Countryside Softies

Reviews / Votes

Nov 11



Owls and hedgehogs and squirrels, oh my! Make your own versions of Amy Adams' adorable woodland creatures using a small but mighty arsenal of felted wool, embellishments, and basic hand stitches. Each pint-size "softy" is graded by difficulty so beginners can easily pick starter projects and progress as they improve their skills. * Quilts and More * June 11



We never tire of cute, soft critters sewn from scraps of fabric. Is this some sort of fetish? Or just our latent Beanie-Baby Mogul? Amy's 28 forest creatures will bring out the inner child in even the oldest, most serious sewist. Hitting all of today's trendiest wild things, from owls to otters, dragonflies and hedgehogs, these projects are a great way to teach little ones some basic stitching skills. They are also a perfect use for those scraps covering your sewing room floor. Amy uses a mix of woolens and printed cottons in her menagerie. Plus, she's got a good tutorial on felting wool at home (read: recycling moth-eaten sweaters). We just wanna know how she can design adorable looking animals that are still so appealing to us big kids? * Quilter's Home * July 11



Countryside Softies by Amy Adams Cute, cute, cute. The 28 soft toys made from felted wool and cotton fabrics in this book by Amy Adams are delightful. Instructions are provided for a collection of creatures that can be found in the hedgerows and woodlands and along the river banks of England, where Amy lives. They include a rabbit, hedgehog, robin, squirrel, badger, owl and otter. There's also a fabulous fox, shown on the front cover. He's typical of Amy's style: a combination of differerent fabric types hand-sewn together with "imperfect" stitches, and embellished with a variety of whimsical embellishments. Amy has graded the difficulty of each project, so novices can start on the easiest ones if they wish. But even those rated at her highest level of difficulty - such as the fox - are only "slightly tricky", she says, requiring a few more pieces and a little more time to complete. Because all the softies are quite small (none is taller than 8 3/4 in), the patterns have been printed full-size on pages at the back of the book - so you can get started straight away. * Australian Homespun * Mar 11



I'm holding in my hands a copy of Amy Adam's amazingly adorable book "Countryside Softies" (Stash Books/an imprint of C&T Publishing 2011). And the wow! factor starts with the wonderful cover image of a stitched red fox, but it certainly does not stop there.Amy presents 28 delightful creatures to stitch. From the wonderful fox that graces the cover of the book you will begin your journey into the enchanted world of the countryside. Your first stop will be along the hedgerow as you learn how to create a fox, a rabbit, a baby rabbit too,a carrot, and a hedgehog and baby, a robin,and robin ornaments for the tree, a bumblebee, and a butterfly,and how to create a mobile using the butterfly and dragonfly.You'll find complete materials lists and detailed instructions for all projects shown, as well as full sized patterns that you will find located at the back of the book. After visiting the hedgerow you'll move deeper into the enchantment of the countryside when you travel amongst the woodlands to meet the squirrel,(you can't have a squirrel without a few chestnuts to stitch also),the badger, the owl (and baby owl), the mouse and baby, and the toadstool. After visiting with the wonderful creatures of the woodland area you'll find the creatures that inhabit the riverbank: the otter and his fish dinner, the swan ,the duck and her baby duckling (finger puppet), and egg, the kingfisher along with bulrushes and cattails, and the dragonfly. Throughout the book you'll find tips along the sidebar that tell you a bit more about how to personalize and complete the projects with stunning results. Amy shares with readers a list of the basic tools needed to start the projects in her book, as well as how to felt wool,how to properly stuff and weight the bodies of the softies,how to add the features like the mouth,eyes, chest,and ears,wings, feet,and claws,whiskers and antennae. You'll also find instructions on the embroidery stitches used to add the special touches to each project. Add fun, whimsy and woodland delight to your decor. The little animals can be used to decorate a mantle, used around your Christmas tree this coming Holiday season, let them add a bit of fun to your windowsill,and so much more. Once you start creating these little animals you will find all sorts of fun ways to display them I am sure. So, take a visit to the countryside, it is a delightful journey that you are really bound to enjoy. The animals are all waiting for you. my lives. They include a rabbit, hedgehog, robin, squirrel, badger, owl and otter. There's also a fabulous fox, shown on the front cover. He's typical of Amy's style: a combination of differerent fabric types hand-sewn together with "imperfect" stitches, and embellished with a variety of whimsical embellishments. Amy has graded the difficulty of each project, so novices can start on the easiest ones if they wish. But even those rated at her highest level of difficulty - such as the fox - are only "slightly tricky", she says, requiring a few more pieces and a little more time to complete. Because all the softies are quite small (none is taller than 8 3/4 in), the patterns have been printed full-size on pages at the back of the book - so you can get started straight away. * Small Town Living *