bowl

Last week, I shared a few simple tablescapes, one of which included a set of felt leaf bowls. I promised to share more about the bowls, so here I am. Martha told me about this great DIY project. When I say told, I mean her website suggested I look at these felt and tweed oak leaf bowls. I printed the template on cardstock and bought a variety of felt and tweed.

I thought I had purchased the right fusible interface, but I didn’t. I took a trip to Hobby Lobby and asked for a little help to make sure I had the right interface. What the woman suggested was “Wonder Under.” Basically, it’s a sheet of iron on hem tape. One side is rough and the other side is covered in smooth paper. Perfect for the job.

I followed Ms. Martha’s instructions, but here are a few photos to help you along. First, place the interface rough side down on the wrong side (the back) of the tweed square. Press for 5 to 10 seconds, move the iron to overlap slightly and press again. Do this until your entire square is fused. Then, trace the oak leaf pattern on the paper side of the interface. You don’t have to be precise with the tracing. You could even make your own leaf pattern, just add the darts.

Once you’ve traced the oak leaf, cut the design out. Remove paper backing and place on the felt square. Cover with a damp cloth and press for 10 to 15 seconds, or until fused with the felt.

Cut around the tweed leaf design, getting as close as possible.

One more step, sewing the darted areas. I overlapped the backs of my pattern to make a deeper bowl, but Martha suggest sewing with a zig zag stitch without overlapping the fabric.