I’m a doodler. If I’m not actually crafting something, I usually have paper in front of me and I’m sketching and doodling away. Last night my weekend was officially over, when our weekend house guests left, leaving me alone for the first time in days. Sitting at my desk I just started drawing some little askew houses. Well, one thing lead to another, and before I knew it, I had designed 6 little houses, sized to fit on a brooch. Of course, like any applique designs, the Felt House Applique Pattern can be enlarged or reduced to meet your needs, but I thought these would make adorable Christmas gifts for friends. The designs can be enlarged to applique on a bag or the front of a tee. Lots of possibilities. Go crazy with colors or additional embellishment. Draw your own designs. Be creative! Here are the directions to turn my little doodlings into brooches. Enjoy!
Felt House Applique Pattern Brooch Materials:
- felt scraps
- embroidery floss
- thin batting
- finding (pin for back)
- 3 – 4 copies of Pattern
Felt House Applique Pattern Brooch Directions:
Make several copies of the pattern.
Choose your design and cut it out.
Using multiple copies of the pattern cut out 2 backgrounds and the individual pieces. NOTE: When sewing the pieces of felt to the pattern you will want to overlap pieces. (i.e. the tree trunk fits under the branches and the house tucks under the roof. When cutting out your felt pieces, add additional length to the pieces so they slip under the other pieces.)
Sew and embroider Felt House Applique Pattern Brooch pattern as follows:
- Applique the pieces to the background using 2 strands of floss for running stitches.
- Embroider the clothes line with a stem stitch using 6 strands of floss.
- Embroider clothes pins with a straight stitch using 6 strands of floss.
- (Not pictured: Add detail to the tree with French knots using 3 strands of floss.)
Add any other embellishments you like.
Cut out 2 layers of thin batting. You will want the batting to be smaller than the background. To do this lay the pattern on the batting and cut the pattern smaller by at least 1/4″ all the way around.
Lay the pieces of batting on the back piece of felt, centering the batting.
Place the appliqued front over the batting and back piece. Pin together and blanket stitch around the edges using 3 strands of floss.
Quilt around the outside of the branches, trunk, house, roof, chimney, window, door and hanging laundry using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss.
Turn the brooch over and sew on the finding using 2 strands of floss. Be careful not to sew all the way through to the front side.
Your brooch is now done!
I wish I could doodle! Well I do doodle but the end results don’t look like yours. These are so cute. I’m thinking teacher gifts and let the kids pick out the colors. So many cute designs. Thanks guys!
I love your stuff, and the curriculum( looking forward to the spring version!), and just wanted to let you know I’ve linked to your site today in regards to your wooden trees patterns. Keep up the great work! 5inabed.blogspot.com
Your concept, ideas and execution always amaze me. This is so precious.
These would be adorable pin cushions, too! Very cute.
thank you so much, these are adorable!
Your brooches are so cute!! Thank you for the pattern!
Best wishes,
Tatyana
Could the pin be sewn on before you join the 3 layers together, would that be easier?
Off to dress my gnomes, thank you sew much!
If you didn’t quilt the brooch you could sew the pin on first. If the pin were sewn on, you couldn’t quilt all the way through… the pin would be in the way. Actually, it is very easy to sew the pin on after the piece has been quilted. You are basically tacking it on the the back layer of felt. Also, if you did sew it on first, it would be on before you blanket stitched all the pieces together. I’m not sure how you blanket stitch, but I’m clumsy, always getting my thread tangled in the pins that hold a piece together. That is why I often staple my pieces together instead of pinning them. I wouldn’t want the extra obstacle of the pin on the back 🙂
You have the best projects! I love to stop by to see what you’ve been creating! I love the house brooches!