Making Adorable Button-Jointed Stuffed Animals. Rebecca Ruth Anderson

Projects

       CUDDLY PETS

       The Basic Dog

       Wiry Terrier

       Curious Cat

       RABBIT FAMILY

       Mother and Father Rabbit

       Baby Bunny

       BIRDS OF A FEATHER

       Plump Hen

       Delightful Duck

       Little Duckling

       BARNYARD ANIMALS

       Portly Pig

       Spirited Pony

       Meadow Goat

       Mountain Goat

       Woolly Sheep

       MAJESTIC SEA CREATURES

       Wild Orca

       Sperm Whale

       Sea Turtle

       EXOTIC BEASTIES

       Polar Bear

       Dusty Camel

       WHIMSICAL MISCHIEF MAKER

       Forest Elf

       Choosing Material for Projects

      The projects in this book can be made from wool sweaters or coats. They can be found and felted, but if you prefer a specific color or pattern, you can buy wool felt, polar fleece, or knit your own yardage. Here are your options.

      Different thicknesses of felted knitted wool

       Wool and Felting

       Knitted Wool

      Sweaters felt beautifully and are ideal for making animals. They yield thick wool because the process of knitting makes the fabric of the sweater thicker than woven fabric. Knitted fabric has more stretch built into it than woven fabric does. Some wool felts thinner and can be sewn on a sewing machine. Heavier knits remain thick after felting and must be sewn by hand. For example, cable sweaters most often felt up too thick to make animals. Instead, you can use them to make terrific tote bags or throw pillow covers.

      Sweaters are knitted wool; a coat is woven wool

       Woven Wool

      Woven wool fabric felts, too, but won’t have the same amount of stretch and body as a knitted fabric. Animals made from felted woven wool can be sewn by machine and will be flatter. A coat is the only type of clothing made from woven wool that is thick enough for these projects. Winter coats are made with a great deal of fabric and the wool is much thicker. The challenge is to find a coat-weight wool in bright colors; that’s where the thrill of the hunt comes in. By contrast, men’s suits are too thin and have too many seams to yield large pieces for felting. More often than not, they have interfacing fused to the inside surfaces, which should be removed before felting. The amount of fabric harvested is too small an amount and too thin a weight to justify the work of felting.

When looking through clothing, check for interfacing fused to the back side of the wool. Unfortunately, this can sometimes be problematic to remove. Look under the lining for interfacing (see inset on here). If the lining isn’t loose—making it possible to see the back of the fabric—look for a rip in the lining