How to Build a Quilt Design Wall (Flannel Board, Bulletin Board, etc.)

March 19, 2018
How to Build a Quilt Design Wall (or Flannel Board or Bulletin Board) - a tutorial from Shiny Happy World

I finally have a quilt design wall in my new house and I’m so excited! There really is nothing like being able to step back and see an entire quilt like this!

And I’m going to show you (in excruciating detail) how I built mine – including the specific materials I used. I’ll also show you a bulletin board I made for my husband using the same method. I’ll even show you how to do that little cutout around the electrical outlet.

Ready?

Here we go!

To start with – I like to use foam insulation board. Styrofoam sheets are less expensive – but pinning into styrofoam gives me the willies. It’s a real nails-on-the-chalboard reaction so I don’t do it. Look for the 4 ft x 8 ft sheets of foam insulation board at your home improvement store. I like the ones that have a metallic foil material on one side.

I covered my board with flannel because I want to have both options – being able to pin into it but also being able to just smooth blocks up there and let them cling to the flannel.

Click through so you can see the flannel print close up. It’s a nice tone on tone print that looks interesting when there’s nothing on the board, but is subtle enough not to distract me from any design I’m working on up there. Later I’ll show you a different kind of option.

For my last quilt design wall I glued the fabric to the board – but that meant I couldn’t wash it, or easily change it if it got faded. This time I did the whole thing with pins.

Start out by piecing together enough fabric to completely cover your board, and wrap around each side with a couple of inches to spare. Press everything nice and smooth.

Lay your insulation board foil side up and cover it with the fabric – getting the fabric as centered as possible.

Start pinning your fabric into the sides of the insulation board. I used these 1-inch T-pins.

package of 100 T-Pins from Singer

Basically – I used the exact same method I use to prepare fabric for framing – just on a larger scale. You can watch that video here.

Keep adding pins, pulling the fabric smooth but not stretching it, until you have pins all the way around your board every 1-2 inches.

side view of a quilt design wall being made - showing T-pins holding the grey fabric in place

Flip your board over so you’re working from the back.

Smoothing the excess fabric on the back of the foam insulation board

Fold in one corner, then fold in one side. Insert some of the T-pins at an angle so they hold the fabric flaps in place, but don’t poke through the front.

How to Build a Design Wall (or Flannel Board or Bulletin Board) - a tutorial from Shiny Happy World

Fold in the other side. Now your corner is nice and neat!

(See how pretty that tone-on-tone Jazz print is?)

Continue around the back of the board, securing the excess fabric with T-pins inserted at a slant. Remember – the side pins are the ones really holding the fabric in place on the front of the board. These are only holding the excess fabric in place, so you only need a pin every 8-12 inches or so.

Using an awl to poke a hole in one corner of my new quilt design wall

Use an awl or other sharp tool to poke a hole in each corner of the board (mine is 1 inch in from each edge) and one more in the middle of the longest edge.

This step is important! Don’t think you can just screw right through the fabric. The bit or the screw will catch the fabric and yank it into an awful twist, ruining all that work you did getting everything nice and smooth.

Hold the board just where you want it on the wall and mark through each of those holes with a pencil. Take the board away and insert a wall anchor at each of those spots.

Now screw the board into those wall anchors!

I used these nice stainless steel screws and washers.

stainless steel screws and washers

You definitely need to use some kind of washer so that over time the head of the screw doesn’t just pull through the soft foam. See how nice these look?

corner of my new quilt design wall, screwed into the wall using a stainless steel screw and washer

I like to screw it in tight enough that it kind of dimples into the surface of the foam. That way I can skim quilt blocks right over the screws if I want to.

What About Electrical Outlets?

So my first board of my quilt design wall was easy – but the second one was going to go right over an electrical outlet. I wanted to be able to continue to use that outlet, so I needed to cut a hole in the board and finish those edges.

Don’t worry – it’s not hard!

Measure your space and cut a hole in your board just a little bit bigger than your outlet cover.

rectangle cut in foam insulation board

This stuff is easy to cut with a simple X-acto blade.

Now cut four squares of fabric roughly 2-3 inches square. It doesn’t not have to be exact – or even especially neat, as you can see with mine.

Cover the back of one square of fabric with glue.

fabric smeared with blue glue

I used a Uhu glue stick – not my fabric glue stick. I wanted a permanent hold here.

Stick the square right into one corner of your cutout and press it in place, as shown.

covering one corner of the outlet hole in my quilt design wall with a scrap of fabric

Now use a sharp pair of scissors to snip down from the top and up from the bottom – right on the fold created.

covering the corners with a scrap of fabric

You want to cut very close to the surface of the board – with just a few threads to spare.

Now folds those flaps down and smooth them onto the front and back of the board.

covering the corners with a scrap of fabric

Repeat for the other three corners.

Now just cover your board like a showed in the first part of the tutorial. Pretend that hole isn’t even there.

outlet hole with corners covered with grey fabric

When you flip your board over, you’ll see the back of that fabric through the hole.

Make sure the board is on a flat surface (so you have something to press against) and coat all the fabric inside the cutout with glue.

outlet hole with corners covered with grey fabric

Now use a pair of sharp scissors to cut an X in that fabric from corner to corner.

outlet hole with corners covered with grey fabric

Pull those triangle flaps to the back side of the board and smooth them in place.

outlet hole with corners covered with grey fabric

Sorry – I was using my camera’s autofocus and it focused on what it could see through the hole, instead of the fabric treatment around the hole. But I think you can still see what I did, blurry as it is. 😛

That’s it! This board is ready to hang,  just like the first one.

How to Build a Design Wall (or Flannel Board or Bulletin Board) - a tutorial from Shiny Happy World

Ta da! I have a quilt design wall!

Pieced Bulletin Board

I needed my board to be pretty simple so it wouldn’t distract from whatever I’m designing on it.

But my husband wanted a similar board to outline his next book on – and he wanted it to have a bit of design. Nothing too fancy – but just a little extra pizzazz.

Here are the fabrics he chose.

How to Build a Design Wall (or Flannel Board or Bulletin Board) - a tutorial from Shiny Happy World

He doesn’t need fabric to cling to his board, so I just used regular quilting cotton instead of flannel.

And here’s his finished bulletin board.

How to Build a Design Wall (or Flannel Board or Bulletin Board) - a tutorial from Shiny Happy World

It’s all ready for him to start hatching his next novel!

I love having a quilt design wall again! It makes it so much easier to really SEE the layout of a quilt in progress.

Here are handy links to all the posts about quilting tools and supplies.

Sewing Machine

Iron

Rotary Cutting Tools

Scissors

Other General Sewing Room Supplies

One More Hugely Popular Post that Seems to Fit Here Better than Anywhere Else

Return to the Let’s Make a Quilt main Table of Contents.

Move on to the posts about choosing your quilt pattern.

Happy stitching!

How to Crochet Stripes with Minimal Jog – a video tutorial

March 12, 2018
How to Crochet Stripes with Minimal Jog - a video tutorial from Shiny Happy World

I love stripes!

Crocheted stripes, sewn stripes, quilted stripes, embroidered stripes, sewing with striped fabric – I love it all!

When you change color in crochet, it leaves an abrupt step between the colors. That’s called a jog.

Most of the time that doesn’t bother me at all, but sometimes I want to make it smoother. There are a lot of ways to do that – including some pretty crazy complex methods – but I’ve found a very simple method that’s super easy. It’s not perfect, but it smooths that abrupt step between crocheted stripes into a gentle ramp. Much better!

Here’s how.

See how easy that is?

Want some projects to practice on?

This free crocheted Easter egg pattern includes instructions for an egg with stripes.

bowl of colorful crocheted Easter eggs made with a free pattern from Shiny Happy World

It’ll just use a few scraps of yarn and it’s a great test piece to try out the technique.

Here’s another small project – but a little more complicated because you need to attach wings. But bumblebee stripes are great practice!

Get the free bumblebee pattern here.

Ready for something bigger? Try Roy the Rainbow Monster.

Roy the Rainbow Monster - a fun crochet amigurumi pattern from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

You’ll get lots of practice learning to crochet stripes with this cutie!

Here are handy links to all the posts about changing yarn color in crochet. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons about crocheting stuffed animals in different sizes.

Happy stitching!

Make a Quilt Block with Soft 3D Parts – video tutorial

March 9, 2018
Make a Quilt Block with Soft 3D Parts - a video tutorial from Shiny Happy World

It’s so much fun to make a 3D quilt! You can add soft 3D embellishments to any applique pattern – like the bunny ears you see above.

There’s a post here showing how to add small 3D pieces to an applique quilt – teeth and small bear ears.

And I teach several 3D options in my Cute Quilt-As-You-Go Applique Monsters class on Craftsy. Here are a few examples showing flappy ears, a silly satin tongue, and springy elastic curls.

Applique quilt blocks with 3D pieces - tutorial from Shiny Happy World

You can see that these are mostly longer 3D pieces that you want to flap and dangle. But what if you want them to stand up – like bunny ears?

You can do that for quilts – just like you can do it for stuffed animals.  Here’s the tutorial showing how to make stuffed animals with stand-up ears.

The technique for 3D quilts is basically the same – but it’s a tiny bit more involved because applique template pieces have no seam allowances – and you need to account for that if you’re going to sew them into flappy ears.

Don’t worry – it’s easy. I show you how to do it in this video.

See? Not hard at all.

Get the free Mix & Match Bunnies pattern here. That’s the pattern I used for the bunny in the demonstration.

Here are links to all the posts showing how to applique with fusible adhesive – my favorite method. It’s fast and easy and (with the right materials) it holds up beautifully to rough use and repeated washing.

Here are links to special posts about eyes.

Here are links to some extra fun things you can do with your applique.

Other Applique Methods

Finished with this topic?

Return to the Let’s Make a Quilt main Table of Contents.

Move on to the lessons about outline stitching.

Happy stitching!

Stuffed Animal Ears That Stand Up But Are Still Soft – Tutorial

March 8, 2018
Green stuffed bunny on a blue background. Text reads: How to Give Your Stuffed Animal Ears that Stand Up but Are Still Soft

It’s to give a stuffed animal ears that stand up!

I usually design my softies with floppy ears – often with a satin lining. I’ve known SO MANY kids who use softie ears like a blankie – clutching them or rubbing them as they fall asleep – that making blankie-like ears is kind of my default setting.

Bertie Bunny and Bartholomew Bunny both have floppy ears, and so does Elliott Elephant.

When I designed Benson Bunny (that spring green bunny you see in the top image) I wanted him to have ears that stood up straight.

I realized I had never made a stuffed animal with ears that stand up and I wasn’t sure how to do it!

Every stabilizer and interfacing I tried was either too floppy – or downright crunchy and hard. In desperation I turned to Betz White – bag-maker extraordinaire – and she suggested a product called Soft & Stable right away. She even sent me a sample to try and it was perfect!

Here’s what I love about it. . .

  • It’s easy to work with. You can sew right through it.
  • It’s stiffer than batting and really maintains its shape – but is still soft and cuddly. You can fold those ears over and they’ll spring right back up.
  • It’s very lightweight.
  • It’s machine washable and dryable.
  • It gives a really professional look to your finished softies.

I included instructions for using it in Benson’s pattern. But I realized I never posted general instructions for it here.

The thing is – you can use this with ANY pattern – even one that I designed with floppy ears!

So – here’s how to give any stuffed animal ears that stand up – but are still soft and cuddly.

First – there’s a link to a source for Soft & Stable on this page of my favorite tools and supplies.

Any pattern will have you cut an ear front and an ear back for each ear. They’ll always be cut from the same pattern piece so they go together. You need to cut an extra layer of Soft & Stable from that same ear pattern piece.

So for each ear you’ll have an ear front (I do love making that piece satin or other contrasting fabric), an ear back (usually out of the main fabric), and a third piece that will be hidden inside the ear cut from the Soft & Stable.

The sometimes mind-bendy part is assembling the layers. You want the front and back sewn together with the foam in between, but how do you stack the layers so when you turn it right side out it works?

Easy.

Stack the front and back ear pieces just like you normally would – right sides together. I like to start with the main fabric piece face up, then the lining fabric piece face down. Now just add the foam piece to the stack.

That’s it!

Sew around the edge of the ear just like the pattern says.

Here’s Benson’s sewn ear from the foam side of the stack.

Bunny stuffed animal ear shown after sewing and before turning it right side out.

And here it is from the main fabric side of the stack.

The same ear show from the other side

See the pink lining fabric peeking out between the green and the foam?

When you turn it right side out (I love to use turning tubes) make sure to reach in and turn between the main layer and the lining layer. That way you’ll end up with the foam between the two layers. 🙂

Done!

Now treat it just like an ear that doesn’t have the layer of foam in there.

If the pattern says to fold the sides in – that’s fine!

Bunny stuffed animal ear - folded in on the sides and ready to attach

You can fold and sew through the foam just like batting or almost any other stabilizer. It’s beautiful stuff!

You can use the same method to add 3D parts to quilt blocks! See that tutorial here.

Happy stitching!

How to Make a Pompom Tail – video tutorial

February 28, 2018
How to Make a Pompom Tail (and attach it to amigurumi) - a video tutorial from Shiny Happy World

We’re hopping into spring – which means it’s a useful time to know how to make a quick and easy pompom tail. 🙂

There are lots of great pompom tools out there (I especially love this adorable llama-themed one from Betz White) but sometimes you just have your hands and a pair of scissors on hand. That’s all you need for this method. 🙂

Be super careful not to cut those long tails! You saw how useful they are for attaching your bunny tail. 🙂

Want the pattern for that bunny? Get the Ringo Rabbit pattern here.

Here are handy links to all the posts about faces and details. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons about eyes.

Happy stitching!

Howie the Penguin – free crochet amigurumi pattern

February 21, 2018

Howie the Penguin - gree crochet amigurumi pattern from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitchesHowie is a great pattern for those just getting started, because he uses only a few of the most basic skills. You’ll find links to those skills sprinkled throughout the pattern wherever you need them – that way you can learn as you go! Just click on the link to hop to the tutorial.

There are loads of free video lessons here that take you through everything you need to know to get started with amigurumi. You can work your way through those lessons using this free pattern if you like. 🙂

The skills you’ll need for just about any amigurumi are. . .

Additional skills for this pattern. . .

You can go through all those posts now, or just hop to them as you get to those points in the pattern – whatever works best for you!

Yarn

This pattern can be used with any weight yarn! Just use the hook recommended on the ball band, and adjust as needed (see ‘gauge notes’ below). For a bigger, super-cuddly animal, try a bulky weight yarn! Just keep in mind that you’ll use more yardage than recommended. The sample is crocheted in worsted weight yarn, and all yardage/ hook recommendations are calculated based on the sample.

Less than 220 yards (1 skein) is required of each color. For the yarn, Stacey used 100% wool worsted weight (Ella Rae Classic the brand used in the sample). However, any worsted weight yarn can be substituted.

  • MC- Black (Plymouth Galway Worsted color # 154)
  • SC- White (Ella Rae Classic color #01)
  • AC1- Yellow (Ella Rae Classic color #44)
  • AC2- Blue (Ella Rae Classic color #83)

Other Tools and Supplies

Gauge Notes

This pattern doesn’t specify a gauge. It’s a stuffed animal, and you don’t need to be too picky about exact sizing. The most important thing is that you use a hook size that creates a nice looking fabric for your yarn. If you use the recommended hook size, and your fabric looks very loose (so that stuffing would show through), then you will want to use a smaller hook. Other than that, no measuring required!

In case you’re curious about getting the exact gauge Stacey does, it’s 5 rounds=2 inches. Note that you will need to have this gauge for the yardage suggestions to provide an accurate estimation.

Stitch into the Back

All stitches in this pattern (that are worked in the round) are worked through the back loop only, unless otherwise directed. Look at this picture.

Stitching in the Back Loop

See how one loop is highlighted in black? This is the back loop, and it’s what you’ll stitch into. Stitching into the back loop creates ridges on the right side of the piece.

Want to see crocheting through the back loop in action? Check out this blog post. It talks all about why Stacey crochets through the back loop and even has a handy dandy video showing how to find that loop. 🙂

Abbreviations

  • ch: chain
  • sc: single crochet
  • sc2tog: single crochet 2 stitches together
  • st(s): stitch(es)

Ready? Let’s jump in!

The Pattern

Eye Circles

Make 2.
With AC2, ch 2 (I like to start with a sloppy slip knot. This video shows how. And this video shows how to chain.)
Round 1 sc 6 in 2nd ch from hook (6) This post will help you find that second chain from the hook.
Round 2 sc twice in each st (12) This video will help you if you find it tricky to start the second round.
Round 3 [sc twice in next st, sc in next st.] 6 times (18) (Whoa! What’s with the brackets? It’s just telling you that set is going to repeat. So do everything in the brackets, and then repeat that same series for a total of six times. No big deal. And the 18 in parentheses is telling you that this round is a total of 18 stitches. It’s a good way to check your work.)
Round 4 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 2 sts.] 6 times (24)

Fasten off with long tail.

Feet

Make 2.
With AC1, ch 2
Round 1 sc 6 in 2nd ch from hook (6)
Round 2 sc twice in each st (12)
Round 3 [sc twice in next st, sc in next st.] 6 times (18)
Rounds 4-5 sc in each st (18, 2 rounds)

Fasten off with long tail.

Wings

Make 2.
With MC, ch 2
Round 1 sc 6 times in 2nd ch from hook (6)
Round 2 sc twice in each st (12)
Rounds 3-4 sc in each st (12, 2 rounds)
Round 5 [sc twice in next st, sc in next st] 6 times (18)
Rounds 6-9 sc in each st (18, 4 rounds)
Round 10 [sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times (12)

Fasten off with long tail.

Beak

With AC1, ch 2
Round 1 sc 6 times in 2nd ch from hook (6)
Round 2 sc twice in each st (12)
Rounds 3-5 sc in each st (12, 3 rounds)

Fasten off with long tail.

Tummy Circle

With SC, ch 2
Round 1 sc 6 times in 2nd ch from hook (6)
Round 2 sc twice in each st (12)
Round 3 [sc twice in next st, sc in next st] 6 times (18)
Round 4 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 2 sts] 6 times (24)
Round 5 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 3 sts] 6 times (30)
Round 6 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 4 sts] 6 times (36)
Round 7 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 5 sts] 6 times (42)
Round 8 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 6 sts] 6 times (48)

Fasten off with long tail.

Body

With MC, ch 2
Round 1 sc 6 times in 2nd ch from hook (6)
Round 2 sc twice in each st (12)
Round 3 [sc twice in next st, sc in next st] 6 times (18)
Round 4 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 2 sts] 6 times (24)
Round 5 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 3 sts] 6 times (30)
Round 6 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 4 sts] 6 times (36)
Round 7 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 5 sts] 6 times (42)
Round 8 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 6 sts] 6 times (48)
Round 9 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 7 sts] 6 times (54)
Round 10 [sc twice in next st, sc in next 8 sts] 6 times (60)
Rounds 11-21 sc in each st (60, 11 rounds)
Round 22 [sc2tog, sc in next 8 sts] 6 times (54)
Round 23 sc in each st (54)
Round 24 [sc2tog, sc in next 7 sts] 6 times (48)
Round 25 sc in each st (48)
Round 26 [sc2tog, sc in next 6 sts] 6 times (42)
Round 27 sc in each st (42)
Round 28 [sc2tog, sc in next 5 sts] 6 times (36)
Round 29 sc in each st (36)
Round 30 [sc2tog, sc in next 4 sts] 6 times (30)
Round 31 sc in each st (30)

Remove hook, but do not fasten off!

Flatten feet, and attach to round 7 of body. This post shows to how flatten and attach amigurumi pieces.

Howie the Penguin - free crochet amigurumi pattern from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Flatten wings, and attach to each side of body, at approximately round 22.

Howie the Penguin - free crochet amigurumi pattern from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Attach eye circles to body. The bottom of the eye circles should be attached to round 21, and the top of the eye circles will reach round 27. Be sure that the two eye circles touch in the center. This post shows how to use running stitch to attach flat pieces (like spots) to amigurumi.

Howie the Penguin - free crochet amigurumi pattern from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Attach tummy circle to body. The bottom should be attached at round 9 (two rounds above the feet), and slightly overlap the bottom of the eye circles at the top.

Howie the Penguin - free crochet amigurumi pattern from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Fasten eyes onto the head. To do so, just insert the post where you want the eye to go (for Howie it’s in the center of his eye circles) and press the washer onto the back post to secure. Make sure the washer is pushed on all the way.

Stuff beak slightly, and attach over the point where the eye circles and tummy circle meet. This post shows how to do that kind of attachment.

Howie the Penguin - free crochet amigurumi pattern from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Stuff the penguin body and continue crocheting.

This post has tips for stuffing amigurumi (it’s a little different from sewn softies), and this video has some terrific help for closing up those last few rounds.

Round 32 [sc2tog, sc in next 3 sts] 6 times (24)
Round 33 [sc2tog, sc in next 2 sts] 6 times (18)
Round 34 [sc2tog, sc in next st] 6 times (12)
Round 35 [sc2tog] 6 times (6)

Slipstitch across the top and fasten off. Here’s a video showing how to slipstitch, and here’s one showing how to fasten off.

Ta da! You made a penguin!

Howie the Penguin - free crochet amigurumi pattern from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Aren’t you proud? You should be!

Click here to download a handy dandy printable PDF of the free Howie the penguin amigurumi pattern.

Snap a photo and share it with us over in the Shiny Happy People group! If you share it on social media, tag with with #shinyhappyworld so I can see it. 🙂

I hope you want to make something else now. You can shop for more crochet patterns here.

Happy stitching!

Best,
Wendi

How to Slip Stitch – video tutorial

February 13, 2018
How to Slip Stitch - a video tutorial from Shiny Happy World

Slip stitch is a really easy – and very handy – stitch to have in your toolbox.

It’s one way to close up the very final tiny hole in the top of an amigurumi.

I also use it any time I want to shift from the “step” of a single crochet stitch, to a more gradual “ramp.” You’ll see what I mean in the video – and also how to do it. 🙂

See how easy that is?

Here are handy links to all the posts teaching the basic crochet stitches. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for more advanced crochet stitches.

Happy stitching!

How to Chain in Crochet – video tutorial

February 11, 2018

Chain stitches are the foundation for most crochet work – and they’re really easy to do.

Watch this video – Stacey will show you how to do it.

It’s kind of crazy that all crochet is just one long, continuous piece of yarn wrapped and looped around itself. 🙂

If you’re just getting started with crochet and want to really get a feel for how to hold your hook, just starting crocheting a chain. Keep chaining until the hook feels natural in your hand!

You can either unravel the finished chain or use it like bulky yarn to crochet something else. 🙂

Here are handy links to all the posts teaching the basic crochet stitches. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for more advanced crochet stitches.

Happy stitching!

How to Crochet an Oval for Amigurumi

February 7, 2018
How to Crochet an Oval for Amigurumi - two methods. Image shows a blue crocheted oval on a white background.

Why would you need to learn how to crochet an oval?

Well, I love making softies with oval bases. They require shaping that’s a little different than your usual amigurumi rounds – but they’re not hard to do.

There are two basic techniques for creating an oval. Each one gives you a slightly different look, so I’ll show you both.

Start with a Chain

Chain until the piece is as long as you want. You’re creating the center of the oval, so keep in mind that this piece will grow in all directions!

blue chain stitch with blue crochet hook attached

Crochet around the Chain to Grow Your Oval

Turn and sc in 2nd stitch and each remaining stitch.

You will end up with one stitch fewer than the number of chains you started with. (That’s because one of those chain stitches became a turning chain.)

Blue crochet with crochet hook still attached

That grew one side of your oval. To grow the other side you’ll need to work the bottom side of the foundation chain

If you aren’t sure how to do that, hop on over to this blog post – How to Work the Bottom Side of a Foundation Chain.

Now we’re going to start looking at the two different ways to crochet an oval. Each results in a slightly different shape.

Technique 1: Increase at ends

One way to achieve an oval is to sc 3 times in each of the end stitches. You want to use stitches *directly* on the ends to get an even oval.

To do this, single crochet into the turning chain and the starting knot (unusual, I know!)

How to Crochet an Oval for Amigurumi - two methods from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Put a locking stitch marker in the center of the 3 single crochet stitches, and increase (3 stitches in 1) on each side every round.

How to Crochet an Oval for Amigurumi - two methods from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

You increase 4 stitches each round. The result is a flatter oval with more pointy-looking ends.

Technique 2: Increase at ‘corners’

To begin this technique, sc twice in each of the 4 ‘corners’ of your piece, that is the first and last stitch of each side.

Do not work the turning chain or knot.

How to Crochet an Oval for Amigurumi - two methods from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Place a locking stitch marker in the increase stitch furthest away from the end points.

How to Crochet an Oval for Amigurumi - two methods from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

The result is a nicely rounded oval. Just like technique 1, you are increasing by 4 sts/round.

Continue increasing (sc twice in 1 stitch) at the stitches with the stitch marker. The stitch markers will move apart by 2 stitches each round (put differently, the ‘increased stitch’ goes towards the short side of the rectangle).

Crocheted Ovals in Use

I used this method to create an oval base for this cute crocheted cat pattern.

Felix the Fat Cat - crochet pattern from Shiny Happy World

See? You can see the crocheted oval at his base.

crocheted cat showing the oval base

I also used it to give Duke the Dog here his oval feet.

Duke the Dog - an adorable crochet amigurumi pattern from Shiny Happy World

See?

Once you learn how to crochet an oval you can stitch up all kinds of cute critters!

Here are handy links to all the posts about crocheting more advanced shapes. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the posts about troubleshooting common problems.

Happy stitching!

Closing Up the Final Rounds on Amigurumi – video tutorial

February 7, 2018
How to Stitch Up Those Last Few Amigurumi Rounds - a video tutorial from Shiny Happy World and FreshStitches

Those last couple of rounds of closing up an amigurumi can feel kind of awkward and tricky. Here Stacey shows you exactly how to do it.

See?

It’s really not hard to do – just kind of awkward to hold. 🙂

For some extra tips on keeping the stuffing out of your last stitches, take a look at this post – and be sure to read the comments for additional great ideas!

Here are handy links to all the posts about closing up the stuffing opening and fastening off in amigurumi. . .

Return to the main table of contents for Let’s Learn to Crochet Amigurumi.

Move on to the lessons for attaching parts.

Happy stitching!