How To Make A Felt Cactus

Our stitch along starts on Saturday!  It will be a very informal affair with posts on Instagram, Facebook and here on my blog.  I thought today I'd talk about what supplies we need gather in order to participate.  Hopefully you've been able to get hold of a copy of the December issue of BH&G American Patchwork and Quilting which has the pattern inside. Digital Issues can be purchased here and the pattern is included as a PDF file.  Paper copies can be ordered here and shipped internationally.  If finding a copy is still a problem, please don't be put off, read on!  We are going to work on the little grey Welsh stone cottage first.  

You'll also need some small sharp scissors and in my last post I shared which ones I use with a link to them on Amazon.  Good scissors are really important when cutting small shapes out of felt.  You'll also need needles and I use all of the ones shown in the picture interchangeably.  I like a size 8 for stitching with two strands of floss and the needles need to be sharp, not like the ones for cross stitch which are usually less sharp.  

The floss you use is really a design decision you can make according to the felt you have.  For these cottages I'm not worried about having the floss match exactly.  I listed some suggested colors in my last post.  I use DMC thread and we will be using mostly two strands of thread at a time.  

Finally you'll need felt.  I have had limited supplies of felt kits on my website.  You can also find kits at Felt On The Fly here in the US,  My Felt Lady in Australia and Cloud Craft in the UK.  I was asked on Instagram, why use wool felt?  Why not the polyester felt found in craft stores?  I only use 100% wool felt because it is such a pleasure to cut and sew with, plus it comes in gorgeous colors and is certified organic in every aspect of its production.  Polyester felt is stretchy, thin, tears easily and has a weird sheen.  Wool felt is worth paying extra for, especially when you are going to be spending some time making something special.  

I also suggest using a small plastic box for keeping everything in so nothing goes astray.  I do this all the time to keep my projects separate and organized.  

Can't get a copy of the magazine?  All you really need for this ornament is a very simple drawing of a house.  Keep it really simple with a flat topped roof, a pointy roof will be harder.  Draw your house on paper.  My finished ornament is just under 3 inches square.  

Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2020 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.