My felt sheep kids’ sewing class was a big hit this summer! I love using felt in beginning sewing projects because kids are usually familiar with the material (and therefore less intimidated), it doesn’t slip around as much as fabric, and the possibilities for customization are easy and endless. It’s always a wonderful opportunity to witness the kiddos’ creativity and personality—I love seeing what they come up with! Check out the incredible student makes at the end of this post.
Pattern
- Little Lamb Pillow by Molly Schnick for Purl Soho (free pattern)
Fabric & Supplies
- 1/2 yd of wool and rayon felt for the body
- Scraps (~1/8–1/4 yd) of wool and rayon felt for the legs, face, and ears
- Poly-fil stuffing and a chopstick for stuffing
- Hand sewing needles (for my classes, I used sashiko needles with large eyes—they’re a bit easier for little hands to maneuver).
- Thread to match each felt color (all of your stitches will be visible)
- Washable Crayola markers (or similar) to trace pattern pieces
- Optional: glue stick or iron-on adhesive (such as Heat & Bond) for customization
Modifications
- I attached the legs upside down relative to the original pattern because I thought they looked more like hooves that way.
- I added stuffing to the legs and face by edgestitching, leaving a gap on the side that would be enclosed inside the body, stuffing lightly, then closing the gap.
- Use a chopstick to help stuff the legs!
Sewing Notes
- Trace your pattern pieces using washable Crayola markers (or similar) on the wrong side of the felt so the marks are less visible when you cut them out.
- Cutting out the fluffy sheep wool is time consuming! Use a pair of small, sharp scissors, and try to move the fabric instead of your scissors for the cleanest cuts.
- When sewing the sheep body, align your work so that the top of the “cloud” shapes are at the 1/2” seam allowance marker; ignore the “valleys.”
- The kiddos seemed to have an easier time sewing the body pieces (1/2” seam allowance) first, then attaching the face (1/4” seam allowance) during a second pass. This also provide a second stuffing hole in case the gap between the legs ended up a bit small to work with.
- Attached the ears using a simple whipstitch.
- If adding eyes or other customizations, you can use a regular glue stick to temporarily position the pieces, then sew them on using a sewing machine BEFORE assembling the body or by hand afterwards. You can also use an iron-on adhesive with or without sewing.
Student Examples
Keep In Touch
Thanks very much for reading! If you’d like in-person support and instruction, please sign up for my classes at Modern Domestic or reach out to schedule a private lesson. If you have any questions, feedback, or corrections regarding this post, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Further Reading
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