I’ve already got a video showing the basics of how to whipstitch. It’s a great way to sew up a stuffing opening in a softie, and that’s what I demonstrate in the original.
When you’re working with felt, the basic mechanics of how to whipstitch are the same. But felt is a little different than regular fabric – it’s thicker and you don’t have to turn the edges under. These make it a delightful fabric to work with (especially wool felt) but they also mean that there are a couple of new things to think about when you whipstitch on it. That’s what I show you in this video.
Now here are a few examples so you can see it in use. . .
See that teddy bear that Bean is snuggling? He’s made entirely by hand with whipstitch – including the applique for his belly and nose.
That’s Freddie the tiny teddy bear and you can get his pattern here. It’s super simple – really easy for beginners to make and a great first felt project.
Want a fancier bear? This guy is also made almost entirely with whipstitch.
The only place I used different stitches are the flowers on his hat and the grid on his coat.
His name is Benedict and you can get his pattern here. He looks really complicated, but he’s also really easy to make. Once you’ve made Freddie, you can easily move on to Benedict.
You can see lots more felt patterns here – all hand sewing and almost all made with easy peasy whipstitch.
Happy stitching!
Play with some felt! Try the Oddballs – a fun pattern for silly monsters.
You have the BEST videos! The pop-up links to additional information are a really nice touch- you cover everything! Thanks so much for another fantastic how-to.
Thanks so much!
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Hi Wendy, This is a great video. Thanks for the tips! I was wondering, when you put your needle straight through the felt, the stitches appear diagonal on the edge as the stitch moves along. Is it wrong to put the needle through purposefully on an angle, so that the stitches appear straight and perpendicular on the edge, and the “move through” happens on the inside? I’ve always done it like that, but I’m thinking I may need to change my way. Hmmm….
No need to change what you’re doing! If it works for you – keep doing it! It sounds like you’re already super aware of where your needle is going in and coming out. This video really corrects the problem of people who are watching very carefully on the front – but don’t realize the needle is coming out all over the place on the back. You have to be aware of BOTH sides when the layers are this thick. 🙂
Awesome! Thanks, again!
Love your videos! They are so informative and easy to follow. My daughters first birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and I would love to make her a birthday party hat out of felt. But I’m really struggling with stabilizing it AND adding appliqués to it. I am definitely an amateur, do you have any suggestions? Could you make a video on that sort of project? Thanks for your help!!
Thanks so much! For stabilizing a birthday hat made of felt, I would probably fuse an interfacing to the back side. Any big box fabric store will have lots of options and they can help you choose the best one. Another option would be to fuse or sew two layers of felt together – that should make it stiff enough to work well as a birthday hat. Either option will be one you can sew through so adding appliques after stabilizing wouldn’t be a problem – especially if you’re planning to stitch the appliques on by machine. Good luck! 🙂
Thanks!
Getting ready to sew and create with felt! This will help so much with how nice it all turns out. Thanks for the tips!
Hi my comment and question aren’t posting.
(Ok I was posting thru a Pinterest link so it must not work. Now it is!)
Thanks for the video! I was wondering if there is a neater way to finish off and/or change thread. With your method, which is the same way I do it, there is a diagonal “leg” that is attached to the final parallel stitch that shows on the back. This is visible even when using matching thread. Can you help to heal my perfectionist ways and suggest an alternate way to finish that looks neater on the back? Thanks!
Great videos. I have the same question as Laura. I feel the last stitch breaks up the beautiful line of the nice parallel stitches and would love to see an alternative.
Thank you. The tying off had been a problem.
Thank you soooo very much for these fabulous videos Wendy!! For the first time in 40 years am I able to blanket stitch around a corner without it looking like a hot mess!! And I’m much more confident now to use whip stitch Everywhere. So glad I found you!!
Happy stitching everyone!
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