Kimara's blog

Hopefully you won't find this spider going up your water spout! I designed this applique because Bug wanted more bugs in his life :) When we were making stamps for our Letterboxing Nature Journals, Bug wanted something that "boys like". He was quite smitten with the spider, and since that time, this spider has appeared many places. It was designed to fit a 6" x 6" block but can be enlarged or reduced to meet your needs. For tips on cutting out felt, check out our blog post HERE. The pattern for this spider can be found HERE. Enjoy!

DIRECTIONS - Refer to pattern and photo for applique placements and cutting instructions.

Make a copy of the pattern.

Cut out felt using the pattern. Transfer any embroidery markings.

Using a running stitch, sew legs and body to block using 2 strands floss.

Using a running stitch, sew back marking to spider's body using 2 strands floss.

French knot eyes to body using 6 strands floss.

Using a stem stitch, embroider web using 6 strands floss.

http://www.weefolkart.com
Copyright © Wee Folk Art 2008 - 2012. All rights reserved.

All photos, text and patterns are copyright protected. You may not copy, reproduce or redistribute any material found on WeeFolkArt.com without written permission. Wee Folk Art retains all rights. Read our FAQs found HERE for specifics or contact us at weefolkart@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Patterns may be used for personal use only. If you are interested in obtaining a Cottage Industry License so you can sell items made from our patterns, information can be found HERE.
 

PHOTO: 3-1-2010

Michelle and I will be off for several days as we head to the Thousand Islands Region of Alexandria Bay, New York. My son Adam, and his lovely fiancee, Raewyn, are getting married! YAY! Just like Adam and Raewyn, their wedding plans are truly unique, and we are looking forward to several days in a beautiful part of the country, lots of family time, an epic wedding, and at the end of the weekend, I'll have a new daughter-in-law. What could be better?

We will return next week with lots of photos and stories I'm sure!  

Although snails might not be welcomed visitors in your garden, they are certainly a sign of summer! And, if they are not ravishing your tender young plants, they are cute as... well, cute as a bug's ear :) I know the wee ones are fascinated with snails, and the geek in me always marvels at the the mathematical formula, The Fibonacci sequence, that is visible in the spiral in a snail's shell. [Want to know more about the Fibonacci sequence... and who doesn't... you can find info on it HERE. BTW... when I can't sleep at night, I often do the addition for the Fibonacci sequence... strange but true!]

ANYWAY... Fibonacci aside, I made this sweet little snail to fit a 6" x 6" block but it can be enlarged or reduced to meet your needs. Check out our tips for cutting out felt HERE. The pattern for our Snail Applique Block can be found HERE. Enjoy!

Next week we will share a project using our lovely little snail, just in time for your summer nature walks :)

DIRECTIONS:
Cut out felt. 

Sew grass to block. Use a blanket stitch and 3 strands of floss across the top of the grass and a running stitch and 2 strands of floss for sides and bottom.

Pin shell in place. Tuck the tail and head under the shell to the dotted lines. Sew on head and tail using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss.

Sew shell to block using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of floss around the outside edge of the shell and a running stitch and 2 strands of floss along the bottom of the shell.

Add detail to the shell using a stem stitch for the spiral and straight stitches for the lines. Use 6 strands of floss for both.

Using 6 strands of floss, add antennas and eyes.  Use a stem stitch for the curves and a French knot on the ends and eye.

Using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss, sew leaf to block. Add vein using a stem stitch and 6 strands of floss.

For each flower, position an outer circle on the grass using the pattern as a guide. Place an inner circle on top of the outer circle. Using a straight stitch, sew the buds to the block using 6 strands of floss. The stitching should just overlap the inner circle. Make 5 straight stitches. These stitches do not need to be evenly spaced. They should be slightly askew. Refer to photo.

Using a stem stitch, embroider flower stems and leaves using 6 strands of floss.

http://www.weefolkart.com
Copyright © Wee Folk Art 2008 - 2012. All rights reserved.

All photos, text and patterns are copyright protected. You may not copy, reproduce or redistribute any material found on WeeFolkArt.com without written permission. Wee Folk Art retains all rights. Read our FAQs found HERE for specifics or contact us at weefolkart@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Patterns may be used for personal use only. If you are interested in obtaining a Cottage Industry License so you can sell items made from our patterns, information can be found HERE.

If you happened to miss it, my DIL Meghan is pregnant with baby number 2. She is due August 31. So... the Little Lady will be a BIG sister to her brother, the Little Guy :) Now that I've managed to make some time for myself, I've set to work making some special things for LG. 

A while back, I asked for help coming up with an awesome afghan to knit. Little Lady's was so spectacular, I wanted to make sure Little Guys was equally unique. 

I got some wonderful suggestions, many of which I've bookmarked for future projects. After talking to Meghan, however, we decided to use the same pattern to make Little Guys blankie. Meghan wanted them to be the same, just different colors. So, I picked colors that I thought would "dudeify" the blankie, but still keep it fun. I was really happy with how it turned out!

I used colors from the Vanna's Choice collection from Lion Brand Yarn. It is 100% acrylic and will launder easily! The pattern came out of my very favorite book for children's knits, Fairy Tale Knits. I find it is my go to book for interesting knits.

Now I have 1 project done and am ready to move on to the next. I want to knit a sweater for Little Guy. Let me know if you have a favorite go to infant sweater :)

EDIT: Yesterday a friend was over and shared a knitting book she had gotten from the library. She looked at one of the hat patterns and said "That reminds me of that kid's story about the peddler with the hats." Of course, I had to show her the toy I made a couple years ago. I haven't thought much about it lately, and decided it might be a great time to share again on Wee Folk Art. It has become one of the most beloved toys at Gammy's :)

"Once there was a peddler who sold caps. But he was not like an ordinary peddler, carrying his wares on his back. He carried them on top of his head." So begins the tale of Caps for Sale, the lovely story of an unorthodox peddler and a tree full of pesky monkeys! Written and illustrated by Russian author Esphyr Slobodkina in 1940, it has remained a favorite amongst children for generations. I can remember when my kindergarten teacher read this book to our class. I immediately feel in love and have reread it many times over the years. Although the list is long and mighty, I can honestly say, this was my very favorite book as a child. Why? 

I loved the absurdity of the book; a man balancing 17 caps on his head, monkey's in trees wearing hats, and the interplay between man and monkey! 

I also was empathetic to the peddler's loss. Can you imagine losing your wares to a bunch of renegade monkeys!  
 

Well, far be it from me to give away the end of the story, suffice to say, I've always been a sap for an "all's well that ends well" read. As a bit of an aside... the peddler's frustrated, and sometimes angry exclamation of, "You monkeys, you", became a favorite exclamation of mine as I was raising my children, although mine was uttered playfully, and usually followed by... "Move it, monkeys!"

Caps for Sale is a perfect story for children to act out. The plot is simple, and if you reduce the number of monkeys, the cast is small. To that end, I have crafted a set of characters and props to help your children extend the story to their own imaginative play. 

Met the peddler. Ready to take a little rest under a shady tree.

Met the monkeys. Ready for a little mischief and mayhem.

Feel the frustration of the peddler, bested by the monkeys!

 

And, feel the exhilaration brought on by an unlikely turn of events!

The directions on how to create your own Caps for Sale storybook characters can be found HERE. The directions for making the Autumn Tree can be found HERE. Enjoy!