Hi there! Sarah here from The Crazy Tailor with a fun little project to do with a little help from your kiddos! This would make a great Mother’s/Grandmother’s Day gift, or even a Teacher Appreciation present! It’s also a great stash-buster!
Start off by gathering together these supplies:
- some scraps of your favorite fabric
- very lightweight quilt batting
- Wonder-Under
- a scrap of coordinating felt
- pins, scissors, fabric marker, etc.
First we’ll start off by making our pattern. Trace your hand (with fingers together) and the hand of a little one.
Then you want to attach them at the wrist – make a nice smooth line between the two hands.
Put your two different fabrics right sides together and pin your pattern onto it.
Then, cut around your pattern adding 1/4″ seam allowance as indicated below. This is important!
Now put your Wonder-Under onto your quilt batting, trace around your pattern onto the Wonder-Under and then pin and cut on your traced line. Do not add any seam allowance. You may find it easier to just cut around the pattern piece, but I was working with cardstock, so this method was easier for me. Use whatever method you like 🙂
This will essentially give you a guideline for sewing. Place your Wonder-Under on the wrong side of a cut-out hand, then layer the quilt batting on top. Be sure to center the Wonder-Under and batting in the middle of the cut-out. There should be a 1/4″ border around your batting. Press with a very warm, not too hot iron.
Put this padded cut-out right sides together with your other cut-out and pin.
I’ve marked here with pins about a 2 inch spot to leave open along the outside of the hand. This will be the opening for turning the hand. Sew around the hands right where the batting ends. You should have a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Clip all spots marked with a circle. Be sure not to clip through your stitching.
Carefully turn the hand right side out, using the eraser-end of a pencil to help push out the fingers.
Give it a good press and hand-stitch the opening using a ladder stitch (I’ve used that here) or a slip stitch.
Using your fabric marker, mark out where the finger lines should go on both hands. Topstitch.
Cut out a little heart template and chop a bit off the bottom to use as a template for the felt pin holder. Cut one on the fold.
Center the felt hearts in the middle, right where the hands will fold, and stitch it on. That’s it – you’re done!
Fill it up with some pins and needles and you’ve got a handy (no pun intended!) little gift and also a keepsake of how little those hands were!
Happy Sewing!
