In December, just before Christmas, All People Quilt (that's
American Patchwork & Quilting, Quilts and More, and Quilt Sampler
magazines) invited me to take over their Instagram account for the weekend. When
I was planning which projects I'd like to share, I thought about including these felt acorns and oak leaves, but I thought the project
might be too simple. After much debate (with myself) I included them in my
takeover lineup, and guess what? My little acorns and oak leaves ended up being
the most popular of the photos I shared. A few readers even asked for the
pattern.
Now that the Christmas craziness has subsided, I've finally had
time to write up some simple instructions for my Winter Blues Acorn and Oak
Leaves. I designed them in a soothing palette of wintry white, blues, and gray. As a fan of using materials I
already have on hand, I embellished the acorns with a variety of sequins,
buttons, and beads--and with embroidery floss, which I always have on hand.
Do you love these colors? Would you like to win two yards of each? Follow me on Instagram -- @kberlew -- I'll be posting details about my upcoming National Nonwovens giveaway soon!
Now, are you ready to get started?
Here's what you'll
need:
- National Nonwovens WoolFelt -- a small amount in the following colors: White, Baby Blue, Alluring Aqua, Blue Snow, and Smoke*
- Six-strand embroidery floss in colors to match felt
- Assorted embellishments, such as snowflake sequins, crystal seed beads, blue rickrack, and clear glitter buttons.
- Silver jump rings
- Small amount of polyester fiberfill
Instructions:
1. Click here to print the full-size patterns and embroidery
templates for this project. (Print onto card stock for best results.)
2. Transfer the patterns to the felt pieces. You can trace
templates with a pencil or marking pen, but I prefer to use the freezer paper
method for creating felt pattern pieces. I posted a tutorial yesterday; click
here for the link. Cut desired shapes from the felt.
3. Now it's time to add embellishments, such as sequins,
buttons, beads, rickrack, or other trims to the acorns and acorn caps. Just sew
them in place on the front piece with matching floss and make sure you leave
room for the seam you'll be creating when you join the fronts to the backs.
4. To add embroidered details to the acorn caps and leaves,
refer to the embroidery templates on the pattern sheet. If you have a good eye, you can use the templates
as a visual guide and embroider free-hand. My preferred method is to create a tissue paper
overlay that helps you create perfectly shaped lines--click here for the
tutorial. I used chain stitch and three strands of floss for the veins on
the leaves and acorn caps. If you want your designs to have extra sheen, try using satin floss.
5. To assemble each acorn, position an embellished or
embroidered cap on top of an embellished acorn, overlapping the bottom of the cap with the top of the acorn piece by about
¼". Sew the pieces together with matching floss along the base of the cap.
Repeat the process to join the acorn back to the acorn cap back. Next, pin the
finished acorn front and back together, wrong sides facing, and sew together all around with
running stitch, sewing a scant 1/8" from outer edge. Leave an opening,
stuff with fiberfill, and sew the opening closed.
6. To assemble each leaf, pin the front and back pieces
together, wrong sides facing, and sew together with running stitch, sewing a
scant 1/8" from outer edge. Leave an opening, stuff with fiberfill, and
sew the opening closed.
7. Sew a jump ring to the top back of each acorn and leaf. Attach
a short piece of ribbon o each acorn and leaf if you plan on displaying them as
individual ornaments. To make the garland shown in the photo below, thread a long
piece of narrow rick rack through all of the jump rings and hang it on a shelf,
wall, or mantel.
