sew in love...

with this Valentine on Greenbean's Crafterole; it's the sweetest little love note I ever did see :)

 

I am s(o)(ew) going to do this next year.  Hope your Vday is full of ♥!  *B

love in every stitch

Have you seen Lolly Jane's latest Vday post, Bursting with L♥VE?  Ack, I love it!  Of course, I am partial to anything with stitches (hence, this blog) and those twinners are just two too cute ;)  They're always bursting at the seams with cuteness/inspiration!  *B

hugs & kisses

Isn't this just amazingly beautiful and totally drool-worthy?!  I want to print it out, plaster it to my notebook and write XOXO and "luv u 4 eva" all over it!  Because I'm pretty sure my husband would be jealous furious if I were to do that to his laptop screen...

The design!  The colors!!  The needlework!!  Swoon much :)  Brought to you by the fabtastic Emily Peacock, you can find it here.  Thanks Emily for making things that make our living spaces lovely!  *B

tutorial: Valentine Heart Hoop Art

I ♥ hoops, and all they entail.  Whether they're holding my latest embroidery project, or acting as frames for beautiful fabric, I just love them!  And Shirley from These Moments of Mine has THE cutest tutorial using none other than a hoop, linen, felt and thread... Just in time for one more last minute Valentine decoration :)

Valentine Heart Hoop Art

Materials:

• 8" embroidery hoop
• 1 yard felt
• pencil
• scissors
• linen (just big enough to fit into your hoop)
• needle and thread

Draw a heart on a piece of paper that would be small enough to fit inside the hoop.  Then iron the linen and place it on top of the paper with the drawn heart. Make sure you can see the drawing through the material.  Lightly trace the shape of the heart onto the fabric and then secure the fabric in the hoop. 

Next, cut the felt into a million (maybe not that many but it sure did seem like it) 3" circles. Cut out two at a time to move things along.

After all the circles are cut out, fold each circle in half . . .  

 

and in half again.

Secure the circles one by one to the fabric, filling in the heart shape. To do this, use a needle and thread and sew the point of the folded circles to the fabric, starting in the center of the heart and working your way out to the borders.  Alter the direction of the folds every so often.
 
Finally, add some ribbon for hanging and another as a bow and hang.

Many (many) thanks to Shirley for sharing her fabulous and oh-so-lovely tutorial, originally posted here.  Feel free to check out her shop Willow Whimsy for more stitchy goodness.  Some seriously cute stuff in there!

What's your favorite Valentine project you've done?  I would LOVE to see them!  *B

how to crochet

Let me just start by saying that I am by no means a crochet master!  But thanks to family/friends and the internet, I manage my yarn/hooks just fine ;)  Here are a few sites and videos I've found to be REALLY helpful when (re)learning how to crochet:

• yarn & hook basics: weight and size

• learn to read crochet patterns:  abbreviations, symbols and additional terminology

• Video "how to" basics:
• slip knot
• hold the yarn
• chain stitch
• slip stitch 
• single crochet
• half-double crochet
• double crochet 
• triple/treble crochet
• increase/decrease single crochet
• increase/decrease half-double crochet
• increase/decrease double crochet
• crochet in the round

• Diagram "how to" basics:
• slip knot
• hold the yarn
• foundation chain
• slip stitch
• single crochet
• half-double crochet
• double crochet
• triple/treble crochet
• front post stitch
• back post stitch
• increase basic stitches
• decrease basic stitches
• crochet in the round

• Ravelry: a free site for knitters and crocheters, it's full of patterns and like-minded stitchers.  It's totally awesome!  It's a great place to get inspired, organized, and make friends.  You can find me there as Bdreamy :)

If there's anything I've missed or something you'd like to see listed here, just let me know!  I have a feeling this particular post will be visited/updated regularly...  Feel free to contribute with any tips of your own, and happy stitching!  *B

just call me foolish...

Because I'm rushing in!  So my original plan was to build up this wee blog a bit more before making it public... instead, I've decided to throw caution to the wind and just publish :)  My new plan is to crawl the internet, looking for creative stitchers just like me, and then begging them to let me share their projects et al. with the rest of the world!  And hopefully, eventually, this blog will become the one I've envisioned.

But for the time being, all you've got is me...  I've published a sweet little crochet pattern, in case anyone wanted to deck their halls a bit more before Vday ;)  And I've got a few reviews/give-aways in the works.  So stay tuned!  And get ready to get stitchy.  *B

pattern: Crocheted Mini Heart

These are beyond easy peasy!  They whip up super fast, and are cute to boot :)  Play around with different hook sizes and yarn weight to make little hearts of all sizes.  Embellish hats, make festive garlands, etc.  The possibilities are endless, and oh so fun.  Enjoy!

Crocheted Mini Heart

Ch 6.  Tr in 4th chain from hook (3rd chain from start).  Dc in same stitch, hdc in next, sc in next and Ch2.  Working on opposite side, sc in same st, then hdc in next.  2dc in next stitch, Ch3 and sl st in same.  Carefully remove hook and reinsert hook from the back/wrong side of heart.  Pull yarn to back/wrong side of heart and fasten off.  Weave in ends and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!

***TERMS OF USE***  You are more than welcome to make these as gifts, and I would love to see your finished projects.  But PLEASE give me credit if/when you sell them, with a link back to the pattern.  Many thanks and happy stitching!  *B

linking to these fun parties:
Sundae Scoop @ I ♥ Naptime
Sunday Showcase @ Under the Table and Dreaming
Weekend Wrap-up Party @ Tatertots & Jello