Have You Read It: Felt Craft Fun

Felt Craft Fun: 16 Adorable Kawaii-Style Projects to Stitch, Share, and Love All Year Long is the first embroidery book by Jess DeVos of Otter Bee Stitching. Her publisher, Better Day Books, an imprint of Schiffer Publishing, generously sent me a copy for review. This book is just as adorable as the cover states, and I can't wait to share with you what's inside.

Felt Craft Fun by Jess DeVos

What is Felt Craft Fun?

Felt Craft Fun is a beginner-friendly felt embroidery book. It's an easy introduction into hand embroidery using felt that includes 16 hoop projects. Throughout the book you will be walked through everything you need to get started with embroidery. Jess details methods, materials, and provides easy to use templates (at full size). The book includes 16 embroidery projects, using 9 embroidery stitches.

Why You'll Enjoy Felt Craft Fun

Felt Craft Fun is a playful and adorable exploration of felt and stitching. From the beginning of the book, you feel like you get to know the author Jess with an interview before you even start stitching.

The book includes three difficulty levels of projects to help you build your skills. Within each season (spring, summer, autumn, winter) you'll have the option to stitch a level 1 project, two level 2 projects, and a level 3 project. Each project and the beginning of the book set you up for success with a detailed materials break down and easy to follow explanations.

I appreciated that Jess shared three different transfer methods for working with the felt templates. That way you can find the option that works best for you. Additionally, Jess includes helpful tips throughout the book, keeping new and young stitchers in mind. At the end of each project she also offers tips on how to create that specific design with children, such as customizing the placement of moon craters or having the child choose the snow person's winter wear.

After the seasons of projects, Jess adds even more details about how to take your felt embroidery to the next level. She shares how to add dimension, covers building color palettes for those looking to start creating their own designs, and shares four methods for finishing the embroidery in the hoop and another four methods on how to display the hoop once it's finished.

Much like the choose your own adventure books from childhood, Felt Craft Fun, offers many options to help you learn and make the embroidery project your own. Plus how could you not enjoy stitching so many Kawaii-style patterns with happy faces?

Things to Consider About Felt Craft Fun

Felt Craft Fun is geared towards a beginner stitcher and doesn't have an extensive stitch glossary. The book only covers 9 basic hand embroidery stitches. While keeping things simple when starting out can be helpful, there are other embroidery books that offer a wider stitch glossary. I also found some of the thread colors used for the stitch diagrams hard to see, such as the light yellow thread on the chain stitch.

Within the start of each project there are detailed materials listed, however, the projects do not list DMC thread colors or a specific type of felt. Instead the projects call for floss colors such as dark brown, light green, and light pink. To find the DMC thread colors used for each project you'll need to flip to pages 130-131. While a specific brand name wasn't listed for the felt either, Jess states that she exclusively uses felt from Benzie Design (pg 15), so one would infer that those names are for Benzie Design felt. For those looking to recreate the pattern exactly as shown, this seems like a lot of extra work to have to figure out.

Finally, some of the felt pattern pieces that need to be cut out for the projects are very small, like 1/4 inch small. I know some people enjoy working small, I am not really one of those people who enjoys cutting out itty bitty things. These small pieces add beautiful details to each project, but because this book is geared towards beginners and kids the smaller pieces might be a bit challenging.

Where You Can You Order Felt Craft Fun?

Felt Craft Fun can be found at most major book stores and on Amazon (affiliate link). If your bookstore doesn't have Felt Craft Fun in stock, you can have them order it for you or request a copy at your local library.

Looking for more Hand Embroidery Books?

Want a great hand embroidery reference book? Try one of Melissa's hand embroidery books! Each book is great for beginner to advanced stitchers and breaks down materials, stitches, techniques, and projects for you to have fun and get stitching.

***Thank you for reviewing my recommendations. This post contains affiliate links. Should you purchase an item listed, I may receive a small portion of the sale.***