Aimee Ray's Blog, page 10

Piles of Presents free embroidery patterns

Another week of December, another free embroidery pattern is here! Grab these two Piles of Presents and stitch them up in all your favorite colors.

Or use my favorite Christmas color palette, DMC floss colors: red 321, pink 3716, green 702, light green 907, aqua 3811, light aqua 747, brown 436, dark brown 3031, peach 950
I stitched mine up using Split, Stem, Back and Straight stitches, plus some Lazy Daisies, Scallops and French Knots.

These would be super cute framed in hoops and hung on the wall, or maybe sewn into pillows. What would you make with them?

Here's the file for you to download! You can also grab the PDF version here.

Don't forget to check out my new book, where you'll find these and many more fun holiday and winter embroidery transfers! You can have a peek inside (and grab even MORE free patterns) right here.
Enjoy! Check back on my blog if you missed the first two weeks of free holiday patterns and come back for one more next week. (can you believe Christmas is only a week away?!)
xo aimee

Fun Christmas Craft Projects

 Hey guys! Just popping in with links to some fun Holiday projects you'll find here from years past. 

Making your own gift bags is super easy, plus you save so much paper wrapping waste!! And you get to go shopping for cute holiday fabric. Find this tutorial HERE.

These Christmas Star ornaments are fun and easy, perfect little project for beginning embroiderers or stitchers. Find the tutorial  
Want to know how to ribbon wrap a holiday hoop and top it with a festive bow? Find the Ribbon Wrapping and Bow Tying tutorials (plus free embroidery patterns) here!


Have you made salt dough ornaments before? They are easy and fun, a perfect kid project. Find out how Happy Holidays!!xo aimee

Santa and Elves free embroidery patterns

We're celebrating week 2 of December with more free embroidery patterns from my newest book, Doodle Stitching: The Christmas Collection Transfer Pack and more will be coming each week up until Christmas! This week is extra special because along with these cute Santa and Elf patterns I'm going to show you how to sew these fun little stand up pillow dolls. They are perfect for holiday display and imaginative play. 

Besides fabric and floss to stitch the patterns, you'll also need stuffing, white felt, enough extra fabric for the backing of each figure and a couple handfuls of dry rice, beans or synthetic beanbag pellets.
First, embroider each design. Leave about 2 inches of extra fabric around the edges. I stitched mine using the Split Stitch and Stem Stitch on the outlines and Back Stitches, Scallop Stitches and Satin Stitches on the interior details. If you'd like to use my favorite Christmas candy color palette, here are my favorite floss colors from DMC:red 321, pink 3716, green 702, light green 907, aqua 3811, light aqua 747, brown 436, dark brown 3031, peach 950. Here is the embroidery pattern for you to use! You can also download the PDF version here.

When you're done embroidering, cut out each figure leaving an inch all around the edge and making the bottom flat. Cut another piece of fabric the same shape for the back and pin the fabric pieces together front sides facing. Now sew them together around the edge, leaving the bottom open as well as a 2 inch hole on one side. 
Cut a piece of white felt for the bottom. You'll need an oval shape about 2x2 1/2 inches for Santa and 2x3 inches for the two elves. Spread the bottom of the figure open into an oval shape, then pin and sew the base piece in place.
Trim and notch the edges (or use pinking shears) then turn each figure right side out. Using a funnel, fill the bottom 1 inch with about 1/4 cup of dry beans or rice (I find lentils are perfect) and then firmly stuff the rest of the figure. Stitch up the side hole using the Hidden Stitch. (You can find a description of that stitch right here!)
Now stand up your cuties and have fun with them! Mine are on my mantle right now hanging in a candy land forest with my felt gingerbread house.



Don't forget to check out my new book, it's one of my favorites! You can have a peek inside (and grab even MORE free patterns) right here.
Enjoy, and come back for another new post next week. Happy Holidays!xo aimee

Gingerbread Cookies free embroidery pattern

I'm so excited to share some super fun and sweet Free embroidery patterns with you this Holiday season! I've chosen some special motifs from my newest book, Doodle Stitching: The Christmas Collection Transfer Pack and I'll be posting the patterns once a week up until Christmas so pop in and grab them, and have fun stitching away.

Up first, a Gingerbread Boy and Girl. Gingerbread cookies are some of my favorites, they are so much fun to decorate! I'm looking forward to baking and decorating cookies with my littles soon. What are your favorite homemade holiday cookies?

These two are stitched up using the Split Stitch on the outlines and French Knots, Back Stitches, Scallop Stitches and Satin Stitches on the interior details. If you'd like to use my candy sweet color palette, here are my favorite floss colors from DMC:red 321, pink 3716, green 702, light green 907, brown 436

Here's the pattern for you to trace, you can also click here to download the PDF version. 


Don't forget to check out my new book, it's one of my favorites! You can have a peek inside (and grab even MORE free patterns) right here.

You will also love this Candy Land Land Felt Gingerbread House sewing pattern! This set is super fun to make and display, mine is up on my mantle right now. The PDF download is available at www.littledear.etsy.com.
Happy Holidays!!xo aimee

Free Christmas Embroidery patterns

Happy Holidays sweet friends! Here's a little reminder of some Free embroidery patterns you'll find right here on my blog! They are some of my faves and so much fun to stitch, I hope you'll enjoy them. 
Woodland Animal Christmas Tree
Merry and Bright mini hoop
xo aimee

Button Snowmen

I made these fun, quick and easy button snowmen with my kiddos this week so I thought I'd share them with you! They are very simple, I had a bag of cheap, white buttons so we picked out bodies and heads, glued them on a small strip of cardboard, then glued a little strip of felt on top for a scarf. (White craft glue is suitable, but a glue gun is great if you have littles who don't like to wait around for it to dry. :) Super fun! We made ours into magnets but they would make perfect little ornaments as well. What kind of easy kid crafts are you doing this holiday season?
xo Aimee

Autumn Leaf Mandala DIY

Autumn is, hands down, my favorite season of the year. Not least of all because of all the nature treasures you can find every time you step foot outside! Pine cones, acorns and beautiful leaves galore. It's hard for me not to come home with pockets full anytime I go for a walk. I love decorating with nature, if you visit my house, you'll find rocks, pine cones, acorns, feathers and twigs on every shelf, and this year, I found a fun and easy way to display some of the pretty leaves I've found in my neighborhood. 

There are several ways you can preserve autumn leaves but since I already had some on hand, I used Mod Podge. It's really easy and quick to paint a coat on either side of each leaf, let them dry and voila, they are ready to hang or use in your fall fun crafts. 
You'll want to choose the freshest leaves you can find, not to crunchy yet and avoid brown spots. For a half mandala similar to mine, try to find 3-6 of each different type of leaf in similar sizes and colors. It's a good idea to grab a few extras as well. Bring them home and press them between sheets of newspaper for a week or so before Mod Podge-ing, this will help keep them flat and lasting longer.

Once the leaves are all dry, pick a spot on the wall to create your mandala. (I made mine above the fireplace.) Grab some poster tack or double sided tape. Start with a large, nicely shaped leaf for the center. Add 3-4 more leaves evenly spaced around the edge of the first one. Use larger leaves first, and smaller ones as you go outwards. Designing your mandala is pretty freeform and intuitive, just do what feels best! Your work will be beautiful and unique.


I loved creating my Autumn display and I think the leaf mandala will be a new fall decorating tradition! (BTW, I made the pine cone garland as well, using this tutorial from A Beautiful Mess. :)
I hope you'll try this out and create an Autumn mandala of your own!xo aimee

Llamas are here!

Are you ready to stitch up a pair of sweet felt llamas? They are ready for you! This PDF download pattern comes with all the instructions and patterns you need to sew 2 adorable llamas and a little mountain habitat. They make perfect felt ornaments, baby mobiles or just good, old fashioned imaginative play.

I've loved llamas for as long as I can remember and it's a little surreal to me that they are suddenly so popular! I love seeing them everywhere. I hope you'll give these two a try, they are so much fun to sew.
xo aimee

new felt doll patterns

I've been creating some new felt doll patterns for you to sew and enjoy! They are lots of fun to make and I hope you will love them as much as I do. Here is Little Moon and Starbaby, Little Moon has 4 changeable Phase faces! I've always loved the moon in all of it's phases and this little one makes me smile.

I know you were DYING to stitch up some Calavera skeleton dolls for Day of the Dead this year! These two are ready to dance and have some spooky fun.
You can find the PDF download patterns for these guys at my Etsy shop: www.littledear.etsy.comHave fun stitching up a new little friend!xo aimee

come stitch with me!

Hey guys! Are you ready to come learn embroidery with me in NW Arkansas? I'll be teaching a 4 part class on Saturdays in October at the Community Creative Center in Fayetteville! We'll start out by learning stitches with my mini mandala sampler, and then move on to your choice of one of my four embroidery kit designs, above. Even if you're an experienced stitcher, I'd love for you to come, it will be lots of fun! You can register at the Creative Center website: www.communitycreativecenter.orgHope to see you there!xo Aimee