If you have bits of scrap wool felt hanging around your craft room that you just can't throw away (it's expensive stuff, after all) but don't know what to do with, today's tutorial is for you. I'll show you a fun way to use those leftover bits to create a scrappy felt patchwork that can be used to make softies, accessories, or other projects that call for felt.
Patchwork Felt Tutorial
Materials:
- Scraps of wool or wool blend felt
- Ruler
- Rotary cutter and matt
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Fusible web (optional)
- Cotton fabric (optional)
Instructions:
Patchwork Felt Tutorial
Materials:
- Scraps of wool or wool blend felt
- Ruler
- Rotary cutter and matt
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Fusible web (optional)
- Cotton fabric (optional)
Instructions:
Gather all your felt scraps. They can be larger pieces, smaller pieces, pieces with straight sides, or pieces with funky shapes cut out of them. With the right tool, even tiny bits can be used here.
Set your sewing machine to the widest zig zag stitch with a short stitch length. I chose 0.8 for my stitch length, but you can experiment to find what you like best.
Select a piece of felt to start with. Use a rotary cutter and straight edge to cut it to the size and shape you want. It helps if this first piece is large enough to easily hold with your fingers as you sew. You can add tiny bits later or cut it down after you sew.
Select a second piece with a side at least as long as the side you are joining it to (or the length you want the piece to be after cutting it down). Longer is fine since you will trim it down. You have the option of cutting the second piece to the right size either before or after sewing. Lay the pieces on your sewing machine and arrange them so that the edges meet but do not overlap. Place the felt pieces under your presser foot so that the line where they join falls about at the center of the zig zag stitch. Lower the presser foot and secure the thread with a backstitch or two. Continue sewing until the end of the line, then backstitch to secure.
Use your rotary cutter and matt to trim the uneven edges of the resulting patchwork piece. All edges should be straight to make joining the next scraps easier. Don't worry if you cut off your securing stitches. They will be stitched over later when you add more scraps.
Continue trimming and adding scraps to the patchwork. You can keep building onto the original piece only or you can create patchwork sections that will be joined together (as I have done here).
To keep sharp corners and small pieces in place while you sew, it helps to have a stiletto or other pointed tool. My tool here came from a craft kit for kids. You could also use a sharpened pencil that has been dipped in glue and dried
If you want to cut a specific angle from a scrap of felt, simply lay the patchwork on top of the scrap until only the portion you want to fill in the space is sticking out. Lay your ruler over the patchwork so that it meets up with the edge, then cut the scrap piece along that edge.
After sewing the scrap to the patchwork, trim any sides that are not straight.
Continue adding scraps and segments until the felt patchwork is the size you want.
Once you patchwork is complete, you can leave it as is or line it with fabric to hide the stitching on the back side. To line it, iron fusible web to the back side of a piece of cotton fabric. Trim the fabric to size then iron it to the back of the patchwork felt. Trim any loose threads.
Your felt patchwork is now ready to be sewn into your next project. This here was made into a cute little pouch for business cards, but you could also use it for softies, bunting, ornaments, quiet books, and more. Happy scrap-busting!
