The Wind in the Willows Felt Friends: Beginner-friendly sewing patterns to bring Kenneth Grahame's classic to life
144The Wind in the Willows Felt Friends: Beginner-friendly sewing patterns to bring Kenneth Grahame's classic to life
144Paperback
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Overview
Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows is a classic that has entertained adults and children alike for over a hundred years. Characters such as Ratty, Mole, Badger and the irrepressible Mr Toad, have influenced children’s stories ever since.
This book instructs you in the joyful craft of hand-stitching wool felt animals, made posable thanks to interior wire armatures. It will teach you basic sewing and the specialized techniques required to create these charming felt friends that will provide hours of play.
The book includes five key characters from the classic Kenneth Grahame tale, with interchangeable clothing, accessories, and a few small furniture pieces. Interwoven throughout the book, a collection of magical photographs and quotes from the original book highlight the animals and their accessories in natural settings to spark the imaginations as you create.
This book will transport you to a light-hearted, creative world of charming wool felt animals, imagination and mindful hand-stitching. Through its pages, you can explore your stitching practice while letting your storytelling thoughts wonder.
This book will inspire beginners and delight experienced makers with its designs. While creating enchanting felt animals, you will learn to enjoy every stitch from beginning to end, no matter your level of experience, with detailed illustrations, full-size patterns and step-by-step instructions for each project.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781446309223 |
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Publisher: | David & Charles |
Publication date: | 09/13/2022 |
Pages: | 144 |
Sales rank: | 566,941 |
Product dimensions: | 8.50(w) x 11.02(h) x (d) |
About the Author
Table of Contents
Introduction 4
Before You Begin 8
Tools & Materials 10
Basic sewing kit 11
Creative materials 13
Basic Body 16
Choose your patterns 17
Make the limbs & torso 18
Stuff the head 22
Attach & prepare the head 24
Basic Jacket 26
Basic Pants 30
Adding Details 34
1:12 Dollhouse Scale 36
The Animals 38
Mole 40
Ratty 52
Badger 64
Toad 78
Accessories 90
Luncheon basket 92
Picnic blanket 96
Fish and drop Sine 98
Galoshes 100
Wingback chair 102
Notebooks 106
Slippers 108
Basic Techniques 110
Starting & finishing 110
Stitching 113
Construction tips & tricks 118
Patterns 120
Pattern layouts 121
Animal patterns 125
Accessories patterns 136
About the author 140
Resources 141
Acknowledgments 142
Index 143
Preface
For so many, the stories of Mole and Ray, Badger and Toad, the River Bank, and the Wild Wood wove themselves into our childhood landscapes and imaginations. Now, with me guiding you every step of the way through these projects, you can bring the characters and seings to life in a new, dimensional way (their limbs are even designed to be posable, making them even more enchanting!). The characters are for everyone, those who grew up with them and those yet to discover and build on their adventures.
Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned stitcher, this book is for you. I love to learn myself, so I write and design for beginners, starting from the ground up with basic hand-stitching techniques, helpful tips, and lots of detail to guide you step-by-step through the process.
Some of you might be worried about making mistakes. I've always felt that the word "mistake" was an unfortunate word for opportunity! If you enjoy making, never be discouraged. Embrace mistakes and know their potential. When I first tried spinning at a wool fair, the kindly instructor told me before I began that whatever I made on my first spin, I must save forever. As my skill increased, she said I might never create something more wild or beautiful, and she was right! I still have that lovely bit of fiber, and I oen think of her wise words. Experienced stitchers know this, but it bears repeating. My advice for the beginners in our midst is to be kind to yourself. Take your time. Know mistakes for what they are, make adjustments, and move forward with enjoyment. Experience has told me that first-time makers usually surprise themselves and are thrilled with their creations!
I believe that what Ray said about living by the river applies to all creative endeavors:
"The times we've had together! Whether in winter or summer, spring or autumn, it's always got its fun and its excitements!"
And of course, feel free to improvise! Later in the book, you'll find inspiration and a rainbow of ideas to start making these characters truly yours.
My hope in recreating Kenneth Grahame's iconic characters in wool felt is that stitching them will make you as happy as it has me. May you enjoy every moment of making and sharing your creations!