned the manatee the right way and sewed the face details – I’d probably advise getting little black eyes rather than sewing with black thread as I have on this one. Stuffed her up and closed her by the tail.

[caption id="attachment_67" align="aligncenter" width="652"] Milli the Manatee on top of her box[/caption]

Since I loved the box to the wedding gazebo so much I used the same template but changed the backing paper and shrunk it to fit the manatee. I placed in some pale blue fabric and tied a lovely bow around the manatee, finishing the gift.

Rating:-
Design: Felt Template
Level: Beginner/Intermediate (this would be wonderful for beginners had there been instructions)
Additional: Making a display box can really set of a 3D gift perfectly