Worktable Wednesday: Felt Craft Pattern Almost Finished!

This felt craft add on pattern for my previous felt Penguin pattern is almost done. The template pages and the cover still need a bit of tweaking but this will be in my shop soon.

I'm So Excited!

I'm really excited about this set of felt patterns. You'll get 2 ways to do glasses for the Penguin, a cute beret hat, a satchel and a fish dinner, all in one pattern. All my patterns have step by step photos and instructions to guide you along the way.

If this pattern goes well, and I really hope it does! I have other pattern ideas for a whole series of play set type things for the Penguin to do. 

Sneak Peek! 

 You are the first to see the completed set on the Penguin! Isn't this so adorable?!
 

So Very Busy!

I've been working on a lot of back end stuff lately for my business: Cleaning up my Pinterest boards, updating older blog posts, connecting series of post together and trying to finish the Porter the Penguin add on pattern.

I have also made good progress on the felt castle nursery art, but a nasty case of what I suspect is vertigo is making being on the computer a challenge. I can't do my work without at least some time on the computer so I'm just pushing forward as best I can.

Next Pattern Coming Up! 

 I'll re-design this old felt seahorse pattern of mine. This is a simple pattern but I think I'll add some more easy to do details to make this pattern special.
 

So keep your eye out for this felt seahorse pattern to launch this summer! I'll do posts about the designing and making of it too.

What's Next?

Very soon I'll be working on my (maybe Halloween?), Christmas and Winter Holiday Patterns for sure for the Fall. So far my ideas are felt ornaments and possibly easy to make plush characters.

I appreciate all the page views I've been getting lately and will continue to post on a regular schedule. If you have any questions, please leave a comment or email me. My email can be found on the contact page at the top of the blog. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram and Pinterest.

Worktable Wednesday: Nothing to share today.

 I went to the Emergency room Sunday evening and ended up being put in the hospital for 2 days. I just returned home last night and am just too exhausted to organize and post things right now.

I'll have something ready for Friday's post so pop back in then. And I also hope to have a new FREEBIE for you all next week.

Wednesday Worktable: A Video of My Worktable and What I'm Working On.

I've had an increase in viewers lately, so I thought you'd all like to see a little video. I'm currently in the process of shooting step by step photos of a new pattern.

So enjoy my messy studio and I'll see you back here on Friday! 

Worktable Wednesday: FREE Mother's Day Felt Flower Pin Pattern and Tutorial

I've been so busy working on my for sale patterns lately that Mother's Day came up so fast.

So I dropped everything and worked on a quick felt pattern for you to make for the wonderful mom in your life. This is a cute pattern for kids to make too.

I made my flower with 4 colors of felt but you can use 2 colors if that's what you have. I chose pinks and purples cause those are my mom's favorite colors.

You'll need:

Felt - at least 2 colors.

Scissors

Embroidery Thread - in colors that closely match your felt.

PDF Template

1-1/2" Pin Back

Button - large button in a coordinating color. The button I used was 2cm.

Optional: Hot Glue Gun and Felt Glue

 DOWNLOAD PATTERN HERE

Download and print template. Cut template pieces out.

 

 Gather all your supplies. Pin paper patterns on your felt colors and cut out flower shapes.

 Sew pin back onto the back of one of the bottom petal pieces. You could hot glue this too if you want to save time. You could also glue a hair clip on instead and make this a cute child's hair accessory.

 Set this piece aside until the rest of the flower is sewn.

 Applique stitch the larger petal overlay piece to the top of the 2nd bottom petal piece. (Not the one you sewed the pin back to) You could glue this down using felt glue.

Sew the smaller petal overlay piece to the top of the top flower piece using an applique stitch just like the bottom piece.

At this point I decided to add some simple embroidery back stitching to the petals. I thought the stitching added texture to the petals. You could leave the petals as is and move on the attaching the top back and the button. It's your project so have fun!

I added stitching to both the petal overlays in the darker colors of the bigger flower pieces (dark pink and purple).

Line up the 2 top flower pieces (shown here in dark pink) and blanket stitch together.

Overlap the top flower piece (pink) and the top bottom flower piece (purple) and sew on the button through all 5 layers (but not the piece with the pin back).

I changed my button at the last minute to this one. 

Flip the flower over and line up the bottom piece with the pin back to the other bottom piece (purple). 

Blanket stitch the 2 bottom (purple to purple) pieces together.

And you are done! Great job! If you make this project I'd love to see how yours came out. You can find me on Facebook and Instagram.

Worktable Wednesday: FREE Earth Day Plant Marker Printable

I love our Earth and the environment and since Earth Day was coming up I thought I'd make something special to give you, that you could share with your child or friends and pass along the importance of taking care of our plant. 

Everyone can do one small thing and growing your own vegetables is a super fun learning experience for your children. Reusing empty yogurt containers is a great way to start seedlings. 

 I made some FREE printable plant markers to help make identifying your seedlings easy and fun.

 So cute, right?! Keep reading along for the tutorial put these together and other ideas.

O.k, you'll need:

Glue gun - I recommend a low temp one so no one burns themselves. (like me, always!)
  (other glue can be used but there will be a drying time to factor in).

Scissors

Popsicle sticks or craft sticks. (I melted some old Popsicle's from the freezer just for these sticks, cause that's just how much I love you guys and cause I'm thrifty that way!)  

PDF page
  

DOWNLOAD PDF PATTERN HERE

Download and Print PDF out on card stock, I used 65# stock. (you could also print on paper and then glue that to a piece of cardboard if you don't have card stock) Then cut the plant markers out. 

 

 The PDF gives you 2 of each design.

 O.k. cause I'm slightly obsessive, I want the sticks to line up evenly on the marker so I measured 1-1/4" from the bottom of the marker up with a light pencil line, so I know where to place the stick.

 Then make the same measure with a pencil on the sticks. This mark tells you where to stop the glue, so you don't go overboard with the glue and get it everywhere.

 And ta da! Glued on and ready to use.

Get some yogurt cups out of the recycling bin, add some dirt, plant your purchased seeds and you are all set for the miracle of plant growth!

 Wait! Don't go! There's more!

So, because I'm a giving person I figured out another crafty way to use these plant markers. They would make super cute seed packets!

Print another PDF and cut the markers out. Tape the like sides together (tomato to tomato, etc) at 3 sides.

 This creates a sweet little pocket.

 Pop some seeds inside. (yeah, these are actually sesame seeds, again using what I have)

 Lastly tape up that 3rd side to seal those seeds in there.

 What a cute little gift for your child's teacher, or grandparent, or if you are a teacher, for your students.

Please do share this printable with everyone and enjoy! If you make these please tag me on Facebook or Instagram I'd really love to see your completed project!

On a last side note, for more Earth Day fun, I have a DIY Happy Earth Guy PDIY Happy Earth Guy Plush PDF  in my shop.

  

Worktable Wednesday: I Finished a Pattern!

Woo Hoo! Lots of excitement in the studio this morning!!!! I spent days and days on prototyping a new pattern which came out so great. Here's a sneak peek!

 This pattern is going to be so great you guys!

Unfortunately, I had to put this one aside because I realized I needed to do a freebie for my email subscribers and a freebie for you lovely blog readers too.

So I started work on a new pattern for Earth Day ( April 22nd ) that was completely and already designed in my head, I just needed to make it. I also decided to make this pattern using my newly design PDF format and listing it in my shop after my email subscribers received it.

Here's a sample of the the pattern. I'm so excited by how awesome it looks!

Here's the final finished piece. Isn't he adorable? My original design in my head had him holding a rainbow over his head but I decided to simplify the design.

My newsletter will go out later today and this pattern will be available in my shop on Friday, April 15th. It's listed at a discount price until Sunday April, 17th. Click on link below to go to the listing.

This pattern is now in my shop.

I'll have the Earth Day FREEBIE just for my blog readers next week so check back for that!

Worktable Wednesday: A Change In Direction and Progress On Some Dolls

I've made a decision about my business, I'm going to become a mostly pattern based business. This means you lucky people will be able to make your very own Sassy Packrat Creations! I will probably need pattern testers to try out some of them and get feedback, so be on the look out for that announcement if you are interested.

This will be a slow process and I'll still show wips and for sale work that I'm doing. I'm hoping once I have things all set up I will have more freedom to join art challenges and do more commissioned work. Like I said I'll be doing this slowly over time so there will always be something to see going on here. I'll also continue to offer FREE patterns here.

 Now on to what's on the worktable today.

This doll is coming along. I love this cherry blossom fabric. Arms, hair, shoes and accessories need to be made.

Here's the second girl on my worktable. I have the most amount of progress done on this pretty girl. Tunic, leggings and an over vest.

 Working on some embroidery for the vest.

 I love to add flowers on anything I can.

 I even put the dreaded french knots on it. This time they came out really well, whew!

 Done, now she just needs shoes and hair. This doll is getting a modern Asian look.

 Sorry these last pics are so yellow, it's crappy and rainy here. Closer view of the vest.

Worktable Wednesday: Finishing Up Some Dolls and Another FREE Pattern Offer

I spent an hour digging through various bins of finished and unfinished projects looking for these dolls this morning. I'm deciding on clothes, shoes and hair. These should be ready for my next product lunch in April (date TBA).

Aren't they a lovely ethnic rainbow? I love making dolls of and for all people.

 Here's a custom set I made a while back of a mom and her little boy.

I hope you got a chance to see the FREE Easter pattern I posted on Monday. I also made a different FREE pattern for my email subscribers too.

They received a PDF of a double sided ornament and I think it's so cute! You can get this FREE pattern by just signing up for my email.

I'm currently working on the next pattern, it's for Earth Day in April. If you have any ideas for a pattern you'd like to see me make, just leave a comment!

 

Worktable Wednesday: Easter Patterns and Easter Bunny Dolls

Hi everyone! I hope some of you got a chance to check out The Happy Shamrock Pattern and tutorial from the last post. I really enjoyed making and sharing it with you!

For today's Worktable Wednesday I'm currently working on free Easter patterns for my newsletter subscribers and you awesome blog readers. These will be two completely different patterns. The blog pattern is a simpler easy to make one and the newsletter one is more detailed and will be sold in my shop at a future date, but my subscribers get it for free.

Working out one of the patterns. I plan on introducing patterns here on Mondays. Next Monday the 21st I should have the Easter pattern and tutorial available for the blog. 

Are there any patterns you'd like to see me design, make and share with you?

I wanted to share a few things that are in my shop right now and perfect for Easter.

 Bunny ornaments. 2 different kinds ( jointed bunny and bunny face ) and only for 2016. They will probably be made into diy patterns at some point, but for now they are made and ready to ship.

These adorable bunny hoop art girl and boy are something new in my shop that I'm trying out. I'm head over heels in love with these and will adding to this category very soon.

 And last but not least, bunny dolls. I wish you could see these in person, hold them and really look at the details! They seriously add to the cuteness factor of the studio.

 I just purchased a tripod for my phone so I can make videos of all kinds of crafty things. I have a Youtube channel now and as soon as I get it looking pretty and get some videos loaded I'll invite you to join me.