Customer Reviews

Felties

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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).

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!

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.

Filled with full color photos of each project. You will need to photo copy the cutouts or use tracing paper to use them. The projects are really simple & a lot of them are very very cute. Some bead work has been incorporated. Since I am a beginner at felties, this is great for me. I think it's perfect for the kiddies! If you are experienced with making felted "friends" then I think this book might be a bit to basic for you.
I would have given this 5 stars if it wasn't for some of the "friends" being of things I couldn't identify. Example, The Sun-Loving Rat. I thought it was a cat. "It's a rat??" I thought. I look more closely & then "ahh okay, I see how it's a rat now." There are a few friends that are like that. Even so, there are plenty of really adorable friends. I esp. like the Mushroom Girl.
There are 18 projects in all & if you want to know what you get to create here goes:
Babushka (a cutie with beads), Little Lion, Panda, Mushroom Girl, Sun-Loving Rat, Polar-roo, Pensive Rabbit, Sleepy Fox, Sailor Puppy, Messenger Bear (Does not look anything like a bear to me...), Cute Chihuahua, Curly Ram, Samurai Cat, Mummy Cat (awww so cute!), Retro Alien (I dig him), Pirate Mouse (how can you not love a pirate mouse?), Vivid Squirrel (I don't see the squirrel but I do see the vivid), Hoodie Wolf (another cutie).
The great thing about this is I find that what I don't like about a pattern, I can change. So if something doesn't really look like the critter named, I make some adjustments to make it look the way I like. This helps bring out some of your own inspiration & creativity. The book can give you a little creative boost so to speak! And of course there are the "friends" that are just so perfectly cute they don't need any changes!
Bottom line, I recommend this book if you are inexperienced like me or have kids who want to make felties! It's a good time! Yippie!

I ordered this book for my wife as a present since she's trying her hand at random crafts, and she ended up enjoying this book a lot. She's a beginner when it comes to sewing and things like that, but the instructions in the book were very easy for her to follow and she picked up on the techniques very quickly. The only problem she encountered was that some of the patterns go too far towards the center of the book, so you really have to fold the book down while making copies if you want to get the entire pattern. Once she got a few Felties under her belt, the rest weren't any problem. She also liked to change the colors of the patterns around to play with different looks for the characters. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for some fun patterns to play with, especially those who are beginners.

The little felt dolls in this book are just adorable, and they're very easy to make. All you need is felt, needle and thread, and a few bits and bobs, and you're on your way! This book would make an excellent gift for a crafty friend or older kid -- just toss it in a bag with a few supplies, and you're done.

The book is well-written and well-photographed; the instructions are very easy to understand.

Felties is a wonderfully fun little craft book on how to make adorable diminutive characters using felt and minimal materials. Once you see how easy it's done, you can't help but want to make up feltie characters of your own.

This book has quickly become one of my favorite craft books. I love the simplicity, the creativity, and the charm these little critters have. Anyone can make these - from kids to adults - and it easily makes you want to launch out with your own creative designs. An easy little craft book that inspires! Hooray!

If you enjoy creating handcrafts, you'll likely get a kick out of this book. And if you want to make crafts with minimal set up, materials, or space, then Felties is definitely for you. Enjoy!

I think these are really cute, but they all have the same sort of feel to them, so make sure it's your idea of cute first.
My daughter requested a lot of these be made minus the unusual accessories, for instance leaving off the mummy wrap or sunglasses or sumo clothes. They are easily adapted and enlarged. If you like the three on the cover you'll like them all! Very well laid out easy to follow even for the first timer.

The japanese craft books call these little felt figures "mascots", and this book is like an english-speaking version of one of those books. There are clear instructions for making each of the tiny little felties, which are detailed and, frankly, adorable, without deviating from the patterns the way they are written.

I've only had a chance to make one (mummy cat), but I'm planning on making the pirate to adorn the top of packages for Christmas, and I can see, if done in appropriate colors (or not!), these being cute little ornaments for the tree, or for packages at any time of the year. Because there are no other materials than felt (excpting one or two with beads), they'd be suitable for children to play with, as well.

I'm really glad I picked this one up -- I can't see it sitting on the shelf for all that long. :)

Get ready to embrace your inner craftiness! There are 18 super cute patterns just waiting for needle & thread: babushka (Russian doll), lion, panda, mushroom girl, fox, cats, mouse, wolf and more. The author offers a nice section of hints and how-to's. Her fantastic creative touch adds just the right amount of quirky pizazz! There are both visual and written instructions. The start up cost is very little, so you can get started easily. You could use these patterns as a springborad to create your own colony of felties. Just in time for holiday gift giving! Fleties could be used as fun touch for gift wrapping.