Toys, Family Room, Games

Whether there is a dragon that needs taming or a kingdom that needs protecting, you’ll surely want a knight, or better yet, several, to keep the lands safe. And, it’s very important to have a supply of squires, willing and eager to learn the skills necessary to become a knight.

This tutorial has 3 parts:
Part 1 - Getting Started
Part 2 - Crafting the Knight
Part 3 - Crafting the Squire (below)
 
A NOTE ABOUT MATERIALS: Since we closed our shop, I have many people ask for my current suppliers. I usually send people to A Child's Dream. Debbie has a wonderful online shop (and an actual brick and mortar, too) that has most of the crafting supplies I need for children's toys. For this project you can find wonderful 100% Wool Felt and the Rope Dolls to make your Knight and Squire. AND, if you buy materials from there (any items and any amount) through April 21, 2013, A Child's Dream will take 10% off your entire order. Simply use the coupon code WEEFOLK at check out! Awesome, right? For more info, check out my previous blog about supplies HERE.

Part 1 - Getting Started - Can be found HERE.
In Part 1 you get the pattern and supply list, along with instructions for cutting out the felt and how to add the optional face and boots/gloves.

Part 2 - Crafting the Knight - Can be found HERE.
In Part 2 you learn how to make the knight.

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO PREVENT MISUSE OF MATERIALS

IMPORTANT: When sewing pieces together, whether using a running, blanket or whip stitch, seam should only be 1/8”. If you make seams larger, the clothes will not fit. The small seam allows the clothing to lay better on the dolls. If you want to make the seams a little larger YOU MUST CUT THE PATTERN PIECES OUT A LITTLE BIGGER. You might want to experiment by making a pair of pants out of inexpensive felt and try sewing them on a doll before you cut out all your pattern pieces. 

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING THE SQUIRE
Read Part 1 - Getting Started
Read Part 2 - Crafting the Knight

PANTS:
Follow the directions in Part 2 for making the pants.

SHIRT:
Follow the directions in Part 2 for making the shirt.

HOOD:
Pin the 2 pieces of the hood together. Using a blanket stitch and 2 strands of floss, sew together along the 2 seam lines. NOTE: The scalloped bottom and circular opening for the face are not stitched together.

Using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of floss, stitch along the inner circular edge. 

 
BELT:
Pick 3 different colors of floss. Holding them together and working them like 1 piece of yarn, make loop 4” from end.

Make a chain on your finger or using a size E crochet hook that is 5" long. Pull through the end when 4” remaining.

Using a square knot (right over left, left over right) tie the belt to the squire's waist, pulling tight enough that it slightly gathers the shirt.

Tie off the 2 ends individually, leaving 1" of unchained floss between the chain and knot. Cut off extra thread below the knots. 

   
SATCHEL:
Using pattern as a guide, fold and stitch up 2 sides using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss.

 Fold over flap and sew a running stitch close to the fold using 2 strands of floss. This will keep the flap closed.

Blanket stitch along the flap of the satchel using 3 strands of floss.

Fold the strap lengthwise and using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss sew the strap together lengthwise.

 
Using the pattern as a guide, position the strap on the satchel, and sew in place using a whip stitch and 2 strands of floss. Note: Just sew to the back of the satchel. You want to keep the inside of the satchel open for tiny treasures!

Your Knights and Squires are now ready to head off on wonderful adventures. Be on the lookout soon for a tutorial on how to make wooden horses for your knights!

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Copyright © Wee Folk Art 2008 - 2013. All rights reserved.

All photos, text and patterns are copyright protected. You may not copy, reproduce or redistribute any material found on WeeFolkArt.com without written permission. Wee Folk Art retains all rights.

Photos 8-25-12, 4-5-13, 4-16-13
 

Whether there is a dragon that needs taming or a kingdom that needs protecting, you’ll surely want a knight, or better yet, several, to keep the lands safe. And, it’s very important to have a supply of squires, willing and eager to learn the skills necessary to become a knight. 

This tutorial has 3 parts:
Part 1 - Getting Started
Part 2 - Crafting the Knight (below)
Part 3 - Crafting the Squire 
 
A NOTE ABOUT MATERIALS: Since we closed our shop, I have many people ask for my current suppliers. I usually send people to A Child's Dream. Debbie has a wonderful online shop (and an actual brick and mortar, too) that has most of the crafting supplies I need for children's toys. For this project you can find wonderful 100% Wool Felt and the Rope Dolls to make your Knight and Squire. AND, if you buy materials from there (any items and any amount) through April 21, 2013, A Child's Dream will take 10% off your entire order. Simply use the coupon code WEEFOLK at check out! Awesome, right? For more info, check out my previous blog about supplies HERE.

Part 1 - Getting Started - Can be found HERE.
In Part 1 you get the pattern and supply list, along with instructions for cutting out the felt and how to add the optional face and boots/gloves.

READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO PREVENT MISUSE OF MATERIALS

IMPORTANT: When sewing pieces together, whether using a running, blanket or whip stitch, seam should only be 1/8”. If you make seams larger, the clothes will not fit. The small seam allows the clothing to lay better on the dolls. If you want to make the seams a little larger YOU MUST CUT THE PATTERN PIECES OUT A LITTLE BIGGER. You might want to experiment by making a pair of pants out of inexpensive felt and try sewing them on a doll before you cut out all your pattern pieces. 

DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING THE KNIGHT
Read Part 1 - Getting Started
 
PANTS:
Lay pants on work surface. Lay rope doll on pants piece so the slit is between the legs.

 
Using 2 strands of floss, blanket stitch the inseam of one leg, beginning at the bottom of the leg. You will be sewing the pants to the doll, and they will not be removable.

 
Do the other inseam.
 

Using a whip stitch and 2 strands of floss, sew up the front seam of the pants.

 
Using 2 strands of floss, sew a running stitch around the waist of the pants and pull to gather snuggly. Tie off.

SHIRT:
 Slide shirt over head so slit is in the back.

 
Pin one side and sew up the shirt side and down the arm using a blanket stitch and 2 strands of floss.

 
Sew the other side.

 
Using an overcast stitch and 2 strands of floss, sew up the slit in the back.

 
TABARD:
Using pattern as a guide, mark the seam lines on the tabard. (Small sections in parentheses A and B.)

Using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of floss, sew around the neck opening.

Using 3 strands of floss, blanket stitch the bottom front and back.

 
Using 3 strands of floss, blanket stitch the shoulder sections.

Fold tabard in half matching side stitching lines.

 
Using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of floss, stitch under one arm. Sew through both the front and back to the joining line, joining the front to the back.

 
Do the same to the other side seam.

Place the tabard on the knight with the slit opening in the back.

 
Using an overcast stitch and 2 strands of floss, sew up the tabard opening.

 
HELMET:
Using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of floss, stitch along the bottom edge of the helm and along the inner circular edge.

Pin the wrong side of the helm together. Using a blanket stitch and 2 strands of floss, sew together along the seam line. 

BELT:
Using a running stitch and 6 strands of felt, sew around the 4 edges of the belt. This is a single layer of felt. The stitching is used for decorative purposes only.

Pin the belt over the tabard. It should make the tabard gather a little.

Using 6 strands of floss, use a satin stitch to create the buckle. You should go through the 2 layers of the belt and the tabard.

SWORD:
Cut a 3 inch piece of pipe cleaner. Color does not matter since it won't be seen.

Pin 2 sword pieces together. Using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss, begin at the blunt end of sword, sew down one side of the blade, around the point, and about an inch up the other edge. Place pipe cleaner in sword, making sure the end goes into the tip. Finish sewing up the other side, and the short edge, encasing the pipe cleaner.

 
Following the pattern, position the blade on the handle. Using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss, sew the blade to the handle along the bottom, sides and across the top, creating a square.

 
Fold the handle over on itself to the overlap line. Pin in place. Using an overcast stitch and 2 strands of floss, sew the handle closed, being careful to only sew through the 2 layers of the handle. The knights hand needs to slide into the handle.

Try the sword on the knight's hand. The fit should be snug so it does not fall off, but it needs to be able to slide on and off. Often, if the opening is too tight, you can stretch the felt a little by gently tugging. Sew across the edge of the handle touching the blade. You will be going through bother layers of the handle and the sword. Use a running stitch and 2 strands of floss.

 
When you find that the sword fits properly, using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of floss, sew around the outer edge of the handle. This will stop it from stretching out of shape.

SHIELD:
 Pin shield front to shield back. Using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss, sew the 2 pieces together.

 
Pin shield piece to front of shield. Sew on using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss.

 
Using the pattern as a guid, position handle on back of shield. Using an overcast stitch and 2 strands of floss, sew handle in place making sure not to go through the front of the shield. NOTE: When you sew on handle, it will cause the shield to curve. This is correct.

 
Part 3 - Crafting the Squire.
 

All photos, text and patterns are copyright protected. You may not copy, reproduce or redistribute any material found on WeeFolkArt.com without written permission. Wee Folk Art retains all rights.

Whether there is a dragon that needs taming or a kingdom that needs protecting, you’ll surely want a knight, or better yet, several, to keep the lands safe. And, it’s very important to have a supply of squires, willing and eager to learn the skills necessary to become a knight. This tutorial has 3 parts:

Part 1 - Getting Started (below)
Part 2 - Crafting the Knight
Part 3 - Crafting the Squire 
 
A NOTE ABOUT MATERIALS: Since we closed our shop, I have many people ask for my current suppliers. I usually send people to A Child's Dream. Debbie has a wonderful online shop (and an actual brick and mortar, too) that has most of the crafting supplies I need for children's toys. For this project you can find wonderful 100% Wool Felt and the Rope Dolls to make your Knight and Squire. AND, if you buy materials from there (any items and any amount) through April 21, 2013, A Child's Dream will take 10% off your entire order. Simply use the coupon code WEEFOLK at check out! Awesome, right? For more info, check out my previous blog about supplies HERE.

MATERIALS NEEDED for each pair of Knights and Squires in Black/Red, Brown/Green or Gold/Blue Knights and Squires:

100% Wool Felt
Light Gray – (ash) 1 piece - 8" x 12"
Dark Gray – (shale) 1 piece - 8" x 12"
Color A – 1/2 piece - 8" x 12"
Color B – 1/2 piece - 8" x 12"
 
Floss to match felt
Lt gray
Dark gray
Color A
Color B
 
Rope Dolls
1 – large - 5.75" tall
1 – small - 4.25" tall
 
Pipe Cleaners:
1 – 3” piece
 
Additional supplies needed:
Embroidery needles
Pipe cleaner
Crafting glue (optional)
Paint (optional for gloves, boots, sleeves and socks)
Fine tip marker (optional)
PATTERN
 
READ ALL INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE YOU BEGIN TO PREVENT MISUSE OF MATERIALS

IMPORTANT: When sewing pieces together, whether using a running, blanket or whip stitch, seam should only be 1/8”. If you make seams larger, the clothes will not fit. The small seam allows the clothing to lay better on the dolls. If you want to make the seams a little larger YOU MUST CUT THE PATTERN PIECES OUT A LITTLE BIGGER. You might want to experiment by making a pair of pants out of inexpensive felt and try sewing them on a doll before you cut out all your pattern pieces. 
 
TIP: When cutting out items that require 2 pieces like the squire's hood, shield and sword blades, cut them out together. Click HERE for tips on Cutting Out Felt Like a Pro. When cutting out shield lay a piece of the black, brown or gold felt on a piece of gray felt then cut out together.

Make a copy of the PATTERN, lay out all pattern pieces FIRST for proper placement and cut out felt as follows:

Light gray – knight helm, knight tabard, satchel, satchel belt, shield handle, (1) shield, (2) sword blade
Dark gray – knight shirt, knight pants, knight belt
Color A (black, brown, gold) (1) shield, (2) squire hood, squire pants
Color B (red, green, blue) squire shirt, sword handle, shield piece 

Straighten Out Rope
When you purchase rope dolls, they aren't usually bent. Take the time to position the arms and legs until they are even and balanced.

Face (optional)
Whether or not you draw a face on your knight and squire is totally a matter of choice. If you leave the face blank, children can assign the emotions they want their doll to have. However, some children may feel unsettled with faceless dolls. If that is the case, certainly draw a face on using a fine tipped permanent marker.

If you would like to paint a face on your knight and squire, do it now. In the unlikely event you "mess up", you can sand off the face and begin again. That is much harder to do if the knight or squire are dressed.

If you feel unskilled in drawing, keep it simple. Even the simplest of lines denotes a face. Probably the biggest mistake people make when adding a face is to misplace the facial features. Just follow this simple trick and you should be fine. Think of a face as a round circle. Now, draw 2 intersecting lines through the circle creating 4 equal quarters.

Most people tend to place the eyes too high on the face. Draw your eyes directly in the center, on one the horizontal line. It may seem like it is too low, but it isn't.

Then, simply use the center vertical line as a guide for distance of eyes. Although you are going for symmetry, remember this... human faces are not completely symmetric, so your dolls' faces can be off a bit, too :)

Here are some samples of simple faces:

Using a pencil, mark a horizontal and vertical line on the front of the doll's face. (Yikes... my camera settings were wrong and I didn't notice til everything was well put away. Sorry :)

Now, using your pencil, draw in facial features. You can simply erase if you are not happy with the results. When you are happy, go over the pencil marks with a fine tipped, waterproof permanent marker.

Wait until the marker is thoroughly dry, then erase all pencil marks.

When you slip on the hood or helmet, you will find the face to be in the perfect location!

Painting Boots and Gloves (optional)
Again, this is an optional step. I rather like the look of painted boots and gloves. Not only does it make it look like they are wearing the item of clothing, I also paint up the ropes an inch or two, in case the pants or sleeves do not completely cover the rope, it is less conspicuous.

 You are now ready to begin dressing your knight and squire!  

All photos, text and patterns are copyright protected. You may not copy, reproduce or redistribute any material found on WeeFolkArt.com without written permission. Wee Folk Art retains all rights.

I've got many requests already for the supply list for the Knight and Squire and for suggestions for resources for buying supplies. I got in touch with Debbie, over at A Child's Dream, my favorite supplier out there, and told her I'd be sending my readers over to her shop. Being the awesome person she is, she is giving our readers 10% off any size order! When you go to check out simply use the code: WEEFOLK. The discount is good beginning now and running through April 21, 2013, so make sure you stock up on ANY supplies you might need.

I will be running the tutorials for the knight and squire over the next two weeks. There's lots of photo and instructions! If you want to get supplies now so you'll be ready to work on them, you will need the following items to make the pair. 

NOTE: I used the grays, shale and ash, from the natural's collection. They have a heather effect, which I think looks more like metal, but that was just personal preference. Any of the grays will work. As for the other colors, pick what you like : )

100% Wool Felt from A Child's Dream
Light Gray – (ash) 1 piece - 8" x 12"
Dark Gray – (shale) 1 piece - 8" x 12"
Color A – 1/2 piece - 8" x 12"
Color B – 1/2 piece - 8" x 12"
 
Floss to match felt
Lt gray
Dark gray
Color A
Color B
 
Rope Dolls from A Child's Dream
1 – large - 5.75" tall
1 – small - 4.25" tall
 
Pipe Cleaners:
1 – 3” piece

People often ask me what type of felt I use. For making children's toys, I highly suggest you use 100% wool felt. It holds up to serious playing. It would be sad to go through all the work to make these just to have them pill and pull apart!

So, here's the supply list if you want to be good to go when I start the tutorial this week. Remember, A Child's Dream has the wool and rope dolls, plus, she's offering us a 10% discount on any size order from now until April 21. Thanks so much Debbie! 

Just about ready to post the pattern for our Knights and Squires, BUT, how successful can a knight be without a mighty steed? With the help of The Red Knight and his Squire, I designed a horse, to be cut out of wood this weekend.

Starting next week, I will share the patterns and tutorials for making your own Knights, Squires and Steeds! Then, imagine the quests that will surely follow :) 

      For a supply list and discount coupon to A Child's Dream, click HERE.