ITH Felt Penguin Treat Bags & Wreath on a Singer Futura: Clean Appliqué, Fast Repeats, and a Wreath That Actually Holds Together

If you’ve ever started an in-the-hoop (ITH) project and thought, “This is adorable… but if I have to re-hoop this twelve times, I’m going to lose my mind,” you’re exactly the right person for this penguin set.

In this project from Golden Needle Designs, you’ll stitch a felt penguin entirely in the hoop, then decide whether it becomes a treat bag (no stuffing) or a stuffed ornament (stuffing + hand close). After that, you’ll batch-make penguins and felt candy canes, then hot-glue everything into a wreath that’s cute and structurally sound.

The ITH Penguin Treat Bag on a Singer Futura: the “calm down, it’s just layers” primer

In-the-hoop (ITH) projects often induce a specific type of anxiety in beginners: the "Blind Box" fear. You simply can't see the structural engineering happening until the final seam runs. However, as an educator, I categorize this penguin project as a Level 1 Appliqué workflow—it removes the guesswork by relying on a classic rhythm: outline, place, tack, trim, and enclose.

The video demonstrates this on a Singer Futura using a standard 5x7 plastic hoop. The stack consists of tear-away stabilizer, a black felt base, and a white felt appliqué layer. The critical variable here—the one that usually causes frustration—is stability.

Felt is misleading. It looks solid, but under the improper tension of a plastic hoop, it can stretch and deform. When you finally release it, the felt "rebounds," causing your perfect circular belly to look like an oval. If you are planning a full wreath (requiring 8 to 12 identical penguins), this distortion multiplies. That mechanical reality is why professional studios eventually migrate to magnetic embroidery hoops for felt work. Unlike the friction-burn of plastic rings, magnetic systems clamp flat, preserving the felt's fiber structure and ensuring Penguin #12 looks identical to Penguin #1.

Materials for the felt penguin ITH file: what matters (and what you can swap safely)

Machine embroidery is 80% preparation and 20% stitching. From the video tutorial and industry best practices, here is your verified bill of materials. I have also added "Hidden Consumables"—items that aren't always listed but are essential for preserving your sanity.

Core Materials:

• Machine: Singer Futura (or any machine with a 5x7 field).
• Hoop: Standard 5x7 plastic hoop (or magnetic equivalent).
• Stabilizer: Medium-weight Tear-away (1.5 - 2.0 oz). Do not use Cut-away for this; it leaves bulky seams inside the treat bag.
• Fabric:
  • Black Craft Felt (Base layer + Backing layer). Pro Tip: Use stiffened felt for treat bags, soft felt for stuffed ornaments.
  • White Felt (Appliqué).
• Thread: 40wt Polyester embroidery thread (White, Black, Orange).
• Finishing: Polyester fiber fill, sewing needle, hot glue, bamboo skewer.

Hidden Consumables (The "Save Your Project" List):

• Painter’s Tape or Wash Away Tape: Essential for securing the backing felt under the hoop against gravity.
• Double-Curved Appliqué Scissors: Crucial for trimming inside the hoop without contorting your wrist.
• Replacement Needles: Size 75/11 Sharp (Ballpoint can push felt fibers apart; Sharps piece cleanly).

A quick expert note on material physics: Felt does not fray, making it the ITH winner. However, it is compressible. Your hooping method and stabilizer choice will appear in the final product as either "crisp, clean edges" or "wavy, distorted seams."

Prep Checklist (do this before you thread the first color)

• Check Space: Ensure your embroidery arm has clear clearance; the wreath pieces are small, but the arm travel is wide.
• Fabric Separation: Confirm you have black felt for the front and a separate black felt piece for the backing. The backing piece is "floating" material—do not hoop it initially.
• Appliqué Sizing: Cut your white felt appliqué piece 0.5 inches larger than the intended outline on all sides. Precision cutting happens after stitching, not before.
• Stabilizer Tension: Load tear-away stabilizer into the hoop. Tap it like a drum—it should sound taut but not strained.
• Goal Definition: Decide now: treat bag (no stuffing) or stuffed penguin (stuff + hand close). Mixing these up mid-batch leads to abandoned projects.
  

Hooping black felt + tear-away stabilizer: the “don’t let felt creep” setup that saves your edges

In the video, the black felt is hooped directly with the tear-away stabilizer. This is the foundation of your entire structure.

The "Hoop Burn" Risk: Experienced operators know that traditional inner/outer ring hoops apply shear force to fabric. With felt, this leaves a permanent shiny ring or "burn" mark that cannot be ironed out. To mitigate this with standard hoops, you must loosen the outer screw significantly, insert the inner hoop, and then tighten, rather than jamming it in.

This is where consistency fails most beginners. If you tighten Penguin #1 to "Drum Tight" but Penguin #2 is "Loose," your stitch registration will drift. If you are facing a production run of 20+ units (for wreaths or gifts), using a hooping station for machine embroidery can standardize this tension. A station holds the outer hoop static while you press the inner hoop and fabric down using consistent body weight, ensuring the felt is taut but never stretched to the breaking point.

Outline stitch + white felt appliqué placement: cover the line, then let the tack-down do its job

Operational Sequence:

1. Placement Stitch: Run Color #1 directly onto the black felt. This is your map.
2. The Pause: The machine will stop.
3. Placement: Lay the white felt over the stitched outline.

The Sensory Check: Before you hit "Start" for the tack-down stitch, run your fingers over the white felt. Do you feel the stitch ridges of the outline underneath? If you can feel a ridge at the very edge of your white felt, you are too close. The white felt must cover the outline by at least 5mm on all sides.

The tack-down stitch (Color #2) creates a perforated line. If your fabric is barely covering the edge, the needle will shred the very margin of the felt, and it will pull away later. Cover generous, trim later.

Trimming the white felt appliqué: clean curves without cutting stitches

After the tack-down, the machine stops again. Now comes the surgical part: trimming the excess white felt without snipping the black base or the stitches.

Safety & Technique:

Warning: Mechanical Hazard. If you are new to this, remove the hoop from the machine before trimming. Trimming while the hoop is attached puts your fingers dangerously close to the needle bar if you accidentally hit the start button, and the pressure of your hand can warp the pantograph arms.

The "Gliding" Technique: Do not chop. Use double-curved scissors. Rest the curve of the blade flat against the stabilizer/felt. Glide the scissors forward, making small snips.

• Audio Anchor: Listen for a crisp snip-snip. If you hear a gnawing or tearing sound, your scissors are dull or you are trying to cut too much fabric at once.

If you are doing a small production run, ergonomics become vital. Repeating this tight trimming motion twelve times leads to wrist fatigue. Statistics show that repetitive strain in embroidery comes from the wrestling match of re-hooping and trimming angles. Many shop owners pair a consistent workflow with a magnetic hooping station to speed up the "reset" phase, preserving their hand strength for this delicate trimming work where fine motor control is non-negotiable.

The backing felt trick (without unhooping): hide the bobbin side and build the pocket

This step transforms the project from a flat embroidery into a functioning object. You are about to create a sandwich.

The Floating Protocol:

1. Remove the hoop (or keep it on if you are experienced/daring).
2. Flip the hoop over. You are looking at the ugly bobbin threads.
3. Place your second piece of black felt over the back.
4. Crucial Step: Secure this backing felt with Painter's Tape or embroidery tape at the corners.
   • Why? As the hoop moves back onto the machine, gravity wants to peel this felt off, or fold a corner under. A folded corner on the underside will ruin the project and potentially jam the machine.

The Machine Check: Before sewing the final seam, ensure your embroidery foot is height-adjusted (if your machine allows). You effectively just doubled the material thickness. A foot set too low will drag the fabric and ruin registration.

Removing stabilizer + final cut-out: the 1/8-inch margin that keeps the penguin looking intentional

The stitching is done. Remove the hoop. Now, you must liberate the penguin.

The Tear-Away Sound: Grip the stabilizer near the stitches and pull. You should hear a sharp ripping sound similar to perforated paper. If the stabilizer stretches or fights you, support the stitches with your thumb to prevent popping the seam.

The Cutter’s Eye: The video tutorial highlights a subtle design choice: the 1/8 inch margin.

• Wrong: Cutting flush against the thread (risk of unraveling, looks flat).
• Right: Leaving a consistent 3mm (1/8") border of black felt. This acts like a cartoon outline, framing the character.

Detail Focus: Pay attention to the head opening. Do not cut straight across; mimic the curve of the head stitches. This small curve is the difference between "mass-manufactured" and "hand-crafted."

Treat bag vs stuffed penguin: choose the right finish so you don’t ruin the opening

This is your fork in the road.

• Path A: Treat Bag. Do nothing. You are done. The opening at the top remains accessible for candy.
• Path B: Stuffed Ornament.
  • The Stuffing Limit: Use polyester fiber fill. Use a chopstick or hemostat to push fluff into the corners (feet/flippers) first.
  • Sensory Anchor: Squeeze the penguin. It should feel like a marshmallow, not a rock. Over-stuffing stresses the felt seams and creates unsightly "puckering" holes where the black thread exposes the white fill.
    

Hand closing the opening: the thread-tail trick that stops “black whiskers” from showing

For the stuffed version, you must hand-sew the top shut. The tutorial offers a "Gold-Level" tip for hiding the knot.

The Burying Technique:

1. Stitch the opening closed (Ladder stitch is best for invisibility).
2. To <ins>finish</ins>, do not knot and cut right at the fabric surface. This leaves a tiny "whisker" that looks messy.
3. Instead: Make your knot, then insert the needle back into the felt right next to the knot.
4. Push the needle through the stuffing and bring it out an inch away.
5. Pull tight and snip the thread against the fabric. The tail will snap back inside the penguin, disappearing forever.

The result is a seamless finish with no visible mechanics.

Accessories with a hot glue gun: hats, scarves, props, and how to make them look like they’re being held

We now move from stitching to assembly. Felt is porous—it absorbs hot glue instantly.

Glue Strategy:

• Temperature: Use Low-Temp glue if possible. High-temp glue can melt synthetic felt or seep through to the front surface, creating hard dark spots.
• The "Holding" Illusion: To make the penguin look like it is gripping the candy cane or skis, you must create a specific anchor point. Glue the prop to the body first. Then, apply a tiny dot of glue to the inside tip of the wing and press it onto the prop. Without this second anchor, the prop looks like it is floating on top of the belly.

Warning: Hot glue burns are common here because the pieces are small. Use silicone finger guards or the tip of your "poker stick" to press pieces down, never your bare finger.

Making the felt candy canes: stuffing with a poker stick + ribbon stripes that don’t slide

The candy canes are structural elements for the wreath, not just decor.

Fabrication Workflow:

1. Stitch the outline, backing, and cut out (same process as the penguin).
2. Stuffing: The candy cane is narrow. A bamboo skewer is mandatory here. Stuff the hook part first, packing it tight to maintain the curve.
3. Striping: The video uses 1/8 inch red ribbon.
   • The Anchor: Glue the start of the ribbon at the bottom back.
   • The Spiral: Wind upward. Keep tension high so it bites into the soft felt slightly.
   • The Finish: Glue at the top back.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

Wreath assembly that doesn’t fall apart: feet corners first, then candy canes as structural bridges

Gravity is the enemy of wreaths. If you simply glue the penguins side-by-side, the wreath will ovalize or snap when hung.

The Bridge Engineering Method:

1. The Ring: Arrange the penguins face down in a circle. Glue the tips of their feet together. This is your primary linkage.
2. The Bracing: Glue the felt candy canes between the penguins. One end of the cane touches Penguin A's wing, the other touches Penguin B's wing/head.
3. Result: You are creating a truss structure. The candy canes absorb the tension, keeping the ring circular.
   
   
   
   
   

Setup Checklist (before you start batch-making penguins for a wreath)

• Unit Count: Calculate your total. A generic 12-inch wreath usually requires 8-10 penguins.
• Pre-Cut Batches: Cut 10 fronts, 10 backings, and 10 appliqués before turning on the machine.
• Bobbin Check: A full bobbin can usually do 4-5 penguins. Have pre-wound bobbins ready to swap instantly.
• Adhesive Prep: Tear off 20 strips of painter's tape and stick them to the edge of your table for rapid backing placement.
• Test Unit: Sew ONE complete penguin first to verify tension and cut margins before committing to the batch.

Felt + stabilizer decision tree: pick the cleanest combo before you commit to 12 repeats

Felt is generally forgiving, but environmental factors (humidity, brand of felt) change the rules. Use this logic tree to diagnose your setup:

The hidden prep that prevents ugly results: tension, handling, and “don’t fight the hoop” physics

The "Physics of the Hoop" is often ignored. A hoop is a clamp. Soft felt is a compressible foam.

If you clamp a compressible foam too hard (over-tightening the screw), you compress the fibers permanently. If you clamp too lightly, the push-pull of the embroidery stitches will distort the circle into an oval.

Mastering hooping for embroidery machine projects involves finding the "Goldilocks Zone"—tight enough to drum, loose enough not to crush. This is a skill built on muscle memory. However, when fatigue sets in around Penguin #7, muscle memory fails. This is often when operators see quality drop off.

Comment-driven reality check: “Where do I get the designs?” and why that matters for your workflow

Viewers often ask for the source file. The creator points to Golden Needle Designs.

Operational Reality: ITH files are not created equal. They are code. Some designers program tight tolerances (0.5mm), others loose (2mm). Stick to reputable designers. If you find a designer whose digitized paths match your machine's calibration, stick with them. Switching designers mid-wreath can result in penguins with slightly different belly proportions, ruining the symmetry of your set.

Productivity upgrades (without the hard sell): when magnetic hoops and multi-needle machines actually make sense

If you are a hobbyist making one ornament for a Christmas tree, the standard plastic hoop is perfectly adequate.

However, if you are making wreaths for sale (requiring 50+ penguins a season), your bottleneck is no longer stitch time—it is Hooping Time and Wrist Health. This is the commercial pivot point where professionals upgrade their toolkit:

1. The "Hoop Burn" Solver: If you are wasting money scrapping felt due to ugly hoop friction marks, a magnetic embroidery hoop pays for itself. The magnets clamp vertically without friction, leaving the felt pristine.
2. The Wrist Saver: If you dread the physical force needed to snap plastic hoops together 50 times a day, a hoopmaster style alignment system reduces the physical load to zero.
3. The Volume Scaler: If you are blocked because your single-needle machine requires a manual thread change for every beak and foot, upgrading to a multi-needle machine (like the SEWTECH series) allows you to set up 6 colors and walk away.

Warning: Magnetic Safety. Industrial embroidery magnets are extremely powerful. They can pinch skin severely causing blood blisters. Keep them away from pacemakers, ICDs, and magnetic storage media. Never let two magnets snap together without a separator.

Operation Checklist (the “no surprises” run-through for each penguin)

• Hoop: Black felt + Tear-away (Tautness check: Drum sound).
• Color 1: Stitch Outline.
• Action: Place White Felt (Check: Covers outline by 5mm?).
• Color 2: Stitch Tack-down.
• Action: Trim White Felt (Check: No cut stitches?).
• Color 3-X: Sew details (Eyes, beak).
• Action: Floating Backing (Check: Taped securely on the underside?).
• Final Color: Stitch Seam.
• Finish: Tear stabilizer -> Cut 1/8" margin -> Stuff -> Hand Close.

Quick troubleshooting: what to do when the finish looks “almost right”

The result: a wreath you can batch, sell, and ship without constant rework

This project is the perfect ambassador for In-The-Hoop embroidery: the machine handles the complex geometry, and your hands provide the finishing soul.

When you transition from making one to making twenty, remember that consistency is your product. Pre-cut your materials, stick to your checklists, and don't be afraid to upgrade your hoops if the "struggle" of plastic frames starts to steal your joy (and your profit margins). Happy stitching!

FAQ

• Q: How do I hoop black craft felt with medium tear-away stabilizer on a Singer Futura 5x7 hoop without stretching the felt and making the penguin belly turn oval?
  A: Hoop the stabilizer and felt taut but never pulled—felt rebounds after unhooping, and that rebound is what turns circles into ovals.
  • Action: Hoop medium tear-away stabilizer first, then add black felt and tighten the outer screw gradually (do not “yank-tight” the felt after tightening).
  • Action: Standardize the hooping pressure from penguin to penguin; a hooping station can help keep the tension consistent across batches.
  • Success check: Tap the hooped stabilizer like a drum—taut sound, but the felt surface looks flat (not stretched or rippled).
  • If it still fails: Stop hooping the felt directly and move to a magnetic embroidery hoop approach for felt to reduce drag and deformation.
• Q: How do I prevent hoop burn (shiny ring marks) on black felt when using a standard plastic 5x7 hoop on a Singer Futura ITH penguin project?
  A: Reduce friction and shear by loosening first, seating the hoop gently, then tightening—felt can get permanent shiny rings that do not iron out.
  • Action: Loosen the outer hoop screw more than you think you need, insert the inner hoop smoothly, then tighten only until secure.
  • Action: Keep hoop tension consistent across the whole batch so Penguin #12 matches Penguin #1.
  • Success check: After unhooping, the felt edge area shows no shiny ring and no crushed fiber “track.”
  • If it still fails: Consider switching to a magnetic embroidery hoop for felt work, since magnetic clamping is vertical and typically avoids friction marks.
• Q: On a Singer Futura ITH appliqué step, how large should the white felt appliqué be over the placement stitch to stop the tack-down stitch from shredding the edge?
  A: Cover the placement outline generously first, then trim after tack-down—do not try to pre-cut to the exact shape.
  • Action: Cut the white felt appliqué piece about 0.5 inches larger than the outline on all sides before stitching.
  • Action: After the placement stitch stops, lay the white felt so it fully covers the outline before running tack-down.
  • Success check: Before pressing Start, feel for the outline ridge—if the ridge is near the edge, the appliqué is too close; the outline should be covered by at least 5 mm.
  • If it still fails: Re-hoop tighter to reduce slippage, because outline-to-appliqué mismatch often comes from a hoop that is too loose.
• Q: What is the safest way to trim white felt appliqué inside the hoop on a Singer Futura ITH penguin without cutting stitches or risking finger injury near the needle bar?
  A: Remove the hoop from the machine to trim, and glide with double-curved appliqué scissors for controlled cuts.
  • Action: Take the hoop off the machine before trimming if there is any chance of accidentally hitting Start.
  • Action: Rest the curved blade against the stabilizer/felt and glide forward with small snips instead of “chopping.”
  • Success check: You hear a crisp “snip-snip” and see smooth curves with no nicks in the tack-down stitches.
  • If it still fails: Rotate the hoop (not the scissors) to keep a consistent cutting angle, and replace dull scissors that tear instead of slice.
• Q: How do I keep the floating backing felt from folding or getting caught during the final seam on a Singer Futura ITH penguin treat bag or stuffed ornament?
  A: Tape the backing felt at the corners on the underside before stitching—the fold usually happens when gravity peels the backing during re-mounting.
  • Action: Flip the hoop to the bobbin side, place the second black felt backing over the back, and secure corners with painter’s tape or embroidery tape.
  • Action: Before the final seam, confirm the embroidery foot height (if adjustable) because the project thickness just doubled.
  • Success check: The seam stitches through cleanly with no “missing” section and no felt corner stitched into the wrong place.
  • If it still fails: Add more tape coverage or use a temporary spray adhesive to hold the backing flat during hoop movement.
• Q: Why are white threads showing on black felt on a Singer Futura ITH penguin, and how do I fix the tension so the bobbin thread stops pulling to the top?
  A: This is usually top tension pulling bobbin thread upward—reduce top tension and match bobbin thread color when possible.
  • Action: Lower the top tension in small steps and re-run a test unit before continuing a batch.
  • Action: Use black bobbin thread on black felt to make any minor show-through less visible.
  • Success check: The black areas look solid with no white “peppering” or streaks on the surface stitches.
  • If it still fails: Check bobbin case tension with a tension gauge (or follow the machine manual), because inconsistent bobbin tension can override top-tension adjustments.
• Q: What are the safety risks of using industrial-strength magnetic embroidery hoops and how should magnetic hoop handling be done to avoid pinched skin and medical device hazards?
  A: Treat magnetic embroidery hoops like pinch hazards—keep hands clear, control magnet movement, and keep magnets away from pacemakers/ICDs and magnetic media.
  • Action: Separate and place magnets deliberately; never let two magnets snap together without a separator.
  • Action: Keep fingers out of the closing path when clamping fabric, because pinches can cause severe blood blisters.
  • Success check: Magnets close smoothly under control with no sudden snap and no shifting of the hooped material.
  • If it still fails: Stop and change the handling method (use a safer grip/sequence) before continuing—magnet pinch injuries happen fast, and the project is not worth the risk.
• Q: For batch-making 50+ ITH felt penguins for sale on a Singer Futura single-needle workflow, when should hooping time and quality issues trigger an upgrade from plastic hoops to magnetic hoops or from single-needle to a multi-needle machine?
  A: Upgrade only when the bottleneck is proven—first optimize technique, then reduce hooping friction/time, then scale thread-change capacity if volume demands it.
  • Action: Level 1 (Technique): Pre-cut fronts/backings/appliqués, pre-wind bobbins, and run one full test penguin to lock in tension and cut margins before batching.
  • Action: Level 2 (Tooling): Move to magnetic hoops if hoop burn, felt distortion, or re-hooping fatigue is causing scrap or inconsistent units.
  • Action: Level 3 (Capacity): Consider a multi-needle machine when manual thread changes (beak/feet/details) are the time blocker, not stitch speed.
  • Success check: Batch output stays consistent (Penguin #12 matches Penguin #1) and hooping no longer causes wrist strain or visible hoop marks.
  • If it still fails: Track where time is actually spent (hooping vs trimming vs thread changes) and upgrade the step that is measurably limiting throughput.