woebegone pines : a free sewing pattern

forlorn little tree

Woebegone pines, forlorn little trees who do not concern themselves with perfection.  These trees are all about heart and the particular magic that something made by hand possesses. I’ve made you a sewing pattern with three sizes: small – 3 inches,  medium – 4 inches,  and large – 6 inches (the little guy is my favorite). You can add a little trunk and base or just set them on their bottom. 

woebegone pines

mouse among the pines

And Woebegone Pines sounds like a lovely place – doesn’t it? A perfect spot for a mouse to take a stroll and think his wistful thoughts.

wobegone pines : materials

pattern notes:

The seam allowance is 1/4 inch. You could use a variety of fabrics – I’ve used cotton, linen. wool and felt – all worked well.

material list:

download the pdf pattern

  • fabric for the tree and scraps for patches
  • matching and contrasting  sewing thread ( I think cotton works best)
  • stuffing ( I like wool)
  • thin cotton batting (felt works as a substitute)
  • cardboard – corrugated and thin- a cereal box is good
  • pencil or disappearing fabric marker
  • sewing and embroidery needles
  • pins
  • chopstick for turning and stuffing
  • large bamboo skewer or similar pointy thing
  • paper and fabric scissors
  • wire cutters for snipping twigs
  • Elmer’s  glue
  • glue stick
  • twigs for trunks
  • bases – I used little wood discs and drilled holes myself.


wobegone pines : steps 1 and 2

1. Cut out the cardboard base and one or two squares of corrugated cardboard – smaller than the circle.

2. If you plan to add a trunk to your tree glue one of the corrugated pieces to the center of the circle. ( If you are making  the large tree glue two – one on top of the other).

wobegone pines : steps 3 and 4

3. Use a glue stick to attach  the circle to cotton batting and cut out.  Let the glued cardboard dry completely.

4.  Pin the tree and tree bottom patterns to a single layer of fabric – cut out one of each.

wobegone pines : steps 5 and 6

5. Fold the tree piece in half (right sides together) and mark the seam lines on the tree and circle. Stitch the seam –  marked in red. Leave the center of the seam open – about 1/3  of it – enough to fit the cardboard circle through later.

6. Snip the seam allowance at the top and bottom of the opening, fold over and press.

wobegone pines : steps 7 and 8

7. Stitch the tree bottom to the tree – matching the edges as you go. I don’t find it necessary to pin the circle for the little trees but I do for the largest.  Stitch all the way around – maintaining  a 1/4 inch seam allowance and making small, tight stitches.

8.  Clip little notches around the bottom – being careful not to snip your seam.

trees_9_10

9.  Snip the top corner of seam allowance off.

10. Use the chopstick to turn the tree right side out.

wobegone pines : steps 11 and 12

11. Use your exact knife to poke through the cardboard and batting – make two cuts – an X in the center.  Use a bamboo skewer and chopstick to enlarge the hole – just enough for your twig.

12.  I also used my exacto knife to taper the end of my twig – to make inserting it easier.  Check to make sure your twig fits and then remove it.

wobegone pines : steps 13 and 14

13.  Insert the cardboard – flannel side down. (If you are not adding a trunk skip steps 14 – 17 and I suggest putting a couple pennies inside the bottom before stuffing for weight -add the weight only if you are skipping the trunk).

14. Use a needle or pin to feel for the hole in the cardboard – mark the spot.

wobegone pines : steps 15 and 16

15.  Use your exacto knife to poke a hole for inserting the twig – couple little slits – just big enough.

16. Push in the twig.

wobegone pines : steps 17 and 18

17. Open up the tree and use a paintbrush to add a little glue to the twig and cardboard. If necessary use pins to keep the fabric away form the glue while it dries. Let the glue dry completely.

18. Stuff your tree.

wobegone pines : steps 19 and 20

19. Whip or ladder stitch your tree closed – I’m not worried about visible stitches on my forlorn little tree so I’m making no attempt to conceal them.

20. Use a large needle to move stuffing towards the bottom edge and anyplace else where you want to adjust the shape.

wobegone pines : steps 21 and 22

21. Add some patches and stitches for maximum woebegoneness.

22. And finally add a base – you could use spools or wood beads. I drilled holes in little disks and used the exacto  knife to taper the twig so it fits snuggly.

hello little tree

woebegone pines : a sewing pattern

the somewhat weekly newsletter

Do you get my free weekly-ish newsletter? There are tips and tricks, ideas, stuff to try, all the latest news and blogposts and extra stuff, just for subscribers, delivered mostly on Friday. Pretty much.


50 Comments

  1. Thank you for this! Trees are one of my favorite Christmas decorations. I love using all shapes, styles and sizes. Your tree is the sweetest looking thing and I will be making a whole forest of them. You are so sweet to make this a free pattern!

  2. Thanks Ann for the free pattern. I just love these little trees.

  3. THANK YOU!! So generous of you and such wonderful little trees. (I actually want to call them little fellas!)

  4. These are adorable. What a delightful gift … thanks so much, Ann!

  5. Awesome trees…will work on those today. Thank you for this free gift!

  6. Simone de Klerk

    Hello little lovely tree! Can’t wait to make one for Christmas!
    Thank you for sharing! Simply LoVe your work!

  7. Love, love, love! Thank you for this lovely tutorial, Ann. Woodland friends will happily wander and play amongst forlorn trees. Wishing you a merry Christmas.

  8. Love these! I’ve been adding a “different” miniature tree to my little snowmen/penguins and trees exhibit on my mantels each year, and was running out of new ideas for trees! I’ll definitely need to make one of these! And then maybe I’ll get that squirrel I started awhile back made …make some other critters with trees for a Spring mantel…hmmm!

  9. Nancy Schwickrath

    Thank you so much for the free tree pattern! I am working on my first one right now. I really needed a quiet holiday craft and these are perfect. Your generosity is much appreciated.

  10. These are adorable! Thanks for the pattern! Going now to dig through my scrap bag!

  11. Ann, thank you for this lovely holiday gift! It is also my birthday today, so I feel like I have hit the jackpot! I’m looking forward to some quiet sewing time by the fire and will be giving one sweet tree to a friend. Wishing you all the joys of the holidays!

  12. Thank you for sharing this! When i first saw yrees i thought i would like to try to make some-then read you posted-Merry Christmas!

  13. Thanks for the tree pattern. Hope to get some made for my mantle.

  14. Love these!! Thank you so much for doing the pattern. Looking forward to making a whole forest. Oh and by the way, I got two of the cutest little birdies at Anthropologie. It was so fun to see your name on them.

  15. Soooo lovely !!! thank you, will surely make some !

    Happy Holiday Season to you !!!

  16. Oh, these are so wonderful Ann! I plan on making my own little forest. Thank you for sharing this pattern. Happy Holidays to you.

  17. Thank you for a perfect Christmas stitching project…a woebegone forest of woebegone pines 🙂

    Merry Christmas!

    Beth

  18. Ohh this is so beautiful Ann! Thanks you so much for sharing! x

  19. Liz Van Buren

    Thanks Ann! Will make one for my Mr. Socks. Plus I need to make a mouse – completely forgot about him! So fun! xxoo

  20. Ann, How lovely of you to gift us with a little magic. I can’t wait to make a tiny forest…by a lake perhaps.
    Thank you

  21. Hello Ann,
    Season’s Greetings!
    I’m a new visitor! Thank you for this lovely free pattern! I hope I can make something as cute as your trees!
    Barbara x

  22. These are so charming, especially the little one – something about small things that has such appeal.
    I love the thoughtful and considered way you design and create, knowing there is good form and structure, and most especially the hand-stitching.
    Thank you so much for this generous gift!

  23. lovely, thanks so much Ann. You always make the loveliest things, and this is perfect timing for me – I had been pondering making trees… love, Claire x

  24. What a joy these are. Thank you your amazing instructions and pattern and generosity.
    Happy Holidays!

  25. Love your finished trees! The pattern looks so nice and symmetrical, and I can’t figure out how you get it to curve so cutely. It isn’t mentioned in the tutorial that I could find anyway. Thanks for any tips.

    • Hi Natalia- I use wool stuffing and I don’t stuff the tree to firmly if I’m looking for an irregular shape – I stuff lightly and shape with my fingers. The sculpt- ability is one of the many things I love about wool stuffing.

      • Thank you, Ann! I just saw your reply now. Very helpful. 🙂 I hope to make some of these this year.

  26. Thank you for the pattern to make such a delightful tree. Very generous!

  27. Liz Calais Louisiana

    Hi Ann,
    It’s me, Liz from Louisiana. Recall, I brought you a praline candy from New Orleans when I took your first class at Squam Lake a few years ago. I had so much fun and loved meeting you and working with you. A picture of me working in the workshop was posted on your website. OMG I was thrilled because I had been admiring your work for a long time since I first found you on the net.
    I’ve been holding a box to mail to you since returning home from Squam. The box holds a treasure that I thought you would enjoy. It’s dried okra from a gardener in my little hometown village. I think I saw your home address one time and then forgot where I saw it. If you email it to me please I have the package all ready to fedex.
    Also, I’m hopeful that you will create some more small woodland animals that I could make for the 2017 Parent-Grandparent-Student special luncheon at a tiny parochial elementary school in a historic country farmland town near my hometown. I’m the volunteer decorator of the school cafeteria for those special events. I do so with all natural items following a theme and making it a warm country style dining. Next Christmas my theme will be about Mary Engelbreit’s’ Mitten and animal story. I’m planning to make MANY woodland animals about 4-5″ and dressing them with sweaters and caps, building table-top log cabins and barns. MANY of the children live in the countryside and /or on animal and crop farms. I’m willing to purchase patterns and you could design them. I LOVE your work Liz

  28. ~ hi Ann,
    What a brilliant little collection of trees. My son’s name is Oren, which means tree, pine tree or laurel. I’m always on the lookout for tree inspirations. Thank you kindly for making it a free pattern. My wooden dolls have also requested a woebegone tree for their dollhouse. Perhaps they’ll write you a thank you letter, … (once I finish one for them !!) If I could, I’d purchase ALL of your Small Art Paintings. Each is a gem.
    Kindly, and so loving your art creations.
    Shell ~

  29. Love the little trees! They make me smile! Thank you for the pattern!

  30. Thank you so much – have shared the link to this wonderful pattern and for the mouse. I’ve made some toadstools, going to make the owls and next on the ever growing list, the trees and then a mouse!

  31. Thank you for such a lovely pattern. I had not properly stitched in years and on this snowy London day it was the most perfect thing for me. I think i may get addicted to these as I now have so many ideas for fabrics and embroidery swatches to combine to make more.

  32. Bonnie Totten

    Thank you again so very much. You are so talented! May you be blessed with good health this coming new year. Merry Christmas

  33. florence

    merci pour ces adorables petits sapins

  34. Je découvre votre site et j’avoue que j’adore ces petits sapins si simples à créer et tellement empli de charme.
    Merci pour ce partage.

  35. Inés Mardones RIOS

    Me gusta mucho lo que nos enseñan.
    De que país son ustedes.
    Mandan cosas a Chile, America del Sur.
    quiero comprar algún libro.

    Gracias
    inés

  36. Thanks for the sweet tree pattern….just what I need for making a little gift for friends!
    Happy Christmas!

  37. Love these and thank you!
    Seeing your creations is a joy for me. They are so artful and beautiful.

  38. […] Ann Wood Handmade very kindly shares her sewing pattern for “woebegone pines” on her website. (I love everything about her work!) I thought the little trees would be […]

Comments are closed.