Felt Craft - Cute Bags

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I hadn't forgotten about you all, I had been on a crafting frenzy throughout December ready for Christmas but, of course, could not upload the creations until after Christmas. So here is the first of several special Christmas posts.

If you have been following my blog you will know I recommend Felt Friends from Japan: 86 Super-cute Toys and Accessories to Make Yourself by Naomi Tabatha. These bags are one of the 86 projects in the book.

You will need:
Felt Template from Felt Friends from Japan by Naomi Tabatha
Wool Felt for the Bag (sizes needed in the book)
Felt for the applique
Matching Floss
Needle
Scissors

[caption id="attachment_140" align="aligncenter" width="583"] Little Girl and Flower Felt Bag[/caption]

I have eight nieces and nephews on my side of the family and I like to make things for them if I can. I desperately wanted to make two of my younger nieces one of these bags - I had wanted to make one 'just because' but since I have no room I have to often find people I can give some of my experimental crafts too. If you saw our house and how packed it was with stuff we love you would see why.

[caption id="attachment_143" align="aligncenter" width="364"] Attaching a little handmade lable inside will let others know you took the time to make something special[/caption]

The little girl bag took a long time to put together. The applique was fiddly as I had made a smaller bag size than the one recommended for this design. I sewed each section on the bag separately as I didn't want to keep changing thread as I got to the next colour felt.

[caption id="attachment_142" align="aligncenter" width="583"] Felt Cats on Hot Pink Bag.[/caption]

Much to my surprise, the cat applique was my favourite. Against the hot pink of the bag and the easiness of the applique, it made for relaxing sewing. I would happily do this one again.

[caption id="attachment_141" align="aligncenter" width="576"] The two felt bags together[/caption]

Rating:-
Design: Felt Template from Felt Friends from Japan by Naomi Tabatha
Level: Beginner/Intermediate (The bag and cat applique are great for beginners - there are more designs to choose from too. The little girl applique is more for intermediate felt crafters)
Additional: Becareful of the thickness of the felt for the actual bag. Wool felt that is too thin will just pull apart, especially when tying the knots around the bag.

Custom Dolly - Sweet Angie

EIGHT more sleeps! It's funny how once you have a child you start to count the sleeps until an event. This event, of course, is Christmas! It never used to be a favourite time of the year. In fact, only five or so years ago I would have quite happily held my hands up and said I was the female version of Scrooge. Since meeting my husband Christmas is special again. My lack of posts has not been due to a lack of making, quite the opposite - I haven't stopped! However, these are Christmas presents and therefore have to remain secret until the big day - I wouldn't want to give away the surprises I have made.

Sweet Angie, the Christmas tree angel
On the top of the tippy, tippy top of the tree
~ Andrews Sisters

Sweet Angie the Christmas Tree Angel - snug in her cape

I can show you Sweet Angie though. After completing all the Christmas surprises I decided to make me something - something I rarely do. Our Christmas tree was erected on December 5 - earlier than normal. Since my gothic doll, Nancy, I've been obsessed with making dolls and softies using Sarah's 'Dolls and Daydreams' patterns. Sarah had been 'sharing' photos of dollies made by other crafters on her facebook page. The little red riding hood doll was appearing to be a very good pattern to adapt into a Christmas doll.

Whilst I was finishing up a couple of dolls/softies my husband had sent me a file of Christmas music - well a file of files which were labeled with different genres etc. There was one called '40s' and in there was the Andrews Sisters - Christmas Tree Angel. I fell madly in love. The song and the photos on Sarah's page inspired me to make my own Sweet Angie.

She's about 2/3 of the original size with a reversible cape.

[caption id="attachment_132" align="aligncenter" width="589"] Sweet Angie in her Faux Fur Clock[/caption]

FABRICS:
Ivory Matt Satin
Ivory Shimmer Organza with Butterfly Motif

Faux Fur - Short Hair Curly Red
Beige Polycotton
Brown Felt

I used a plain beige polycotton (doubled) for the head, arms, and legs, and felt for the hair. For her body/dress I used a matt satin layered with the organza, and finished off with the reversible cape using both the matt satin and the curly faux fur. Finally she was stuffed using hypo-allergenic poly-stuffing.

[caption id="attachment_133" align="aligncenter" width="575"] '...on the top of the tippy tippy top of the tree'[/caption]

Sarah's patterns are all lovely and there is a lot of flexability and room for customisation. With Sweet Angie I embroidered her face and name. The font heavily inspired by the Crazy Girlz font. Angie will now be part of our family Christmas tradition - pulled out once a year to sit on the top of the Christmas tree and to protect the gifts below.

CUSTOM DOLLY - Betty Lou for Nikki

There isn't a better feeling out there than making a a keepsake or gift that you know is going to be loved. When Nikki asked me for a 'Nancy Doll' but with purple ribbon and tutu I got excited - I get to make another Nancy. You see, I love making things but I do not have the space or need for a lot of the things I make, so making for others makes me happy.

FABRICS:
Victorian Flock Taffeta Damask
Shimmer Organza
Satin
Polycotton
Felt

Betty Lou sitting up with her tutu on

Betty Lou (and Nancy) is a more expensive handmade doll due to the embroidery. The heavy embroidery on her face meant that I needed to double up my fabric so it didn't pull. There is also an embroidered spider web and black widow (complete with seed beads) on her black Victorian flock dress, and the tutu consisted of doubled up purple satin and organza carefully sewn so it wouldn't fray. Stuffed with hypo-allergenic poly-stuffing.

Betty Lou next to her tutu



[caption id="attachment_116" align="aligncenter" width="645"] Personalisation can make a special handmade dolly into something precious[/caption]

I had seen gothic handmade dolls go for around $120, and although it does take time to embroider I want to maintain affordability. Betty Lou came in at £28.00 personalised.

Betty Lou was a pleasure to make and I'm sure she'll be well loved in her new home.

MESSAGE - POSTS AFTER MIDNIGHT

Another night staring at the bright screen at a time I can only assume is somewhere in the AM - the little clock that usually resides in the bottom right of my screen has decided it isn't paid enough to tell me the time anymore. Ahha! the draft auto-save feature has just informed me that it is 12:45am - I hope my little clock comes back from its holiday soon.

I was a night owl for many years and an insomniac for most of those too. Since having Vincent I have slept much better but every now and again I still end up getting out of bed and watching one of the 'Crime' channels or the Craft Channel 'til three or four in the morning. Not overly brilliant since the alarm goes off at 7:45am. Just to add insult to insomniac injury I appear to have the lurgy, and so does Vincent - Stephen has yet to be infected.

Since I've been offline for quite some time I should let you know what Binky Roo has been up to. A master of creating a million and one things to do and never having the ability to create more than 24 hours in a day that I need to do them all. Some of you know I also write and illustrate children's books. On the cusp of approaching an agent I got side tracked into crafting, not that I have minded but recently I have decided to revisit The Spooky Adventures of Lily Hope and will start illustrating for 'Lily and the Shadow Spider' again in a few weeks. I intend to keep going with both the crafting and the writing/illustrating as I love both.

As Binky Roo Designs I have also complete two CD-Roms for Cupcake Crafting and I'm still expanding their download section. To top that off I've also completed several keepsake gifts and started a new venture.

I've dived into the world of custom dolly making - I have a friend called Bev, weird and wonderful is how I'd describe her. She understand and appreciates the importance of felt zombies, rock concerts, and craft. Some time ago she sent me a link to a website that was having a mad give away - that months give away was a dolly pattern by Dolls and Daydreams. I had a little look before going back to my daily chores. I returned a day or two later and entered to win a vampire sewing pattern ready for Halloween (my favourite holiday of the year). Back on the Dolls and Daydreams website I found myself oohing and ahhing - I could have bought the whole shop of patterns. The dollies and softies are just wonderful and Sarah, the designer of the patterns, has not only designed cute dollies and softies but gothic (friendly gothic) dollies and softies too. I eyed up her Wednesday dolly. I NEEDED HER! However, I had to restrain myself. Let's not get carried away. I am the queen of my own little fads. I become obsessive - in  a non-scary way, but can quickly build up a high star rating on Ebay. So I restrain my purchase of Wednesday but revisit the website regularly, waiting for the day I treat myself.

The day came. I felt like death. A 24 hour virus had hit me. I had been fine one minute, the next I felt like I had been thumped in the stomach and at the same time my eyes felt like they had been staring at a static filled screen for 48 hours. Dizziness took over coupled with nausea - Oh no, I'm not pregnant again!? Negative, thank goodness (we have one and for now he is enough, he is our world). By the time the evening fell upon our house I was feeling so terribly sorry for myself that my finger accidentally hit the purchase button for Wednesday. Several weeks later I own a hand full of Sarah's wonderful patterns and several prototype dollies lie around the house.

[caption id="attachment_109" align="aligncenter" width="620"] Nancy the Gothic Ballerina[/caption]

Nancy was my first real success (minus the fabric used for her skin - not thick enough). Adapted from Sarah's ballerina doll, I made my own Gothic ballerina complete with spider and web embroidery. I had so much fun making her the thought of creating a line of Gothic dollies and softies, as well as cute ones of course, really appealed to me - watch this space! The next project post will be Betty Lou, a custom dolly made for Nikki and her daughter.

In conclusion to what I've been up to since the nasty hackers took over the Binky Roo website, I've opened another door for Binky Roo and its fans, custom orders of fabric dollies, softies, and felties.

Charity is another passion of mine. I support several, one of my favourites being Wild Futures / The Monkey Sanctuary in Looe. In the new year I intend to make a monkey softie and place it on auction to raise money and awareness for Wild Future so do look out for more information about that.

So there you have it. Almost all caught up and back up and running as normal.

Thank you for being so patient

Rachael Gracie

- it's now 1:30am. You may still get the post on Betty Lou yet!

 

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 - Celeste the Bunny

This is the first night I am sitting here feeling a bit of a chill, a chai latte with cinnamon wouldn’t go a miss but alas a cup of tea will have to do. Today was a bit of an adventure for me. This morning I went to the tattoo parlour where I’m having an old tattoo covered up tomorrow and the opticians to change our contact number. Our landline phone has decided that working with an active wifi is just far too difficult for it. Then onto a meeting point where I met with a friend’s daughter, Rose. It was her 20th birthday at the weekend, my husband has been a friend of her mother’s since well before she had children. Rose had invited us to her birthday bash but we couldn’t make it for lack of a baby sitter. Not wanting to completely let her down I decided to make her something special. She is the daughter of a very special friend therefore deserved it as far as we were concerned.

[caption id="attachment_80" align="aligncenter" width="539"] One eared bunny - Celeste in process[/caption]

Celeste the Bunny was created using one of the best books for crafting that I have come across, Felt Friends from Japan by Naomi Tabatha (watch out for my review). You start off by making the head of the bunny following the steps for the bunny’s faun friend. Their heads are identical. I did, however, decide to sew the eyes on as apposed to sticking them on with glue. The ears were somewhat of a surprise. No stuffing required. I thought they’d be floppy but they weren’t. In fact, to my surprise, they were mouldable. So I curled Celeste’s ears.

[caption id="attachment_77" align="aligncenter" width="596"] Celeste - Profile[/caption]

The body was much more simple. Although at first sight one would think that the body was far too smallbut upon attachment you realise it really works. I didn’t put the neck all the way into the head for attachment because I knew I wanted to add a ribbon to her neck. Celeste stands 9″ tall.

[caption id="attachment_76" align="aligncenter" width="623"] Celest Complete in her box[/caption]

The box, however, is completely my own template although the window in the lid is heavily inspired once again by the gazebo box used in several of my other projects. I chose the backing paper from my favourite download website and changed the colours to suit. The box is put together in the same way as the gazebo box.

[caption id="attachment_79" align="aligncenter" width="617"] Celeste lying on her Organza[/caption]

The box is deep and is lined with organza which Celeste is lying on. The lid is finished with ribbon and diamantes. The whole thing looks so much more special when displayed in such a gift box.

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. Be careful not to make it too deep, this one was.