Dixon - Pipsqueaks--itsy-bitsy felt creations to stitch & love: 30+ easy-to-make animals & accessories

Publisher: Amy Marson Creative Director: Gailen Runge Art Director / Book Designer: Kristy Zacharias Editor: Karla Menaugh Technical Editors: Susan Nelsen and Gailen Runge Page Layout Artist: April Mostek Production Coordinator: Zinnia Heinzmann Production Editor: Katie Van Amburg Illustrator: Aliza Shalit Photo Assistant: Mary Peyton Peppo Photography by Diane Pedersen, unless otherwise noted Published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549 dedication For Aunty Elizabeth, who first inspired my love of sewing acknowledgments Thank you to my parents, Denis and Roslyn Dixon, for the encouragement, support, and countless cups of tea while I worked on my book. Thank you also for allowing me to create, create, create when I was a child. Thanks to Aunty Elizabeth, who probably didnt realize quite what she started when she sent me a handmade felt teddy bear all those Christmases ago. A big thank-you to all the team at C&T Publishing, who believed in my book and helped make my dream a reality. What a fabulous birthday present it was to hear that you wanted to publish my book.

A gigantic thank-you to Karla, who helped shape this book into what it is. Thanks to Yr Ham for casting her eagle-editing eye across these pages and for her lovely encouragement, and thanks to dear Bec Barnes for checking my sewing measurements with joyful enthusiasm. The generosity of the companies Timeless Treasures, Creative Impressions, Kreinik, Punch with Judy, and Winterwood Steiner Inspired Toys is greatly appreciated. And last, but not least of all, thank you to my lovely friends, Fiona, Megan, Anushka, Rosalinde, Kendall, and many others, who cheered me on throughout this creative process. FOREWORD When I was ten years old, I received a special Christmas present from my Aunty Elizabeth. The package was tiny and squishy.

Inside the wrapping paper nestled a felt teddy-bear brooch. He was navy blue, with an embroidered face and a red bowtie. I never wore the bear as a brooch, but that didnt mean I disliked him. I loved him! Over the following weeks, I examined the bear from top to bottom, side to side, and back to front. I traced around him and created my own pattern. My mother bought some felt squares for me.

I cut, sewed, and stuffed until my own teddy bear was complete. With lopsided limbs and crooked stitches, my teddy didnt look as professional as my aunts bear, but I felt satisfied. More than that, I felt inspired. Over the next three years, I created an army of tiny felt teddy bears. I made girl teddies, boy teddies, princesses, princes, brides, and grooms. Each teddy bear developed its own unique character.

Thats how my love of tiny felt creations began. (By the way, youll find a tiny teddy project within the pages of this book. He is my tributean even smaller oneto the first teddy bear I received all those Christmases ago.) Nowadays, all sorts of critters run rampant inside my house: rabbits, cats, dogs, elephants, budgies, chickens, koalas, platypuses, and more. And mice did I mention the mice? If you were to walk into my house today, youd swear there was a mouse plague. It fills my heart with pleasure to know my creations bring joy to another person. And Im passionate about developing childrens imagination through play.

Within this book youll find many playful, imaginative, and cute projects. Have a go, and sew one of my designs. Whether the item is for a child or the young at heart, Im sure it will make them smile. CONSTRUCTION BASICSmaterials See Resources for more information about where to buy supplies. Felt Many varieties of felt are available: Synthetic felt (acrylic, polyester, rayon, and viscose varieties) is cheap and widely available from craft stores. It is great for childrens crafts and for beginners, but if you desire to make high-quality keepsakes, then I recommend a higher quality of felt.

Eco-friendly felt is made from either recycled plastic bottles or bamboo-synthetic blends. This felt is sometimes stiffer than other varieties, but its environmentally friendly quality is a happy bonus. Wool-blend felt is a mixture of wool and synthetic fibers. It is more expensive than the synthetic varieties but still affordable. This felt has a soft, luxurious feel. My preference is 100% wool felta luxurious and high-quality felt.

All of my projects use this variety, from Winterwood Steiner Inspired Toys. Its more expensive, but the quality is worth the extra cost. Its especially useful for childrens toys because this resilient felt will withstand constant hugs and touches from little hands. Cotton Fabric There are so many gorgeous fabrics around. I choose fabrics with small prints, and I cant get enough of polka dots, hearts, stripes, and sweet florals. The fabrics featured in this book are from Timeless Treasures.

Embroidery Floss I use stranded embroidery floss (thread) to sew all of my projects together and to add details. I use either one or two strands of floss, depending on the size of the item. Unless the directions state otherwise, use floss to match the felt color. Needles Needles come in various lengths and sizes. When you open a packet of needles, look for the thinnest ones with narrow heads. These work best in pint-sized projects, especially when you need to work with seed beads.

Scissors, Embroidery When it comes to tiny felt creations, the smaller the scissors, the better. Make sure they are good quality, tiny, and very sharp. My scissors have a (2 cm) blade length. Scissors, Sewing Some of the bigger patterns (with straight edges) are easier to cut out with normal-sized, high-quality sewing scissors. Keep a pair handy. Skewer The flat end of a wooden skewer is most handy when stuffing little items or when turning something inside out.

You also can try Alex Andersons 4-in-1 Essential Sewing Tool, available from C&T Publishing. Polyfill Polyfill (stuffing) is readily available from craft stores and is used in many of my projects. Beads Most of my felt critters have eyes made from (3 mm) round black beads. Some projects also use seed beads in various colors. These are available at most craft suppliers. Brooch Backs Brooch backs come in various sizes.

The Doggy Brooches have a 1 (2.5 cm) brooch back. You also can purchase very tiny brooch backs, such as (1 cm) or (1.5 cm), which are useful for the utterly pipsqueak items, such as the Teeny-Weeny Bear. When in a pinch, you can stitch a small safety pin to a brooch to serve as a brooch back. Buttons I love buttonsso many colors, patterns, and shapes! Any button used in this book will be, of course, of the smaller variety, approximately (1 cm). Have fun choosing buttons that you like. Earring Findings Earring findings are featured in my Strawberry Earrings, but some of my other pipsqueak felt items also could be made into decorative earrings.

I always use (2 cm) French hook wire findings (sometimes also known as fishhook or shepherd hook findings). Fishing Line / Beading Thread Fishing line and clear beading thread are stiff enough to make wonderful whiskers for little mice. Key Rings Key rings (split rings) are used in my Petite Pocket Pouches. I use 1 (2.5 cm) split rings. Why not make some of my other items into a key ring? I suggest turning the elephants or Mister Mousy into key rings. Pompoms Miniature pompoms make cute bunny tails.

Ribbon I also love ribbons. There are so many pretty designs available. Narrow ribbons are useful for turning my projects into hanging decorations. Wider ribbons are useful for key rings, as well as other decorative features. I used ribbons and twine from Creative Impressions. Rice You might think this is a rather strange item to include.