Spring Surprises

I love Spring. I think the first day of Spring should be a national holiday that we all celebrate. Preferably with a picnic outside (no matter how cold) and flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. So tomorrow my kid and I will have our lunch on the front step and be glad that it's finally spring.

Needless to say, everything bright and clean is catching my attention these days as I anticipate the change in seasons. Things fresh and growing pull me in their direction auto-magically. I delight in them. So imagine my joy when I opened an e-mail and found a brand new set of blog and etsy graphics. All spring themed!!! Shelley, of Single Stone Studios designed them and then sent them as a surprise. I LOVE them!!! They're bright and white and whimsical and really just what I'd had in mind when I'd thought of changing my look. Such a sweet springtime surprise!

A springtime surprise I have in the works are some super cute Easter trees. I'm going to keep the finished photo for tomorrow, but I thought I'd tease you today with a mini tutorial for the cute little felt carrots I made to decorate my sample. Today I'll be finishing the 18 trees I'm making for my MOPs group and they'll be decorating them tomorrow. Then tomorrow afternoon I'll post the how-to for the trees here, so I hope you come back for that!
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Stitched Felt Carrots
Tools & Materials
1- 8 1/2" x 11 sheet orange felt
1- 8 1/2" x 11 sheet light green
1 -8 1/2" x 11 sheet true green felt
Orange embroidery floss
Green embrodiery floss
Chenille needle, size 18
Scissors
Tip* Threading your needle with floss before you begin steps 1 and 4 makes the step easier.
Directions
1. Cut a triangle from the orange felt and a couple of strips from the 2 pieces of green felt (as shown above). Roll the triangle and then using a threaded needle and orange floss, pierce the bottom point of the triangle. Whip stitch once around point and then straight stitch along length of carrot.



2. Pinch the top of the carrot together to create gather and then stitch through folds several times to secure. Knot thread and clip.







3. Trim the top of your carrot flat. Be careful not to cut through your stitches.





4. Fold each of the green felt strips in half to form loop and hold together. Then bend up ends around the center loops. Using a threaded needle (green floss), stitch through the bottom of this gather several times, from multiple sides so that you can be sure it will keep desired shape.



5. Without cutting your thread, use needle to stitch green felt to top of the carrot. Stitch up and through green felt and then down and through orange felt from all sides until securely attached.




6. Using your scissors, you may cut into the ends and loops lengthwise to create multiple strips.This step is optional but I think it looks more like a carrot top if you do it. Be sure not to cut through your stitches however. Use one of the top loops to hang or stitch a loop of embroidery floss to create loop for hanging.