Saturday 11 August 2012

Felt Memory Game

A Felt Memory Game...or 'The Game of Same'.

I've seemingly only been watching the Olympics over the past while given the lack of updates, but I have been busy crafting behind the scenes, promise!

A long time ago, shortly after making Little Imp's eye spy quilt, I came across this beautiful felt memory game on the Purl Bee blog.  My idea was that one day I would make a similar felt game but one that could also be used for matching to pictures on her eye spy quilt. Then, about a month ago now, Little Imp suddenly started matching similar things and saying 'Same'.  It seemed that the time had come to do something about making my version - 'The Game of Same'.  Perhaps not quite as pretty as the Purl Bee version, but also much simpler & faster to do.  After all the cutting out, the sewing up was surprisingly fast.



Matching same-same cards to onto the quilt


 Basic How To
Materials needed (enough to make 20 pairs):
  • Felt (I found some felt much stiffer than others, the stiffer felt works better for this project)
  • Medium interfacing
  • Assorted print fabrics - for this project I used left over eye spy quilt scraps
  • Clear home made templates (helpful but not essential)
  • Cutting mat, ruler & rotary cutter

                                       

  • Measure & mark 40x  3 inch squares onto the felt & then cut out into pairs using scissors. Given my cutting & measuring skills are not perfect, I found keeping the pairs together to start meant they were matched better when I came to cut & stitch. 
  • Measure & mark 40x  2.5 inch squares onto the interfacing & cut out using scissors into individual squares.
  • Cut assorted print fabrics into 40x  2 inch squares, 2 of each fabric.  This is where a home made 2x2 inch clear plastic templates can be useful. Use them to work out which part or the best part of the design/print you will fit into a 2inch square before cutting.  Although each pair is from the same fabric, for this game I wasn't fussed the picture on each one wasn't exactly the same.  Nothing wrong with a bit of a Game of Same-Same challenge!
  • To make each single memory 'card' do the following:  Cut a felt pair of squares in half.  Centre a fabric print square on top of one felt square and centre an interfacing square underneath the felt.  

  • Machine stitch around the edge of the print fabric using a blanket stitch, catching the interfacing as you do so.  I didn't bother using pins, as long as the fabric print is centered, the interfacing doesn't have to be perfectly aligned.  Trim any interfacing closer than 1/4 inch from edge of felt.

  •  Place the other square of felt onto the back to cover over the interfacing and align & pin together. 

  • Machine stitch using straight stitch around the outside of the memory card. Trim if needed to neaten.
back & front of cards
  • Then make another card to get your first pair.  Repeat as many times as you like!
  • I also made a matching felt bag (of course!) to store The Game of Same.  Little Imp does like her game & for her age the game of matching cards to her quilt is just perfect!