Fleece Coneflower: Free Pattern and Tutorial

I do love flowers, and coneflowers are one of my favorites. I have had this magazine page pinned to my bulletin board for some time now, and this was my inspiration for this new fleece coneflower pattern.

Who would have thought that FLEECE would be a great medium for making flowers?  Well, it is!
This fleece coneflower is so quick and easy to make you can have a bouquet made up in no time at all.

Materials & Items Needed

fleece coneflower instructions

  • First, plug in your glue gun so it will be ready when you need it.
  • Cut out 8 pedals. *Make sure to lay the pattern out on the stretch of the fabric, as indicated on the pattern. You can use a couple of different shades if you like.
  • Stretch the petals.  This will make them curl up slightly
  • Do this to all 8 petals. (The top of the petal will be curled up edge)
  • Double thread your needle with a knot at the end.  With the curled edges up, fold the petal in half lengthwise, and stitch to secure in place.
  • Join two petals together, with the tops facing up (curled edge).  Alternate colors if you are using more than one color.  Stitch back and forth a few times to secure.
  • Continue stitching petals together until you have joined all eight.
  • Turn flower over and join the first petal to the last.  Stitch around one more time catching the back of each petal.  Pull tight and knot.  Cut your thread.

 

Coneflower Center

  • Using the flower center pattern piece, cut out one center using the color of your choice.  You can use felt or fleece.
  • Using a simple basting stitch, sew around the outer edge, about 3/8 inch inside the outer edge.
  • Poke the needle to the outside and pull slightly to gather in edges.  Fill with stuffing, or I just like to use little pieces of scrap felt.  It works great.
  • Pull the thread tight to gather in the edges.  Use a pencil or some other device to poke the raw edges to the inside of the ball.  Pull the thread and tuck, keep doing this until you have worked all the edges inside.

 

  • Stitch back and forth to secure in place.  Don’t worry too much what your stitches look like, as they will not be seen.  Knot and cut thread.

 

  • Dab a little bit of hot glue to the back of your flower center and press firmly onto the front center of your flower.

Making the Stem

  • To make a cute stem, simply paint a bamboo skewer green and cut out a felt leaf.  Using the glue gun, add a dab of glue to the bottom 2 inches of the leaf.  Place the stem on top.

 

  • Add just a little more glue and fold the edges over.

Tadah!  Wasn’t that easy and fun.

Send me a note if you have any questions or concerns while sewing these up.

felt flower wrist corsage
Learn how to make a wrist corsage here.
 
I have designed a fun pattern with 5 other types of flowers using felt and fleece. 

GET THE PATTERN HERE

Enjoy!

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Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

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Free Fabric Ball Pattern – Make it with an upcycled sweater

fabric ball

As you know, I love making something new with an old sweater. It’s been a while since I have posted a sewing tutorial, so today I am going to share with you how to make a simple fabric ball. This little ball is so fun to make using a variety of upcycled sweaters. It can also be made using woven, knit, and wool fabrics.

Free Fabric Ball Pattern

This fabric ball makes the best baby gift! They are quick to sew up and add a quaint, unique addition to any gift.

Free Fabric Ball Pattern

Babies are not the only ones to fall in love with these soft squishy toys. My border collie, Ben, loves these balls. Actually, he likes anything made with a wool sweater.

Free Fabric Ball Pattern

I  have made several balls for friends with cats. I add a little dried catnip and they go crazy!!!!!

Free Fabric Ball Pattern

Lets get on with the fabric ball instructions.

Here is what you will need

For more information on how to work with felted wool sweaters, you can check out the posts here.

1.  Decide which size ball you want and cut out paper pattern

There are two sizes available.

2. Cut out 8 wedges

Feel free to mix colors and patterns. A whimsy, fun-colored ball, is a fun ball.

Decide what order and what colors you want where. Pin them together in two’s with right sides together.

Free Fabric Ball Pattern

3. Sew along the right side of each pair

Back stitch at the beginning and end of the seam. You will now have four pieces.

Free Fabric Ball Pattern

4. Place two of the pairs right sides together and match up points

Pin in place.

Sew just one side from point to point. Cut threads and open up. You should have 4 pieces sewn together. Now do this with the remaining pieces.

Now you will have two separate pieces.

5. Sew the two sections together

With right sides together, place the two pieces together matching top and bottom points. Pin in place.

Free Fabric Ball Pattern

6. Starting in the middle of one side, sew all the way around

Leave about a 2 ½ inch opening to stuff the ball.

*****It is a little bulky at the top so go slow and make sure the points are lined up. Don’t worry, it will smooth out nicely when stuffed. After sewing, clip the bulk at the top and bottom of the ball.

Free Fabric Ball Pattern

7. Turn inside out and stuff firmly

Add jingle bells now if you want the ball to make a sound. I like to add 4-5 bells per ball. Make sure they are secured in the middle of the stuffing and not on the outside edges.

Free Fabric Ball Pattern

8. Sew opening closed

Double thread a needle and knot the end. Slip stitch opening closed. Knot and poke the needle out anywhere in the ball and cut the thread.

Here is a tutorial video that shows how to do a slip stitch.

Ta dah! Now wasn’t that fun!

Free Fabric Ball Pattern

You can get the full pattern set that includes an octagons ball and a cube pattern.

Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More

Upcycled Sweater Stars – Free Pattern and Tutorial

sweater stars

Can you believe Christmas is just around the corner? It’s time to get out your sweater stash and make some fun things for the holidays. These upcycled sweater stars are so simple to make and can be embellished in so many ways.

Hang them from a door knob, embellish a gift package, put them on your Christmas tree, or just simply set a few on a shelf.  Depending on what sweater or other material you use, each one will sew up a little differently. That is what makes them so fun to make. Mix and match colors, textures, buttons and balls to your hearts content.

I was so excited to find this yellow sweater at the thrift store one day. A yellow wool sweater is always a good find. They are rare and hard to find. It was the perfect sweater for a warm, holiday star!

If you would like some tips on how to felt wool sweaters and how to get them ready for craft projects, I have a FREE online video class. You can read more about it HERE.

You can make them with:

  • felted wool sweaters (my favorite)
  • mixed fiber sweaters
  • knits
  • fleece
  • felt
  • woven fabrics

Other Items that you will need:

  • Downloadable printable pattern (GET IT HERE)
  • Sewing machine (although it can be sewn by hand)
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Needle & Thread
  • Fiber fill stuffing
  • Embellishments (optional) buttons, jingle bells, sweater balls, etc.
  • Loop material for hanging (twine, ribbon, embroidery floss, etc.)

Instructions:

1-  Download, print and cut out pattern.

There are two sizes.

 

2-  Cut two stars out of the fabric of your choice.

(Felted wool sweaters, mixed fiber sweaters, fleece, knit, and woven fabrics will work as well)

3-  Place star pieces Right Sides Together (RST) and pin in place.

4-  Starting at one star point, backstitch and then sew around stopping where indicated to leave space for filling.

5-  Trim seam.

6-  Clip star tips and inside corners.

7-  Turn the inside out

Poke star tips out using the tips of scissors, or a wood turning tool.

This is the polyester fiber fill that I use. As you can see, I buy it in the big bag to have on hand for all my crafting adventures.

8-  Stuff the star, poking the fiber filling out into the star tips.

Use a turning tool or the tips of a pair of closed scissors. (only if they have a rounded tip). Be careful not to poke through the fabric!

9-  Double thread a needle and knot the end.

10- Sew the opening closed using a slip stitch.

You can watch a demonstration of how to sew the slip stitch HERE.

10- To make indent in the middle (optional) double thread a needle and knot the end.

Making a dimple or indent in the star, makes it easier to place a button or bell on the front of the star.

11- Stick the needle in the back and pull through into the inside.

12- Stitch back and forth through both layers several times, pulling tight to form a dimple.

Here are a few ideas of what you can use to embellish your star.

13- Sew or glue, the button, bell or sweater ball to the star.

14- To make a loop to hang the star:

Here are some options of what to use to hang your star.

  • Jute (I use this stuff for everything)
  • Colored twine
  • Ribbon
  • Embroidery floss
  • Crafting trim

Cut a strip of yarn, embroidery floss, ribbon, jute, etc. about 10 inches long. Fold in half and make a knot on the end.

15- Using a needle and thread, whip stitch the knotted area onto the end of a star tip.

Ta-dah!

I bet you can’t wait to whip up a bunch more!

These sweater stars would be a fun Thanksgiving craft. Someone in my family usually comes up with a simple craft for all of us to make while we sit and chat. I wonder what we’ll make this year? I will have to keep you posted.

Send me a note if you have any questions while sewing up your stars.

You can find other fun things to make with upcycled wool sweaters in my Etsy shop and my Craftsy shop.

This is a great time to get started on your Christmas gift making. Here are a few other ideas.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday!

jan

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Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

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Upcycled Sweater Christmas Stocking Tutorial

My felted wool scrap box is getting a little out of control so I thought I would make up some new Christmas stocking and use up some of the scraps. They turned out pretty cute.  I am going to walk you through this fun Upcycled Sweater Christmas stocking tutorial and let you download my Christmas stockings pattern for free!

If you don’t want to use felted wool sweaters, you can make the stockings out of regular woven fabrics.

Let’s get started

To make a striped Christmas stocking, you will need to cut out some strips of sweaters. You will be sewing the strips together and then cutting out the stocking, just like you would with a solid piece of fabric. I recommend cutting strips that are 2 1/2 inches- 5 inches in depth and 8 inches wide for the upper stocking and 11 inches for the foot part of the stocking. There are no rules here. The color schemes and color patterns are endless.

 

You can also make solid color Christmas stockings from this pattern. Check out some ideas here.

Get the Christmas stocking PATTERN HERE

1) Download, print and cut out the pattern.

(Due to the size of the pattern, you will need to assemble the pattern first) Easy peasy!

Upcycled Sweater Christmas Stocking

2) Cut out strips

Cut out various sizes of strips, or you can cut them all the same size. Just depends on the look you want. Arrange the strips in the order you want them. *HINT (Take a picture with your phone, so you can remember) Then stack them in order.

Upcycled Sweater Christmas Stocking

3) Sew strips together

You can use a single needle sewing machine or a serger. (If the fabric you are using will fray, you will need to use a serger or finish the edges using a zigzag stitch on your sewing machine.

4) Cutting Out front piece

Open up the strips you just sewed together, and press all the seams so they are all going in the same direction. (Decide if you want the seams exposed on the outside or not, and cut out accordingly).  Lay the pattern on top to see if you have enough strips and that they are wide enough.

Pull the fabric taught and pin in place. Cut out.

5) Back piece and lining 

Choose a fabric to use as the back piece. I used a pair of recycled denim jeans. You can use corduroy, sweater fabric or any woven fabric. You only need one backing piece.

Decide which fabric to use for the lining.

Line the pattern up with the grain of the fabric and cut out two

6) Sewing outer stocking

Place the outer lining strips on top of the back piece (Right Sides Together). Pin in place.

Sew all the way around, leaving the top open.

Turn the right side out.

*Make sure the strip seams are all facing the same way as you sew. (You may have to stop sewing and push the seam down as you sew over it).

7)  Inner lining

Place the lining pieces (RST). Pin in place and sew around, just like you did with the outer pieces.

Do not turn inside out.

8) Cutting out & sewing stocking cuff

You can make the stocking cuff out of an existing sweater cuff, or you can use woven fabric as well.

Fold the cuff in half and place pattern on fold where indicated and cut out. (I wanted this cuff to be a little shorter, so that is why is looks a little funny in the photo above).

9) The cuff

With (RST) sew the cuff seam. Turn the right side out and fold in half so the seam is in the center. Mark the outer folds with pins.

10) Stocking loop

Cut out loop on the fold where indicated on pattern. Only cut out one.

Sew the seam, and turn inside out. * HINT use a safety pin as shown to help turn inside out.

Fold the loop seam to center and press in place.

Now fold the loop in half with the seam on the inside.

11) Sewing on the cuff & loop

Take your hand and stick it in the stocking lining. Stuff the lining into the outer stocking.

Line up seams and upper edges of the outer stocking and lining.

Place the loop on the stocking lining, just behind the side seam toward the back. Pin in place.

With the WRONG side of the cuff facing out, place it inside the stocking, lining up pins with the side seams. Pin in place.

Sew all the way around. Take your time to line up the edges of all three layers as you sew. Back stitch.

12) Finishing

Flip the cuff to the outside. Ta-dah!

Stick you hand inside the stocking to push the edges out. Press upper cuff seam and all around the stocking edges.

There you have it!

If you have any questions while sewing, you’re welcome to send me note.

Enjoy!

jan1

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Jan Howell

Jan Howell

Whether it’s a new recipe, a fun craft, or some handy tips for your garden and home, I hope to empower and inspire you with skills that you can use to create joy, improved health, and to do it in a simple way.

Read More