I tried a different project over the weekend that wasn't amigurumi! A felt phone cover.
This last month, crochet was really making me sore. I couldn't complete my projects like I used to, sometimes I'd have to stop soon after I started. The pain wasn't limited to my thumbs and fingers, but traveling up my forearms and into my elbows and shoulders. I love crocheting so much and amigurumi is my stress release after a long day at work. I find the whole process relaxing and soothing. So not being able to do what I love was so discouraging!
Fortunately, I'm not a girl of one hobby and I had a bunch of felt from a past Christmas ornament project so I sat down with YouTube to find some inspiration. And it worked! There are some awesome felt tutorial on YouTube!
I found a bunch of tutorials by Tammy Hallam, she makes the cutest little plushies and does a great job sharing her process in a clear and easy to understand way. Plus, I love her British accent! If you'd like to check out her channel, click her name. The pic below is from her DeviantArt, click it to view her gallary. 
Aiko, from HapyFriendsShoppe, shares tutorials for many really adorable felt plushies along with jewelry and fashion accessories. I love her channel and blog, she's very creative and friendly but also has an inspiring story about a major turning point in her life. If you like felt, or sewing, or would like to try a new hobby, I encourage you to check both ladies out!
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So armed with plenty of inspiration, I sat down and started to draw out a fox phone case. The drawing looked more like a deer so I followed that path instead.
Along the way, I learned a new trick for cutting out and sewing together the pieces. Wee Folk Art has a great how-to for both these tedious tasks. The secret? Staples! And they work great! No more bleeding and pain from sticking yourself with pins, the felt lies perfectly flat and will not move or shift during the cutting and sewing process. And when finished, the staples are easy to remove.
For the stitches, I used a fell stitch to attach the eyes, nose and forehead, a backstitch to outline the eyes, and then the blanket stitch around the ears and to hold everything together around the edges. The inside is lined with felt for added protection.
Originally, I was only going to do the spots but that seemed too plain.
I kinda wanted a pocket too so I thought a tail pocket would be cute!
Ehh... I decided against that and I'm glad I did, it would have been kinda weird! Instead, I just attached it like the forehead but outlined the edge with a backstitch to make it stand out a little.
I sized the case to fit my Samsung SIII, and it fits nice and cozy! The felt protects my phone well from the hazards of "The Purse" and any short falls it might take. I tried a iPhone 4 but the case was way too big! So, if it's to fit the iPhone, I'd shorten the length by at least a half inch and then make it about a quarter inch narrower.
My favorite features are the colors and her eyes! I'd like to modify the pattern for other animals like the fox or an owl would be cute. Oh a bear would be adorable too!! So many possibilities!
~Denae
UPDATE: 6/22/2013 - Pros: I've used this case everyday since this post and it's held up very well keeping my phone from scratches and falls. No tears or loose stitches. Cons: Cheap, acrylic felt pills like no ones business, and quickly too! Big suggestion: Don't use acrylic felt like I did. It's pilling so bad that it's pretty ugly now. Next time I will use a wool blend which is easier to work with and very long-lasting without that aweful pilling.
Overall, it's a great case. It's just unfortunate that the felt looks poorly now. I guess I'll just have to make another one! :D
~Denae
UPDATE: 6/22/2013 - Pros: I've used this case everyday since this post and it's held up very well keeping my phone from scratches and falls. No tears or loose stitches. Cons: Cheap, acrylic felt pills like no ones business, and quickly too! Big suggestion: Don't use acrylic felt like I did. It's pilling so bad that it's pretty ugly now. Next time I will use a wool blend which is easier to work with and very long-lasting without that aweful pilling.
Overall, it's a great case. It's just unfortunate that the felt looks poorly now. I guess I'll just have to make another one! :D
~Denae
