With Valentine's Day quickly approaching, we are prompted to think about romantic love. But I must admit, I've never really bought into Valentine's Day. Don't get me wrong, I love romance, really, big fan of it, HOWEVER, I don't like "traditional holidays" that mandate romance. Getting flowers on Valentine's Day or Sweetest Day does nothing for me. I guess I'm as cynical as Lucy Van Pelt when she references Christmas, but I extend the message to Valentine's Day... "It's run by a big eastern syndicate you know." : ) No, to me, romance is when Tim brings me coffee in bed, sits next to me instead of across from me at restaurants so he can hold my hand, or when he works from home on days when I am sick so he can let the dogs out. Valentine's Day can't hold a candle to real, everyday romance for me.

That's not to say I don't appreciate Valentine's Day. I love the red and pink hearts, and take it as a gentle reminder to appreciate all the people we love. At Valentine's Day, I tend to think about all the friends that have touched me life. The friends that I have laughed and cried with, those that have remained over the decades, and those whose names have long since been forgotten. Each one has touched my heart, and I use Valentine's Day as a Memorial Day of the Heart : )

Yesterday I had the joy of connecting up with a friend I haven't chatted with in 10 years. As we sat around drinking coffee, I felt as at ease with her as ever. When we left Panera's, I realized we had talked for over 3 hours. Lovely! It is to all of my friends, past and present, that I thought about when I created this applique. I can think of no finer Valentine's gift than to be able to sit around with my friends, sharing, laughing and whiling away the hours. This yummy mug of hot cocoa... actually, for me it works to call it a frothy cappuccino, is meant to be shared with friends. That's why I'm sharing it with all of you : )

On to business : ) This applique block was created to fit a 6" x 6" block, but it can be enlarged or reduced to meet your needs. Enjoy : )
 
The pattern for the Cup of Cocoa Applique Block can be found HERE.

The tutorial on How to Enlarge and Reduce can be found HERE.

The tutorial on How to Cut Out Felt can be found HERE.

The Stitching Glossary can be found HERE.

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

Make a copy of the pattern.

Cut out felt. Transfer any embroidery markings.

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

Using a stem stitch, add the cup lines using 6 strands floss.

Using a blanket stitch, sew the side edges of the bottom scalloped band using 3 strands floss.

Using a blanket stitch, sew the side edges of the top scalloped band using 3 strands floss.

Using a running stitch, sew handle to cup using 2 strands floss.

Add French knots in the center of each scallop of the two bands using 6 strands floss.

Using a blanket stitch, sew the whipped cream to the block using 3 strands floss.

Using a stem stitch, add whipped cream detail using 6 strands floss.

Using a straight stitch, add "sprinkles" to whipped cream using 6 strands floss.

Using a lazy daisy stitch, add flowers to cup lines using 6 strands floss.

Add French knots to the center of each flower using 6 strands floss.

http://www.weefolkart.com
Copyright © Wee Folk Art 2008 - 2013. All rights reserved.

PHOTO: 1-19-10

I will be going to visit Little Lady and Little Guy in a few weeks. Of course, what proper Gammy would go calling empty handed? So, I've been already thinking about what I'd like to make for them. I want something small and light weight that will fit nicely in the small travel bag I use for train travel. Then, I thought of my owl.

I designed this little guy years ago before we started Wee Folk Art. It was an evening lark, and I don't even have a proper pattern. For years I've thought about sharing him/her here on Wee Folk Art, but just never got around to it. Well... since I want to make more, I'll be sharing the pattern soon. I plan to make 2 or 3 sizes. I want to make a couple (one for each hand) out of the large pegs for Little Guy. And I'll probably make a Mommy, Daddy, Little Lady and Little Guy owl family for LL.

Hopefully, I'll have the patterns done in the next week or two, so... if your gnomes need some feathered friends... watch for them : )

Just had to share a truly exciting moment for Bug. We came home from a fantastic Nature Center field trip yesterday afternoon to a giant box on the front porch. As we pulled into the garage I was racking my brain trying to remember what on earth I had ordered. Had something been back ordered that I had forgotten about? I have been know to order and forget before... but I was clueless. When we saw the boy's name on the shipping label I then thought... ahh an early birthday gift (but really too early). So I banned the boy from the room to open the box and inspect. There was no packaging slip, but what I found was Legos. Not surprising... but more than one box, no, more than two... at this point the light bulb clicked on.

Way back in August Bug had entered an online Lord of the Rings Lego building contest. In September we had received a letter stating that he was a finalist and we had to sign some papers allowing them to publish his photos if he won. And then we never heard anything again. Until at the bottom of the box that included 11 Lego sets was this letter...

"Congratulations! You have been selected as one of the lucky winners of our LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS Building Challenge! Your photo submission to the LEGO THE LORD OF THE RINGS Creation Gallery was selected from over 5,000 submissions. We are confident that your creativity and imagination will help inspire other builders all over the world and we appreciate your entry into the competition!"

Ecstatic doesn't even begin to convey Bug's reaction. Oh, the joy of soooo many Legos! Oh how cool to win! School will have to wait today... there are over 6,000 pieces of Legos that must be built.

Here is a glimpse of his entry.

When Drew Drew Buns (the inexplicable name I called/call my youngest) was 4 years old, he came in from the season's first snowfall in tears and told me his "wrists were broke". The coat and mittens he wore left a band of young, tender flesh exposed and vulnerable to the frigid temperatures. That evening, I stayed up until I had knitted him a new pair of mitts... ones that nearly reached his elbows when uncuffed! They needed to go on before his coat, so after he donned the mittens, he needed help getting dressed. I suppose we effectively postponed his learning to zip a zipper by a couple of years, but that was a small price to pay. He was now able to romp in the snow without wrist freeze!

He wore those bright red mittens for three years. Amazingly, he never lost one. (Of course, once on, they were nearly impossible to remove :) When he finally outgrew them, I couldn't bear to part with them. Instead of putting them in our community mitten basket, they made their way to our Christmas tree. Over the years, I've tucked those mittens into our family tree, and each time I do, I'm reminded of my little guy.

This Christmas, as two year old Little Lady was busy taking ornaments on and off our Christmas tree, she came upon the pair of her daddy's red woolen mittens. She wanted to put them on. Although they were still too big on her, she ran around, clapping her hands together in glee. I suppose it's only fitting that they should be handed down to Drew Drew Buns' children... circle of life and all, but... I didn't give them away. Oh, I'll make Little Lady her own red woolen mittens that reach her elbows, but I'm hanging on to these, and the memory of my little boy with "broken wrists" :)   

I think most of us have mitten stories (just ask the 3 Little Kittens' Mom :), so I decided to create a Mitten Applique Block. As always, it was designed to fit a 6" x 6" block, but can be enlarge or reduced to meet your needs. I'm thinking it would be kind of cute to cut out backings for the mitts, and add brooch pins to them. Then, you could pin them to a lapel, with a braided cording running between them!

The pattern for the Mitten Applique Block can be found HERE. 

The pattern for the Mittens Applique Block can be found HERE.

The tutorial on How to Enlarge and Reduce can be found HERE.

The tutorial on How to Cut Out Felt can be found HERE.

The Stitching Glossary can be found HERE.

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

Make a copy of the pattern.

Cut out felt using material list above and transfer any embroidery markings.

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

Using a blanket stitch, sew cuffs to mitts using 3 strands floss.

Using a stem stitch, embroider the 3 crossing lines of the snowflakes using 6 strands floss.

Using a straight stitch, add the snowflake details using 6 strands floss.

Using 6 strands floss, add a French knot to the 6 top ends of each snowflake.

Using 2 strands each of 3 colors of floss, thread a embroidery needle as if the 6 strands were one piece of floss. Chain stitch the line connecting the 2 mittens.
 

http://www.weefolkart.com
Copyright © Wee Folk Art 2008 - 2013. All rights reserved.

PHOTOS: 9-23-09

January 2. The house is unbelievably quite. The children are all gone, the hubby is back to work, and after a VERY quick glimpse at CNN, I find myself back at the computer, after a 2 week hiatus. I scan Pinterest, looking for my daily dose of inspiration, and find myself strangely apathetic. Of course, as always, there is talent galore out there, but I guess I'm simply not in the mood for anything "New". How strange is that? It's the New Year. Aren't we suppose to embrace transformations and resolve to change? Yet, this year, I find I don't want to change or to forge ahead. Rather, I feel the strange pull to backtrack a bit. I want to hit my shelves that are ladened with unfinished projects, and, well, finish a few. I don't want to consider our next business adventure, but rather reassess the validity of those with which we are currently involved. Frankly, I simply want to wallow in the here and now, content, satisfied and, yes, even gratified. Life is good. I don't feel the need to change.

Of course, later in the day, or the week, my soul will begin to crave the onslaught of creative input. But for now, finishing what I've started, works for me. Top on my list? Work on an afghan I began for Michelle, oh, 5... maybe 8 years ago! Pictured above is a Fishermen's Afghan I knitted for myself some 30 years ago. It is still a family favorite that gets used almost everyday. If someone is very close to me, chances are I have knitted this same afghan for them over the years. Michelle's house is all denim and khaki. Very cozy and comfortable. She chose a yarn that is reminiscent of a well worn pair of jeans. Today, with snow piled up outside, I plan to put a log on the fire, watch a couple of my favorite Christmas movies that I didn't have time to view over the holidays, and gently, quietly, usher in the New Year.

Wishing everyone the same joy and contentment I feel as we begin 2013! Much love!