Big eyes

Owl

o f o llow
e a s yt life
i t h n d
W ctions a s. By Paloma Rocha
u
instr e Pattern
siz
 Big eyes owl
Feltie all
ig 6” t
Size: B all 4” tall
Sm

Please, read all of

the instructions before
starting your
project.

Materials
. Lilac felt . . Pencil or felt marker.
. Violet tone felt . . Matching embroidery threads.
. Wine felt . . Embroidery needle.
. White felt . . Scissors.
. Scraps of green and black felt. . Scallop pinking shears (optional).
. Stuffing. Chopstick or pointy tool.
. 2 Small buttons. . Fabric glue.

Felt
Felt can basically be divided into two types: wool felt or washable felt. Wool felt is
recommended for this doll.
2
 Print a page 10 and 11 of this pdf, and cut out templates using scissors. Trace templates
onto felt using a felt marker or pencil and cut out on the line. Cut carefully so edges are
vertical, not slanted. To cut small circles, cut into the felt in a spiral motion, turning the
felt piece around as you sew, and making the spiral smaller until you get the size of circle
you want. I used scallop shears to cut the scalloped circles, but you can use the pattern
and a very sharp embroidery scissors. If you have difficulties cutting out the beak for the
small owl, use a button or sew small satin stitches between the eyes to suggest a beak.

Cutting tiny shapes

3
 Sewing and embroidery
These dolls are embroidered and stitched together with embroidery floss.
In case you´re not familiar with one of the stitches, you can practice the stitches a few
times on a felt scraps before working on a doll. None of the stitches are difficult, but can
take some practice to get perfect. Always keep your stitches and the space between them
the same length. Be consistent with your sewing tension.
Or, if you want to keep embroidery to a minimum, you can sometimes glue on certain
elements, instead of embroidering them.
You can experiment and use your imagination to customize the project.

1. Applique stitch 2. Overcast stitch 3. Straight stitch 4. Blanket stitch

2 in 2 in
3 out
1in
1out
Keep thread
Working
at right angle direction

1. Appliqué Stitch: Stitching a felt piece onto a felt surface. Place the appliqué on the
background felt. Make tiny stitches perpendicular to the edge of the appliqué.
2. Overcast Stitch: Simple stitch over the edge of the felt. Also called whip-stitch, is
used to attach two pieces of felt. This isn´t a decorative stitch, so always use floss that
matches the color of the felt and make the stitches small and neat.
3. Straight Stitch: Use a simple straight stitch to create a motif.
4. Blanket stitch: The blanket stitch is both decorative and functional. Use this stitch
to accentuate an edge or to attach an appliqué.

Appliqué
stitch

Sew a pin back

If you are using your little owl as a brooch, attach the pin to the owl back. Sew a brooch
finding securely to the center of the head back with doubled white thread. If you want, you
can cover the base of the pin back with a small felt heart.
4
 Pupils
Appliqué
stitch
Eyes
Head-body 3
front Eyes
2

Eyes Belly
1

Beak

Glue Appliqué Appliqué

stitch stitch

Appliqué Stuff
stitch

Appliqué Straight
stitch stitch

Using the picture as a guide, arrange the eye felt pieces on the front face piece. Tack the
pieces down with a pin or a dot of fabric glue to keep them in place while you sew. First,
position the scallop circles and stitch them in place along the scalloped edge only. Use
matching thread and one small stitch between each scallop. Place the second circles onto
the scalloped circles and attach them with a dot of fabric glue. Sew on the “eyes 3” and
pupils with appliqué stitches in matching sewing thread. Center the owl beak between
the owl eyes, checking against the picture to position it correctly. Thread an embroidery
needle with one strand of green embroidery floss and sew around the beak with a small,
neat appliqué stitch. Lightly pad the beak with a little toy stuffing, using a toothpick to
help you to get padding even. When the padding is evenly distributed, stitch the beak
closed. Thread an embroidery needle with two strands of matching floss and appliqué
stitch the belly onto the body. Using three strands of white embroidery floss, add a few
decorative stitches to the belly to suggest feathers.
5
 Head-body
front Overcast
stitch
(dart)

Head-body
back

Blanket
stitch

Stuff
Blanket
stitch

Overcast stitch the darts on front and back head pieces with one strand of white floss,
making sure to sew them up on the wrong side of the felt.
Place the two owl shapes together with wrong sides facing. Thread an embroidery needle
with two strands of white embroidery floss. Start at one bottom corner and stitch the pieces
together around the edges of the owl using blanket stitch. Fill the owl loosely with stuffing.
Push in polyfil using a stick. When tightly packed, sew across the bottom using blanket
stitch to finish. . Knot thread and cut off excess.

6
 Appliqué
stitch

Blanket
stitch
Stuff

Wing
shapes

Use a little craft glue to stick the inner wing pieces onto the outer wing shapes and sew it
on, using two strands of floss. Align the two wing pieces, right side out and sew together
with a blanket stitch. Leave a gap at the base of the each wing and fill it with a tiny amount
of toy stuffing, using a toothpick to arrange it evenly. Don´t use too much filling; it should
be lightly padded, not stuffed. Blanket stitch the gap closed.

Button

Begin
Needle
Button
Button
Floss
Knot Knot

Cut approximately 20” of thread (I prefer to have more I really need). Thread the floss
through both holes of a button. Center the button in the middle of the piece of thread.
Thread both ends of the floss onto a long embroidery needle.
Follow the path on the illustration to attach the wings. Push the needle through the top of
the outer side of the right wing and pull the button with the arm. Tie a knot inside the right
wing. Push the needle in through the right shoulder and out through the left shoulder. Tie a
knot against the left shoulder. Push the needle through the top of the left wing and through
a button. Push the needle down through the other hole of that button, through the top of the
left wing and out the right armpit. Tie a knot against the body and snip off the excess thread.
7
Photo gallery

8
9
 Big owl pattern

Belly
(cut 1)

Head/body
(cut 2)

Beak
(cut 1)
Pupil
(cut 2)

Eye 2 (cut 2) Eye 3 (cut 2)

Wing outer
(cut 4)

Eye 1 (cut 2)* B

Wing inner
(cut 2)
* Use scallop shears to cut the decorative edges. If you don´t have
scallop scissors, you can cut out “B” shape with very sharp scissors

10
 Small owl pattern

Pupil Beak
(cut 2) (cut 1)

Head/body
(cut 2) Eye 3 (cut 2) Eye 2 (cut 2)

Wing outer
Belly (cut 4)
(cut 1) Wing inner
(cut 2)

Eye 1 (cut 2)* B

* Use scallop shears to cut the decorative edges. If you don´t have
scallop scissors, you can cut out “B” shape with very sharp scissors

11
 Please, visit my etsy shop:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/Noialand
for more downloadable PDFs.

©2013 Paloma Rocha.

This pattern is intended for personal use only
and not for commercial resale. Photocopying,
emailing and the other copying to share these
instruction is strictly prohibited by law without
the designer´s written permission. Thank you
for respecting the designer´s copyright.