Friday, July 15, 2016

Sew-a-Softie Day - Tutorial

 

How to Turn a Child's Drawing into a Softie.
This tutorial is a joint effort of my niece Dana (7) and myself:

1. Dana began by drawing a pretty butterfly.

2. I transferred the drawing onto fabric
using a tracing pad, a fabric marker and an iron.

3. Then came the fun part - the embroidery.

4. Once that was done, I cut around the finished butterfly,
leaving a small seam allowance, and used that as a template
to cut a piece of yellow felt for the back.

5. I sewed them together, leaving a small opening,
filled the butterfly with fiberfill and closed the opening.

5. Dana drew a garden for the butterfly and we set it free.

6. Finally, not necessary but nice, we wrote a little story:

There once was a butterfly
who was a little shy,
he liked to fly
but not too high.

The flowers said:
it is silly to be afraid,
there is nothing up high
but the big blue sky.

The busy bee
had to agree:
do use your powers
stop playing with the flowers.

The shy butterfly
gave a small sigh -
I do beg your pardon,
it is cozy in the garden.

And I like to be at ease
with the flowers and the bees.
But I'll give it a try -
look at me fly high!

7. And then Dana drew a picture of a lion girl
so that we could show you that if you want instant color
the same could be done with felt.


This tutorial is part of the Sew-a-Softie project
organized by Trixi Symonds.
The tutorial list can be found here
and if you are inspired to take part you can post your creations
on instagram with the tag #sasday2016
for a chance to win some great prizes.

128 comments:

magnoliasntea said...

What a fun project. The softie is really cute, and love the poem, too.

Carla from The River said...

What a sweet and memorable project. I love it!
Carla

Gloria Baker said...

Realky fun and lovely Amalia <3

Gloria Baker said...

Realky fun and lovely Amalia <3

Stephanie said...

Oh sweet friend, what a darling idea! You are so clever, dear Amalia. Hugs to you!

Maya Kuzman said...

This is amazing! I have commented on some previous posts of yours that I do love creating plushies after children's drawings and you've done a fantastic job with the butterfly. Your nieces and nephews are so blessed and excited playing with their own designed toys! The poem is beautiful!

Gracie Saylor said...

Amalia! Thanks for sharing your beautiful creativity and that of your niece as well. And thank you for the link that I am going to check out now :) xx

Anonymous said...

I think the butterfly is just too cute! But the yellow person is also adorable.
Nice work! Giving me inspiration to design some new crazy crochet :-)
Have a nice day,
Sigrid

Manu said...

Amalia, this is so simple and cool!
Thanks for sharing.
Have a nice weekend

Unknown said...

Amalia what a lovely idea to turn a childs drawing into a softie. Thank you for sharing your ideas.

Ann said...

what a neat way to save children's art work. I love these

Linda Nelson said...

Cute project idea.

Castles Crowns and Cottages said...

YOU are amazing. Precious as can be is this joint effort of child and adult, 2 dimension and third dimension. This is what I call bringing a drawing to life. Oh Amalia, THIS IS WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish we could remain innocent as a child, as a drawing, as a softie. The world is harsh.

trixi said...

Amalia I just posted a link to your tutorial on the Sew-a-Softie day Facebook page...I hope thats ok!!

FlashinScissors said...

OMGosh! Amalia, this is so cute! How lovely to bring your niece's pictures to life like this, and such a clever story you both wrote.
What fun you both have!
The Sew-a-Softie project looks a great idea, with lots of lovely tutorials to visit!
Hugs, Barbara xx

Unknown said...

Love this! Now that I have this tutorial, I will be able to repeat it with my little sewing students. They are going to love it! Thank you so much. Your poem is very sweet too. :)

La Table De Nana said...

♥ Anyone would love a recreation of his or her art softie form made by you.ADORABLE.

Lenka said...

Love this fat butterfly!

The Joy of Home with Martha Ellen said...

Adorable, Amalia and Dana! What a gift you are giving your niece! So sweet! Have a wonderful day! xo ♥

Betsy@My Salvaged Treasures said...

These are SO adorable! Such a talented family.

Betsy@My Salvaged Treasures said...

These are SO adorable! Such a talented family.

Prunella Pepperpot said...

Dana is so lucky having you to bring her beautifully creative drawings to life, gorgeous creations Amalia!!
Have a truly wonderful weekend, both of you :)

mamasmercantile said...

Amalia that is such a great project. I would love to give that a go next time one of the Grandchildren visit.

MaryAnne said...

So cute! We have been doing this, too, but we use a different technique (and the end product looks different, too). Post coming soon.

Red Rose Alley said...

That colorful butterfly is darling, Amalia. And the lion girl is precious, especially being made by your niece. You know, I love dolls, and cloth dolls are my favorite of all. :) Such a cute post, Amalia.

~Sheri

Ela said...

Such a lovely project !! You are so clever, Amalia !!
Greetings

Mary K. said...

Amalia this is fantastic. You take a simple drawing and turn it into a three dimensional doll and work of art. Your little girl must feel so blessed to see her work take life in your magic hands.

Isabel said...

I love the litle doll and the poem.
Beautiful as well turn the drawing into a toy!

Kiss:)

AnnMarie aka Vintage Junkie aka NaNa said...

I love this idea! I have the cutest giraffe and tree picture from my granddaughter I would love to have a softie for! Your softies and poem are just precious!!

Lorrie said...

What a cute butterfly and a wonderful way to spend time with a child.

said...

Que demais!! isso sim são artistas!!

bjinhos

Conniecrafter said...

Just love seeing the collaboration between you and the kids and what you come up with, so very cute with the rainbow colors!! Your little poems to go with them are so special!!

Anna said...

Lovely creations !!! Both are very talented !!!
Have a nice weekend !
Anna

Red Rose Alley said...

I know how much you love handmade things, Amalia, and I think you would like my doll from France on my post today. :)

Have a peaceful weekend, dear.

Annas Nadelbuch said...

Very creative and so cute, such a beautiful idea !!!
Have a wonderful weekend, Carmen

decorayadora said...

Hi dear Amalia ,, que ternura de dibujo ,él es un verdadero artista , espero que tengas un bello día

Mereknits said...

This is brilliant!
Hugs,
Meredith

Patricia said...

What a gorgeous, cute, wonderful idea for a project. It gets my grannie fingers very keen to try, next time there is a grand child here!

Amy at love made my home said...

What a wonderful and very creative idea!! Love them!

baili said...

i just fell in love with your art work dear ,your niece is very smart and your fingers are blessed have a lovely day

France Nadeau ❅ inspiration imagination creation said...

Everything is beautiful. The drawings, the embroidery, the softies, the story. Excellent team creation. That's precious!
Thank you for participating to my Fabric, Thread and Yarn link party. Happy Sunday!

Gumbo Lily said...

I ~heart~ this!
I have some very fun drawings that my grands have done.
Thanks for the inspire!! You rock, Amalia!

Mindy said...

Oh my, these are the cutest! What a special way to preserve a drawing.

Jemma@athomewithjemma said...

This is such a precious post and project. You are such a talented family and how lovely that you mentor your niece.
I just love seeing this goodness.
Thank you so much for sharing this with us at TOHOT, we always look forward to your talent and inspiration.
Jemma

Luciana F. Damiano said...

Genial!
Tenho certeza que as crianças amaram.
Parabéns.

Polly said...

Delightful Amalia, you are a very talented family x

Preeti said...

Cute softies and a sweet story:)

Debby Ray said...

Oh, how fun! What a DARLING idea, Amalia!

Keri said...

Amalia, what sweet softies and a lovely poem! Thanks for sharing how to make softies from drawings!

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

I did this once with my grandson...we made a weiner-dog. And LOL Yours Looks WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better :) :)

Deb @ Frugal Little Bungalow said...

I did this once with my grandson...we made a weiner-dog. And LOL Yours Looks WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY better :) :)

Tricia Buice said...

What a beautiful project - I love that you did it together. I'll have to remember this when my granddaughters get old enough! Love the poem too! Have a wonderful week.

Sandra said...

Hi Amalia, what a wonderful idea! I love it! You transformed the drawings into a story and Dana's pictures. Amazing!!

The French Hutch said...

Love, love, love!

Cheri Savory Spoon said...

Wow Amalia! I am going to do this with my granddaughter...... so clever and what a wonderful memory you are making. Love your poem too, you should publish a book.

Kim said...

So happy you penned a whimsical poem, Amalia. =) Love Dana's pictures and love the replicas in embroidery and fabric. Sooo very clever.

Vee said...

Such a wonderful way to honor a child... Their drawings take on life in softies, songs, and stories.

Julie's Lifestyle said...

You are so talented Amalia and it came out beautiful!! :)

Cheryl said...

Super cute :-) My seven year old grandaughter is well on her way to becoming an artist, she has the passion and the drive to constantly do art!... recently, she made her mother a birthday card and had her dad google how to write "Happy Birthday" in Spanish. No one in our family is Hispanic and no one can read Spanish.... an artist with a sense of humor! She is going to go far in her artistic endeavors lol

TexWisGirl said...

really, really adorable.

akiko hiramatsu said...

I love the shy butterfly and the lion with long neck, and your lovely poem!!!
Have a good day, Amalia!

akiko

Stacey said...

This is so precious and I'm so glad you shared at Thoughts of Home on Thursday. I'm sharing it even further on Poofing the Pillows' Facebook page. ;)

The Charm of Home said...

Adorable!

handmade by amalia said...

So funny. I do like a girl with personality.

handmade by amalia said...

How kind of you, Stacey! Thanks for the mention.

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Dana's drawing is wonderful!!! And you did a fabulous job converting the image into a beautiful softie!!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

This is an adorable idea, Amalia! I'd like to do this with one of my granddaughter's drawings someday.

Enara Girl said...

Very cute softies, it should make children happy. xoxo

Kim said...

Ah, the magic is revealed! I love this! I am going to pin it and someday attempt. Someday.... ;)

At Rivercrest Cottage said...

That's an adorable idea. the poem complimented the creations perfectly.

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

So creative and fun!

susan said...

This is such a sweet project, Amalia, and I love the poem.

Handmade in Israel said...

Oh, I love everything about this post! Dana looks so busy, your work together is beautiful and the poem so very sweet!

Diane said...

What a fabulous idea and project Amalia.

Hugs Diane

Jess said...

What a neat idea! Love this! :)

I’d love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, and tips: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

Anonymous said...

Such a cute little thing for a little one:) Many thanks for sharing this with SEASONS!
Am glad you found my new blog - the transition went smoother than I thought it would. A while ago you wrote you were packing for a month away - my goodness, has that already passed??
Since you are into the making-things with textile - I remember at school we once made prints on fabric with a potato. Do you know about methods that will hold a larger design (than a potato is)? If not, it's okay:)

Bernideen Canfield said...

That is amazingly sweet Amalia. I am sure she loves them both! Super creative. Thanks for sharing and linking.

Margie said...

So cute! Your poems always make me smile.

Nancy Chan said...

You are so creative. From drawings to softie toys! I enjoyed your poem!

Helen Philipps said...

Adorable! Such sweet softies and how lovely to craft in this way with your creative little niece!
Helen xox

Sharon Wagner said...

I love that idea. What fun creativity!

Unknown said...

What a wonderful idea, my grandchildren would love making something like that.

Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies said...

Your creations always brings a smile to my face :)

white and vintage said...

What a nice idea to turn a childs drawing into a softie! So lovely!
Hugs, Christine

Linda @ Life and Linda said...

That is the sweetest idea ever. Such a fun and creative. My grands would love this. Loving your sweet poems. I hope you share it at DI&DI. Xo

cristina said...

Great! love these ideas! Have a nice day, Amalia!

cristina said...

Great! love these ideas! Have a nice day, Amalia!

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Amalia, Oh this is darling and such a great idea and creation. Love it and thanks for sharing.
Have a great weekend ahead. xo

kitty@ Kitty's Kozy Kitchen said...

How darling and creative is that?! I know your niece was thrilled to have her drawings turned into a softie!

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

Adorable! I love how intently your niece is working! Thanks for linking up at Best of the Weekend!

Lara B. said...

Amalia, yours and Dana's collaboration is so wonderful! Your softies always steal my heart! As do your stories and poems. I can't wait until my granddaughter starts being a great little artist, so we can do this too.

VeggieMummy said...

What a special thing to do with your niece. Your softies are gorgeous and the butterfly poem adorable. Lucky Dana to have such a wonderful aunt. xx

VeggieMummy said...

What a special thing to do with your niece. Your softies are gorgeous and the butterfly poem adorable. Lucky Dana to have such a wonderful aunt. xx

New York Roofing said...

It is a fun idea to keep litte ones buzy with some sort of art or creative work and those stuff work is great to do with kids.

Anne's Attic - Design said...

Thank you for sharing at SYC! :) Jo

JES said...

I love your creative and whimsical posts Amalia! Thank you for sharing with us on the Art of Home-Making Mondays at Strangers & Pilgrims on Earth! :)

Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...

So cute!! Thanks so much for stopping by!!
Hugs,
Debbie

Tania Pelletier said...

How sweet! I love them!

Tania

Nina said...

Such a wonderful idea, Amalia! My heart is just bouncing here with ecxitement - would love to do the same with my niece, when she comes next time :-)
Enjoy your summer, and thanks for sharing all the creative inspiration!
Nina

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

Amalia, I would have never thought to do that! How clever you are! I'm marking this post for future reference. Your blog always inspires me.

Sara - Villa Emilia said...

Wonderful! I love especially the colourful butterfly. :)

Lowcarb team member said...

Another lovely post, great photo's and a great poem too.
You are gifted in your use of words.

Enjoy the remainder of the weekend and all good wishes for the new week ahead.

All the best Jan

handmade by amalia said...

Thank you, Maya. We've made a mobile from the softies and they are hanging above Dana's bed, enjoying the view from the window.

handmade by amalia said...

Thank you, Anita. It is indeed cold and crazy out there but blog-land is Peter Pan country :-)

handmade by amalia said...

Thanks Trixi, and well done on the project! An amazing job!

handmade by amalia said...

Thank you! Dana will be so pleased!

handmade by amalia said...

I'll look forward to it! Thanks for visiting me.

handmade by amalia said...

Thank you, France, we had a lot of fun with this.

handmade by amalia said...

Yes! A peek behind the curtain!

handmade by amalia said...

She wanted to take them to class for show&tell so I knew she was pleased :-)

handmade by amalia said...

How kind, Jean! Thanks for stopping by.

Katherines Corner said...

this is so wonderful! I smiled huge for this post. To take a child's imagination and share it on a handmade toy, pillow, etc. is a wonderful way to make happy memories. Thank you for sharing at the Thursday Favorite Things link party. Watch for your feature tomorrow xo

Mrs. Laura Lane said...

I'll bet your child was thrilled with this project!

Jelica @ A Pretty Fix said...

Inspirations come from the most surprising places! Love this :)

Beth said...

That is absolutely darling! Love the way you've turned her creativity into a toy.

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

You are amazing Amalia! Nothing quite as sweet as a childs artwork. Love how you made them come to life! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann

Sam - Raggedy Bits said...

Oh Amalia! These are just the cutest!!! How precious for you to do this with your niece!!!
Thank you so much for sharing over at Waste Not Wednesday! :-)

Kathleen Charm Bracelet Diva {At Home} said...

Such an adorable softie! Your niece is a talented artist!Thanks for sharing at Vintage Charm. xo Kathleen

Ohmydearests said...

Sewing is not my forte... This is so awesome! Wish I could do something like this for my girls!

Wendi@H2OBungalow said...

What a sweet idea and a super way to do a joint project with a young child! Pinned for a future afternoon with my grand kids!:) XO-Wendi@H2OBungalow

Poções de Arte said...

Bom dia!
Acho fantástica essa ideia de transformar os desenhos em brinquedos e artigo de decoração.
Além de incentivar os pequenos, traz à realidade o que faz parte de suas vidas.
Gostei!

Abraços e feliz semana.

Unknown said...

These are such cute ideas! I bet Dana loved seeing her artwork come to life.

Little Wandering Wren said...

And that just makes you the best Aunty in the whole wide world :)
Hugs Wren xx

Katrin@northernfeeling.com said...

These are the cutest softies I've ever seen, too adorable!!!

Jennifer said...

This is such an amazing idea!!! I Love it!

ewa777 said...

Wonderful! I love this butterfly:)

Burlap Luxe said...

What an amazing aunt you are.... Your turning wonderful child art into beautiful life art amazes me! This i will do with a few pieces my daughter created when she was about your nieces age.
Just amazing here and I must visit much more often.
Xx
Dore

Wonky Patchwork said...

They are both so beautiful, and so very true to the original. You completely bring them to life.