Felt & Felting

Spring has sprung! The trees are flowering, and the baby birds are bouncing around the yard looking for yummies! Just imagine the fun you can have with this little "FunScape" applique. Designed to fit a 6" x 6" block, it can be reduced or enlarged to meet your needs. Michelle REALLY enlarged this block and painted a mural in Pixie and Fairy's room. The pattern for the Bitty Birdie Applique Block can be found HERE. Enjoy :)

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

Use 6 strand embroidery floss.

Make a copy of the pattern.

Cut out felt using pattern as a guide. Note: On the pattern there is only an extra pattern piece for the beak since part of the beak is obscured by the body. The rest of the pieces can be cut from the Funscape.

Using a blanket stitch on the top and a running stitch along the 2 sides and bottom, sew grass to block using 3 strands.

Using a blanket stitch, sew cloud to block using 3 strands.

Using a running stitch, sew trunk to block using 2 strands.

Position bird on block. Using a running stitch, sew beak to block using 2 strands. The beak should be behind the bird.

Using a blanket stitch, sew bird to block using 3 strands.

Using a stem stitch, embroider tree branches using 6 strands.

For each bud, position an outer circle at the end of each branch, overlapping the branch by 1/2". Place an inner circle on top of the outer circle. Using a straight stitch, sew the buds to the block using 6 strands. 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.

Add the 2 flowers to the block in the manner described above using 6 strands.

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

Using a stem stitch, add wing to bird using 6 strands white and add legs using 6 strands.

French knot eye using 6 strands.

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.

 
NOTE: Kits for this project will be available in our shop Monday, 4-23-12 :)

[We took one of our favorite patterns and made it lovelier by adding more embroidery. I love the end results!]

If Fairy Dust is sprinkled on a flower as the last dew of morning evaporates, something magical happens... a Flower Fairy is born! If you are lucky enough to have Flower Fairies in your garden, then you already know that all of your plants seem to grow a little lovelier and their blooms seem to last a little longer… as if by magic!
 
Now, you can bring that magic indoors by crafting your own Flower Fairies. Long known to be great friends with the gnomes and woodland creatures, your Flower Fairies will easily join in the merry making with the rest of your wee folk.
 
Our Mother Flower Fairy measures 2 ½” (6.5cm) and the Baby Bud is 1 ¾” (4.5) tall.

To make your own you will need:

Flower Fairy and Bud Kit from Wee Folk Art's Market Place [Available April 23]

Note: Kit includes 100% wool felt, cotton embroidery floss, an adult and child wooden peg and directions. To finish the project you will need crafting glue, embroidery needles and disappearing marker. Occasionally, you'll need fine sandpaper to smooth bottom of pegs so they stand straight.

~OR~

Materials:
1 adult and 1 child wooden peg
100% wool felt in a light and medium color (pictured: peach and orange) and green
100% cotton 6 ply cotton embroidery floss to coordinate with each felt and a dark floss in the same color family as the light and medium color felts (pictured: rust).
beeswax finish (optional)
sandpaper (optional)
disappearing marker
pattern

Note: All materials used should be non toxic and child safe.
 
MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN WEE FOLK ART'S MARKET PLACE: [available April 23]
Flower Fairy and Bud Kit
Crafting glue
Embroidery Needles
Beeswax finish (optional)
Sandpaper, fine grade (optional)

Note: The tutorial features the Orange Flower Fairy and Bud. Visit Wee Folk Art's Shop to discover all the different color options!

IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING: The Baby Buds are small and considered a choke hazard. Although generally it is recommended that small parts should not be given to children under 3 years of age, we highly recommended you do not give small parts to any child that still puts toys in their mouth, no matter how old they are!

IMPORTANT: There can be significant variations in the sizes of the wooden pegs even from the same manufacture and even in the same shipment! Before cutting the body wraps out of felt, cut the pieces out of paper, and "try them on" your wooden pegs. Make adjustments to the paper pattern before cutting out your felt.

 
Directions:

Make copy of Pattern and cut out the felt as follows:

Light color - flower petals, small cap, small body wrap
Medium color - brimmed hat, large body wrap
Green - large and small leaves

Check out Tips for Cutting Out Felt.

 
FLOWER FAIRY:
Check the pegs to make sure the bottoms are even and stands securely. Occasionally, a little nub may remain on the bottom of a peg. If it does, simple sand off with a small piece of sandpaper or nail file.

Recently, I've started finishing the exposed parts of the wooden pegs with a beeswax polish. I love the rich look it gives the wood. I do not finish the area that will be glued. I do the head, shoulder and base. I use a small, hard bristle paint brush to get in the neck. This is an optional step. BTW... you will notice half my pictures have finished wood and the other half do not.

Wrapping the peg:
Glue body wrap to wooden peg. The seam will be the back of the fairy.

Flower Petal:

Embroider along the edge of the flower petals using a blanket stitch and 2 strands of dark orange floss (a).

Sew the two short sides of the petal together using a whip stitch and 2 strands of light orange floss (b). Sew a running stitch along the upper edge of the petal piece using 2 strands of light orange floss (b). Start and stop at the back seam. Gently gather the stitches until the petals fit snuggly around the fairy’s neck. Tie off the thread and from the inside tack the petal to the body tube near the neck. This will prevent the petals from turning.

Leaves:
Just like the flower petals, embroider along the edge of the large leaves using a blanket stitch and 2 strands of green floss (c). Sew the two short sides of the leaves together using a whip stitch and 2 strands of green floss (c). Sew a running stitch along the upper edge of the leaves using 2 strands of green floss (c).

Gently gather the stitches until the leaves fit snuggly around the fairy’s neck. Tie off the thread and from the inside tack the leaves to the petals near the neck. This will prevent the leaves from turning.

Brimmed Hat:
Transfer embroidery markings to hat.

Embroider hat as follows:
Outer edge: blanket stitching using 2 strands of light orange floss (b)
Vine: stem stitch using 3 strands of green floss (c)
Leaves: detached chain using 3 strands of green floss (c)
Flowers: French knots using 3 strands of dark orange floss (d)

Sew a running stitch alongside of the vine using 2 strands of medium orange floss (a).

Gently gather the stitches. Try the hat on and adjust gathers so the hat fits. Tie off the thread.

Run a thin line of crafting glue on the inside of the hat along the gathering line.

Place the hat so it tilts backwards with the low end centered on the Fairy’s back. Carefully squeeze the hat to make sure it is securely positioned.

BUD:
 
Wrapping the peg:
Glue body wrap to wooden peg. The seam will be the back of the bud.

Leaves:
To make leaves, follow directions for the Fairy leaves to blanket stitch edge, whip stitching together, sewing a running stitch along the top, gathering, and tacking the leaves to the body wrap.

Cap:
Transfer embroidery markings to cap.

Embroider cap as follows:
Leaves: detached chain using 3 strands of green floss (c)
Flower: French knot using 3 strands of dark orange floss (d)

Sew a running stitch along the edge of the cap using 2 strands of light orange floss (2). Gently gather the stitches. Try the cap on and adjust gathers so the cap fits. Tie off the thread.

Run a thin line of crafting glue on the inside of the cap along the gathering line. Place the cap so it tilts backwards with the low end centered on the Bud’s back. Carefully squeeze the cap to make sure it is securely positioned.

Your Mother and Child Flower Fairies are now ready to bring a little magic into a child's life!

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

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.

Photos 11-29-11, 4-2-12,4-2-12 

NOTE: Kits for this project will be available in our shop Monday, 4-23-12 :)

The daffodils in our yard are just poking their heads through the ground, but I was aching for some flowers, NOW, so I decided to make my own. You can make a garland or 2 or 3 for yourself, too. Hang your Spring Flower Garland up and you’ll feel like you stumbled upon an enchanted flower fairy garden. With a kiss of spring and a promise of warm summer days, bring the outdoors indoors with this lovely Spring Flower Garland.

To make your own you will need:

Spring Flower Garland Kit from Wee Folk Art's Market Place [Available April 23]

Note: Kit includes 100% wool felt, cotton embroidery floss, 100% wool yarn and directions. To finish the project you will need embroidery needles, Size F or G crochet hook and blunt yarn needle.

~OR~

Materials:
wool felt - 8 colors for flowers and green for leaves
embroidery floss to match the 9 felt colors
wool yarn
Size F or G crochet hook (it is small for the 2 strands of yarn you will be chaining, but I wanted the chain dense
embroidery needles
blunt yarn needle
pattern

MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN WEE FOLK ART'S MARKET PLACE: [available April 23]
Spring Flower Garland Kit (Items may be purchased separately)
embroidery needles

NOTE: If you want the front and back side finished, you will need to make a second set of flowers, but instead of blanket stitching around the outer edge of a single flower, you would blanket stitch the wrong side of 2 completed matching flowers together.

TIPS for cutting out felt can be found HERE.

ILLUSTRATIONS of stitches can be found HERE.

Directions:
Make a copy of the pattern.

NOTE: In the first few photos there are only 6 flowers and 7 leaves. When I was done with my first garland, I decided I wanted it longer so I added a dark blue and dark purple plus 2 more leaves.

Using 8 different colors of felt, cut out a petal, large circle and center from each color. Cut out 9 leaves. The eight colors I used were light and dark: blue, purple, orange and pink.

Randomly mix and match the flower parts. The only rule... use 3 different colors for each flower.

For each flower:
Using 3 strands of contrasting floss, blanket stitch the edge of the petals.

Using a running stitch and 3 strands of contrasting floss, sew the large circle to the petals.

Using a running stitch and 3 strands of contrasting floss, sew the small circle to the large circle.

Using a straight stitch and 6 strands of green floss, sew 3 lines creating a 6 point star.

Add a French knot to the end of each point on the star using 6 strands of green floss.

For each leaf:
Using a running stitch and 6 strands of green floss, sew a stem down the center of the leaf. Slightly gather and tie off.

For each flower and leaf:
Add a small loop to the top of each leaf and one flower petal using 3 strands of green floss. To control the size, I attached the floss to the wrong side of the leaf and flower. I then wrapped the floss around the base of my crochet hook for sizing, then tied it off. When adding the loop, you want it to be perpendicular to the leaf, so when you later add it to the crocheted vine, it lies flat and the right side faces forward.

Making the vine:
Using 2 strands of yarn, chain 40.

Slip a leaf on the hook with the right side up.

Chain 1 catching the leaf loop in the chain.

Chain 12, then add a flower in the same manner. NOTE: Do not count the chain you use to connect the leaves and flowers.

Continue until all 9 leaves and 8 flowers have been add.

Chain 40.

Pull through your last chain and work the ends at the beginning and end of the chain into the chain.

Ready to hang. Note: when you are hanging the garland, make sure the front of the chain is showing and don't twist the chain. Make sure the front side of all the flowers and leaves are showing, then stand back, and smile at the pretty flower garland!

NOTE: Kits for this project will be available in our shop Monday, 4-23-12 :)

Who can turn flowers into fairies, a dog into a dragon, and a pesky sibling into a troll? Children, of course! With just a flick of their wrist and the help of a magic wand, ANYTHING is possible and probable :) And, if the wand is a beautiful flower, all the better!

To make your own want you will need:

Flower Fairy Wand Kits from Wee Folk Art's Shop [Available April 23]

Note: Kit includes 100% wool felt, cotton embroidery floss, sandpaper square and dowel rod. To finish the project you will need crafting glue, embroidery needles and stuffing.

~OR~

Materials:
wool felt (a light and dark matching color for the petals, green for the leaves, and yellow for the center)
embroidery floss (colors should match the large petals, the small petals and the leaves)
1/4" grosgrain ribbon in 3 colors each 24" long (green, yellow and a color to match the outer petal.)
12" of 1/4" dowel rod
embroidery needles
crafting glue
paint for dowel rod (optional)
beeswax finish (optional)
stuffing
copy of pattern found HERE

Note: All materials used should be non toxic and child safe.

MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN WEE FOLK ART'S MARKET PLACE:
Flower Fairy Wands Kit
embroidery needles
Crafting Glue
Wood Paint
Beeswax Finish

Directions:
Make a copy of the pattern and cut out felt as follows:
2 large petals (light)
2 small petals (dark)
2 leaves (green)
2 flower centers (yellow)

Note: For tips on cutting out felt click HERE.

Note: For stitch glossary click HERE.

I recommend that you cut out the 2 large petals together. They will be stitched together later and cutting them out together will make for the best fit.

After cutting out the 2 large flowers, carefully open up the flowers so they are a mirror image of one another. Make a mark on the inside between 2 petals on corresponding spots. This is where you will later sew on the ribbons.

On the front of each (2) large petal(s), applique the remaining pieces to it in the following manner: (Use the pattern as a placement guide.)
Using a running stitch and 2 strands of matching floss, sew leaves to large petal.
Using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of matching floss, sew small petal over leaves.
Using a running stitch and 2 strands of floss that matches the small petals, sew center
to the small petal.

Cut each piece of gross grain ribbon in half so you have 6 pieces 12" long. Take 3 different colored ribbons and tack them together at one end. Do the same to the remaining 3 ribbons.

Tack the ribbon clusters to the inside of the 2 flowers on the marks you made earlier. Make sure you do not go all the way through to the front side.

Matching the inner markings and ribbons, with wrong sides together, pin or staple your 2 large petals together.

Begin at an inner petal junction. Using a blanket stitch and 3 strands of matching floss, sew the 2 large petals together. Stop at the inner petal junction 1 petal away from the start. Securely tie off the thread, but do not cut. This space will be used for stuffing the flower and inserting the dowel rod.

Lightly sand one end of the dowel rod rounding the edges.

Paint the dowel rod green. NOTE: It is not necessary to paint the dowel, but by painting it green, it looks more like a stem :) If you do not paint the dowel, finish with a Beeswax finish to prevent the wood from drying out.

Stuff the flower. Do not overstuff. You want to make it look "puffy" without straining the outer blanket stitch. Note: You will not be able to stuff the unstitched petal until you stitch it together.

Put crafting glue on the end of the dowel rod that you did not finish. Place glue on 1" of the rod.

Insert the glued end into the flower, positioning it so the rod will be centered in the beginning inner petal junction.

Using a blanket stitch and the attached piece of floss, sew up the remaining petal, stuffing as you go.

You can leave the streamers long and simply trim the ribbon ends on angles or you can cut the ribbons to various lengths.

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.
 

photos: 12-4-11, 12-11-11, 3-27-12, 4-9-12

The daffodils in our yard are just poking their heads through the ground, but I was aching for some flowers, NOW, so I decided to make my own. You can make a garland or 2 or 3 for yourself, too. Hang your Spring Flower Garland up and you’ll feel like you stumbled upon an enchanted flower fairy garden. With a kiss of spring and a promise of warm summer days, bring the outdoors indoors with this lovely Spring Flower Garland. 
 
To make your own you will need:

Spring Flower Garland Kit from Wee Folk Art's Market Place [Available April 23]

Note: Kit includes 100% wool felt, cotton embroidery floss, 100% wool yarn and directions. To finish the project you will need embroidery needles and Size F or G crochet hook.

~OR~

Materials:
wool felt - 8 colors for flowers and green for leaves
embroidery floss to match the 9 felt colors
wool yarn
Size F or G crochet hook (it is small for the 2 strands of yarn you will be chaining, but I wanted the chain dense
embroidery needles
pattern

MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN WEE FOLK ART'S MARKET PLACE: [available April 23]
Spring Flower Garland Kit (Items may be purchased separately)
embroidery needles

NOTE: If you want the front and back side finished, you will need to make a second set of flowers, but instead of blanket stitching around the outer edge of a single flower, you would blanket stitch the wrong side of 2 completed matching flowers together.

TIPS for cutting out felt can be found HERE.

ILLUSTRATIONS of stitches can be found HERE.

Directions:
Make a copy of the pattern.

NOTE: In the first few photos there are only 6 flowers and 7 leaves. When I was done with my first garland, I decided I wanted it longer so I added a dark blue and dark purple plus 2 more leaves.

Using 8 different colors of felt, cut out a petal, large circle and center from each color. Cut out 9 leaves. The eight colors I used were light and dark: blue, purple, orange and pink.

Randomly mix and match the flower parts. The only rule... use 3 different colors for each flower.

For each flower:
Using 3 strands of contrasting floss, blanket stitch the edge of the petals.

Using a running stitch and 3 strands of contrasting floss, sew the large circle to the petals.

Using a running stitch and 3 strands of contrasting floss, sew the small circle to the large circle.

Using a straight stitch and 6 strands of green floss, sew 3 lines creating a 6 point star.

Add a French knot to the end of each point on the star using 6 strands of green floss.

For each leaf:
Using a running stitch and 6 strands of green floss, sew a stem down the center of the leaf. Slightly gather and tie off.

For each flower and leaf:
Add a small loop to the top of each leaf and one flower petal using 3 strands of green floss. To control the size, I attached the floss to the wrong side of the leaf and flower. I then wrapped the floss around the base of my crochet hook for sizing, then tied it off. When adding the loop, you want it to be perpendicular to the leaf, so when you later add it to the crocheted vine, it lies flat and the right side faces forward. 

Making the vine:
Using 2 strands of yarn, chain 40.

Slip a leaf on the hook with the right side up.

Chain 1 catching the leaf loop in the chain.

Chain 12, then add a flower in the same manner. NOTE: Do not count the chain you use to connect the leaves and flowers.

Continue until all 9 leaves and 8 flowers have been add.

Chain 40.

Pull through your last chain and work the ends at the beginning and end of the chain into the chain.

Ready to hang. Note: when you are hanging the garland, make sure the front of the chain is showing and don't twist the chain. Make sure the front side of all the flowers and leaves are showing, then stand back, and smile at the pretty flower garland!