Fabric & Felt Coasters
Use your scraps of printed fabric, small pieces of felt and a little freehand machine stitching to make these coasters. The free-hand technique is super easy – just like colouring in with your sewing machine. Choose a printed fabric then outline and extend the design with contrast stitching. By Judy Newman
Materials
Printed fabrics, small pieces
Felt, preferably wool in colours to complement the fabrics
Threads: general purpose threads and machine embroidery threads are both suitable
Here’s how:
For each coaster, cut one piece of fabric 8.5cm square and one piece of felt 12cm square. Position the fabric in the centre of the felt then pin in place.
Beginning in the centre of the fabric and using your sewing machine, stitch, outlining the fabric design. I used a normal straight stitch on the sewing machine and an open toe foot which gives good visibility. To start and end your stitching, work a few very tiny stitches to avoid tying-off threads. Clip thread ends close to the stitching. The stitch setting is not free-motion stitching – the feed dogs were in the usual position (not down); as this is a small piece of work it is easily manoeuvred.
The back is starting to look interesting too. This thread is a variegated machine embroidery thread.
This fabric print has a fine outline in the design which is a good starting point but as well as outlining, extend the stitching beyond the fabric onto the felt. Rather than trying to slavishly stitch around the fabric design, use it as a starting point to ‘sketch’ as if you were using a pencil to draw. When you are happy with the piece, straight-stitch around the fabric next to the raw edge. Trim the felt using pinking shears to finish.
On this print, the central flower is just a starting point for the stitching. The print on this fabric has no outline so the stitching really adds another layer of design.
Here’s a glimpse of the back of another coaster. So quick, easy and fun, whip up a few sets for gifts.