Category: Felt

PINCUSHION DIY & PROJECT RUN AND PLAY

10/9/2014

DIY tutorial for kids. Strawberry pincushion at Lolo & Grace. Sewing with Little People. www.loloandgrace.com

Project Run and Play is starting this week and I thought it would be fun to join the sew along. For those of you who don't know, Project Run and Play is the blogger's version of Project Runway, but for kids! Already they are up to season 10. Each week, the designers compete to create the best outfit (with a tutorial) based on a theme. Take a look at what they are up to over at Project Run and Play.

My biggest Little One is in need of some new clothes for the new school year and we are always looking for inspiration for our Little People projects. So here we go! The competition is running over the next four weeks, so watch this space.

The first week's theme was to create an outfit inspired by an 80's cartoon. Seeing I was a child of the 80's it was a nice excuse to reminisce. I affectionately remember a Strawberry Shortcake doll that used to sit pride of place on my bedroom shelves. So she was the obvious choice to inspire this week's outfit and Little Person tutorial.

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Take a look at the Strawberry Pincushion tutorial. To be honest I thought the pincushions would be a bit easier than they were, so I needed to lend some Big Person hands along the way. This project would ideally suit a Little Person who has a few hand sewing projects under their belt and has a little bit of patience. Enjoy.

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SUMMER DOLL FINISHED

18/8/2014

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DIY Felt Doll. Inspiration for sewing with kids at Lolo & Grace. Sewing with Little People. www.loloandgrace.com

A project in perseverance and patience. A favourite piece. This little felt doll was one of the projects from the book Sewing For Children. Check out my book review here.

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OUR BOOK OF THE MOMENT

30/7/2014

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Book Review - Sewing for Children at Lolo & Grace. Sewing with Little People. www.loloandgrace.com

Emma Hardy's book Sewing For Children is certainly on the top of the favourite book list for my biggest Little One at the moment. I often find her sitting down on the floor of my workroom trolling through it's pages - usually followed by requests to make something from it's contents. And I can understand why - it is full of gorgeous projects for little sewers.

The book is split into five categories - Animals and Other Creatures; Pretty Playthings; Fashion Fun; Bags, Books and Bedroom Bits 'n' Pieces; and Dressing Up Time. There is quite literally something for everyone - boys and girls from ages three up. You will find some very basic projects for those just starting out on their sewing adventure - such as a collection of fun wooden spoon puppets; as well as more advanced projects like a fully lined tote. And to top it off there is a section on basic techniques and a list of UK and US suppliers for all your needs.

All the projects are hand sewn, so this is a great book to start with before getting your Little One to try using a sewing machine.

What I love about this book:

Simple, clear instructions with lots of beautiful photos - super easy to follow
A lot of the projects use felt - I think this is the best fabric for a Little One to start with. It holds it shape, is easy to cut and sew, has wonderful colours and generally leaves your Little One with a sense of achievement without major frustration.
There are projects for boys and girls. Sewing is not just a girl's sport!
The projects are beautiful and/or practical - special pieces both you and your Little One will want to keep.

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The most recent sewing project we are tackling at our place is the Rag Doll as featured on the cover. We started a couple of weeks ago and we're still going. So far my biggest Little One is showing a lot of determination. She is meticulously stitching the pieces together - sometimes hours at a time.....