Make a Wish Dandelion Embroidery Pattern

Dandelions are a big deal in our house.  Grace loves to pick them, knowing that they have the power to turn a wish into a reality.

With dandelion season upon us, and a dandelion obsessed little girl in my house, I decided to create a dandelion 'make a wish' embroidery pattern AND it includes a tutorial.

If it's your wish to make one of your own, gather the following supplies:

Print out a copy of the pattern.

Using either a light box or a brightly lit window, trace the dandelion pattern onto your fabric using a water erasable pen.

Put an embroidery hoop around your fabric, displaying the traced pattern in the center.  Thread your needle with charcoal gray thread and knot the end.

Using a back stitch, embroider 'Make a Wish'.

How to Back Stitch:  Bring your needle and thread up and through at point 1.  Return your needle and thread back down and through at point 2.  At this point, you have a dash embroidered.  Bring your needle and thread up at point 3, base your point 3 distance so you can create another dash, roughly the same size as your first dash.  Return your needle and thread down and through at 4 (or back into point 2, the end of your first dash).  You now have 2 dashes.

Continue using the back stitch for each letter in 'Make a Wish'.  Try and make your dashes roughly the same size.  When working curved letters, like 'a' or 's', make your dashes a little smaller to allow for the dashes to allow the lines to curve.

Above the 'i', use a French knot.

How to Make a French Knot:  Bring the needle up though the point on the 'i'.  Wrap the thread around the needle 2 times.  Put the tip of the needle down near where your needle came up through the point on the 'i'.  Before you bring the rest of the needle and thread back down.  Pull the wrapped thread so it's taut against the needle, pulling it towards where the needle is inserted into the fabric.  While continuing you to gentle hold your thread above the fabric taut, slowly pull the needle and remaining thread through the fabric.  The result will be a completed French knot about your 'i'.

Use a stem stitch to create the stem of the dandelion and the wisps of the dandelion.

How to Stem Stitch:  Bring your needle and thread up and through at point 1.  Bring your needle an thread back down at 2.  Before you pull the thread entirely through, bring your needle back up at 3 (half way between point 1 and point 2).  Finish pulling your thread through.  Bring your needle and thread back down at point 4 and repeat the next stitch half way (or back up at the location of point 2).  *The most important thing to remember when doing a stem stitch is to keep your thread on the same side the entire time.  If your needle is to left of the thread, keep your needle to the left of the thread the entire length of your stem stitch.

Dandelion seeds.

The seeds use a stitch similar to a lazy daisy stitch.

As if you were going to make an inverted arrow point, at an angle from the wisp, bring your needle up, from the behind the fabric.  Pull your thread all the way through and insert the needle, going down, at an angle on the other side (again, image you are creating an inverted arrow).  Instead of pulling the tread all the way through, leave some slack.  Bring your needle back up a the end of the dandelion wisp, making sure the slack is behind your needle.  Pull your thread all the way through, eliminating any slack you had.  Bring your needle back down, near where your needle had gone up, this time on the other side of what was your slacked thread, and pull tightly.  Finish your seed by either doing the same stitch smaller inside what you have already created or do a simple straight stitch.  For the straight stitch, go up at the end of the dandelion wisp and back down, slightly further out, creating a straight line.

Next, decide what you'll do with your finished embroidery piece.

I am considering turning mine into a square for a quilt.

But for now, I'll display it in a wooden embroidery hoop.  If you opt to display yours in an embroidery hoop, trim the excess from the back and apply a layer of glue around the edges to secure it into place.

Either way you display it, be proud of yourself for a job well done!

What have I gotten myself into?

Last Sunday, I got up EARLY...long before the rest of my family stirred.

As a result, I joined twittter.

 

And instagram.

One of them I am obsessed with, the other...well, not so much (yet).

Feel free to follow along, as I stumble through these latest social media avenues.

I am hoping sleep won't elude me this weekend, there's no telling what I'll join if it does :)

100 Year Old House - Back Deck

In preparation for the 'Summer Showcase of Homes', it seem only fitting I try and wrap up the tour of our 100 year old home.

One of the reasons we decide to buy our home was the screened in cedar back deck.

Ironically, though, for the past 6 years, we've barely used our back deck.   Distracted with renovations on the inside of our house, the deck was ignored...until this year.

This year, we invested in a new door.

And, we replaced the white ceiling fans with 2 new ceiling fans.

Before you start thinking we've gotten all fancy on you, what with buying things like ceiling fans and new doors, we still have plenty of thrifted, free, flea markets and even roadside rescue items.

Remember the chairs my husband found on the side of the road (read roadside rescue).

We used them on our back deck.

And, we (as in me) made some custom cushions for those chairs.

As well as a few pillows.

We added some flea market finds.

We hung some pictures and planted some flowers.

And, we hung some curtains in the 4 corners of the deck.

The curtains provided a coziness to the deck and also helped define the space. 

And here is the view from the other side of the deck.

Including some more whimsical decor like a bull dog bottle cap opener and some of the woodaholic's wood creations (shameless plug...similar wood creations for sale in the While Wearing Heels Etsy Shop).

And now, the back deck is no longer ignored, it's become our favorite place to spend our days and our nights.

Summer Showcase of Homes

If you haven't already noticed, I added a button to my sidebar.

What might you ask is 'Summer 2013 Showcase of Homes'?

Well, it's like the MTV's Cribs for bloggers!  You'll get to peek inside 25 different bloggers homes July 22nd through July 26th.

Curious whose closets you get to look in, bathrooms you'll get to see, rooms you'll be inspired by?

Monday, July 22nd:
Atta Girl Says - The Happier Homemaker - Rain on a Tin Roof - Better With Age- Top This Top That Tuesday, July 23rd:
Mom 4 Real - Cedar Hill Ranch- Practically Functional - While Wearing Heels - French Country Cottage

Wednesday, July 24th

The Lily Pad Cottage - Marty's Musings - Confessions of a Plate Addict - Town and Country Living -  Adventures in Decorating

Thursday July 25th 

Good Life of Design - A Stroll Thru Life - Worthing Court - Back Porch Musings - The Rustic Pig

Friday July 26th

Our Southern Home - StoneGable - The Everyday Home - Recreate and Decorate - Sophia's

- Vignette Design

Oh, did you notice my 100 year old house is included in that list?  I better go organize my fridge for your visit.

Hope to see you back in a few weeks.

Butterfly Finger Puppet

Butterfly and nature lovers are sure to love this fun and easy craft. 

Want to make some butterflies of your own?  Simply gather the following supplies:  green cardstock, a pencil, twigs, scissors, glue stick, flower petals (collect wildflowers, petals from your garden or, if you are lucky enough to have gotten a bouquet of flowers use those) and leaves. 

First, arrange the leaves on green cardstock, in sort of a butterfly shape.  Trace around your leaves and cut your butterfly out of the cardstock.  Fold the butterfly in half.  Cut 2 lines into the center, creating a loop to place your finger inside.

Then, using a glue stick, generously apply glue to the leaves and firmly press onto the butterfly shape cutout.  *Optional:  Attach some twigs to the center of your butterfly.

Next...and this is where it gets fun, using flower petals, begin to decorate the butterfly's wings.  Again, secure them into place using your glue stick.  Grace used petals of some tulips we grew, wildflowers that popped up in our yard and rose petals (because this was one of those occasions I had received a bouquet of flowers).

Place your butterfly onto your finger...

and have fun making it flutter around.

So next time you are looking for a fun craft to do with the kids, try making one of these flower and leave butterflies.

Sadly, these butterflies don't last for long.  Make sure to enjoy them while you can.

Originally shared at 'Or so she says...'

Linked up to:

This is Me - July Theme Reveal

The Self Portrait theme for the month of July is...

The great outdoors.

Get outside and get in front of the camera.

Whatever it is, capture it in a self portrait and share YOU in the great outdoors.

The theme 'Great Outdoors' was provided for inspiration but the theme is optional.  All self portraits are welcome.  Feel free to use one of our previous themes (simple moments, reflections, looking down) or come up with a new theme of your own. 

The 'Me Time' June linky party is still open, so if you want to post a link you still have time.  If you haven't already, please go check out the brave women that joined the challenge to show them your support and encouragement.

Don't forget, non bloggers can share their self portrait pictures in the flickr pool.

I'll see you at the end of the month, Friday, July 26th, to see your latest self portraits.

Something Old - A Bridal Shower Gift

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

One of my favorite gifts to give for bridal showers a hand embroidered vintage handkerchief {something old and something new-ish}.

Select the thread color you want to use {I opted for her wedding colors, navy blue and burnt orange}.  I used a stem stitch, which is a basic embroidery stitch, to create the monogram and the flower stems. 

I created the flowers using a lazy daisy, outlining the middle with a lighter orange.  The flower was finished with a french knot center.

On the opposite corner, I continued using a stem stitch for the wedding date.  I separated the numbers using a lazy daisy and french knot stitches. 

 My only hope is that this handkerchief...

Only catches tears of joy.

Off to deliver this to the bride to be...

wrapped in blue ribbon and vintage lace.