What’s in a name? Well, I guess it depends which side of the pond you are on. American’s call these little gathered circles Yo-Yo’s (and it’s easy to see why), whereas we Brits refer to them as Suffolk Puffs.
In the sewing world, a Suffolk Puff (or Yo-Yo) is simply a circle of fabric which is gathered around the edge so that it turns in on itself in a ‘puffy’ kind of way. The technique has a long history and references to ‘puffs’ appear as far back as 1601. It is thought that they originated in the county of Suffolk when people would re-cycle worn out clothes and fabric scraps. Very often the puffs would be sewn together to make quilts.
At my sewing group this week I spent the afternoon chatting with my lovely stitching buddies, eating far too many chocolate biscuits and making a whole bunch of these little cuties.
(Confession: Some puffs are not featured in this photo due to the accidental smudging with chocolate :) )
I will admit that I’ve got a bit of an obsession with these wonderful little fabric flowers at the moment – I can’t stop making them, they’re so pretty! Best of all, they are super quick and simple to make – even kids and total beginners can master them with ease. Want to know how to make one? Easy peasy ……
1. Make two circular templates from card about twice the size that you want your puff to be. My circles were about 3½” and 2½” in diameter.
2. Draw around the templates on to the wrong side of your chosen fabrics and cut them out on the drawn line.
4. Tie a knot in your thread and sew a running stitch all around the circle quite close to the edge.
5. Pull the thread to gather the fabric into the middle.
6. Flatten the puff between your finger and thumb and secure the centre with a knot.
6. Lay one puff on top of the other and secure with a couple of stitches. Attach a pretty button and your done!
You can now use these simple puffs to adorn all manner of things. Try attaching a brooch pin to the back, sew them on to a hair clip or cover a whole cushion with them…. the list is endless! I’ll be showing you what I did with mine in a later post, but until then go puff crazy!
Happy stitching!
Hi I have been looking for a suffolk puff clown pattern for a long time with out any luck! Can you help please?
Is this the sort of thing you are looking for? http://sewing.about.com/od/sewingforbabychildren/ss/yoyoclown.htm
Hi, I was looking for instructions on making a puff clown doll (I made one at school years ago) and just wanted to refresh my memory, and then saw your blog and photos and gave me another idea, thank you so much for sharing :-) lovely website – take no notice of negative comments :-)
These Yo-Yos brings me back to childhood memories of my Aunt who loved making these and I was intrigued watching her make them.
These are soooo cute and so easy to make too. Thank you for sharing ur talents with us. Just happened to bump into your blog and it’s really inspiring, I must say. Love.
Thanks for sharing your projects, they sure are gorgeous. Congratulations.
Thank you for your kind words. Happy stitching xx
I have to admit, I’ve been sewing for years and have never attempted to make one of these cuties. I’m completely enamored by them now and will try my hand at them today for some coffee cozies I’m making.Thank you for putting this tutorial together in a delightful and simple manner, your pictures are beautiful.
I didnt have a clue how to do these as a newbie sewer. Just what I needed to adorn the sewing cover I’ve made for my machine. Thank you.
Thank you for taking the time to let me know that you found this wee tutorial useful Sonya. Lovely to know that you have discovered the fun and creativity of sewing too! :) x
we knew how to this.. show us something new and unusual…
Thank you for your comment Maurine. It’s really great that you know how to make Suffolk Puffs :) However, there are lots of people who don’t. I was one of those people until a few months ago and I have been quilting and sewing for about 14 years! There are more intricate and demanding projects on here for the more experienced, but I will always try to offer some inspiration for the beginner too.
I love these little puffs….along with the little hexie’s. The flowers are so adorable. Cannot wait to get started!
You’ve inspired me to try one of these, it’s been years since my sewing kit was out but I thought I could do something simple,well my puffs didn’t quite come out as lovely as yours, but not to be beaten, tried again, 1 out 3 wasn’t bad. LOL
Oh, I am so pleased you are giving it a go Kathleen! But, watch out – those wee puffs can be addictive! Have fun :) x
Really pretty!
Thank you! X
Those are very pretty buttons ,I like it .
Thank you Madeleine x