Fabric children's blocks

  

I love these squishy foam blocks as toys for little hands to play with. I have given something similar as gifts in the past and have now taken up making them myself. My initial attempt was not very successful, partly because I bought styrofoam cubes not cushion foam (will blame baby brain for that one) and partly because the instructions I had did not give any measurements, so my first, sad little 'Ruby' cube was unpicked and re-sewn I think 5 times and still looks a bit ragged but I am sure our little cherub won't mind. I have also started adding little bells into the blocks, which helps stimulate another of the wee ones senses when playing with them.

So here is how I go about throwing one of these cubes together. 

You will need:

• Foam cube (I use 10cm x 10cm, and the lovely chap at the foam shop cuts them to size for me)
• 6 different fabrics cut into 10cm x 10cm squares, or whatever size your foam is
• Needle and thread
• Fusible interface

1. Start by cutting your fabric squares. To personalise the block, I like to put the child's name on the blocks if I can (short names fit in one square, or I do 1 letter per square if 6 letters) so I trace their name onto fusible interface and cut it our of fabric to iron on. If you choose to do this, the fusible interface goes onto the back of the fabric so trace the letters inverted so they are backwards on the back of the fabric and the right way round on the right side (see below). I have also done ABC, numbers, and traced around cookie cutters for other shapes stick on to make the cube more interesting but you might just use lovely fabric and leave it plain.  
2. Once you have prepared your squares, start by taking two squares and lying them patterned sides together, and sew together along one edge, leaving about 8mm seam. (Don't worry that it won't fit with the block and squares the same size, it just makes for a nice snug fitting cover) 

3. Continue sewing the squares together to form a 'T' shape. 

4. Flip it over and give it a good press.

    5. Continue sewing the remaining sides together (inside out)  to form a cube

    leaving one side of one square unstitched. Pull the fabric out through the open side to right way out.

6. The next step is inserting the foam cube, and if you decide to put a bell in to the block do that
    now. I just use small embroidery scissors to cut a small slit about half an inch wide down halfway in
    to the cube. Then poke your finger in to stretch it out a bit and push a bell down into the hole. The    
    bells I had were only 12mm and the foam can dull the noise so I put in 3 of them which gave an
    effect I was happy with.

 

To put the foam in, just screw it up in a ball and shove it in, then just straighten the fabric around the block as it pops back into shape. 

7. To finish your cube, hand sew the last seam closed using a drawing stitch if you can do one, I can not so just did the best I could...

...and you are done.

Enjoy! 

xx