Make it Monday :: Felt Bee Happy Art by Handmade Cuddles

Hi! Stephanie from Handmade Cuddles visiting the Sew Sweet blog today.
I am bringing over a very springy inspired tutorial to share with you to make your own "Bee Happy" felt artwork.

This was inspired after I received a happy bee birthday card from my Aunt, and I used the same techniques as I used in the past to create textured art work for kids rooms.

Materials

• Photo Frame - I used a 10" by 8", but you can adjust the tutorial to fit any size frame, just need to scale down or up my pdf pattern.
• Felt - You need one big piece for the background, and scraps for the design.
• Sewing threads, scissors etc.
• Bee Happy Template

Step 1
Download and print off the bumble bee pattern. It has two pages, first is the overall layout, second is the pattern pieces and embroidery shapes. I included the text in normal and mirror, depending on how you prefer to do embroidery work.
Cut out a background felt piece to the size of your frame, in my case 10inch by 8inch. (I traced around the frame back).

Step 2
Using the layout page, sketch the "bee happy" text, and flight path onto your felt. I sketched them reversed onto the back of the felt so the pen lines wont show, but you can also use one of those disappearing pens, or tracing paper, what ever method you are comfortable with.

Embroider the "bee happy" text with black or grey thread. and for the flight path use a running stitch, so you create the dash look.

Step 3
Take your bumble bee pattern and use it to cut out the pieces from scrap felt. Then stitch them into place onto your big piece of felt. (Use the layout page to help place it).

Order to stitch down: Wings, Yellow body, Black stripes, Eye. Then embroider the smile and antenna. (I forgot to sew on his smile!)

Step 4
Quickly go over your art with an iron to get rid of any wrinkles you might have made in the felt as you were sewing. And then to mount your felt art so it stays firmly in the frame without any glass, add some double sided tape to the backing board and stick the felt down. And then just pop it in the frame and admire :)

♥ Thank you for visiting us today at Sew Sweet ♥ www.sewsweet.co.uk