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Use Stretchy Knit Fabric to Make Extra Soft Stuffed Animals

December 7, 2015

Did you know that you can use stretchy knit fabric to make extra cuddly and soft stuffed animals?

You can! And even though sewing with knits has a bad reputation – it’s really not any harder than sewing with woven fabrics.

Cloud 9 Fabrics – makers of all-gorgeous, all-organic fabric – recently released a line of deliciously soft knit fabrics perfect for comfy clothing, cozy pajamas, and cuddly soft stuffed animals. (That’s their adorable photo up there with the cozy jammie pants.)

They exhibited those knits at Quilt Market this fall and asked me to use them to make some squishy stuffed animals to add to their display. Fun!

I’ve used knits to make softies before (mostly old T-shirts to make Bartholomew Bunnies) and they make exceptionally soft stuffed animals. For this batch I decided to use patterns I had designed with fleece in mind. I love how they turned out!

My favorite is Franklin the Fat Cat made in an awesome striped knit that really accented his fatness. 🙂

Munch was also easy and fun and I liked playing with the different coordinating prints for him.

Benson Bunny was a little trickier.

See how his shape nips in a little around the neck? He’s not one roundish shape like Franklin and Munch – and that’s what makes him slightly tricky. He’s not hard to sew – that’s easy. It’s the stuffing where you have to be careful.

Like I said – the sewing is easy. I have a whole video here about sewing stretch fabric with a regular machine, but it really comes down to just two things. Use the right needle and don’t stretch it while you sew.

What’s the right needle? Well – I sewed these guys all with a basic universal needle – and that’s usually what I start with. Sew a little test seam on some scraps and take a close look. Usually everything looks just fine and you can move on to your real project, but sometimes there are potential problems.

If you’re skipping stitches, switch to a stretch needle. It has a longer scarf (the groove that the thread rests in) and that helps prevent skipped stitches.

If you’re getting runs or snags in your fabric, switch to a ballpoint or jersey needle. It has a slightly blunt tip that makes the needle slide between the fibers instead of poking into them.

Those are the two potential problems to sewing with knits – both easily fixed with a new needle.

But the stuffing! The stuffing is where you really have to be careful. A softie made with woven fabric can sometimes be lumpy and bumpy – and that problem is a million times worse with stretch fabric where the fabric will just stretch around any lumpy stuffing. You must keep things smooth as you go. Also – usually understuffing is a problem with softies – but if you make them with knits you need to be careful of overstuffing. Use just enough stuffing to fill out the shape and keep it very smooth as you go.

That’s it! Use the right needle, don’t stretch the fabric while you sew, and keep things smooth while you stuff. The yummy Cloud 9 knits I used to make these cuties is in shops now. Make an extra squishy and soft stuffed animal today!

Happy sewing!

Best,
Wendi

How to Add Sashing to a Quilt

December 2, 2015

(This post is about adding sashing to a regular quilt. Click here for specific instructions about adding sashing to a Quilt As You Go quilt.)

I don’t usually add sashing or borders to my quilts, but Controlled Chaos isn’t a typical quilt for me. I went back and forth for a long time, debating the need for sashing. Sashing finally won for two reasons. . .

I like that each little block is its own composition. In some ways I liked those compositions blending into each other and creating new shapes, but ultimately I decided I like the look of a little frame around each piece.
The thought of matching all those seams (necessary if I went without sashing) made me weep.

So – sashing it is!

Adding sashing isn’t hard – just think of it as another skinny block between each of the bigger blocks. Skip the border (for now) and just think about the strips in the quilt’s interior.

We’ll start with adding the vertical strips.

I decided to make the sashing strips the same width as one finished square in the block. I think that’s a good general guideline for balance. That meant cutting them 2″ wide. If you used 1/4″ seam allowance for your sewing, the finished blocks should be 15.5″ square, so cut 15 strips each 2″ wide x 15.5″ long.

Start assembling the rows of your quilt by alternating blocks with sashing strips. Here’s one row.

How to Add Sashing to a Quilt - a tutorial from Shiny Happy World

Repeat until you have all five rows.

One quick tip. The problem most people have when adding sashing is that the strip is the wrong length by the time they get to the end of the line of stitching. The longer the seam, the more likely (and worse) the problem is.

Using a walking foot when you sew will help prevent this, but the best way is good old-fashioned pinning.

Start by folding your strip in half and marking the center with a pin.
Match the center of the strip to the center of the block and pin.
Match the ends of the strip with the edges of the block and pin.
Fill in the rest of the length with pins until it’s all secure and evenly distributed.
Sew the seam.

Your strip and your block should still be perfectly lined up when you get to the end of the seam.

I wrote a whole post about what I call “Divide and Conquer” for pinning long seams here.

End tip. 🙂

Now you need to sew all five rows together with strips in between them, plus strips at the top and bottom for those borders.

Cut those strips 2″ wide x 65″ wide. You’ll need six.

When you sew your rows together, it should look something like this.

Use that same pinning tip to keep everything lined up.

All you need now are the final strips for the side borders. Cut them 2″ wide x 84.5″ long. You’ll need two.

Sew those strips to the sides and your quilt top is finished!

Now layer, baste, quilt and bind as usual.

Here’s mine, all basted and ready for quilting.

I’m going to hand quilt this with big stitches and fat thread. I can’t wait to get started!

You can see all the posts about the Controlled Chaos scrap quilt here.

Find links to all the posts about pattern size and layouts here.

Quilt Sizes and Supplies Needed

Play with Your Layouts – Multiple Possibilities for One Quilt Pattern

Sashing

How to Make Applique Bust Out of Its Frame

Alternate or Broken Grid layouts (adding half and double blocks)

How to Make an Applique Rag Quilt

How to Make a Polaroid Quilt

How to Make a Wonky Churn Dash Frame for Any Block

Finished with this topic?

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

Move on to the lessons about choosing your fabric.

Happy quilting!

Tutorial: How to Attach Perfectly Positioned Buttons

December 2, 2015

Okay, so you’ve gone through all of that work to knit or crochet a sweater… and now it’s time to attach the buttons. How do you make sure you sew on the buttons in exactly the right spot? I’ll show you how!

All you need is one locking stitch marker.

First, close your sweater so that the button band overlaps exactly how you’d want it closed when finished, with the holey side of the button band on top.

Starting at the bottom (or top), poke your locking stitch marker through the first hole, and attach to the solid side of the button band.

This stitch marker marks where your button will go! Lock the marker.

Notice that the holey side of the button band will pull off… the locking stitch marker goes right through the hole!

Here’s what it looks like:

You want to sew your button directly on top of the locking stitch marker. Read this blog post about sewing on buttons for help.

When you’re finished sewing (or at least have finished the first few, securing stitches), remove the stitch marker. It should just slip out once you unlock it.

Now it’s time for the other buttons! Repeat this trick for each button.

Each time, button up the buttons you’ve already completed so you can ensure they line up properly.

No more wonky button problems!

Sample sweater is Gramps knit using the Rainbow Yarn Sampler Pack.

2015 Christmas Collection

November 23, 2015

The 2015 Christmas Collection is finished! All twelve fun and easy felt ornaments. 🙂

You’ll find two options for it in the shop. . .

The PDF pattern. All twelve patterns in one 85-page PDF. It has each pattern complete – plus the last few pages have all the pattern pieces for all the ornaments grouped for efficient printing. There’s one page to be printed on Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy and six pages to be printed on freezer paper (grouped by color for easy ironing). Every single piece is labeled so it’s easy to group them back together again.
The PDF pattern + materials kit. It includes 10 sheets of my favorite wool-blend felt, 10 skeins of embroidery thread perfectly matched to the felt, all the pattern pieces printed out on Sulky Sticky Fabri-solvy or freezer paper (depending on what the pattern calls for), and the red and white baker’s twine I used for all the hanging loops. And, of course, you get an instant download of the entire PDF pattern. Handy dandy!

Get the patterns here.

Also – the 2014 collection is available here.

Happy stitching!

Best,
Wendi

Free Snowman Appliqué Pattern

November 20, 2015

This is a super easy snowman appliqué pattern – and free! Here’s how to make him. . .

Step 1

Download the pattern here. Print or trace it onto the paper side of fusible adhesive.

Step 2

Cut a piece of fabric and a piece of batting 11″ square. Layer the fabric over the batting and quilt the two layers together.

Step 3

Roughly cut out all the pieces and fuse them to the wrong side of the fabric.

I used white felt for the snowman head, and Timeless Treasure prints for the rest of the fabrics: charcoal Sketch for the hat, red Pop for the ribbon, orange Sketch for the carrot, and solid black for the eyes.

Step 4

Hold the snowman face up to a window so you can see the face markings through the felt and mark the placement of the eyes, nose and the mouth.

Step 5

Cut out the pieces neatly on the solid lines. Where there’s a dotted line, leave a little extra seam allowance.

Step 6

Peel off the paper backing and layer the pieces on the background block. The bottom edge of the head should line up with the bottom edge of the block. The hat should overlap the top of the head.

Fuse the pieces in place.

Step 7

Stitch the edges of all the pieces down. I like to use a simple straight stitch and black thread.

Step 8

Trim the block to size. Mine is 10 1/2 inches.

Finished!

You can use this pattern to decorate this simple stocking. Or combine it with this free Santa appliqué pattern to make a cute table runner or wall hanging.

Sign up for the weekly newsletter so you don’t miss more free patterns like this one! You’ll also get notifications of new tutorials, sewing tips and tricks, fun videos, yummy recipes, and special discounts.

Happy sewing!

Best,
Wendi

Have you heard about the Red Scarf Project?

November 17, 2015

This post originally appeared on November 20th, 2013. But it’s such a great cause, I’m reposting it with additional information!

What happens to a child in the foster care system when they turn 18? They’re ‘adults’, and are set out into the world alone, and without a network of family or social resources.

Sad, right?

If those kids are awesome enough to get themselves into college… who sends them care packages? Who do they call if they need an emergency $50 for a surprise textbook?

In most cases, they have no one to turn to.

Makes you sniffle, right?

That’s why I love Foster Care to Success, an organization that supports foster care children who have ‘aged out’ of the system. The organization collects money for emergency funds and runs other great drives to support this often-overlooked population.

I particularly love the Red Scarf Project. I read about it in Craft Activism.

The Red Scarf Project collects scarves from September 1st – December 15th every year, and then distributes them to a foster student on Valentine’s Day.

Isn’t that sweet? Can you imagine how special you’d feel if a handmade scarf with a sweet note showed up on your door? And what a boost that would give to your semester?

That’s why I’m knitting one!

I didn’t feel like I had the time: the Kit Club packages, hosting Thanksgiving dinner, planning for the holidays… and then I told myself “Balarky! You can make the time! These college students don’t have families!”

And surprise… I’m finding the time!

Join in!

Can you spare the time?

Nothing fancy is required, just a simple red knitted or crocheted scarf. Check out the guidelines, here.

This link tells you where to mail the scarves, as well as the not-too-hard guidelines (basically is red, gender neutral and about 60″ long). Pattern suggestions, too!

Sweet extras, such as a hand-written note, are welcome!

Free Christmas Stocking Pattern

November 6, 2015

Use this simple stocking pattern with whatever embellishment you choose. Or none at all! The lined construction is easy enough for beginners, and it works with any quilt, appliqué or embroidery pattern.

Throughout most of the instructions I’m using this free Santa appliqué pattern, but you can use any decoration you like. Here’s the exact same stocking made with three different cats from this quilt pattern.

Here’s how to make the stocking. . .

Step 1

Download the stocking pattern here. The pattern pieces print on two pages. Overlap them so that the heart and the edges of the stocking line up and tape them together. There’s more info on joining pattern pieces like this here.

Step 2

Cut two rectangles 9″ wide and 19″ tall from your main fabric, your lining fabric, and 100% cotton batting. My favorite batting is Warm & Natural.

Step 3

Layer one main fabric rectangle with one batting rectangle and quilt the layers together.

I’m showing this from the back so you can really see the quilting. Any design will do – it just needs to hold the two layers together.

Repeat with the other main fabric and batting rectangles so you have two pieces.

Step 4

Layer the two quilted layers and the two lining layers right sides together and cut four stocking pieces – two main and two lining.

Step 5

Decorate the front of the stocking however you like. I used my favorite appliqué with fusible adhesive method. You can see how I do that in this video.

If you’re doing floating heads (like the cats) no adjustment is needed. Just print the pieces out at whatever size you like.

If you’re doing a head that’s cropped off at the bottom (like the Santa) you’ll need to make some adjustments because the bottom of the stocking slants.

On the original Santa appliqué pattern, the beard is cropped off at the horizontal dotted line. For the stocking I left a lot of fusible adhesive below that dotted line and fused the whole thing to the fabric. That extra fabric will accommodate the slant at the bottom of the stocking.

Arrange the pieces on the front of the stocking. Let that extra beard fabric overhang the bottom edge of the stocking.

When you’re happy with the arrangement, fuse it down, stitch around the edges, and then trim off the extra beard. You can use this same technique for any animal bodies that you want to use on the stocking from any of my quilt patterns.

Step 6

Now time to start putting the stocking together! Layer the lining pieces right sides together and sew around the edges using 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Leave the stocking top open, and also a place on the back seam for turning. The turning hole needs to be big enough to fit your hand through it.

Step 7

Layer the main stocking pieces right sides together and sew them around the edge using 1/4 inch seam allowance – just like the lining. Leave the top open, but do NOT leave a turning opening.

Clip the seam allowance in the concave curve of both the main stocking and the lining. Watch this video for the how and why of curve clipping.

Step 8

Turn the lining right side out. Slip it inside the stocking (the stocking should still be inside out) and line up the side seams.

Sew the stocking to the lining all the way around the top edge using 1/4 inch seam allowance.

Step 9

Turn the stocking right side out. This can be confusing if you’ve never turned a lined thing right side out before.

Start by pulling the lining out of the stocking. Then reach into the turning opening, grab the toe of the stocking, and pull the stocking right side out through that opening.

Keep pulling and the lining will start coming through too – right side out. Turn the lining completely right side out. Sew up the opening using ladder stitch, and tuck the lining down into the stocking.

Step 10

You have two options for the top edge. You can work the lining and the stocking so that the seam between them is right at the top edge of the stocking. You only see the lining if you peek inside. Press with lots of steam to set the fold.

(If you want to add a hanging loop like on this cat stocking, cut a loop of ribbon and slip it between the stocking and lining layers before you sew them together in Step 8. Be sure to catch the ends of the ribbon in the stitching as you sew those layers together.)

If you want a little bit of the lining to peek out of the top, leave the batting inside standing up (don’t fold it down) and use that as a guide to fold the lining down over it. Press with plenty of steam.

Finished!

Here’s a quick list of links to all the patterns I used. . .

The free Santa appliqué pattern is here. I printed it at 60% to fit on the stocking.

The Cats quilt pattern is here. I printed the three cats I used at 80%.

The free alphabet pattern is here. I printed it at 90%. You might need to go much smaller for a significantly longer name, or arrange the letters the long way.

You could make the stocking even simpler by just using a really fun Christmas fabric – no fancification needed! Try embroidering a design instead of using appliqué. Or use a couple of leftover pieced quilt blocks for the main fabric.

Play around with this pattern! It’s completely open-ended so you can do just about anything with it!

Here are several free patterns that work with my basic 10-inch applique squares – no resizing needed!

Here are several free patterns that work with just some simple resizing. This post about making coasters has info about resizing an applique pattern that can be applied to any of these projects.

Free Bib Pattern
Simple Christmas Stocking
Mini Bunny Tote Bag
Turn Any Quilt Block Patterns into Cute Coasters
Cozy Bear Coasters
The Big Bag (applique on the pocket)
Cloth Book for Babies

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

Happy sewing!

Are buttons baby safe stuffed animal eyes?

November 3, 2015

Craft eyes from Shiny Happy World (even though they're called safety eyes, they are not baby safe stuffed animal eyes)

I get a lot of questions about what stuffed animal eyes are safe for babies.

Even though craft eyes are often called safety eyes – they are not recommended for use in toys for children under the age of three.

I’m often asked, “can I use buttons instead”?

In short, the answer is no.

To explain why, let’s talk about why craft eyes aren’t baby safe for stuffed animals. It’s incredibly unlikely that the washer will accidentally come off of the back of the eye. (In fact, it’s pretty difficult to remove the washer from an eye with plastic ridges, as I showed in this blog post on how to remove craft eyes.)

The danger with craft eyes is that a baby (or dog) could chew through the fabric that the eye is attached to, dislodging the eye. A plastic eye securely attached to a scrap of shredded fabric is still a choking hazard.

Now what about buttons? Many people assume that since they’re sewn on, they’re more secure. But it’s not true. A baby can use their set of chompers to chew through the thread attaching it to the piece. It’s actually easier for a abby to chew through the threads holding a button eye in place than it is to chew through the fabric surrounding a craft eye.

Baby-safe stuffed animal eyes

For completely baby-safe stuffed animal eyes you have a few different options.

For crocheted stuffed animals, the easiest solution is to crochet the eye.

amigurumi crochet owl kit by FreshStitches

And they look fabulous! Just look at that adorable owl. You can get that owl pattern here, and there’s a tutorial here with a pattern for crocheted eyes that you can use with any stuffed animal.

Another option for baby safe stuffed animal eyes is felt.

How to Add Baby Safe Felt Eyes to Your Stuffed Animals - a tutorial from FreshStitches and Shiny Happy World

There’s a post here with instructions to make felt eyes – including adding that little white spark. You can use felt eyes on both crocheted and sewn stuffed animals.

One more option for baby-safe softie eyes is to embroider them! This also works on both crocheted and sewn stuffed animals. On small stuffed animals you can use this stitch, and for larger eyes I recommend satin stitch or split stitch as fill stitch.

So many options- and all baby safe. Choose the one you like the look of best!

Happy stitching!

Tutorial: Gnome Costume

October 31, 2015

Happy Halloween!

Maddie decided that she wanted to be a gnome for Halloween… and I thought it was a good excuse to put my craftiness to good use. This is a great costume to make! It’s adorable, and you only need to make a few components. Combined with store-bought clothes, it looks amazing!

If you’re wondering why these photos are so cropped, it’s because I let Maddie play with the November Kit Club sample- she just loves it! But, it means that I needed to crop it out to avoid a major spoiler!

Let me give you a quick run-through all of the components!

Knitted Hat

There are loads of pixie-style patterns on Ravelry. You can follow one of those, or modify a normal hat pattern.

To do this, work two plain rounds in between every decrease round of the crown. That’s how you make the point! This technique works for knitting or crochet!

Crocheted Beard

I followed the Bobble Bearded Beanie pattern. It’s a great pattern, and comes in adult sizes, too!

Sewn Belt

To make the belt, I cut a piece of belting (yes, that’s actually what it’s called! You can find it by the yard in the notions section of a craft/sewing store) to length. I sewed snaps to each end to fasten it on.

I cut a square of felt (about 2″ longer in each dimension than the width of the belting) and cut two slits in it so I could run the belting through. Easy!

Clothing

I bought red pants and a blue cardigan from Primary (the Baby Pants in Cherry and the Baby Snap Cardi in Pool). I bought the cardigan one size too big, which gives the outfit a cute, oversized gnome look!

Happy Halloween!

I hope you have a blast today! And you might want to download my free pumpkin pattern for a fun little project! Or crochet a sweet gnome!

Want to try 9 inch circular needles?

October 27, 2015

I absolutely love knitting socks on 9 inch circular needles.

Most people think I’m crazy when I say that my favorite knitting needle is a 9″ circular. But I can’t help it. I’m in love.

When you knit with other techniques (double point needles, two circulars or magic loop), there’s always a join that creates the potential for laddering (those icky loose stitches) as well as costs you some time maneuvering them around.

With the 9″ circular, there’s none of that! You just knit around and around!

A little video for you!

Are you a bit nervous about knitting with 9″ circulars? Don’t be!

I made this video a little while ago:

And it’s pretty good, but felt like I could give you a better idea of what to do my knitting a miniature heel flap, where I could also show you how to pick up stitches. So, I made you this one:

(sorry, the manicure isn’t as nice… but that’s okay, right? I filmed the first one while I still had fancy nails from filming my Craftsy course!)

The heel flap is what most people think is the scariest part of knitting on a 9 inch circular… and I hope you can see that it’s really not hard!

Don’t you feel like giving it a try?

Pick your favorite pattern!

Almost any pattern can be converted to 9″ circulars!

If you’re a newbie, I recommend Churchmouse Yarn and Tea’s Basic Sock pattern. If you’re looking for a more advanced pattern, I recommend the book Sock Knitting Master Class.

There are no patterns that I know of that specifically call for 9 inch circular needles. So, you should feel comfortable with knitting on a circular needle before beginning a pair of socks, as you will need to do some ‘translating’ in terminology.

Give ’em a try!

I’ll be honest, if you have big hands or like a lot of ‘space’ when you knit… the 9″ probably isn’t for you.

But if you like to knit socks, and are tired of losing a double point, getting ladders in your work or having trouble tossing your knitting into your bag and going… then you might love these guys! Try them!

Happy knitting!

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Makes you sniffle, right?

Join in!

Here’s how to make the stocking. . .

Baby-safe stuffed animal eyes

Knitted Hat

Crocheted Beard

Sewn Belt

Clothing

Happy Halloween!

A little video for you!

Pick your favorite pattern!

Give ’em a try!

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