The Wind in the Willows Felt Friends: Beginner-friendly sewing patterns to bring Kenneth Grahame's classic to life

by Cynthia Treen

Overview

Bring The Wind in the Willows to life with beginner-friendly sewing patterns for felt animals.

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
Publisher:	David & Charles
Publication date:	09/13/2022
Pages:	144
Sales rank:	922,974
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.02(h) x (d)

About the Author

Cynthia Treen is a fiber artist, author, and sewing instructor based in Providence, Rhode Island. Cynthia Studied at Rhode Island School of Design and has worked and played in her creative field ever since. Cynthia worked with Martha Stewart Living in product design, photo styling, and craft development, and was a frequent on-screen guest for MSLTV. Her first book Last-minute Fabric Gifts was published by Abrams in 2006.

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

Kenneth Grahame's classic story, with its unforgeable River Bank characters, is one of the joys of children's literature. The Wınd in the Wıllows is a book filled with the sweet scent of meadow flowers and the seasons passing slowly, with kindness, friendship, loyalty, and adventure. The stories grew from Grahame's relationship with his son, Alastair, and they embody a gentle nostalgia to which we, in adulthood, can all relate.

For so many, the stories of Mole and Ray, 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 seings 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 oen 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 Ray 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!