Mary's Needlecraft - Sectional Ball

How to make a sectional ball

Materials

A sectional ball requires three quarters of a yard of fabric in total. Obviously the quantity of each type of fabric required, will depend on the number of different fabrics you are going to use in the making of your sectional ball. The fabrics chosen should be strong, but not to thick. Very closely woven dress fabrics are best (e.g. cotton & polyester poplin). Other materials required, are thick paper(120 - 150 GSM). Fine thread to match fabric, natural button thread and polyester toy stuffing.

Templates

In order to make any patchwork object, it is first necessary to purchase or make yourself the necessary templates. A template is a piece of metal or cardboard which you will use to cut out pieces of fabric and paper. The making of a sectional ball requires four templates, two of each of the same type, but of different sizes. A right angled cone shaped template (type 1) and a maple leaf shaped template (type 2). The two templates can be what ever size you like. Just remember two things. The first is that the diagonal length of the cone shaped side of the type one template, must be the same as the end to end length of the type 2 template. The second being, that the smaller of the templates for each type, should be one quarter inch smaller, all round, then that of the larger template.

Fabric and Paper Cutting

Use the larger templates for the cutting of the fabric. When cutting your fabric, it is essential to cut all your fabric pieces making sure that the grain lines are on the straight grain of the fabric. Cut twenty four fabric pieces using the type 1 template, and twelve pieces of fabric using the type 2 template.

Use the smaller templates for the cutting of the papers. Once again cut twenty four pieces using the type 1 template and twelve pieces using the type 2 template.

Construction

Tack one piece of fabric to each piece of paper.
Arrange the pieces in to sets of three as in figure 1, and sew the pieces together as in figure 2. You should now have twelve triangular bags as in figure 3.
Take out papers, turn the bags right side out, and stuff. But not to firmly.
Sew together the open sides of the bags, where the stuffing went in, and arrange into groups of three.
Now for each group, stitch the upper corners of the bags together, very firmly as in figure 4. Then turn upside down to join their points together.
Join any two sections together very firmly as in figure 5, and then join the remaining two two sections together in the same manner. Having done this, now join the two halves together.
To finish off, cover all stitching with coloured stranded cotton in bright colours.

Diagrams * Templates