Feltie Review

One of the up sides of living in one of the most amazing cities in the world is you have access to one of the biggest bookstores in the world. The Strand is such an amazing place to visit and it can be overwhelming if you don't know what you are looking for.

Whenever I make a trip to The Strand it's to appease my incredulous craft book addiction. And thank goodness, I am never let down! My most recent addition is the 'Stash Happy Felt' book by Amanda Caresita. There is a shortage of modern feltie craft books but 'Stash Happy' will not disappoint.

It is full of  great felt projects that can be easily completed on a weekend or even a week night. One of the projects that won my heart was the felt whale pincushion.

Pretty easy to make and SO SO cute after you finish! Just look below!

Here's a little recap of the project:

Time Spent: About 3 hours
Supplies: 5 different colors of felt, stuffing, and a few extra round pins.
Check out Giant Dwarf for all of your felt supplies
Pattern: Simple and easy to use. You only need to blow up a copy of the gusset pattern.
Construction: Easy for the most part. I did have trouble sewing the gusset (the middle strap) on straight.
Recommended Sewing Soundtrack:  A remix of Modest Mouse or Magnetic Fields
What I would do different:
*Cut out a little extra fabric on all the patterns so you some felt to trim off after sewing the pieces together. 
*Sewing the gusset was a little tricky. So I would pin it to the sides, a check the length to make sure it right.
*When attaching the top and sides to the belly, start your seam at the center of the gusset to ensure it stays straight.
*Instead of stuffing from the bottom of the belly of the whale, I would actually sew the heart on the belly with the machine, sew the whale together and then leave a small opening near the base of the tail and stuff. I would then hand sew the gap shut with a ladder stitch.
*Sewing the pin templates of the fish and water spouts can be a little tricky so when you trace the pattern, trace it a little bit larger so they are easier to sew and cut out.

Besides a few little flaws, I LOVED the project and can't wait to make this little whale in a variety of colors. I'd love to take it to the next level and add a cute bow or even make a polka dot whale! How cute would that be?!?