Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects [Paperback]

Betz White (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 10, 2007

Transform Cast-Off Sweaters into Sweet Felted Treats

Warm Fuzzies is filled with more than 30 cute and colorful projects made from wool sweaters, including cozy pillows and throws as well as stylish hats, scarves and handbags. There's something to make for everybody, including all the beloved "little creatures" in your life. Your pup will look adorable in the Haute Dawg Doggie Sweater, and your favorite princess will adore the Teacup Jumper with the playful mouse finger puppet tucked in the pocket. There are plenty of projects for grown-ups, too, like the Rainbow Bag with rows of colorful waves and the Rustic Throw with reverse appliqu? leaves.

The best thing about these projects is how easy they are to make?and there's no knitting involved! Simply throw old wool sweaters into the wash, then cut them apart to sew into felted goodies.

Start with the sweet Cupcake Pincushions–they're so easy, and so very cute!

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Transform Cast-Off Sweaters into Sweet Felted Treats

Warm Fuzzies is filled with more than 30 cute and colorful projects made from wool sweaters, including cozy ipllows and throws as well as stylish hats, scarves and handbags. There's something to make for everybody, including all the beloved "little creatures" in your life. Your pup will look adorable in the Haute Daw Doggie Sweater, and your favorite princess will adore the Teacup Jumper with the playful mouse finger puppet tucked in the pocket. There are plenty of projects for grown-ups, too, like the Rainbow Bag with rows of colorful waves and the Rustic Throw with reverse applique leaves.

The best thing about these projects is how easy they are to make... and there's no knitting involved! Simply throw old wool sweaters into the wash, then cut them apart to sew into felted goodies.

About the Author

Betz White has been designing apparel and accessories for over two decades, and retailers around the world carry her popular line of recycled, felted wool items. In addition to selling her work, Betz teaches workshops at the Textile Art Center in Minneapolis, and maintains a popular blog about "felted wool, artfully stitched." She recently received the Style Bakery's 2006 "On the Rise" Reader's Choice Award for best emerging gift designer. Learn more about Betz and her work at www.betzwhite.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (December 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600610072
• ISBN-13: 978-1600610073
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (43 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #211,865 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Betz White is a designer, author and "green" crafter who combines her whimsical color and design sense with a love for repurposing. In 2005, Betz left her former career as a children's wear designer to pursue a new love: creating one-of-a-kind items from second hand materials. Her line of home and fashion accessories is sold online and in boutiques around the world and has been featured on Martha Stewart's television show, in CRAFT, Country Living, and Adorn magazines, and on numerous craft podcasts. Her first sewing book, Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects, was published in Fall 2007. Her second book, Sewing Green (Stewart Tabori and Chang) offers 25 inventive projects made from recycled and organic materials, released Spring 2009.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy, Cheap, Gorgeous, Simple projects from a well-put-together book!, December 28, 2007

By 

Laura S. Heiman (Northfield, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects (Paperback)

I am absolutely delighted with this book. This is the sort of book you show to all your friends and then refuse to lend out because you don't want to be parted from it. :-) I teach a lot of craft classes, and have a fair amount of experience with all sorts of textile crafts. This book is one of the absolute best craft books I have seen, for a variety of reasons:

-The projects require no expensive supplies - just old sweaters ($4/ea or less at the thrift shop) and any old sewing machine (no fancy stitches needed).

-The techniques are clever but very, very simple and quick. This is a fabulous book for those of you who don't like to get bogged down in the fussy details on your way to a finished product.

-The techniques are clear enough for anyone to follow.

-The projects themselves are clever and attractive, and made of all-natural materials.

-It's all recycled, but beautiful anyway - not many books pull that off.

-The techniques presented can all be combined to let your creativity run free.

-The book is well laid out, beautifully photographed, and blessedly free of typos (a pet peeve).

I got this as a Christmas present, and while everyone else was out hitting the mall the day after, I was at the thrift shop gathering sweaters. My first project was a pair of mittens, which, from cutting out to finished product, took perhaps 20 minutes. Then, I went out and shoveled snow for an hour in the completed mittens. My hands were still dry and warm when I was done; they're some of the best mittens I've ever made, including several pair that I painstakingly handspun, handdyed, and handkknitted, in what was probably well over 20 hours each. (Perhaps the instant gratification has something do do with that?) My husband didn't believe I made them - he said they looked too good. :-)

Buy this book! But stay away from the wool sweaters at my thrift shop. They're mine, all mine!

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars So many great ideas!, December 11, 2007

By 

Kristin O'callaghan (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects (Paperback)

I ordered this book because those cupcakes looked so yummy, so I hoped that I might find one or two more projects that I wanted to try. When I got it, I found myself getting more and more excited as I turned each page. Every project looked easy, fun, and so beautiful that I immediately wanted to run out to goodwill and buy a bunch of wool sweaters to throw in the washing machine. The projects are so varied--from hats and scarves to bowls and bags--that I know I'll get a lot a great projects out of this. Definitely worth the money. I cannot wait to start!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cuddle Up with Warm Fuzzies and Lose Yourself in the Wonderland of Felting, February 28, 2008

By 

Jean Yates "jean, jewelry designer, book and... (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Warm Fuzzies: 30 Sweet Felted Projects (Paperback)

To begin with: of course I was attracted to the cover of this enchanting book, Warm Fuzzies, by Betz White! It hit a home run with me visually, instantly! What is more charming and delicious looking than a collection of adorable, felted cupcakes, complete wth cherries on top, and each tied up with a felt bow, or decorated with a rim of ric rac? The sprinkles just completely do you in: they are decorative pearl straight pins and they add the final touch to a thoroughly clever and charming pincushion project! I momentarily wondered if Betz White's creations would be too overly sweet or too young for me. Or would they potentially be too difficult for a neophyte (that's me, again!)to actually make? OR...could I conceivably accomplish what I hoped, which was success as a recycling felter: what Betz promises in the early pages of her book? Would I be able to skip the knitting you commonly do before felting wool, and cut to the chase, making the projects I really liked employing used sweaters found at thrift stores? This is such a great idea! Recycling is so important. So are fun craft projects!

This delightful "green" book did, ultimately, really fullfill my needs in each way!
Betz has some projects which are easy (some little brooches which I especially like stand out, for me!). She also has some projects which are slap down chic. Two I love in particular which I wish to mention are her "Just Right Tote" which IS in fact "just right" for my low key New York area where I live, and any other place where you might underplay your sense of style but at the same time want to show it, in a sense. And to be able to say, "I made it myself?" That is the best feeling of all! The second project I would just love to mention is her incredible Shibori scarf, another laid back yet uber cool looking project. I love that scarf! It reminds me of a running brook wth river rocks. It is kind of like a meditation in a scarf form. The textures AND the holes in it, the curves, as it gently hangs to the side of your jacket--well--you don't get any better than that! As a garment project it is really worth the price of the book alone! It's great! You might not have the same taste as me, but she has all sort of other choices, as well. Hats, sweet mittens, you name it.

I am reading this indoors and we have a foot of snow lingering outdoors. The hand puppets to entertain my kids are looking mighty tempting. We also have pets: The Kitty bed and the Doggie coat are fabulous! Love those!

I am trying to picture reading this in the summer, and I think this craft book is so good that you would be tempted to work on your Christmas ornaments at that time, and get them ready to go. Why not? Also if not that, try for Betz's ice cream cone tape measure. It is a great summer felting project!

As you can see, I think Warm Fuzzies has it all!

I think this book is exceptionally well done and well thought out. The photos are lovely. There isn't a poorly thought out project in the collection. It is delightful. I hope the author comes out with another felting book! She is very, very good and really knows what she is doing. I give it five stars. If you are interested in recycled felting,or even just felting, get this book! The best thing would be to make her fab blacket and cuddle under it as you worked on her other projects!