Sushi icecream anyone?

Thankyou all for the great feedback on the new look- sorry if you've been enduring the black background and smaller pics for a while- but thanks for sticking around until I changed it! Now, would you like some icecream? Sushi flavour?

Or alternatively pistachio? Or some luxuriously rich, dark chocolate?


C's been totally getting into icecream this summer. He even asks for it for breakfast, but sadly for him we often don't have any in the house (wink wink). We got this book out of the library last week, which makes up for it's simple story with gorgeous watercolour and fabric collage illustrations. It got me thinking about making some icecreams out of fabric. So yesterday, further inspired by a vague recollection of a softie cone on Sooz's blog, I decided we should make some. It was super quick and easy, super satisfying (as all good icecream should be) and somewhat addictive. Being as I hadn't found a tutorial or pattern in the 10 seconds I spent scouring the internets, I decided to take some pics along the way to share.

Materials:
- A couple of scraps of fabric, about 15 to 20cm square (one for the cone, one for the scoop).
- Matching thread
- Some stuffing of some kind

Notes to read before you jump into ice cream making: 
I used some medium weight linen cotton mix for the cone, which probably needs to be a sturdier fabric than the scoop to keep its shape under the constant clutching by youngsters. Ironing on some interfacing to a lighter weight fabric would probably work well. Tea stained waffle weave cotton would be a great option too. For the scoop, have fun- go with your favorite flavours or something on the wild side.
For the stuffing, I made use of some quilt wadding offcuts- just cut them up into small bits (2-3cm) and stuff them in. Great way to use up every last scrap.
Mine are slightly larger than real life (HUGE according to C), so you could easily scale down the pattern by a 3 or 4cms here and there, which would probably be easier for little hands to clutch too.
This isn't a precision project!

To make:

1. Cut a quadrant shape from the cone fabric, with 15cm radius (straight edges). I used the ruler to mark the curve approximately.


2. See- a quadrant!


3. Cut a circular-ish shape from the scoop fabric, with 18cm diameter.


4. See, cone and scoop ready to sew.


5. Stitch the straight edges of the cone together, coming to a point at the corner, with a 6mm narrow seam allowance. With a long stitch length for easy gathering, stitch one row around the edge of the scoop, about 6mm from the edge. Pull the top threads to gather it up.


6. Pin the gathered edge of the scoop to the circular top of the cone fabric, with right sides together. The gathering doesn't need to be super even. Remembering to readjust your stitch length, and leaving a gap of about 5cm, stitch together just outside the gathering stitches so that they get hidden in the seam.


7. See, a neat little gap.


8. Admire your inside out, deflated cone.


9. If you feel like playing a little bit more (as I did) you can sew a few random tucks in the scoop to take out a little of the fullness,  and add a bit of wonk to the shape (According to the craft camp mantra- Embrace the Wonk -you know you want to).


10. Turn your ice cream right side out through the 5cm gap. I used an old chopstick to help turn the point. (Something I learned a long time ago- Don't use your scissors- you might make a hole).


11. Stuff it. Stuff your cone fairly firmly (it will be getting a lot of squeezing, believe me). Start with some small bits and use a chopstick (or other implement) to fill the tip of the cone and then carry on with larger bits until you think it's full enough.


12. Stitch the opening closed, using a whip stitch and easing in the scoop fullness by making little tucks or folds as you go.

13. Enjoy and make a few more if you want some for breakfast and morning tea too.