Sewing With Felt Part 2 - Cutting Felt

Not all felt is the same. As a crafter who sews a lot of things with felt I have tried many different types. Acrylic craft felt is not as thick as other types of felt and can pull when sewn or rip if over stuffed.  100 % wool felt is too thick for a lot of the toys and games I make but feels lovely. I use a wool blend felt, thicker than acrylic and much more durable. 

Hints and tips for cutting felt.

Felt has a vertical and horizontal side.  The horizontal side will stretch when pulled. When cutting felt make sure you have matched up the sides. Otherwise the felt may stretch and change shape when stuffed and distort your finished item. 

Prior to cutting out your pattern give the felt an iron on medium low to iron out any creases.  

Felt is best cut piece by piece for accuracy. I rarely stack and cut more than two layers of felt at once. 

To have great looking felt pieces with clean cut edges use very sharp scissors.  I use a fiskars brand of scissors.  Blunt scissors will pull at the fibers of the felt leaving fuzzy edges.

Don't use fabric markers or chalk on felt.  When rubbing out the chalk outline the felt fibers can become fuzzy making your shape less crisp.

For more intricate cuts use freezer paper or even a clear tape to adhere your paper pattern to the felt prior to cutting.  Both will be easy to remove once the pattern is cut.

Want to know more about sewing with felt?
Read Part one all about supplies needed to get started with sewing with felt.