Adams - Countryside softies : 28 handmade wool creatures to stitch

Text copyright 2011 by Amy Adams

Artwork copyright 2011 by C&T Publishing, Inc.

Publisher: Amy Marson

Creative Director: Gailen Runge

Acquisitions Editor: Susanne Woods

Editor: Liz Aneloski

Technical Editor: Sandy Peterson

Cover/Book Designer: Kristy Zacharias

Production Coordinator: Kirstie L. Pettersen

Production Editor: Julia Cianci

Illustrator: Kirstie L. Pettersen

Photography by Christina Carty-Francis and Diane Pedersen of C&T Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted

Published by Stash Books, an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549

All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be used in any form or reproduced by any meansgraphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systemswithout written permission from the publisher. The copyrights on individual artworks are retained by the artist as noted in Countryside Softies. These designs may be used to make items only for personal use or donation to nonprofit groups for sale. Each piece of finished merchandise for sale must carry a conspicuous label with the following information: Designs copyright 2011 by Amy Adams from the book Countryside Softies from C&T Publishing, Inc.

Attention Copy Shops: Please note the following exceptionpublisher and author give permission to photocopy for personal use only.

Attention Teachers: C&T Publishing, Inc., encourages you to use this book as a text for teaching. Contact us at 800-284-1114 or www.ctpub.com for lesson plans and information about the C&T Creative Troupe.

We take great care to ensure that the information included in our products is accurate and presented in good faith, but no warranty is provided nor are results guaranteed. Having no control over the choices of materials or procedures used, neither the author nor C&T Publishing, Inc., shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. For your convenience, we post an up-to-date listing of corrections on our website (

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Adams, Amy (Amy Jane)

Countryside softies : 28 handmade wool creatures to stitch / Amy Adams. p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-60705-215-9 (softcover)

1. Felt work. 2. Stuffed animals (Toys) 3. Soft toy making. I. Title.

TT849.5.A325 2011

746.0463--dc22

2010028183

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Alanlook what I did with
your wooly jumpers!

In memory of Alan Pattinson
1923-2009

Its really hard to write this part of a book without sounding cheesy, but there are always certain special people who deserve a mention: my mum, my stepdad, my mother-in-law (who I get custody of should we ever divorce!), my two children, and my husband.

Also to my friends who supported me through the stress when the box containing all of the finished softies for the book went missing on its way to America!

I must also acknowledge my fellow crafters, whom I meet with every day in the virtual design studio created around the water cooler of bloglandthat is, Twitter.

A huge thank you to everyone at C&T Publishing, especially Susanne, Liz, Sandy, Julia, Diane, Christina, Kirstie, Kristy, and Megan.

The patterns and instructions in this book are here to guide you through creating your very own whimsical softies in a few simple steps. A family of rabbits, a squirrel who has collected chestnuts, a toadstool, and a mother duck who lovingly has a chick and an egg tucked under her wings, to name a few, are ready and waiting to be brought to life. You will be more successful if you read the Basic Instructions before you start.

Each softie pattern is coded with a suggested level of expertise,easy,moderate, orslightly tricky.

With a little time and small amounts of supplies, a soft toy, an ornament, or a commemorative gift materializes as if by magic. Many can be personalized by adding embroidery, or you can make a family group using the smaller patterns and accessories.

tip

As with any toy made for a small child, please exercise caution. Because of small parts, a softie may not be suitable for a child under the age of three.

DEFINITION

Softie [sawf-tee, softy] noun

A three-dimensional representation of a real or imaginary object, animal, or person re-created using soft materials.

Handmade using beautifully soft felted wool and gorgeous fabrics, resulting in exceptional cuteness.

Related words: plush, soft sculpture, soft toy, stuffed, stuffie, adorable!

Clear a little space to work in and familiarize yourself with the how-to section. Continue to refer back to these instructions when creating your softie. Many of them use the same techniques; once you have made one, the next will be much easier. The softies have been coded with a suggested level of sewing prowess. This is merely a guide, and all that slightly tricky refers to is a larger project that has more parts to be sewn and will therefore take a bit longer to complete.

Gather your tools and materials. You will not need a huge stash of fabrics and threads; the projects are small and designed to be economical to put together while retaining an intimate and precious quality.

There can't be many crafters who are not inspired by the thrifty or recycling aspect that comes hand in hand with textiles. In the United Kingdom, we call it charity, and charity begins at home. Look no further than your and your family's closets.

Unwanted clothing can be pillaged for fabric, trims, and buttons and recycled (used again in its original state) and upcycled (used in a new and improved way, such as felting a wool sweater and making softies from it). There is no more wonderful feeling than turning a favorite outfit, once worn and loved by your growing child, into something else that will continue to be treasured.

You do not need to be an expert with a needle to sew a softie. Felted wool and craft felt are very forgiving and can hide a multitude of sins. Even after your softie is complete, a quick squeeze here and there will help remedy any lumps or bumps that have appeared in the shape of the body. Using pearl cotton 8 for the applique and embroidery means your stitching stands out; it's meant to be seen. Odd stitches will look right at home. Give your softie a little of your own personality as the pattern transitions from the book into a truly individual creation, handmade by you!