Angry Birds Blanket!

Over the weekend my boys went to an Angry Birds themed birthday party. Of course they needed a theme-appropriate gift for the birthday boy!
With their direction as to which characters to include (as well as a few hints from the birthday boy's mom as to the birthday boy's favorites!), I whipped together this fun little fleece blanket, using my SUPER versatile Fleece Applique Technique. (A list of ideas for this technique is at the end of this post!)

Of course there's the ever-famous BIG red bird...

...the king pig...

...and the bomb bird!
(please excuse his one wonky eyebrow -- it definitely should have been longer. It's going to bug me for the rest of forever!)

Here's the back -- LOVE!


I started with 1 1/2 yards of blue fleece for the blanket. The selvages are at the top and bottom of the blanket. I then used pieces from my fleece collection for the birds. The technique is the same as for my Tiny Kitten in a Box tutorial -- using a tissue paper pattern and free-motion foot.

Here's a quick explanation:

Draw an "actual size" image of your bird on a sheet of light-colored tissue paper. I free-hand sketched mine. REMEMBER that your finished bird will be a mirror image of your sketch.

(Yes, this is a different bird now!)
You will need to think in "layers," starting with the main background color. Place your tissue paper pattern on the BACK of the blanket, positioning it where you want it, and pin it in place around the edges of the pattern. Layer your first color of fleece on the FRONT of the blanket, making sure the entire area of the pattern will be covered, and pin the fleece in place around the outside edges.

SEW from the pattern side, directly on your drawn lines! I use a free-motion foot for this, but you could use a regular sewing machine foot. Once you've completed your shape, cut away the excess fleece from around your stitching line using finely pointed scissors. You can trim very close to your stitching line -- fleece will not fray!

NOTE: Leave your tissue paper pattern alone! You still need it!

Continue adding layers of fleece, pinning your fleece in place and sewing from the tissue paper side. After sewing each layer, trim away the excess.

Keep adding layers of fleece until you've completed your image.

That's it! Once you are all finished with your birdies and pigs, you simply tear your tissue paper patterns from the back of the blanket. Done!!

More examples of this SUPER FUN and EASY technique:

Tiny Kitten in a Box
Angry Birds Plushies
Snowflake Embellished Scarf
Easy Pirate Doo-Rag
Fleece Creatures
Fall Leaves Fleece Throw
Black Cat Blanket
Peep Quack and Chirp Blanket

The no.2 Pencil Softie -- TUTORIAL!

There's something about oversized or undersized objects that just tickles me... and today's project is certainly no exception!

So... just how oversized IS the pencil softie?
......

Here it is with its regular-sized counterpart!
Hee hee!

Want to make one?
C'mon, you know you want to!


What You Need:
Fleece
(scraps will do! I chose classic pencil yellow, grey, black, tan, and pink)
Sewing Machine
Polyester Stuffing
Needle and Thread

STEP ONE:
Cut your fleece as follows:
yellow: 9"x5"
grey: 2"x5"
pink: 1.5"x5" + a 2" circle
black: small scraps
tan: (see step two!)

STEP TWO: Cut your tan piece. Begin by folding your yellow piece in half, long sides together. You will fold your tan fleece and place it next to the folded yellow piece, with the fold at an angle and cutting at an angle. This does not make sense, I know, until you look at the next photo!

Basically, it is a diamond with its angled sides the same length as your folded yellow piece -- 2 1/2"!

STEP THREE: Topstitch a black scrap to the end of your tan piece to create the lead tip. I cut a curve on one end and sewed along the edge of the curve a scant 1/4" from the edge, then trimmed the angled edges to size. Do not cut away the tan fabric from the back side of your lead tip.

STEP FOUR: If desired, stitch a "no.2" on your yellow rectangle. I used my free-motion foot to "write" it, then cut away the excess with finely pointed scissors. You could also choose to embroider it on once your pencil is completed, using black yarn.

Also attach your grey rectangle, right sides together, using a 1/4" seam allowance.

STEP FIVE: Sew one long side of your pink rectangle to your pink circle, gently matching the curve of the circle as you go and using a scant 1/4" seam allowance. Remember to start and stop 1/4" from the edge of your rectangle.

This is what it should look like when you turn it right side out.

STEP SIX: Sew the other long edge of your eraser's rectangle right sides together to your grey piece, gently pulling the eraser piece around in front of your sewing machine foot as you go -- as shown.

STEP SIX: Attach the tip of your pencil. Line up the edges together for the first half of the tan piece, then stop at the midpoint (with your needle down), lift your presser foot, and turn the tan piece to match the edges of the second half. Put your presser foot back down and sew to the edge.

STEP SEVEN: Finish sewing the pencil together! Line up the straight edges of your eraser and start sewing, matching up the seams as you go. Leave a space about the width between my fingers, as shown in the photo. Then start sewing again, all the way to the point.

STEP EIGHT: Turn your pencil right side out and stuff it firmly with polyester stuffing. Sew together the opening using a whipstitch.

You're done!!

Fleece Bomb

Over the weekend I got an email from Adeela of Sew Kool, sharing a link to the Angry Birds she had created. In one of her photos I saw one of the coolest things I've seen in blogland in quite some time -- a fleece bomb!! I knew instantly my boys would absolutely LOVE to have some -- so I asked her for the details. She put together a tutorial for them. (Click here to pop over -- and be sure to tell her hello!) I finally had a little time this afternoon to put a few together. It took me less than an hour to put together three of them. I opted not to do the flame on the end, although my boys have said they would prefer it. Guess I'll be adding that! Since I was making them with materials I had on hand, I ended up using cotton cording (normally used for piping) for the fuse, rather than yarn. I'm happy with how they turned out -- and the boys are ecstatic!

Angry Birds Plushies -- All the Tutorials!

If you are here visiting for Celebrate the Boy -- WELCOME! I'm so glad you stopped by. I hope you'll stick around for a little while!

Today I am sharing my tutorials for Plush Angry Birds.
Click each image below to find the pattern and instructions for the character you are dying to create! All links include patterns and instructions. Each bird is an adaptation of the original red bird, which is where you need to go to find easy step-by-step instructions.






You'll have a whole angry crew to toss around in no time!

!!YAY for boys!!

I have added a new category over in my right sidebar filled with BOY projects --

Be sure to check it out!

Tiny Kitten in a Box

What you need:
~ fleece scraps -- black, white, and light and dark of a color of your choosing -- I will call it blue throughout the tutorial

~ thread (I used white for everything!)

~ tissue paper

~ pencil

~ finely pointed scissors
~ free-motion presser foot (optional but highly recommended!)
~ small amount of fiberfill stuffing
~ pattern -- click HERE! (pg 1 = cat, pg 2 = box)

Please read through the entire tutorial before starting -- the cutting directions will make SO much more sense that way!

STEP ONE: Using a pencil, trace the pattern onto your tissue paper. Cut it out, leaving about an inch around the perimeter.

STEP TWO: Cut your fleece.
Important: Be sure the stretch of your fleece runs left to right!
You will need:
2 light blue rectangles the same size as your tissue paper pattern

1 white rectangle large enough to cover the eyes and nose of your pattern1 black rectangle large enough to cover the pupils and nose of your pattern

1 dark blue rectangle large enough to cover the width of your pattern plus the height of the stripes
(You don't need to measure -- eyeball and chop. If all else fails, cut all your pieces the same size as your pattern!)

STEP THREE: Layer as follows:
Place one light blue rectangle right side DOWN. Place your tissue paper on top. Lift it up and place your white rectangle over the area where the eyes and nose will be, then place it back down so the white is on the bottom and the tissue paper is on top.

Like this!

STEP FOUR: Sew around the eyes and the cheeks/chin. I use my free-motion foot for this, but if you don't have one you can do the needle-down-lift-the-foot-and-turn maneuver.

Here's what it will look like on the other side.

STEP FIVE: Using your scissors, carefully trim the excess fleece away from around your stitching lines.

STEP SIX: Layer your black rectangle over the eyes and nose.

Flip everything over to the pattern side and sew around the pupils and nose.

Trim away excess.

STEP SEVEN: Layer your dark blue rectangle over the stripe area of the light blue rectangle. Again, be sure the stretch of your fleece runs left to right.

STEP EIGHT: Flip over and sew the stripe lines. Trim away excess fleece.

STEP NINE: Layer your second light blue rectangle on top of your kitten's face, right sides together.

Flip over and sew on the line, leaving about two inches at the bottom open for turning and stuffing.

STEP TEN: Tear away as much of the tissue paper as you care to -- it doesn't matter if it's perfect because it will all hide inside!

STEP ELEVEN: Trim near your stitching line all the way around except at the bottom opening, as shown.

STEP TWELVE: Turn your kitten right side out, carefully poking the ears out with a blunt object. Stuff her!

STEP THIRTEEN: Carefully poke the seam allowances of the opening inside and hand sew the hole closed. (Look what happened to my apparently very weak needle! I was pulling it straight, and -- pow!)

Voila! A cute little kitten!


You can definitely get creative with colors. Look at these little special-request kittens I made for my nieces and nephew:
It's definitely extra work to give them colored eyes and pink noses, but they just turn out so cute that way!


The box pattern is on page 2 of the pattern file. I tried a few kinds of cardboard, but the cardboard from a pizza box was definitely the best scale.

Best of luck with your kittens!
Please pretty please post photos to my flickr group if you make one! :o)