Here Chicky!

Hello again crafty friends! Today, I thought that we would make a scrappy chicken brooch. It really goes to show what all crafters know already - you cannot throw ANYTHING away! Not even a tiny piece of fabric.

This little brooch is a perfect example of this. The wing is made from such a tiny whisp of fabric and the whole brooch measures a massive 7cm x 7cm so you can see, it doesn't take much! 

Consider making these in bulk for craft markets and for gifts. I am happy for you to sell the brooches that you make as long as you give me credit for the pattern in the first place. 

Now. What do we need?  As you will see from the first photo, the requirements are small so a beginner without much kit can do this.

You will need:
- some scraps of fabric in  a couple of co-ordinating colours. 
- about five layers of thin ecru cotton fabric
- a thread to compliment your fabrics
- a brooch back
- a water soluble marker
- glue stick
You will also need the things to set your sewing machine up for free motion embroidery. I won't go into details here as each machine is different so go to the manual. If you have some general questions, leave a comment and I will do my best to help.

Next comes the line drawing:

You have a couple of options here. Either freehand it (and that is where the water soluble marker comes in) or print the drawing off and adjust the size so that it is 7cm x 7cm and then transfer it to the fabric using your favourite method.

Layer up the fabric with the ecru fabric at the back and your chosen main colour on top....

Pin it all securely. You will notice that the chicken is not cut out. Leave a margin of fabric around the chicken. This makes it much easier to sew and you will cut it away layer. Cut a wing from your accent fabric and cut it out exactly. glue it on with the glue stick.

HOT TIP: an ordinary glue stick is better than anything else for this task. It does the job quickly and cheaply and is far easier to handle on a small area than an iron on alternative.

Embroider the chicken adding all details. Go around twice - it looks better and more substantial.

Cut the chicken out leaving a small border. This does not have to be perfect. Spritz with water to remove the water soluble marker lines.

On the back, attach the brooch back....

I have added a dab of hot glue over the stitches to make it stronger too. This is optional.

Here it is again, all finished! A few minutes work and a very small bite into the rag bag! 

Thanks for stopping by and happy sewing!
Debs
xxx