I Could Make That - Sad panda mask in appliqued fleece

You can use this technique for so many different things, really. My mom has decorated bags and blankets and hats, made Mardi Gras masks and even created a sort of fabric mural for her church’s Advent services with it. It will even feature on her contribution to this year’s Desert Bus Craft-Along. I’m planning to make use of the method in future doll making projects, and who knows where else. Remember that blank living room wall I keep complaining about? Maybe I need to go have a chat with the boyfriend…

What you’ll need:

fleece - black, white and a tiny bit of blue for the sad panda mask, or any other colours you desire for any other masks you want to make
thread to match all your fleece colours
sewable HeatNBond – it must be the sewable kind. You can get it from craft stores like Michael’s, and from fabric stores, for about $5 a package. It goes a fair way – mine has done 4 masks so far and there’s still half a package left.
fabric scissors
embroidery scissors or other small scissors with a very fine, sharp point
iron & ironing board
pressing cloth (to protect the fleece from the heat of the iron – an old teatowel or largish scrap of fabric will work fine. Just make sure the cloth doesn’t have dark colours whose dye might bleed)
sewing machine
pencil
permanent marker (if you are designing your own mask or mask template)
coloured markers or crayons (if you are designing your own mask or mask template)
ribbon (2 -3 feet)
[optional] beads, sequins, feathers or other decorations to add to your mask
sad panda mask template OR follow the instructions in Part 1 below to design your own. I’ve also posted my phoenix mask template. Read more