Felties is a sewing book that shows you how to make cute little stuffed friends. I made sure I used the word “friends” here, because the illustrations in this book give each one so much life and character that I feel they deserve to be called friends, not toys. Nelly Pailloux is a crafter and writer, and is popular in the blogosphere mostly for her amigurumi creations. Her blog, La Fee Crochette, has some free tutorials and lots of photos of her creations. Suitable for the absolute beginner, this book is a wonderful introduction to sewing. Even for the experienced crafter, Felties is a great source of inspiration and I challenge anyone to be able to resist such cute little felt friends.

There are step by step instructions for each character, which are very easy to follow. There is also a pattern included in actual size, so all you have to do is trace and cut. This makes you realise how small each one really is; nimble fingers are essential. I also recommend using tweezers when gluing bits and pieces together to avoid grubby finger marks on the felt. I liked the author’s method of inserting arms and legs inside the body with glue before stitching over them. I guess you need to try it yourself to see what I mean, but basically, the method makes sense and even with the most basic sewing skills, each project would take you less than an hour to make. It gives you a great sense of achievement to finish a project so quickly.

What really won me over in Felties is the illustration and photo included for each character. Each one comes to life on the page with its own unique backdrop. Full of personality, the illustrations remind me of a manga comic. All 18 Felties are adorable, but my favourites are the Sailor Puppy and the Polaro-roo (featured on the front cover). It’s a lot of fun just flipping through the book to look at the pictures!

I guess the question on many people’s minds would be, “What do I do with these toys once I have made them?”. Perhaps a page or two on ideas to answer this question would have been useful in this book. Every character in Felties is really cute, so other than displaying them, I have these suggestions:

* Stick a magnet on it and use it as a fridge magnet.

* Sew on a safety pin to make a brooch.

* Sew a few of them on a length of ribbon and tie up for decoration.

The ease and quickness of each project in Felties is extremely satisfying, especially to people like me who are always trying to complete multiple craft projects. I enjoyed making my Felties so much that I was inspired to make my own felt possum friend. This book will also make an ideal gift for someone just starting out in sewing. All in all, I think Felties is an inspiring and fun book that injects a healthy dose of cuteness into your sewing repertoire.

Felties by Nelly Pailloux is published by Penguin Books (ISBN: 978 0 14 3203391)

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