Australian Homespun — June 2017

(Jacob Rumans) #1
then baste the layers together where
the seams and darts are to ensure
that they remain perfectly aligned.
Sew the shapes together, leaving
the straight neck edge open.

26


Turn the head right side out.
Stuff it fi rmly.

27


Fold the raw edge around the
neck on the head by a scant

(^11) ⁄ 4 in and pin it in place. Fold the
unstitched top edge of the body down
into the body – you will be folding
down about 1^1 ⁄ 2 in of this raw edge.
Add a little more stuffi ng to the head
so it’s quite fi rm in this neck area. Fit
the head over the upper part of the
body: the bottom edge of the head
should cover the top straight edge of
the white chest shape. Pin to hold it in
place. If you wish, you can adjust the
angle of the head so that your cat has
a whimsical tilt or is looking off to one
side. If the head feels wobbly, unpin it
and add more stuffi ng, before pinning
it back in place. Once you’re satisfi ed
with its fi rmness and angle, use extra
strong sewing thread to work a neat,
small ladder stitch to secure the head
to the body.
Finishing the face
28
Audition the placement of the
ears by pinning them to the
cat’s head. Jenny positioned the ears
on Pebbles so that they sat on the
seam line between the face and the
back of the head, about^3 ⁄ 4 in from
the centre seam.
29
Using doubled thread and
small, neat ladder stitch, sew
the base of one ear to the head.
Secure the thread, then pass the
needle through the head exiting at
the centre back. Put some tension on
the thread and snip it close to the felt
so that the cut end will be drawn
back into the head. Repeat to stitch
the second ear in place.
30
Using thread to match the felt,
work a line of running stitch
just inside the edge of the nose; start
and end at the centre bottom edge.
Draw up the thread a little so that the
edge of the nose gathers and turns
under. Secure the thread to maintain
the gather – but don’t cut it.
31
Pin the nose to the cat’s face,
rolled edge against the face,
centred over the seam and with its
top edge about 2^5 ⁄ 8 in down from the
seam between the face and the back
of the head. Use the tail of the thread
on the nose to ladder stitch it in
place. Finish off the thread as you
did with the ears.
32
Use three strands of embroidery
fl oss to match the nose felt to
work a line^3 ⁄ 8 in long from the bottom
edge of the nose down the centre
seam and then add a smile.
33
Use glass-head pins to
audition the placement of the
eyes. Pebbles’ eyes are in line with
the top edge of the nose and 1^1 ⁄ 2 in
on either side of the centre seam.
34
Thread a doll needle with a
long length of doubled extra
strong sewing thread. Insert the
needle at the base of the cat’s head,
just above the neck seam and about
(^1) ⁄ 8 in off centre. With the cat facing
you, push the needle so that it comes
out at one of the eye positions. Pull
the thread through, but leave a tail
about 4in long hanging at the back
of the head.
35
Thread the wire loop on the
back of one eye onto the
thread. Use the point of the needle
like an awl to create a tiny hole in the
felt in the eye position large enough
for the wire loop to fi t into.
36
Pass the needle through the
hole and exit at the base of the
head, very close to your entry – but
not through your entry point.
37
Repeat Steps 35-36 to attach
the second eye using the same
thread. You should now have two eyes
sitting on the surface of the face and
two thread tails at the base of the
back of the head. Remove the needle.
Tie the two tail threads together in
a loose knot. Put the threads under
tension to pull the wire loops into the
face and sculpt the eye sockets a little.
When you’re satisfi ed with the look,
tighten the knot, then tie another one
to maintain the tension securely.
Rethread the needle with the two
thread tails, pass it through the head,
exiting on one side, put it under
tension, snip it and allow the cut
ends to be drawn back into the head.
Satchel
38
Match the two strips of tan felt
for the satchel straps, wrong
sides together. Machine stitch^1 ⁄ 8 in
from each long edge using thread
to match the felt.
39
Using the same thread in the
machine, topstitch^1 ⁄ 8 in from
the top curved edge of the satchel
front shape and around the top
curved edge and clasp tab of the
satchel back shape; this stitching
minimises stretching.
40
Hand stitch a row of running
just inside each of these lines
of machine stitching in three strands
of embroidery fl oss a little darker than
the felt. Backstitch the decorative
lines where marked on the patterns
using the same thread.
41
Pin the ends of the shoulder
strap on the right side of the
JENNY’S FELT
STITCHING TIPS
Because the seam allowances
on this project are quite narrow,
always check that you’ve caught
both layers of felt in the stitching
when sewing two shapes together.
Felt has more body than, say,
quilting fabrics, so the seams can
need a bit of ‘persuading’ if they
are to lie flat. I run the thick end
of a chopstick along the seam on
the inside and push it gently to
flatten it before I stuff the shape.

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