I love designing softies – in fact I think they might be my most favourite thing to make! There’s been a softie pattern in almost every issue of Bustle & Sew Magazine and as we recently celebrated our 70th issue that’s a lot of softies. So, I thought I would share with you some of my favourites…
1 Our little Polar Bear pattern is one of our newest softies as I designed this little fellow for the November issue of the magazine. He is very easy to stitch and measures 10 inches long from his black button nose to his rather round rear! And remember, a Polar bear softie isn’t just for Christmas…this little felt bear is fun to stitch all year round!
2 I was amazed to discover that my much loved original Charlie the Patchwork Elephant was first made back in 2011! Charlie is one of my all time favourites and I thought he deserved a little make over so last year I updated my original pattern. “New” Charlie has an upturned trunk, black beady eyes and smaller ears that are curved round the sides of his head. He’s a very cheerful elephant of the patchwork variety!
3 Fred and Ginger, two little mice softies, recall the golden days of Hollywood – those black and white movies, twinkling toes and tapping feet! Ginger wears a lovely frothy skirt and beads around her neck whilst Fred looks very dapper in his top hat and bow tie. Their arms and legs are attached with buttons and strong thread so their joints are moveable and whilst mine don’t stand, it would be fairly easy to insert wire into their limbs if you wanted them to be more rigid. The perfect Christmas gift for a little dancer!
4 Fuzzy is the most adorable little grey rabbit and has not only graced the covers of Bustle & Sew Magazine but has also featured in Mollie Makes. He is really easy to make as he has just 3 body pieces and 2 floppy ears. Don’t let his cute looks fool you – Fuzzy is a rabbit with attitude! His two front paws are clasped firmly around his carrot and he isn’t letting go for anyone…
5 Our little French Hens are one of our most popular softie patterns and are definitely one of my favourites. They’re really easy to stitch, are great for using up those fabric scraps you just can’t bear to throw away and are a fab beginners project. We love them so much that we’ve even added French Hen kits to our store – the perfect Christmas gift!
6 “Chocks away, chaps!” and our two brave aviator mice are ready to take to the air in their magnificent felt flying machines! These little mice would make a perfect gift for any little boy (or girl) and are surprisingly easy to make in felt scraps.
7 Our little Lovebird Softies are really easy to make and are perfect to gift to the one you love this Christmas. I made these little birds entirely by hand but it didn’t take me long. I stopped at two but you could whip up a nest full in no time!
8 Ahh Miss Mabel Fox! Miss Mabel Fox is a very special young lady – a fox in a frock – whoever heard the like?! Miss Mabel is a very elegant little softie, beautifully dressed in her lovely summer dress with smart lace up boots and a little cream collar, complete with tiny button. Why not stitch her a Christmas outfit? She’d look lovely and smart this holiday season.
9 Our lovely Fairytale Swan was inspired by trips to the ballet (to see Swan Lake of course!). She would make a great addition to your Christmas decorations or perhaps would find herself at home in a little girl’s bedroom all year round? She was a little trickier to make than some of our other softies but very rewarding – she looks absolutely beautiful sat in my living room!
10 There’s something rather endearing about hippos I think – is it their tubby bodies? Small round ears? Or perhaps their stumpy legs, better suited to life in the water rather than stomping around on dry ground! Whatever makes a hippo endearing, then Hermione has plenty of it!
These are just some of the many softies I’ve made over the years, pop over to our website for a much larger selection! I do hope you’ll find something to stitch for that special someone this Christmas.
P.s. Don’t forget to visit our Christmas store! We’ve got lots of lovelies on offer – kits, pattern collections, printed embroidery panels and lots more (you can check out our catalogue below). And as an early Christmas present we’re giving you 10% off your first Christmas order! Just enter the code ‘CHRISTMAS16’ at checkout.
Happy Shopping!
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