Part 2: "Mr. Smiley" Door Stopper

 

 

 

 

Actually, it was one of my daughters who suggested that the cut I had made in the felt...

...looked a lot like a smile.

At the time I made it, I had merely worked out that a slit at the top or bottom...

...would either interfere with stability or show too much...

...and had decided to put it where it could be hidden, instead.

I had planned on merely sewing up the hole...

...and putting it against the door during use.

My decision to use the cut as a design element...

...legislated how I needed to dry my finished piece.

In order to maximize his happiness...

...I stuffed cotton dishtowels into the top and bottom...

...creating a gaping mouth, flat bottom and a rounded, 3-D top.

(Remember, as with all single resist pieces...this started out flat and needed to be shaped during the drying phase.)

Using a pound bag of dried beans and the sleeve of an old knit shirt...

...I made a ballast by pouring the beans into the sleeve, and sewing up both ends.

(If you do this, you may want to use two pounds of beans. A little more heft would have been welcome!)

I filled the remainder of Mr. Smiley's cavity...

...with some wonky roving from my stash...packing it firmly.

Next, I cut a square piece of felt quite a bit larger than the 'grin'...

...tucked it inside the cavity, and stitched it firmly into place using embroidery floss.

For eyes, I used thin bits of black roving to make outlines...

...and filled them in with white and purple roving.

Because I have no formal artistic training (and cannot draw)...

...his facial proportions are, no doubt, all wrong.

I think he's quite cheerful looking, though...

...and he looks very content in the last photo, guarding his post! Grin.