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We have an enchanting tutorial today from new Maker Team member Angele of @fabricandink. A self-proclaimed lover of felt, embroidery and whimsy, Angele has meticulously combined all three of these elements into a Woodland Napkin Ring! Her ability to create tiny worlds from simple felt shapes will have you daydreaming about magical places while you stitch away the afternoon. It's "escapism crafting" at its finest!
This is a project for anyone who loves fairytales and forests. We’ll create a whimsical
mushroom napkin ring, worthy of a magical forest fairy feast! A little knowledge of basic embroidery stitches will make this project you can finish in just a few sittings.
Skill Level: Intermediate
Time: 4 hours
Additional Supplies:
Napkin Ring Pattern and Stitching Guide (click to download)
DMC Varigated Floss - 4045, 4050 and 4145
Freezer Paper - optional
Iron - optional
Directions:
Use two strands of the six stranded DMC floss for all stitching. Every few stitches, let the
needle hang loose from your work. This will allow the floss to unwind and help prevent
tangles. A thread conditioner can also be helpful. To use a thread conditioner, simply pull
the length of floss over the conditioner a couple of times then stitch as normal.
1. Download and print pattern and stitching guide above. Cut one 6 x 1 ¾" rectangle from Conifer felt. Cut one oval from Sherwood felt. Position oval in the center of the rectangle. Referring to the pattern, mark curved stitch lines using gel pen.
2. Using DMC 4045, back stitch along the lines then add leaves with a lazy daisy stitch. Don’t stitch any stems or leaves where the Sherwood oval will go.
3. Cut out approximately 20 small leaves from Citron felt. You can use freezer paper to cut out these tiny leaves, if desired. This tutorial demonstrates the freezer paper method for cutting out patterns.
4. Position Sherwood oval in the center and back stitch in place with DMC 890. Mark center of the oval with gel pen. This is where the mushroom will be attached later. Refer to the pattern and use gel pen to mark curved stems radiating out from the center of the dark green oval.
5. Back stitch leaf stems using DMC 4050. Back stitch felt leaves in place along the stems as shown below.
6. Cut mushroom top out of Cherry felt. Use gel pen to mark a line as shown on the pattern and in the photo below. This is where felt will overlap to make a cone shape.
7. With DMC Blanc, stitch as many French knots as desired over the mushroom top. Don’t add French knots to the section where felt will overlap. For easier French knots, use shorter than usual lengths of floss. Overlap Cherry felt so cut edge meets pen line to make a cone shape. Stitch along this edge with DMC 321.
8. Cut a circle for underside of mushroom from Oyster felt. Using DMC 4145, make large straight stitches radiating out from center of the circle almost to the edge. This will suggest mushroom gills.
9. Use DMC 321 to stitch mushroom top to underside leaving a ¾" opening for stuffing. Use a stuffing tool or your fingers to gently stuff mushroom, then stitch opening closed.
10. Make the stalk by cutting a rectangle of White felt. Roll rectangle tightly and stitch along seam with DMC Blanc so it stays rolled up. Do not cut thread. Use remaining length of thread to secure stalk to underside of mushroom with a few tight stitches.
11. With DMC Blanc, stitch mushroom to center of the oval on napkin ring.
12. Cut out three oak leaves from Sherwood felt. With DMC 890, back stitch leaves in place at base of the stalk. Oak leaves should cover any gaps between smaller Citron leaves, so place them accordingly.
13. Use DMC Eco Vita 706 to add French knots to any remaining gaps around mushroom base. Eco Vita floss is thicker than traditional cotton floss and creates a lovely mossy texture such as might be found on the forest floor!
14. Cut a large rectangle from Hazelnut felt. Position on back of embroidered Conifer front. If embroidery has made front rectangle smaller, trim Hazelnut back to match.
15. Cut two 12" lengths of ribbon. Sandwich one ribbon between the front and back felt at each short end. With DMC 4045, blanket stitch front and back of the napkin ring together. As you stitch along short ends, be sure to stitch through the ribbon to secure.
Congratulations! You are now ready to set a table in the forest!
Thanks to Angele for designing and writing this tutorial! You can see more of her work on Instagram @fabricandink and on her website. Stay tuned for more tutorials from the Benzie Design Maker Team!
