Quack Pin Cushion

Emily is really really getting into sewing. Specifically hand sewing with felt. With my good expensive wool felt. But I don't mind because she is doing such a good job! 

My friend Deana sent us the book Little Birds (amazon) out of the blue and Emily immediately started flipping through it and landed on this Little Round bluebird below. We had been talking about her making her own pin cushion for her sewing box (see last picture) and somehow it was decided that this bluebird should be made into a Quack from one the girls favorite T.V. shows when they were younger, Peep and the Big Wide World. 

We copied the pattern at a reduced % and I made a pattern for the feet/hat/mouth. Emily cut every thing out and sewed it together. She's at the point where she doesn't need much direction from me. It's awesome! Kelly made the girls these awesome stuffed ones years ago. 

Here she is sewing an Orca whale. I'll post pictures of that soon. She has made an orca, dolphin, dog and this pin cushion.

Above is her very own sewing box from the store Tuesday Morning. 

Felt Carnivorous Plants

Emily and her friend Sara are doing their 4th grade science fair project on carnivorous plants. Emily chose the Venus Fly Trap and Sara chose the Pitcher plant. I suggested Emily make her model from felt and she was excited to do it. I made up a pattern and cut the pieces out. But she sewed them herself. I also made up Sara's pattern and cut her pieces out but she sewed her's on her own too. All I did was get them started with one or two stitches.  I really really think these turned out sooo awesome!! Emily's Venus Fly Trap will live on our book shelf for sure.  Her's is all wool felt and Sara's is acrylic felt. The stems have wire in them and so does Sara's "lids".

Below are the pattern pieces I  made up. 

Stitched Safari #1

I got this book a long time ago (over a year ago) but never did anything with it because it was a copy of the Japanese version. I got it out before Christmas and made 4 as ornaments and 1 as a gift. I hated the Japanese version because it was a copy, it was not a very good one and the patterns sheet was MANY pages you had to tape together not one big one like the one that comes in the English version. So I got the English version. I made some from the new book (to be shown later) and so has Emily. She is really really enjoying hand sewing and surprisingly so am I! They are all a bit Frankenstein looking with the wonky stitches but I still love them. I just wish I had taken better photos of them and now they are in storage with all my Christmas stuff.

I used Holland Wool Felt from achildsdream.com. This is hands down my most favorite felt. I have bought bamboo felt and "wool" felt from etsy sellers and they all are crap. They pill easy and are thinner and just not as nice. I'm afraid to try other sellers since I wasted a lot of money on the bamboo and then some supposedly wool felt on etsy. 

Below is the ornament I made Jenny B. She has a puppy Pug named Luna.

I found the Japanese version to be easy to follow (looking at the pictures) and the English version even better. Emily who is 9 can do these on her own with only me helping when she really needed help. She just misunderstood the pattern a couple of times and I had to show her how to sew the seams together but that's all.

Next up will be the cow, penguin and dolphin