Kimara's blog

It always amazes me how very different the same design can look in different colors or using different materials. We are going to share 2 different flowers, both using the same pattern, but because of the differences in materials, one out of cotton calico and on out of wool felt, different techniques are used for assembling them.

The first flower we are sharing is the Rolled Calico Flower. This is a simple flower to throw together, (really, truly, it is!) and can be used for all sorts of embellishments. Sew it directly on a garment, at the waistband or collar. Add a bar pin and you have a brooch. Sew it onto a barrette for a totally lovely look. I'm sure you can come up with many different uses for them. And because this one is made out of cotton fabric, it can be washed, so even your work-a-day clothes can don a bit of bling!

Directions for the Rolled Calico Flower can be found HERE or in our FREE Open Patterns. We will be adding the directions for the Rolled Felt Flower in a couple of days. If you have some ideas of ways to use the rolled flowers, please share! In the meantime... enjoy! 

For all of you sweethearts out there that link to our site, first off, we say thanks! In Blogdom, word of mouth is the "bestest" way for us to share our FREE Patterns with so many. Next, Michelle has just created two new buttons if you would like to include our button link on your site. I LOVE LOVE LOVE them! They totally have the feel of our blog's new layout, and I'm excited that we can now share them with you. The "old" buttons are still available if you prefer them, but we now have two "official" Wee Folk Art buttons showcasing our gnome and the the mushroom. Hope you love the new buttons as much as I do. (Aren't they adorable?)

A couple of weeks ago we featured our Mouse Bookmark. At that time we asked for other animal suggestions. Our first responder was Harley and she said her favorite animal was the koala. Well, we took that suggestion and made a Koala Bookmark. Although we often see pictures of koalas hanging onto tree trunks, we took a little creative license and had this little cutey hug a vine. Hmmm... wonder if there is a variety of eucalyptus vine... Anyway... the vine lends itself well to a bookmark. If you'd like to make one of these little guys for yourself, get your directions for the Koala Bookmark HERE or in our FREE Open Pattern Section. BTW... Although the book our koala is reading is NOT a book about Down Under, I thought A Year Down Yonder, was way too tempting to pass up! Enjoy!

NOTE: As hard as this may be to believe, I did not have any light gray wool felt so I used acrylic felt for this project. I haven't worked with acrylic felt in a long time... and with good reason! To be very honest I'm not sure how this little guy will hold up to repeated usage. Definitely, if you have wool felt, use it for this project!

Just wanted to take a minute to share some of the projects that Michelle and I have planned. To begin with, check back later in the day. I promised a new animal bookmark, and we have a cutey to share! I just need the add a few finishing touches and it will be good to go!

One of my projects while we were on our Staycation was reorganizing my work spaces. Let's face it... when it comes to crafting areas, we are all voyeurs! We all like to get a glimpse at the nooks and crannies that support our creative juices. Over the next week, tucked in here and there, I will be sharing my crafting areas. Above are pics of an attic closest... with the before and afters. The first photo is quite scary!

And, finally... We get lots of emails asking for tips on working with felt. After answering many such inquiries, we decided to run an on-line class... Let's call it "Felt 101" sharing tips and techniques for working with felt. It will be a 5 week "course" including topics like selecting materials, cutting tips, stitching tricks, etc. That will begin in September. Do you have a question about working with felt? Just leave a comment here and we'll be sure to get it answered for you.

Have a wonderful weekend and check back later for our new bookmarker!

Back in March 2009 we featured a pattern for Felt Contour Clip Barrettes. I personally love these barrettes and have had some since the 70s... true story! Anyway, I was delighted that the winner of our Birthday Give-Away picked these, because it not only gave me a chance to make some, but to create a few more designs.

So, here is our latest addition to the Contour Barrettes. I have gone back and made a few tweaks to the original directions so if you've made these in the past, you might want to revisit the site. I am including the pattern for our Additional Contour Clip Barrettes HERE, but refer to the original directions for the Contour Clip Barrettes found HERE, for the basics and pictures.

Just a couple notes about these barrettes. All the appliques are done before the fronts and backs are sewn together. When appliqueing remember you will need to blanket stitch the front to the back, so keep the applique stitching away from the edges. Refer to the pattern and pictures below for additional directions and clarification. Enjoy!