Fishing

I made this game for Daan's children.

If you want to make one too, you'll need:

- a few pieces of colourful felt;
- a sewing machine or a lot of patience (if you sew them by hand);
- fabric scissors and normal scissors;
- filling material (fiberfill);
- pins;
- a needle;
- small but powerful magnets (without covers);
- thread in contrasting colours;
- a stick;
- a string of wool;
- a small piece of adhesive plastic;
- super glue;
- embroidery thread (optional);
- buttons (optional).

Here are the silhouettes I used. Cut the paper forms out with your normal scissors. Pin the fish bodies to  two pieces of felt and cut them out with your fabric scissors.

This way you get a back and a front which are perfectly similar. The sewing will be easier if you cut them out large (after the stitching you can cut of the excess felt).

For the upper and under fins you need only one piece. The side fins and eyes are in pairs.

Sew the eyes (small circles of a different colour felt or just a cross with embroidery thread or a button) and the fins on the front and back pieces. These small details you can sew by hand.

Pin the fish bodies together with the right sides out (i.e. the sides with the eyes and fins on). If you want an upper or under fin, pin it in between the front and back piece. Stitch along the seam almost around. I like using a contrasting colour of thread, but of course you could use a similar colour if you prefer it that way.

To turn your fabric (to change direction or to make a round line) leave the needle in the lowest position (i.e. inside your fabric). Then raise the pressure foot, pivot your fabric in the wanted position, lower your pressure foot and continue stitching. On one fish I do this about ten times.
Leave an opening of 7-8 cm. *Use a needle to pull the threads through the fish to one side, tie them off and use a needle to pull them into the inside of the fish. This way the loose ends won't be visible.*

Fill the fish with fiberfill and place a magnet in the middle. Carefully place it back under the pressure foot and stitch the opening close. Repeat this part **.

The great thing about felt is that it's so easy to work with. It doens't fray, so you don't need to finish the edges. The last part in completing the fish is simply cutting of the excess felt.

For the fishing line you attach a string of wool to a magnet with super glue. If you want to, you can make it look nicer by wrapping it in adhesive plastic.

Then simply tie the string to a stick and you're ready to start fishing.