"Little Chick" Baby's 1st Christmas Felt Penguin Ornament (Tutorial)

This guest post is part of the Welcome Baby Tutorial Series!

I have the pleasure of introducing Jenelle from Echinops & Aster.  Jenelle's blog is super cute {and new!}, and she has a Holiday How-to Series as well, if you're looking for some more holiday ideas. So stop by and say hello, you're sure to find some inspiration.  And thank you Jenelle for sharing this fun project with us!

Happy Holidays! I’m Jenelle and I am a crafter, sewist, and newbie quilter who blogs over at Echinops & Aster. I am so very happy Jennie asked me to put together a tutorial for the Welcome Baby Tutorial Series!

As this Christmas will be her little Norah’s first (such a cutie!), Jennie and I thought it would be the perfect time to introduce a holiday keep-sake ornament, marking that very first special Christmas for baby. The “Little Chick” Baby’s First Christmas Ornament is an easy to make, cuddly felt penguin sized perfectly for the tree, and includes options to personalize for your own little one.

   

Supplies:

- “Little Chick” Penguin Ornament pattern*
- Wool felt in black, dark gray, light gray (mine is more taupe), white, red, and yellow
- Embroidery floss (6 strand) or perle cotton (size 8 or 5) in black, white, red, and yellow
- Scissors
- Embroidery needle
- Regular hand sewing needle and basting thread
- Polyfil or other stuffing material (optional)
- 6mm safety eyes (recommended) or sew-on eyes**
- Ribbon, baker's twine, or thicker perle cotton for hanger
- Removable/erasable fabric writing tool to mark felt for personalized embroidery

*Prior to printing your pattern, make sure in your printer settings that your page scaling is set to "none" or 100% to ensure the pattern pieces print true to size.
** Make sure if you use sew-on eyes or buttons that you keep your ornament out of little hand and mouths to prevent choking.


Directions:

- Cut out your felt pieces, cutting two pieces each for the body and middle. I like to use pins to secure my pattern pieces, but you could also trace the pattern using a fabric pen and then cut out.

- Using the provided diagram as a guide (on the pattern sheet), stitch to the front body piece (with your white embroidery thread) the first middle piece, both wings, and the face (in that order) using a running stitch. Stitch the beak into place using the yellow thread. Also on the back pieces, stitch the second middle piece into place at the top using white thread.

 

- Using your erasable/removable fabric pen, write the year onto the heart piece. Embroider over your writing using white thread and a backstitch. Then stitch the heart onto the front piece using a running stitch all the way around. Your penguin should be slowly emerging!

- Mark the position of the eyes using your fabric pen and either sew in place, or if using safety eyes, punch a small hole through the felt, using an awl, for the eye post. Secure with provided washer.

- Embroider the tail onto the back piece using black thread and a backstitch in a "V" shape. You may also embroider the baby’s name onto the back piece, once again using your fabric marker to write the name, then backstitch using red thread over your writing.

- Baste your hanger material into place on the wrong side of the front piece (between the eye posts) being careful to hide your basting stitches in the middle layers of the felt.

- Lay the front body piece on top of the back (wrong sides together) and start blanket stitching around the body using your black thread, making sure to leave an opening if you plan on stuffing your ornament. Stuffing is completely optional, but makes for a more plush ornament. I like this pattern either way really.

- If you do use stuffing, finish by sewing around the edge, closing your opening securely.

And you're done! This pattern makes the perfect little penguin to hang on the tree, but with some copier magic, you can enlarge the pattern pieces to make a softie as well. :)

Please feel free to let me know how you like the tutorial/pattern and of course Jennie and I would love to see your own finished "little chicks", so make sure to post pics of them in both the Clover & Violet and the Echinops & Aster Flickr Groups. Thank you so much to Jennie and Clara for inviting me over and happy making!

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