Felties: How to Make 18 Cute and Fuzzy Friends from Felt [Paperback]

Nelly Pailloux (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 20, 2009

In Felties: How to Make 18 Cute and Fuzzy Friends from Felt, crafters and artists alike get the goods on how to make the cutest of the cute using felt and fun embellishments. With only the most basic of sewing skills, crafters can fashion their own Feltie friends with an average construction time of only 15 minutes per pattern. Each Feltie design includes a full-color photograph of the Feltie project at hand, as well as an illustrated instructional overview, pattern diagrams, and a convenient list of every item you will need to complete the project located in a handy sidebar reference section.

Feltie friends can be customized with limitless embellishments and morph into such items as finger puppets, key rings, or mobile phone mascots. The fun creations include Polaroo (part bear and part kangaroo), the wise Samurai Cat, sleepy bushy-tailed Foxy, bamboo-munching Panda, Egyptian Mummy Cat, Stargazing Rabbit, Babushka, and many more.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nelly Pailloux is a keen craftswoman, finding inspiration for her creations in cookbooks, children's illustrations, and the media. She lives in the English countryside.

Product Details

• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing; Original edition (October 20, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0740785117
• ISBN-13: 978-0740785115
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 7.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (64 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #502,624 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I am French, born and raised in Paris. I've lived in the UK on various occasions, first as an au pair and finally settling in Kent 6 years ago with my partner.

My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was twelve during the summer holidays. Since then, I have always carried a pair of crochet hooks with me. I was always able to start a project but never finished one and that was before I discovered the Amigurumi trend 3 years ago.

I started by making petite dolls for friends, then writing my own patterns which led to my online shop, La Fée Crochette. Consequently, I was contacted by a publisher and Crobots was born.

I have always enjoyed making things and I find that with Amigurumi I can really express my creativity and it is a fresh approach to crochet. It only takes odd bits of yarn and some stuffing, and there you go, in one afternoon you have created something special with lots of personality.

I also like working with paper, fabric, clay, buttons, sequins. I also recently started to work with felt and some mascot concepts were given to a publisher, which led to my second book, Felties.

When I'm not crocheting or hand sewing... I'm knitting! I also love running, cooking, watching animés and horror movies (which quite doesn't go with making cute little things!!).

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Cute (but short) November 2, 2009

By Eric D. Knapp VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This book was for my wife: a wool artist and enthusiast, avid spinner, and knitter. I felt a bit, as does she, though neither of us are 'pro felters' by any stretch. The end result of Felties is: piles of cute little felt things. They're cheap, easy to do, and cute.

In a nutshell, it's cute. Did I mention that? No? Let me reiterate: it's cute. As in "My Neighbor Totoro" cute. The projects will create the most adorable little felt critters and characters ever, and they're perfect for x-mass gifts, cat toys, or whatever. The book is well laid out, beautifully printed, and the directions are clear and easy to follow. The designs themselves are wonderful, and the artist deserves credit for being, well, just so darned *cute*

My only gripe about this book is that it's short. There aren't that many designs, and while I enjoyed flipping through and going "aww ... that one's even cuter!" I was left wanting more. At the same time, I can see how it would be pretty easy to build new designs from what it taught here, so I can't deduct a star for that, really. However, be warned that the 80 pages doesn't translate to 80 designs - there are only 18 (which is stated in the product description, btw).

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars I am OBSESSED! November 22, 2009

By Mint910 VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Now, Felties isn't something I was normally seek out. I'm into the cute but wouldn't really consider myself into sewing. But I happened upon it one day, noticed that it looked simple enough and became OBSESSED. I ordered the book, 2 weeks later it finally showed up, I went out that night and bought just about every possible material (cost around $40) I thought I would need to complete any and all of the patterns and set off to work.

I started off with Mushroom Girl because to me she was the cutest. And I will be honest, it was a struggle, i almost gave up, probably took me about 3 hours. It probably didn't help that I started with a pattern with a lot of embellishments. But once I completed that first pattern I realized it wasn't really bad once I got into the sewing mindset. And from there I went to complete 10 of the 18 patterns in the book as of now. I'd say right now it takes me probably about 1-2 hours to complete a pattern.

Since my sewing skills aren't the great I modified as I went, making things easier for myself and adjusting the patterns to work a little better for me. The book is very simple to work with and definitely has given me a lot of ideas as to how I could create my own patterns, which I would like to try sometime soon. The patterns are very very small but I think it would be very simple to enlarge them on a copier to fit someone's comfort level.

Overall this is a fantastic book that has introduced me to a great new hobby! I just wish there were more patterns in the book!

*I've loaded pictures of the 10 patterns I've completed so far into the customer gallery.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Lots of Fun, Even for Experienced Felties Fans October 19, 2009

By Sunny Sewing Honeybee

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

Felties are miniature non-play dolls that can be used for all sorts of things--as magnets, car mascots, key-chains, Christmas ornaments, bookmarks (attach ribbon or cording). . . . I use most of the ones I have to decorate the outside of a pet tank (out of harm's way) for various holidays. Because I've made mini felt dolls prior to reading this book, I didn't know if _Felties_ would be innovative enough to be of use for someone who isn't a beginner. However, each project is adorable and original at the same time.

This full-color book is divided by project (there are 18 total), and includes darling cartoon versions of the creatures that can be made. Step-by-step instructions are accompanied with drawings detailing what to do. Due to their simplicity, more than one project can be made in a day, although the time it takes largely depends on how small and precise your stitches are.

Here are a couple of quick tips: (1) I use wool-blend felt (sold on bolts in fabric stores) because it has a nicer texture and is a bit thicker than synthetic fiber felt. People really serious about the craft sometimes use pure wool felt. (2) Tweezers are really helpful for stuffing--I believe better than what is suggested in the book, because they give you the ability to hold and push stuffing through small spaces.

The photos section (top upper left of page) contains felties I made using the book's patterns and wool-blend felt. I hope you'll have as much fun with the designs as I have!