Embroidering

Excerpt from The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende:

Everyone in Fantastica knew what the medallion meant. It was the badge of one acting on orders from the Childlike Empress, acting in her name as though she herself were present. It was said to give the bearer mysterious powers, though no one knew exactly what these powers were. Everyone knew its name: AURYN

When Atreyu, the little boy hero, accepts the Great Quest bestowed upon him by the Childlike Empresses, a quest to save Fantastica from the Nothing, the medallion is placed around his neck.

"AURYN!" Atreyu repeated with awe. "I will be worthy of the Glory."

A couple of days ago I watched The Never Ending Story with Bug, Fairy and Pixie. They were enthralled. I promised them that the next time they were over I would begin reading them the book. Bug said, "I need a thing to put around my neck like Atreyu.

Well, of course he does! I did an Internet search to see if there were any metal ones out-and-about to purchase. There were, but all of them were pricey. So, I set about making one for him out of felt. When I gave it to him today, I know he couldn't have been more pleased if it were made out of gold. He immediately changed into what he considered appropriate attire (his Pirate Shirt Michelle made for him, although I'm thinking of actually making him an Atreyu costume), and he was more than willing to participate in a photo shoot!  Although I did make this as a medallion, if enlarged slightly, it could be used as one of our 6" applique blocks. Hope you have a little boy hero to give AURYN to! Enjoy!

Materials:
wool felt
embroidery floss
lid of wide mouth Mason jar
1mm satin cording
pattern

Make a copy of the pattern and cut out the necessary pieces. (Directions for cutting out felt can be found HERE.)

Using the pattern as a guide, place pieces on top of pattern, weaving them together following the pattern. Note: It is easier if you make 2 copies of the pattern; one to lay the pieces on and one to refer to for weaving the pieces correctly. Pin the felt together so it will not shift when you move it.

Position the snakes in the center of one of the felt circles. Pin in place. Stitch the snakes to the felt circle following the stitching lines on the pattern. Embroider eyes. (BTW... the pattern calls for a "stain stitch"... this should read "satin stitch"). Note: When cutting out the 2 large sections of the snake, you cut through the snake's body. This is necessary so you can intertwine the snakes. When sewing the snakes to the felt DO NOT sew along this edge because it is suppose to look like one continuous piece of snake. Instead, from the back side, tack this edge to the felt, making sure you do not go all the way through the snake. You do not want to see the stitching from the front but you want to make sure it lays down flat. Instead of tacking it from behind, you can put a little tab of fabric glue under this edge to hold it in place.


Lay the embroidered felt circle on top of the other. Pin in place and blanket stitch half way around the 2 circles.

Slide the wide mouth Mason jar lid between the 2 circles. This will give it body. If you do not have a wide mouth Mason jar lid, cut a circle from a rigid piece of plastic (mayo or peanut butter jar lid will work). The circle needs to be smaller than the felt circles since you need to blanket stitch around the outer edge. Finish blanket stitching around the rest of the circles.

Cut out a piece of felt 1" x 2" the same color as the felt circles.

Fold the piece of felt in thirds creating a 2" long, skinny loop. Sew a running stitch down the middle to hold the folds together.

From the front, mark the top of the medallion with a pin so you can see it from the back side.

Fold your loop in half and pin it to the back of the medallion so the top of the loop is 1/2" from the top.

Sew the loop to the medallion across the loose bottom edges and a few tacking stitches on either side near the bottom of the loop.

Cut a length of cord the desire you want. Make sure it will be able to slide over your child's head. String the cord through the loop and tie off the edges.


You are now ready to send your little boy hero on his own Quests!
 

Yesterday I went to Wee Folk Art's Applique Blocks to get a pattern for a butterfly. What? I never designed a butterfly? That's crazy! I thought for sure I had. I know I designed a butterfly for another project, but with butterfly season upon us, I decided I needed to rectify this situation and add the butterfly to our collection of other insects... a Firefly and a Grasshopper. So... here is a sweet little butterfly that can be appliqued to just about anything, right? As always, I designed the butterfly to fit on a 6" x 6" block but it can be enlarged or reduced to meet your needs. The pattern for the Butterfly Applique Block can be found HERE or with our FREE Applique Blocks. Enjoy!

The other day we shared our pattern for the Basic Knit Doll Pattern. It has become an overnight success! I think the reason is twofold. First, it has the potential to be utilized in many ways, and second, it is lovable in its unadorned, simple state. I love gazing at the faceless, hairless doll and trust me, it even looks lovelier when cuddled by a cherub faced child! I then got to thinking (which usually winds up costing me time, if not money) how adorable this sweet little baby doll would look embroidered or appliqued on something, thus the birth of the Basic Doll Applique Block.

As with all of our blocks, it was designed to fit on a 6" x 6" block, but it can be reduced or enlarged to meet your needs. Think bibs... onesies... t-shirts... or what I'm considering, the center block of a baby quilt. And like the Basic Knit Doll, this applique can be embellished with a face, hair or clothes. And, of course, you can make them in multiple sizes to create a whole family. The pattern for the Basic Doll Applique can be found HERE or with our FREE Applique Patterns. Enjoy! 

Britta awoke with mixed feelings. Today was St. Patrick's Day, which meant the leprechauns would be leaving The Thicket for places unknown. "Perhaps, just perhaps", she thought, "I may miss them just a wee bit." But Britta was ready for the pranks to end and for order to be restored to her household.

She cautiously got out of bed, and tip toed around the room. "Surely the leprechauns wouldn't leave without a final prank." She made her way down the stairs, peeking around corners and watching each time she set a foot on the ground. When she entered the kitchen she stopped aburtly.

The leprechauns had been in the house during the night! There, hanging from the post, was a beautiful Rainbow Banner, and under the banner was a pot... "Could this be the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow?" she wondered. Slowly, she lifted the lid of the pot, and she gave out a wholehearted laugh.

The leprechauns had left her a pot of gold; a pot of golden honey, enough to last the family the entire year! Britta dipped her finger into the honey and took a taste. "Yum", she said. "This will be far more useful to me than a silly old pot of gold!" In the distance she heard a soft chuckle. In a loud clear voice, to no one in particular, Britta said, "I will have to thank the leprechauns next year, when they return to The Thicket!"

The pattern for the Rainbow Banner can be found HERE or with our FREE Patterns. Following the pattern, applique the rainbow strips to the front of the banner, then sew the front to the back using a blanket stitch. Using the pattern guide lines, sew two lines of running stitches to create a casing to hang the banner. For more detailed directions for making banners, check out the instructions for making the Valentine Banner. Enjoy!

Is there anything more exciting and rejuvenating than the smell of spring? On sunny days, as the snow begins to melt, and day time temperatures soar to a whopping 45 degrees F, my head begins to spin with prospects of flowers and picnics. Here in the Midwest, a sure sign of spring is the tapping of the maple trees and the return of the robins.

The other day Pixie and Fairy snuggled close as we watched Michelle at the stove, mixing the boiling hot maple syrup, that would become maple candy. The smell in the kitchen was heavenly. While waiting, because it took ever so long for the syrup to reach the right temperature, I read the book, Grandpa's Sugar Bush, to the girls.

As I turned a page, I saw this:
"Grandpa says the first robin always sings on the day the sap starts to run."

Well, when everyone departed after dinner, I sat at my desk, and designed a Robin Applique Block. It only seemed right. Robins and maple syrup! As always, the robin was designed to fit on a 6" x 6" block but can be reduced or enlarged to meet your needs. The Robin Applique Block can be found HERE or with our FREE Appliques. Enjoy! 

 

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!

Sending everyone a "felt heart", um, we mean a"heartfelt" wish for a Happy Valentine's Day!

Fondly,
Kimara and Michelle

Like all our blocks, this one was made to fit a 6” x 6” but can be enlarged or reduced to meet your needs. (Note: I forgot to add the little groupings of 3 tiny flowers on the pattern. They are French Knots made with 3 strands of floss.) You can find the pattern HERE or in the FREE Applique Patterns. Enjoy!

http://www.weefolkart.com
Copyright © Wee Folk Art 2008 - 2010. 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.
 

This has been a great week for us. We've gotten many emails and links from friends sharing the projects they've made using our patterns. When people post one of our patterns on a blog, we link to it on Facebook. But many of readers do not have blogs, so we get emails and photos instead.

Today I would like to share a project that Marta made using Our House applique block. I think the reason I'm so drawn to it is because of how she personalized it. I'll let you read part of her email:

My name is Marta and I am from a little town near Barcelona, Spain.

I just want to thank you for your big generosity sharing your beautiful patterns that inspire a beginner like me. Your explanations are so clear and easy that I feel I can make a project.

This week I finished my house. I started making your design, but then my daughter Sara asked me if she could keep it when I finish, and then I decided to make our house and I changed some things. The roof is red, the house is white, the chimney has a hat, the two cats that visit our grass,... I got dared and I started with my own details, and I send you my final result (in addition, it was my first serious experience with the sewing machine to make the frame).

Obviously I am very proud and Sara is very happy with her little house hanging in front of her while she's doing her homework. And that's why I write to you, because you started this blend of happiness, satisfaction and self-confidence for next projects thousands miles away with your generosity.

Well, I must admit we are pretty proud, too. We are so happy that our patterns and projects find their way into the homes of so many friends around the world! If we ever need to justify why we do what we do, we just need to share the myriad of emails we receive.

So, to Marta, thank you so much for sharing with us. You did a lovely job. And to Sara... you are a lucky girl. I know it must make you smile every time you look at your house. And to ALL our readers... think of our projects as a starting point. Use your own creativity and visions to make all our projects your own :)

What a busy time in the Thicket. Britta is bustling around readying the house for a Valentines Party she is throwing for some friends. She just finished this lovely banner with flowering vines meandering over a Valentine's heart. Although cold weather is still evident throughout the Thicket, hearts are warm with Valentine Cheer. There is no doubt that love is in the air!  

Here is a lovely Valentine Banner displayed prominently in the gnome's home. Make your own banner to share with your gnome friends or for a doll house. Haven't got either? Not to worry. The applique and embroidery can be used on any project that needs a little Loving Embellishment. The directions for the Gnome Valentine Banner can be found HERE or with our FREE Patterns. Hope you and your gnomes Enjoy!

This banner was designed to fit a branch in our Gnome Home. You may wish to customize the banner to fit a preexisting branch in your Gnome Home or add an angled twig to hang the banner as is.

Materials:
Pattern
9" x 12" piece of wool felt
wool felt scraps
6 strand embroidery floss
embroidery needle

Directions:
1] Make copies of the pattern.

2] Using the pattern, cut out 2 banner pieces and 1 heart.

3] Using the pattern as a guide, place heart on the front piece of the banner. Use a blanket stitch and 3 strands matching floss to attach heart to banner. Using the pattern as a guide, embroider the banner.

4] Place wrong sides of banner pieces together. Pin in place. Use 3 strands of embroidery floss and a a running stitch, sew along the top stitching line and the bottom stitching line. This will create a casing for hanging. Using 3 strands of embroidery floss, blanket stitch sides and bottom below bottom stitch line.

OUR "DISCLAIMER"! 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. DUH, right? But we are only human, although I often long for superhuman powers, and as humans, mistakes will be made. We offer preemptive apologies for any aforementioned mistakes. Please let us know via comments or emails if you stumble upon a mistake or if you encounter directions that leave you scratching your head! We will rectify the situation as soon as humanly possible! Before beginning any of our patterns, think of yourself as a Beta Tester. We do not have a staff, editors or even volunteers that are crafting our projects before we share them. YOU are the first to have a go at them. As such, other than a heartfelt apology, we accept no responsibility for mistakes made, or in an extreme circumstance, for time or supplies wasted. Please tackle our projects in the same manner that we are sharing them, with a spirit of goodwill and global friendship!

http://www.weefolkart.com
Copyright © Wee Folk Art 2008 - 2010. 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.