Showing posts with label DIY farmers market. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DIY farmers market. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Farmer's Market

Thanks to Ana White and her free and easy to follow farmer's market plans, we made Grace one of her own for her 2nd birthday. Of course, my husband took liberties with the design and made Grace's market bigger. Bigger is better right? That is, unless you have to fill it with fake foods :)


When we gave Grace her market, I had made roughly 40 felt fruits and veggies AND it barely made a dent. I swore I would never make another fake food again.  Never say never, right?


Along came my blog and the need to create posts SO I got to work making more fake foods and documenting the process. 


Believe it or not, I still have a few more I heart fake food tutorials on my list to complete.


In the end, I guess I don't mind that I have been the sole worker in my 'I heart fake food' sweat shop, since Grace loves her one of a kind farmer's market.


Bonbon Break

Friday, December 2, 2011

I Heart Fake Food - Felt Pear

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree. I am not sure technically what the first day of Christmas actually is BUT it seems like a perfect day to make some pears.


Supplies:
Green and brown felt
Fiberfill
Crafting glue
Needle and thread

Using the pattern below, cut all the pieces out of felt.


To create the body of the pear:


Arrange 2 pieces of the body of the pear together.


Start sewing from 1/4 of an inch down from the top of one side all the way to the bottom of the same side. {The top is where we will leave our opening for filling}


Arrange in the 3rd side of the pear, again attaching it by sewing from the top to the bottom.


Conclude by sewing the fourth and final piece into place.


The top of your pear should remain open, the bottom should be sewn shut.


When all sides are sewn together, your pear will look like this.


At the bottom of the pear, you may notice a bit of a gap.


Sew a straight line across the bottom, closing up the gap.


Trim off excess.


Turn your pear right side out.


Generously fill with fiberfill.


Apply a dab of glue to the bottom of your pear.


Attach the brown circle of felt to the glue.


To create your stem:


Tightly roll up the brown square of felt from the pattern. Using a needle and brown thread, sew the seam on the stem shut.


Insert the stem into the opening of your pear.


With a needle and thread sew the top of your pear shut. In the process, secure the stem into place.


Optional: to give your pear more shape, you can add some dimples where your pear begins to narrow at each side.


And there you have it.


From top to bottom...


I think these are the perfect pair.


If you enjoyed this tutorial and want to see more,simply click here.


Friday, November 18, 2011

I Heart Fake Food - Felt Corn Tutorial

I heart fake food, is back!


 Corn on the cob anyone?


Supplies:
Yellow, Green and Cream felt
Fiberfill
Yellow thread
Green thread
Some sewing required

To make the kernels of corn:

Out of yellow felt cut 7-10, 1 1/2 inches wide by 6 1/2 inches long, strips.


Create a crease down the center of the yellow felt {lengthwise}, fold each side in towards the crease and then fold in half.


Can you see it? It's starting to look like a corn kernel.


With your needle and yellow thread, start to create each individual kernel down the row. Loop the thread around the rolled up yellow felt, pull it tightly so it creates a groove {these are your kernels taking shape}.


At the bottom of each loop, sew 2 stitches simply going back and forth to secure and maintain the groove you just created.


Continue creating the kernels down the length of the strip.


Each strand, when finished, should look something like this.


Repeat these steps, making the rest of your kernels, for rest of the strips you have cut out.

To make your corn husk:


Cut out a total of 6 green leaves. Arrange 2 pieces of green felt together at a time.


To add the lines and give some dimension to your husk, you'll want to use your sewing machine. Starting in the center of the husk, sew the first line. This line will help you space the remaining lines. Continue, working from the center line out. You do not need lock in your stitches.


When you complete a husk, if you find some gaps between the lines, just go back and add a filler line or two.


Repeat these steps to finish the 2 remaining husks.


Optional: sew the bottom edge of your husk over to give it a more finished look.


To create the corn cob:

To give your corn its shape and provide a base to attach your kernels, you'll want to sew a cob.


Arrange the 2 pieces of cream cob together {mine will appear larger than the pattern , after I made my cob, I realized it was too wide so I corrected the pattern making it more narrow}.


Sew down each of the sides but do not close either end {you will want to lock in your stitches}.


Turn the cob right side out.

With a rectangle piece of cream felt {1 inch by 2 1/2 inches}, fold it in half and roll it up.


Insert it into one of the open ends of the cob {for a more finished look, fold the edge of the cob in before adding the rolled insert}.


With a needle and thread, sew the roll into place, closing up that end of the cob.


Fill the open end of the body with fiberfill. Unlike 'I heart fake food' tutorials of the past, you do not need to generously stuff the body. You want it to have some give. The kernels will provide most of the shape.


To close up the remaining open end, you'll create a stem. Using a rectangle strip of green felt {2 1/2 inches by 3 inches}, fold it in half and roll it up {like you did for the cream top}.


Insert it into the open end of the cob and sew it shut.


Putting all your pieces together:

Sew one husk to the back of the corn cob, securing it only at the base of the cob. You'll secure it more once you have all your kernels in place.


Affix the longest strip of kernels to the center of the corn cob. The top of the cob will be your starting point for each strand of kernels you add. Attach the kernels by sewing the bottom of the kernel to the cob.


Continue adding securing stitches as you work your way down to the bottom of the corn cob for each strip of kernels.


Hold the remain 2 corn husks around the cob to determine placement of each new strand of kernels.


Your husks will cover some of the cob so to save yourself work, don't waste kernel placement where they won't be seen.


Continue attaching your kernels. With each new row, you'll need to attach it not only to the row of kernels next to it but also to the cob body.

*Remember to always add you next row of kernels starting from the top so you can manipulate a shape like this when completed.


Here you can see how rough my kernel placement looks. The cob remains bare in several places.




I bent a few of my kernel strips in half for the shorter rows and for some, I cut my strands in half or quarters. The back of my cob is nearly all bare with the exception of the top.


When you have all your strands sewed into place AND are happy with the shape the top of your corn has taken, grab your remaining 2 husks and begin to sew them in place so they cover any bare spots of the cob.


Place a few securing stitches at the bottom front of the cob and bottom back of the cob.


Then, add securing stitches to attach the husk to any bare spots in the cob. Continue to add securing stitches anywhere you want to give your husk more structure or where you want to maintain their placement.


And there you have it...


So what do you think, cool or corny?


If you enjoyed this tutorial, make sure to check out my other felt food tutorials as well.


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