Spring

 

EDIT: This posting was originally published March 9, 2009, but I thought it was worth moving to the top of the blog again! The kids loved these, and it is a project quite easy for children that are comfortable with a needle and thread to do. Make a dozen decorated for Easter, and a dozen for the play kitchen. 

This is the last egg project of the week. If you're not into making eggs out of roving, then try some of these Traditional Felt Eggs. VERY easy to make. Copy the pattern then you simply take 2 egg pieces, blanket stitch them together, leave an opening at the bottom, stuff and finish blanket stitching them closed. You can leave them plain or add embroidery or fabric paint to decorate. I did a combination. Although you can paint or embroider the eggs before you stitch them together, if you want a uniform pattern around the egg, wait until after it has been stuffed. The pattern includes 2 different sized eggs. The smaller eggs will fit in a standard egg carton. Perfect size if you'd like to make a dozen white or brown eggs for the play kitchen! There are no additional directions since it is very straightforward, but the pattern is available in the FREE Open Pattern section. Enjoy!

FYI... If you can't tell from the photo you are either being very kind or I did a remarkable job of camouflaging... I really am puff paint challenged! I always felt like my embroidery flowed like paint... thank goodness I was wrong! I was all thumbs as I tried to transfer my mental image to the eggs. So... there are smudges here and blobs there. Alas, not perfect, but the colors are still lovely, right? And if you squint your eyes just a wee bit, you can hardly notice the imperfections. Ah, we all need to be humbled occasionally!

Yesterday was Bug's birthday... 7 years old! Normally we do Sunday dinner at our house, but since he had his party here yesterday, Tim and I have a quiet Sunday ahead of us. I want to start making a few things to tuck away in Easter Baskets, so I think I will spend the day Easter crafting. Here are the Walking Bunny Finger Puppets I made last year. I'm thinking of reworking the pattern a bit, or at least adding some clothing, to give them a fresh, new, 2010 look :)

Using the same directions as the Patchwork Pot, Bug, Fairy and Pixie were busy making flower pots for their mommy for Mother's Day. They needed assistance putting the trim on, and I did put the 2nd and 3rd coat of Mod Podge on for them, but they picked out the fabrics, painted the rims and glued on their pieces. I think they turned out lovely! Tomorrow we are going to the nursery and buying flowers for the pots. Won't Mommy be surprised Sunday morning?!!

Being an obsessive person, I have a tendency to have a one track mind. And at this time of year, it is near impossible to keep me indoors. My gardens call to me, and it would be down right rude, not to answer. So, this means I tend not to craft as much during the nice weather months, and when I do, my crafts are usually used out-of-doors. Take this weekend for example. Tim and I have been knee deep in our gardens. Last week I saw some perfectly sweet plant markers at Purple Lemon Design and I knew I had to make some. (Thanks, Rachel, at One Pretty Thing for pointing me in that direction!) She has a great tutorial on how to make them, so I bow to her, and send you off to her website if you're interested! Below are a few of the markers I've made so far.

I'm big on naming things. (Check out What's in a Name and Annual Pumpkin Carving Party at my blog One Generation to Another.) We've been calling our veggie garden The Dragonfly Garden, in honor of the dragonflies that like to frolic in it and as a semi-tribute to an all time favorite "The Gilmore Girls". Over the weekend I finally got around to painting a sign to hang at the north entrance to the garden. I used the same outdoor paints I used on the pots. I love it! (See top pic.)

And, because why the heck not, I'm starting yet another blog... Wee Folk Garden. It was created at 1:00 a.m. this morning, and although Michelle hasn't gotten a chance to design it yet and I haven't gotten a chance to blog in it yet, I will be using that site to include many of our outside activities, including garden recipes, and a bit of the ,"oh, look at this" as I wander the web finding tidbits that I find helpful. (Hmmm, note to self... perhaps I should sleep more and drink less coffee!)

Anyway... I will continue to blog and craft for Wee Folk Art, but I will be spending the lion share of my time in the gardens. (It will take lots of effort of get this looking like a real garden!) 

So, stop by often. Coming soon are the directions for the flower tea cozy and my stepdaughter and I are crafting our own "Ugly Dolls", and we'll be sharing those patterns. Plus, there will be some wood projects for the gnome house and whatever else suits my whim! So, if you're into gardening, you may enjoy watching Wee Folk Garden develop and come into it's own, if not, I'll continue to see you around Wee Folk Art!

Materials:

Scraps of wool felt
Embroidery floss
Pattern

Cutting out felt:
1] Make copy of pattern.
2] For each flower cut out 1 flower, 1 center and 2 leaves. (Note: the pattern has many flowers, centers and leaves. For a real quick cut out, tape individual flower pattern to felt. This keeps the pattern flat instead of pinning. Each pattern can be reused a couple of times, then just grab a new pattern piece, taping and cutting.) Also, remember that all flowers in nature are different so you needn’t be overly precise when you are cutting out the pieces.

Refer to the pattern for assembly:
1] Overlap one leaf over the other.

2] Center a flower over the leaves.

3] Center the center on the flower.

4] Using 6 strands of floss sew the pieces together my making an “X” on the flower center. Be certain that you are going through all 4 layers of felt. (Center, flower and 2 leaves) Make as many flowers as you’d like.

5] To assemble the garland, overlap the leaf of one flower over the leaf of another flower. Using 2 stands of floss, tack the 2 leaves together. Continue adding flowers until you reached the desired length.

Now, go decorate the house of your favorite wee folk!

Note about patterns: We are sharing patterns we have designed and made for our own children, families and friends. Every effort is made to share information in a clear and accurate manner. We offer preemptive apologies for any mistakes that may be made. Please let us know via comments or emails if you stumble upon a mistake or if you encounter directions that leave your scratching your head! We will rectify the situation as soon as humanly possible!

Copyright © Wee Folk Art 2008 - 2009. 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. All projects, patterns and directions are meant for your personal use and neither the patterns nor completed projects may be used for personal gain.

Although I made this very easy garland for the gnome house, Fairy picked it up, wrapped in around her neck and said, "Oh, Gammy, this is a beautiful necklace." Hmmm, yes, that was my plan... garland for the gnomes, necklace or bracelet for Fairy! Okay, that wasn't my plan, but I love it when designs can be used for more than one thing! If you decide to make it into a necklace, I would suggest making it a choker since the back isn't finished. To make the choker simply size the garland, then add a clasp on the back.

The pattern and instructions are included in the FREE Open Patterns section. If you'd like to do this project with younger children, you can glue it together with a fast drying crafters' glue. We ran the garland along the bridge, but it could be scalloped around a gnome or dollhouse. Enlarge the pattern to decorate a valance or to make a stencil. Enjoy!

Spring may bring with it warming days and flowers, but the nights can still get mighty chilly in The Thicket. But just because the gnomes may still need sleeping bags, there's no reason they can't be light and springy! These 2 sleeping bags use bright, cheerful colors, and the heart and flowers speak spring! Follow the general directions in our FREE Crafting Club Patterns for The Gnome Sleeping Bags with this Spring Sleeping Bag Pattern. Your gnomes will sing your praises. Enjoy!

Britta awoke to the smell of hyacinths and daffodils. That could only mean one thing. Spring had finally come to The Thicket and the Flower Fairies had returned!

Whether you have a gnome house or just a little nook and cranny that Flower Fairies would like to inhabit, these little sweeties are a welcome addition to any home. The mother flower fairy, along with her little bud, will bring a smile to the faces of the wee ones in your life. 

The directions and patterns are available in our FREE Open Patterns. Start by making the flower fairies with the patterns provide, then get crazy and with little tweeking and alterations, the flower fairies can become as unique as the flowers in your own garden. Because this is such a quick, easy project, it won't be long til you have a bouquet of Flower Fairy Friends. Enjoy!  

I've finished decorating the gnome house for spring. Below you can see the projects that we will be sharing. We will take you through the whole process including treating the wood and putting up decorations. There will be patterns for the felt flower garland on the bridge, spring sleeping bags, crocheted braided rugs, striped quilt, Britta's fabric stash, needle felted gnome babies, the flower petal rug, the flower banner, and of course, the Flower Fairies. Tomorrow, I will put up the pattern for the Flower Fairies. What, you don't have a gnome home? No problem. Most of these projects can be used with any dollhouse or simply made for your child's favorite nook and cranny. So, plan to join us in making one project or all of them!

There are 6 flower fairies frolicking among the flowers. Can you find them? Spring has hit the Thicket and the flower fairies have returned! Britta has been busy getting the house ready for the warmer months ahead.

Over the next few weeks we will be sharing various projects for the Gnome House. Although we are making them for our Gnome Home, many of them can be made for any doll house or simply free play. There will be directions for the flower carpet, flower fairies, a spring quilt, a flower banner, a felt flower garland, braided rugs, and much more. Check back often and watch as the Gnome House comes alive with the best of Spring!