Soft toys lend themselves to various purposes

Published 2:13 pm Friday, February 8, 2008

We’re tossing this column on making soccer balls and softballs your way this week, so we would have time to retake the photographs for Ardie McLean’s recycled glass serving pieces. As promised, that column will run in the Feb. 17 Craft Corner.

Making soccer balls, like our recent attempt at beeswax candles, is a project we’ve always wanted to try, and we decided to give softballs a whirl at the same time.

You can make soccer balls and softballs from a variety of materials for a number of different uses. A few ideas include:

Soft toys, made from fleece, felt or other faux fur, for babies or toddlers.

Pet toys made from sturdier fabrics to withstand rougher play.

Sachets made from delicate fabrics, with a potpourri pouch tucked inside.

Keepsake ornaments made using fabric pieces cut from old clothing (such as favorite children’s garments, old quilts, etc.)

Grown-up toys for sports fans, made in their favorite team colors.

Our samples are made of felt, but nearly any fabric will work, and you can use a sewing machine or make the balls into a take-along project to sew by hand. The hand-sewing method takes about 2 hours to complete one ball; the machine version is quicker.

We’ve included patterns that can be enlarged for both ball types (see photo), and you can use the photo of our samples as a visual guide for construction, in addition to the written instructions.

Soccer balls

Step 1: To make a soccer ball, begin by cutting 20 hexagons and 12 pentagons from your material. Cut one extra pentagon a little bit larger than the other 12 and set it aside.

Step 2: Decide whether you want the seams to be on the outside or the inside. Then, with a sewing machine or by hand, stitch five hexagons to one pentagon (1 to each of the five sides).

Step 3: Join the hexagons so you have a kind of five-petal “flower,” with the pentagon in the middle.

Step 4: At each inverted “v” around the edge (the point where two hexagons are joined), add a pentagon by stitching one side to each of the two hexagons.

Step 5: Add a hexagon between pentagons around the outside by stitching one side of each hexagon to a pentagon, one side to the hexagon in the previous round and one side to the next pentagon. You will have added another five hexagons.

Step 6: Add five more hexagons around in the same manner as Step 5.

Step 7: Add five pentagons around, stitching three sides to groups of three hexagons.

Step 8: Add the remaining five hexagons around to form a five-sided opening that will be closed by the remaining pentagon after filling the ball.

Step 9: Fill the ball very tightly with polyester fiber to form an evenly round ball.

Step 10: Stitch the remaining pentagon into place to close the stuffing hole. It’s best to do this by hand with the seam on the outside.

Step 11: When the hole is closed, take the extra, larger pentagon and use it to cover the final pentagon. Use a decorative stitch (such as satin, blanket, cross, etc.) around the edges to give it a nice finish.

Softballs

Step 1: To make a softball, cut two of the oblong shapes from your material.

Step 2: Fold one of the oblongs in half lengthwise and mark the center point at each end.

Step 3: Fold the other oblong in half with the two wide ends together and mark the center point on each side of the narrowest part.

Step 4: Decide whether you want the seam on the outside or the inside.

Step 5: Match the mid-point end of the first oblong to the mid-point of the second and, using a sewing machine or by hand, stitch the seam around, leaving an open space for stuffing.

Step 6: Stuff the ball very tightly with polyester fiber and close the opening by hand.

Note: While you can make the balls any size you desire, keep in mind that the smaller you get, the more difficult the sewing becomes. The pieces for our soccer balls are about 2 inches, plus or minus, and were easy to work with.

You can also make the narrow portion of the softball oblongs thinner. We made our pattern by tracing the lines on a ball that our dog plays with, but softballs we’ve looked at online seem to have a narrower center.

Contact Jonetta Coffin at jrocoffin@aol.com.