Flying Felt Animals

A while ago I showed you the sock dolls I had made from one of the 3 craft books I got for Christmas, and I made one of my wildly optimistic promises to share a project I had made from the other 2 books soon. Well here's number 2.

My husband bought me this book (by Rashida Coleman-Hale), completely off his own bat, as I had never actually heard of it, though I recognised so many of the projects that I now realise I am probably the only blogging crafty person who hasn't! How have I missed it?!

There are so many things I want to try in this book, but the project that caught my attention first was the mobile. I loved the flowers Rashida made but I had an idea for a class using felt animals so I decided to try this out.

First of all I hade to design and make the little felt animals, and as I love pandas, and as there is so much in the news about the pandas coming to Edinburgh (and no, I haven't seen them yet!), I had start with this little guy. I just love him!!

 As the animals are going to be 'flying' I though a bird would be appropriate.

This little mouse may seem familiar as I made very similar little critters to go in the baskets of my Hot Air Balloon Cot Quilt a few years ago.

And I used the same idea when I made these Animal in a Teacup Pincushions. But I have deliberately made these felt animals as simple as possible. They are quick and easy to make with running stitch seams in matching perle 8.

I had an idea to offer a Baby Shower Party class, where each person would make a felt animal at the party (over an hour or 2) and then for a small charge, we would turn it in to a mobile for the baby.

But first of all I am going to try out the idea by offering a full day workshop to make all 6 animals. I will be showing how to make the mobile on the day, but I don't think we will actually get much more than the animals made. And anyway some people might just want to make the little animals and not make them into a mobile.

I do think they are all really adorably cute though! It was hard to come up with enough animals that would work as an oval shape and that were interesting colours (and not just brown, grey or white).

And then we had to make the mobile. I say 'we', I roped hubby in to cut and bend the wires (thanks Jonathan!). I couldn't get hold of the linen yarn recommended in the book for wrapping round the wires. So I used some Sirdar 'simply recycled' cotton (one of many new wool ranges I am now selling in my shop - more on this later!). It worked fine, this is, after all, a home-made mobile.

Boy, was it hard to get a decent photo of the mobile! Those little guys just wouldn't stop flying around!

Jonathan took this one, so at least you can see the construction. The original had only 4 'spokes' but I wanted 6.
I love how happy they all look now they have been set free to fly around! Now to pop this on the website - the workshop will be on Saturday 5th May if any local peeps are interested. Though I am sure you clever lot could work out how to make this just from my photos and Rashida's wonderful book!