May Stitch-Along: Week 1

Happy May Day, everyone!  As we kick of the start of the new month, we also kick off a new stitch-along here at Feeling Stitchy.  I'm excited to share an original embroidery pattern by June Jessie, a very talented artist and embroidery designer also known as isewcute on Flickr.

"A Little Curtsy Goes a Long Way" is a precious little pattern that reminds us all not to forget our manners.  This pattern was originally published in Fat Quarterly, the popular e-zine for the modern quilting and crafting community.  We're so excited that both June and the Fat Quarterly team are happily making this pattern available for all Feeling Stitchy readers.

Click on the image above to access the pattern in Flickr, where you can download and print it in a variety of sizes.

While this pattern would look adorable simply framed in a hoop for hanging, I also can't help but think of its many other possibilities -- imagine it stitched onto a little girl's skirt, a tote bag for carrying ballet slippers, a nursery pillow, or a doll quilt.  Let's challenge ourselves this month to not only stitch the pattern up, but to use it in a finished product.  What do you have in mind?

Don't forget to tag your photos MayStitchalong2012 and add them to the Embroidery group over on Flickr.  In-progress shots are OK!  We'd love to see them, and I'll be featuring your photos throughout the month.

To see more of June's original embroidery patterns, be sure to check out her Etsy shop.  Now let's get stitching!

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About the artist


We are so pleased to offer this adorable hand embroidery pattern designed by June Jessie, aka isewcute to her Flickr and Craftster friends. June is a prolific crafter, embroidery artist, and jewelry designer. Be sure to visit June's Etsy shop where she not only sells the 'cutest' resin jewelry, but also some of the most amazing original hand embroidery designs we've seen. June even offers custom listings where she'll recreate any photo into a useable pattern for you to stitch up! June welcomes custom requests and guarantees that her customers will be pleased with the results.


June also blogs at isewcute.blogspot.com, where she chronicles her other crafty pursuits, from kids' crafts to cooking recipes. And when she's not on Crafster, you're sure to find her spreading the good word about the platform -- she's a major Craftster fan!


You can find June and her awesome handmade goods in one of her many online outlets.
Blog: isewcute.blogspot.com/
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/isewcute

Mommy, can I try that?

My heart did a little leap for joy when my daughters expressed interest in my embroidery. I must admit that I wasn't sure about giving my 3-year-old a needle.

Lacing cards are a nice introduction to the actions of sewing and embroidery. Here's how to make your own:

Supplies
Lightweight cardboard (I cut a side out of a shoe box)
Marker
Hole punch
Shoe string

Draw shape, name, etc., onto cardboard. Punch holes, following lines of drawing.

Tie knot in one of shoelace and let your little one start stitching!


Once our lace-up cards were worn out we graduated to this:

Available here

For more ideas use your favorite search engine to find lace-up cards, lacing cards, or sewing cards.