Book excerpt: Bring The Wind in the Willows to life with beginner-friendly sewing patterns for felt animals. Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows is a classic that has entertained adults and children alike for over a hundred years. Characters such as Ratty, Mole, Badger and the irrepressible Mr Toad, have influenced children’s stories ever since. This book instructs you in the joyful craft of hand-stitching wool felt animals, made posable thanks to interior wire armatures. It will teach you basic sewing and the specialized techniques required to create these charming felt friends that will provide hours of play. The book includes five key characters from the classic Kenneth Grahame tale, with interchangeable clothing, accessories, and a few small furniture pieces. Interwoven throughout the book, a collection of magical photographs and quotes from the original book highlight the animals and their accessories in natural settings to spark the imaginations as you create. This book will transport you to a light-hearted, creative world of charming wool felt animals, imagination and mindful hand-stitching. Through its pages, you can explore your stitching practice while letting your storytelling thoughts wonder. This book will inspire beginners and delight experienced makers with its designs. While creating enchanting felt animals, you will learn to enjoy every stitch from beginning to end, no matter your level of experience, with detailed illustrations, full-size patterns and step-by-step instructions for each project.