Pillow Stuffies

I've been busy digitizing lots of different Pillow Stuffies. These need an 8 x 8 hoop for the main body and either 4 x 4 or  5 x 7 (or larger of course) for the ears/horns/wings/etc.

These are done in the hoop. Only a small bit of hand stitching after you turn them and stuff them.

These work great with Minky - and they end up so soft and cuddly - but can be done with fleece, cotton or anything that works for making stuffed animals.

You can see the chick being made in under a minute (sped up just a little)

Cat:

Striped Cat:

Tiger:

Bear:

Panda:

Penguin:

 Puppy:

 Sheep:

 Raccoon:

 Cow:

 Pig:

 Monkey: (and Sock Monkey)

Duck:

Chick:

I have lots more animals planned to add to the collection,

Now this is where I need help. I need people to help check out my conversion and test drive the instructions.  I only need one person per machine embroidery format -

• you need to have a machine that has at least a 8" x 8" hoop
• you need to promise to try out the design within the week
• you need to promise to give constructive feedback

If you satisfy the requirements and are interested - please email me ptarmigandesignz @ gmail . com

with 

• embroidery machine type and model
• embroidery machine format that your machine uses
• your choice of design you wish to try out

The Giving Bunny Project

Earlier today I checked out Urban Threads to check out the free design.  It was a design that I was interested in, which led me to look at what else they have.

I found their designs for the Giving Bunny Project.  For anyone who has been reading my posts - you will know that I've been playing around with in the hoop projects.

It didn't take me long to decide to make some bunnies to give away.   My first plan: make a new file so that I can do 6 at a time (otherwise what is the point of having the big frame?!?!)   Of course I took the opportunity to add some extra embroidery details to my bunnies.

Here are the bunnies waiting to become stuffed

Stuffed and sewn - just waiting to be named.

And finally with names - waiting to be taken out into the real world.
Meet Misti, Shawna, Beauregard (or Bo for short), Rosie, Oren & Flossie.

Have any of you done this?  I'm wondering what colour my next bunnies will be or what details they will have on them.

So cute, so fun to do, and hopefully will make someone smile.

If you use Instagram - check out #givingbunny, #givingbunnies #givingbunnyproject

Doll clothes in the hoop

I recently shared some doll accessories I made and how it is a friend who is into making clothes for her dolls that started me on that path.

What I didn't mention - is that I learned to sew because I wanted to make doll clothes.  I was 7 and figured out how to use the machine by watching my mother.

Last night I was looking at free patterns available on the internet and wondering what things I could make fully or partially in the hoop.

Mitts and Touque

I found a cute little pattern for mitts and a touque from Many Small Friends.  I decided to digitize what parts I could in the hoop.

First up the mitts:

1: Stitches out the basic mitt pattern

2: Embroiders a snowflake

3: Add another layer of fleece and stitches out cutting line and the ribbing pieces.

Next up the toque:  5 pieces for the top 

Step1: stitches a fold line (on the very left) - the rest of the rectangle is just to keep the fleece in place

Stitches cutting line for the front piece 

Step 2: Stitches the snowflake on the front

Step 3: Fold over the fabric on the left on the fold line and stitches the cutting out lines:

• one top section on fold (at left), 
• 2 sets of top sections
• 1 hat band on fold

Step 4: Stitching lines 

• sews 2 sets of top sections together - will end up with 2 sections with 2 and a separate single section
• sews the hat band together.

My friend did the rest of the stitching.   The hat worked perfectly - but because I wasn't careful about how I put the fleece in the hoop for the mitts - the stretch was in the wrong direction - so they don't fit properly (don't stretch to fit over her thumb) - so I have to go back to the drawing board on that one.

Beret

This was stitched entirely in the hoop.   Not at all hard to digitize - just some circles for cutting lines - and another circle to stitch the two layers together.

Dress Bodice

I wanted to investigate making a doll bodice in the hoop - the possibilities for interesting edge finishes are endless.   I made a pattern for a full bodice that would result in a lined bodice in just a little bit of stitching.

I didn't take any pictures of the stitching out, but I did take a picture of the design on my computer screen.

This is a picture of the first fitting of the bodice.

Now to try some fancy edging...

Doll accessories

So I have a friend who used my embroidery machine to embroider lots of things that will be made into doll clothes.

Yeah, she's a bit obsessed with dressing up the dolls and taking pictures of them. 

One outfit is an Elf Princess dress so another friend and I worked together to make the doll a circlet

After making the monster stuffy, I realized that it would be pretty easy to make a teddy bear for her dolls too.  I digitized an In the hoop design. 

Not stopping there, it was time to make a little in the hoop doll for the dolls as well

Monster stuffy

Saw a similar pillow design in a book so decided to make one in the hoop.   Unfortunately the fleece was too thick to do the final sewing in the hoop but it wasn't too hard to finish with the sewing machine.

Ears and hands were done in one hooping 

The next stuffy/pillow is a Toothless from "How to train your dragon".  The ears and wings are felt.  We didn't have any black felt so covered dark blue felt with black broadcloth. The body needed the 8 x 12 hoop but I did all the wings and ears in one hooping of the 8 x 8.  It was late so forgot to take pictures while in the machine.   The eyes are a mix of appliqué and embroidery.  

Because the wings and ears were thinner I was able to sew the thing together in the hoop. 

Toothless is made out of minky so is very soft.  

After that it was time for a black cat.  

I wanted to keep the ears thin so used felt for the ears

Still no black felt so coveted front and back of the felt with black broadcloth and used a zigzag stitch for the edging. Black embroidery thread in the bobbin.   Ears hooped in 5x7 hoop.    

Eyes are appliqué.  Body done in 8x8 hoop. Stitched  together in the hoop

Lastly a penguin. Running out of black minky so only had enough for the wings and the front.  The back is a coordinating fabric and the white part is eyelet over white felt.  Wings are minky with tear away left in to give it some stiffness.  Wings hooped in 4x4 and the body in 8x8

Here's the group shot

In the hoop projects

Lately I have been collecting lots of in the hoop projects - and lots of sites are sharing great ones for Easter.

I bought some felt and decided to bite the bullet...

Thanks to Britt Designs on their Yahoo & MeWe groups - they have been sharing these really cute In the Hoop Candy Holders.

My first attempt: the simple Egg.

It worked well - I didn't quite trim the inside properly - but it was good.  Only one small digitizing problem (look at the lower left blue block) - a newer version has been posted on MeWe to fix the problem.



Next up - the bigger chick Candy Holder.

Ooops - forgot to trim the final threads after putting on the vinyl - so they are showing through.  The problem with this one is that the vinyl started separating from the chick at the bottom of the centre.   I'm not sure if the vinyl I'm using is too flimsy - but I can change the zigzag around the vinyl to one that doesn't have as dense of stitching.

I decided that the egg as given - is a bit small and what is the point of having such a big embroidery hoop if I'm going to just stitch 4x4?  Last night I digitized my own bigger (5x7) egg.

This is the comparison in size between the eggs.

In a different note - I have also downloaded lots designs from ITH Design but hadn't actually tried any.  The hair clips and bobby pin covers looked intriguing.   They sew up quickly and have great instructions.

Happy Pi Day.

Once in a century   3.14.15 9:26:53