Читать книгу Stitch 50 Dogs - Alison J Reid - Страница 5

Introduction

I initially came up with the idea for this book while my partner and I were having building work carried out downstairs in our house. To escape the sound of drilling, and the dust that filled the air, I found myself hiding away in a room upstairs.

In there, I discovered a box of felt scraps and began to sort through the colours. The previous day I had been working on some quick sketches of dogs, so decided to marry up the felt and the sketches. Within a couple of hours, the first puppy was born!

I have always loved to be creative and enjoy making. My favourite fabric is felt, and it has always featured heavily in my work. Felt has endless possibilities – it can be cut without fraying, provides a solid base on which to sew and felt, and is available in a broad palette of colours.

Putting this book together has been a wonderful experience, and I have had so much fun creating these little characters. The lengthiest part of the process was coming up with the initial sketches for the patterns. Getting the features right was crucial. Once that part was complete, I chose which colours of felt to use and started to make the dogs. Then, as I added their eyes, the little dogs literally came to life before mine!

I hope that you have as much fun stitching the dogs as I had when designing them. Make them for yourself or friends young and old – whoever receives these little pups will treasure them always.

LET THE DOGS OUT!

Once you have stitched your adorable dogs, here are a few ideas for creating gorgeous gifts and showing them off.

 Make your dog into a brooch by sewing it onto a brooch back or safety pin. Fasten him onto your hat, jumper or coat.

 Transform your dog into a bag charm. Simply double over a length of ribbon, wrong sides facing, and secure to the back of your dog using a few small stitches.

 Create an appliqué patch by sewing the top layer of your dog only (you don't need the backing or stuffing). Then, use nylon invisible thread and a running stitch to attach it to a surface such as a scarf or t-shirt.

 Cherish and display your dog by placing him in a box frame. Write your pup's name on a label and attach it underneath as the perfect personalised touch.

 Go big! Scale your dogs up to make plush toys. Enlarge the template on a photocopier or scanner, then make bigger dogs in exactly the same way as you would create their mini-me.

Have fun and don’t forget to share photos of your finished pooches online. Use the hashtag #stitch50dogs and tag @dandcbooks and we can all enjoy our crafted canines. I look forward to seeing them!