Aimee Ray's Blog, page 5

Fairy Rings

July Patreon subscribers will be making mushroom Fairy Rings! Mushrooms are one of my favorite things to draw and they make their way into so many of my designs. They are so cute and mysterious, they often pop up in strange places, seemingly out of nowhere. A circle of mushrooms is called a fairy ring, and can either be dangerous or lucky to wander into, depending on what legend you're reading.

These guys just make me smile! If you'd love to get an exclusive fabric embroidery sampler in your mailbox, or an all new PDF felt sewing pattern in your email each month, come join us at Patreon.com/littledear. There's a little dear craft club that's perfect for you!xoxo Aimee

please wear a mask

Sometimes I embroider things just for myself.But that doesn't mean I won't share it with you! I recently fancied up this purchased face mask to wear with some freehand flowers in my favorite colors. I posted a pic on Instagram and got several requests for a pattern, so here it is! You can use this on any fitted face mask (not the pleated kind.) 
I've used DMC floss colors: corals 351, 352; purples 3726, 315, 316, 153; blues 28, 29and stitches: Satin, Straight, Lazy Daisy and French Knot
If you need a little stitch direction, visit my website at little-dear.com for lots of free embroidery tutorials! 
Here's the pattern to download. I hope you enjoy it! And PLEASE wear a mask anytime you go out, this isn't political, it's for your health. Protect yourself and others. <3
xoxo aimee

Black Lives Matter

As I watch the events of the last few weeks with a very heavy heart, I've been wondering what I can do to help. I decided to create art that would inspire young black children, to remind them that they are beautiful, brave and strong, and that they can and will rise above the oppression they are seeing today. 
100% of the profits from these purchases will go to blacklivesmatter.com and other organizations supporting the welfare of the Black community.
"I Rise" is from the poem by Maya Angelou, "Still, I Rise". (please give it a read!) I hope it will inspire you as well and that together, we can make a difference.
The above, printable wall art PDF download is available at my shop: littledearprintshop.etsy.comand includes hi-res files to print and display, as well as PNG and SVG files for digital crafting and Cricut or Silhouette cutting machines.

I've also created a hand embroidery pattern! It includes 4 and 6 inch versions. You can find the pattern digital download at littledear.etsy.com
The pattern is just black lines for transferring, but I've used watercolor to tint the background fabric. Have you done this before? It's really easy, but it's also a bit unpredictable, so go into it with an open mind. :)

First stitch up the design normally. For my 4 inch embroidery, I've used the Split Stitch on the words with 3 threads, and the Back Stitch on the bird with 2 threads. The dots are French Knots and the stars are Straight Stitches. (You can find complete beginner's embroidery tutorials at my website: little-dear.com to help you out if you need it!)

Now, just paint the fabric! You'll need to use quite a bit of water, and expect the color to bleed outside the lines a bit. You can build it up pretty dark at this stage, adding more color to the interior spaces as needed. I painted the bird with purple, then added a bit of black to the wing tips and head.

You can see that it dried quite a bit lighter than it looked wet, you can go back and add more color if you want to. I really like this loose, washy look!If you want more control over color tinting your fabric, try out Crayon Tinting with this tutorial.
I hope you'll consider purchasing one (or both) of these files and join with me in making a change for social justice. Every little bit helps! Let's make our world a better place for everyone.xo aimee

new samplers

You need some calming, fulfilling creative time in your day, and hand embroidery is the perfect way to add it. It's so relaxing and easy to learn. Even if you have only a few minutes at a time to sit still, or just want to keep your hands busy while netflixing, this is the hobby for you.

I've just listed some new embroidery samplers help you out at little dear. Moon bunnies and Feathers designs previously went out to my Patreon subscribers and now they're available to everyone at my etsy shop!  


If you're ready to feel the relaxing, meditative effects of hand embroidery, give one of these (or any of my other embroidery designs) a try! I know you'll love it. You can find lots of tutorials at little-dear.com to help you out.
Have fun!xo aimee

June Patreon Preview

June is almost here and our Patreon designs are almost ready to head out to subscribers!This is one of my most favorite months of designs yet, I absolutely LOVE octopuses (or octopi) They are so fascinating, smart and graceful. I can't wait to embroider this one up myself.I love how the seashells came out too! Especially the sea urchin and sea star, the French Knots make them really unique.

Even if you can't get to the real beach this summer, you'll love stitching up these ocean-y fun projects.
If you'd love to get an exclusive fabric embroidery sampler in your mailbox, or an all new felt sewing pattern in your email each month, please come join us! You will love having these fun new projects to work on. Find a craft club that's perfect for you at Patreon.com/littledear.
xo aimee

New Felt Patterns!

A menagerie of new felt animal friends has come to little dear!
Birds and feathers, Constellation animals and Pesky but Sweet felt sewing patterns are all available now.

The Birds and Feathers pattern is extra special because you can mix and match the pattern pieces to create almost any bird, real or imagined! What feathered friend will you create?

Cute and sometimes pesky critters are unique and special in their own way! You'll love sewing up any of these new creatures, find all of the PDF downloads now at littledear.etsy.com
xo Aimee

May Patreon Preview!

little dear Patreon club designs for May are here! I'd love for you to come join me at Patreon.com/littledear so I can share these fun projects with you. 
Even if you're not a big fan of real bugs, (I actually am, as long as they stay outside!) you'll love stitching up these lovely felt ones! Butterfly, Grasshopper, Ladybug, Dragonfly and Bumblebee make the perfect Springtime friends.

Our Stitch-a-Long club embroidery sampler for May is a colorful mountain sunrise! I thought that since we won't be taking any real vacations any time soon, maybe a virtual embroidered mountain adventure was in order. :) I can't wait to stitch this up along with you.
If you'd love to get an all new felt PDF sewing pattern in your email, or a printed fabric sampler in your mailbox each month (or both!) come subscribe, there's a little dear craft club that's perfect for you.
xo Aimee

April Patreon designs

Are you ready for Spring? Even if you're trapped at home, I hope you're able to get outside and enjoy the fresh air a bit. All the Flower Power is going out to little dear Patreon subscribers in April! You won't want to miss out on these exclusive, colorful designs. 
Things are crazy out there right now and I don't know of a better way to calm and ground your anxious mind than to make something with your hands. It's so calming and meditative to slow down and complete a beautiful embroidery or sewing project stitch by stitch. I know you will love working on these! We all need a little more color and creativity in our lives right now and these designs are the perfect solution. 

Felt flowers are so much fun to make, the perfect Spring decor for your home or yourself! Make a garland for your mantle, or a crown for your head, you deserve it! I promise it will make you feel joyful, super special and beautiful to wear it, even if it's just around the house. 
If you'd love to receive an all new color fabric embroidery sampler in the mail each month, or an exclusive felt sewing pattern PDF in your email (or both!) come join us at Patreon.com/littledear! There's a little dear craft club that's perfect for you.
xo Aimee

Frida embroidery sampler

How are you all doing this week? Things are crazy out there, perhaps you're looking for a new project to calm your nerves? I can't think of anything more grounding than working with your hands. It always makes me feel so much better to take time out and do something fun and crafty. I find hand embroidery especially to be so meditative and peaceful! I've just listed this new sampler, a portrait of Frida Kahlo. She was such a fascinating person, and if anyone is an inspiration through difficult times, it is her. If you'd like to embroider this iconic artist, visit littledear.etsy.com to pick up a sampler.Stay safe and healthy!xoxo aimee

Winter Woodland embroidery sampler

It's definitely still winter here but that's a great excuse to cozy up inside for some extra stitching time!  Put on your favorite record or Netflix show, make some tea and settle in, here's the perfect embroidery project for you.
This Winter Woodland color printed sampler is available at littledear.etsy.com and is one of my favorites. I'm going to give you a few details and pointers on how I stitched mine, I hope it will help you out and get you excited to work on your own!

This is a versatile design that you can stitch in different ways, either outline the shapes, or fill them in solidly. I'm using DMC 3781, 434, 437, 504, 502, white and ecru with 2 threads of floss throughout. For the animals, start by outlining them in a color darker than the interior,  I'm using the Back Stitch.  Now fill in the outlines with a lighter color using Satin or Long and Short Stitches. I find Long and Short Stitches to be pretty intuitive, you can vary the angle and length quite a bit depending on the shapes you're stitching, or go back and fill in a few extra stitches here and there as needed,  it's all good. Last, add the tiniest face details in the darkest color over top. I've used Satin Stitches for the pine cones, with darker Straight Stitches on top. The branch is Stem Stitch and the pine needles are Back Stitched. I've used a combination of Satin Stitches and French Knots on the snowflake dots, and Satin Stitches on the leaves and tree berries. You can see in the first photo that you could alternately use Lazy Daisies for cute leaves as well!I hope this gives you some ideas to use for your sampler! If you need a little extra stitch help, I've got lots of embroidery tutorials at my website, be sure to check them out, and also join my mailing list download some free patterns!http://aimeeray.com/embroidery/Have fun! xo