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Area 49

This guide provides information on how to use technology within Area 49, as well as guides for digital technologies and physical projects. Area 49 is available for use by all current students, faculty, and staff.

Recovery Buddies

Follow these instructions to make a fabric friend for encouragement and support. 

You Will Need

  • 2 Pieces of Fabric - for the outside of your buddy
  • Cardboard Template - to trace on fabric pieces
    • Don't like any of the template? Make your own! Recovery Buddies can be any shape.
  • Fabric Scraps - to stuff your buddy with
  • Needle and Thread

If you'd like your buddy to be a keychain or bag ornament, you'll also need

  • Keyring or Clip 
  • 2 inch Piece of Ribbon

Cutting Your Fabric Pieces

  1. Trace Side 1 of the buddy pattern on the wrong side of your fabric. 
  2. Trace Side 2 of the buddy pattern on the wrong side of your fabric. 
  3. Cut out both so you have two matching pieces. 

  4. Decide if you'd like to see your stitches or not and follow the corresponding directions below.

Sewing Instructions for Visible Stitches

  1. With the wrong sides of the fabric facing together, pin/clip the two body pieces so that they line up on top of each other.
  2. If you are making your buddy a keychain or bag charm add the ribbon and keyring/clip.
    1. Put your ribbon through your keyring/clip and sandwich both end of the ribbon between your two fabric pieced.
    2. Pin/clip the ribbon in place. The ribbon and keyring/clip should be visible off the top of your buddy. 
  3. Stitch around your fabric using a whipstitch. Be sure each stitch goes through both piece of fabric. Leave an opening at the bottom of your buddy.
    1. Don't know how to do a whip stitch? Check out our Hand Sewing page for tutorials. 
  4. Fill your buddy with fabric scraps.
  5. Finish showing the final part of your buddy with the same stitch. 

Sewing Instructions for Not Visible Stitches

  1. With the right sides of the fabric facing together, pin/clip the two body pieces so that they line up on top of each other.
  2. If you are making your buddy a keychain or bag charm add the ribbon and keyring/clip.
    1. Put your ribbon through your keyring/clip and sandwich both ends of the ribbon between your two fabric pieces near the top of your buddy.
    2. Pin/clip the ribbon in place. You shouldn't be able to see the ribbon and keyring/clip.
  3. Sew around your fabric, about .25 in from the edge, using a running stitch or a back stitch. Be sure each stitch goes through both piece of fabric. Leave an opening at the bottom of your buddy.
    1. Don't know how to do a running stitch or back stitch? Check out our Hand Sewing page for tutorials.
  4. Turn your buddy inside out.
  5. Fill your buddy with fabric scraps.
  6. Use a ladder stitch to close the remaining hole.
    1. Don't know how to do a ladder stitch? Check out our Hand Sewing page for tutorials.

Add a Face

If you'd like your buddy to have a face, follow these easy steps.

  1. Cut out eyes, a mouth, or other features from fabric or yarn. You can use any colors you want.
  2. Use fabric glue to glue these pieces to your buddy's face.
  3. Be sure to let the glue dry fully.