Sunflower Mini Hoop

It's sunflower season! And since I don't have any of those giant yellow flowers growing in my garden this year, I made this mini version to hang in my house. The hoop is just 3 1/4-inches in diameter, so the whole project took just minutes to stitch.

For the background fabric, I used a small-scale green floral print and mounted it securely in the hoop. To make the applique, I cut a 2 1/4-inch diameter sunflower from yellow wool-blend felt and a 7/8-inch diameter flower center from brown felt. I used bright yellow floss and running stitch to sew the sunflower to the center of the background fabric. Next, I sewed the brown circle to the center of the flower with brown floss and running stitch.

The petals of real sunflowers are pretty, but I think the texture of the seeds in the flower centers is beautiful too. To add some fun texture to my mini sunflower, I sewed tiny 1/4-inch brown buttons to the center with ecru floss. 

To finish my hoop, I trimmed the background fabric to about 1/2 inch from the edge of the hoop. I then basted around the circle about 1/8 inch from the edge, pulled the ends of the thread tight to gather the edges, and secured it with a knot. That was easy, wasn't it? It's going to look so cute hanging in my kitchen.

Crocheted Bangle Bracelets

I hang on to a lot of odds and ends that "I'm going to use someday." Jewelry that's broken--or just worn out and tired--is one of my favorite crafting supplies. When I found a pair of plain black plastic bangle bracelets in a jewelry box, I decided they were in need of a makeover. To transform the bangles from boring to beautiful, I just grabbed a skein of metallic embroidery floss and a crochet hook. 

I used a size E hook to crochet around the bangles with the DMC Light Effects floss, which can be tricky to work with. (Its six strands don't always like to stay together.) To begin, wrap the end of the floss around one of the bangles a few times and then started working in single crochet. Just stitch through the center of the bangle as if you were working through a crochet stitch. Cover the starting end of the embroidery floss as you work around the bangle to secure it. 

As you crochet, place the stitches close together so they cover the bracelet completely. When the stitching is finished, cut the floss and knot the last stitch closed. Use a large-eyed needle to conceal the floss ends under the stitches. 

I used DMC Light Effects E168 (silver) to make these bracelets, which I think could be worn in any season. Light Effects comes in all sorts of metallic and pearlescent colors, so I think I'll be looking for more boring bangles that need a facelift. 

Busy Bees Cross-Stitch Pin

School may be just a few weeks away, but summer is still in full swing in my garden. The herbs are still growing, the pumpkins have a long way to go, and bees are buzzing around the flowers that are still blooming. I've always liked bees as a design motif, so I stitched up a pin that features five tiny bees buzzing inside a bee skep.

The design uses 18-count antique white Aida and just three colors of DMC floss. You can follow the chart below, or click here to download a free printable chart.

 

I mounted the finished embroidery in a pin setting from the Etsy shop Kailea, but you can also use another setting.

Busy Bees Cross-Stitch   ©2015 Kathleen Berlew

This Bee Pin was featured in the Fall 2014 issue of CraftIdeas magazine. I'll be sharing instructions and a downloadable chart for the coordinating Acorn pin in one of next month's blog posts, so be sure to come back!

See My Design in "Cross-Stitch & Needlework" Magazine

The Fall 2015 issue of "Cross-Stitch & Needlework" magazine is out, and my Falling Leaves picture is featured inside! Look for the issue on newsstands--it has lots of pretty autumn and Halloween designs.