{"id":4919,"date":"2016-07-01T11:32:49","date_gmt":"2016-07-01T01:32:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sewasoftie.com\/?p=4919"},"modified":"2024-07-07T17:00:42","modified_gmt":"2024-07-07T07:00:42","slug":"let-sew-softie-day-tutorials-begin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sewasoftie.com\/2016\/07\/let-sew-softie-day-tutorials-begin.html","title":{"rendered":"A Quick and Easy to Sew Softie your Kids Will Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, this is the first of the Sew-a-Softie day tutorials. It’s a quick and easy to sew softie your kids will love…and so will you.<\/p>\n

Sew-a Softie day is something that I’ve had tumbling around my mind for a long time and it’s really exciting to see it happening and to see the way its resonated with so many sewers and soon-to-be sewers. In the old days if you wanted to know how to sew you’d go to mum or grandma…Sew-a-Softie day is really \u00a0an attempt to to revive this communal sharing of a highly practical highly creative skill…I hope that everyone involved experiences the unexpected rewards that I have experienced with sewing and discovers how much fun can be had in passing this skill on to others and to the next generation.<\/p>\n

Initially, Sew-a-Softie day posed a design problem for me: how to design a softie that was really really simple-to-make but was flexible and full of creative possibilities. I came up with my Zenkidus.\u00a0A Zenkidu is a softie that involves only two pieces of felt and some stuffing. They can be any shape but my first Zenki was square, and the tutorial I am giving here is based on a square Zenki because it’s an easy shape for first-time sewers to sew. And of course, every Zenki is an individual and must have a name. The little sweetie below, and the star of this tutorial, is Millie.<\/p>\n

You can find the full list of softie making tutorials that are being posted over the next 16 days HERE<\/a>…and don’t forget to post your softies on Instagram with the hashtag #sewasoftie.<\/p>\n

Thanks for coming and I hope you enjoy the great tutorials on how to make simple-to-sew softies that will be posted from July 1 – 16.<\/p>\n

Happy sewing, Trixi.<\/p>\n

\"quick<\/a><\/p>\n

What You Need To Make Your Softie<\/strong><\/h2>\n

20cm X 30cm plain felt<\/a><\/p>\n

20cm X 30cm patterned felt<\/p>\n

Scraps of coloured felt<\/p>\n

Needle<\/a><\/p>\n

Thread<\/a><\/p>\n

Pins<\/a><\/p>\n

china or wax pencil\"\"<\/p>\n

Stuffing<\/a><\/p>\n

Glue\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

What To Do To Make Your Softie<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. Draw a 13 cm X 13 cm square in the centre of the plain felt. This will be your sewing line. Use the scraps of felt to make the eyes, nose and mouth. Position the features and glue or sew into place.<\/p>\n

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2. Pin the plain felt onto the patterned felt. Use a running stitch<\/a> to sew around the sewing line leaving an 8cm opening for stuffing.<\/p>\n

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3. Draw on the arms and legs. I’ve used a white china pencil but a soft lead pencil (2B or 3B) also works well.<\/p>\n

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    \n
  1. Push in stuffing through the opening. When your Zenki feels just right then sew the opening closed.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    5. Cut off the excess felt from around the arms and legs and fringe the felt on your Zenki’s head to make his hair.<\/p>\n

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    6. If you want, you can cut off the top layer of the arms and\/or legs to reveal the patterned layer as I\u2019ve done in the photo. And don\u2019t forget to give your Zenki a name.<\/p>\n

    \"quick<\/a><\/p>\n

    If you’d like to see a video tutorial of me making another Zenki here we go:<\/p>\n