Lark Crafts

My five-year-old daughter is really into growing things. She loves digging in the dirt and watching as the seeds she planted sprout and mature into vegetables and flowers. This spring, she got her very own raised bed and was told she could plant anything she wanted:

Yep. She promptly planted herself. I can’t say I blame her — there’s something about a sunny spring day that just makes you want to get as close as possible to the warm, fresh earth.

To celebrate the joys of gardening, we’re giving away a bounty of garden-related motifs from Aimee Ray’s Doodle Stitching: The Motif Collection! Use them to embellish your gardening totes or gloves, a kitchen towel, or a set of napkins. Click here to get a free PDF full of motifs of peas, asparagus, strawberries, a flower, and more!

And, by the way, my daughter didn’t stay planted in her bed for long — she’s now growing tarragon, tomatoes, and oregano in her little plot of earth!

Into each life some rain must fall — or so say Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Ella Fitzgerald. Too bad Henry and Ella didn’t have a pair of spiffy knee high socks with storm cloud appliqués from Stash Happy Appliqué to perk them up. But you’ll be right as rain this spring when you grab a pair of  socks, download the Stormy Weather Knee Highs pattern here, and start combating those rainy day blues in no time!

Authored by the oh-so-talented Cynthia Shaffer, Stash Happy Appliqué offers up a bevy of ways to use your stash of fabric, including a mod skirt, café curtains, a tote bag, a lampshade, and so much more.

Don’t let April showers get you down — download your free pattern of Stormy Weather Knee Highs, then snag a copy of Stash Happy Appliqué for more creative ways to use your fabric stash!

It seemed like spring was never going to arrive this year (Snow in March? Totally unfair.), but I think warmer weather has finally settled in for good here in Asheville. And with the higher temperatures, a lot of us are feeling the urge to get stuff done: cleaning our front porches, packing away sweaters and scarves and pulling out sundresses, and planning our springtime craft projects—like these cross-stitch designs from Trice Boerens’s Two-Hour Cross-Stitch: Animals. The great thing about Two-Hour Cross Stitch is that every design can be made in a short amount of time—just right for stitching while you take a spring break road trip, soak up the sun in your yard, or indulge in an extra-long lunch (ahem) to enjoy the warmer temperatures.

Get started on your spring craft projects by entering to win a FREE copy of Two-Hour Cross-Stitch: Animals, plus two finished, framed pieces from the book: a little duck holding an umbrella and a squirrel with an acorn. You just can’t get any more spring than that!

Plus, you can download a PDF pattern of these two designs for free: just click here and get stitching.

For even more cross-stitch fun, pick up a copy of Two-Hour Cross-Stitch: Animals at BN.com or at your local bookstore. You’ll find animal-themed projects to fit every occasion – birthdays, holidays, baby showers, and more!

UPDATE: The contest is over and we have chosen a winner! Thanks to everyone for participating!

To enter to win two framed cross-stitched pieces and a copy of Two-Hour Cross-Stitch: Animals, leave a comment on this post between now and 9 p.m. Wednesday, April 17. Any comment is fine, but we’d love to know what cross-stitch project you’re currently working on. One winner will be selected at random from among all eligible entries and announced by Thursday, April 18. Click here for the official rules, and good luck!

Aimee Ray is a busy woman. Along with chasing after her small son, who is just learning to walk, she’s constantly filling her ever-present sketchbook with doodles and ideas for her next embroidery projects. “Many of my quick, random doodles turn into embroidery designs,” says Aimee. “I like the idea that a little drawing done in seconds can result in a detailed piece of artwork that takes hours or days to complete. My head is always full of ideas—picking one at a time to work on can be challenging!”

Aimee’s latest Doodle Stitching book, Doodle Stitching: Embroidery & Beyond, features all sorts of cool techniques such as crewel, sashiko and shisha, and redwork, which are paired with over 20 beautiful projects. “I think embroidery is a perfect choice of medium because it is so versatile and offers so many possibilities,” Aimee continues. “The more we develop those possibilities and share them, the more people will realize how fun it is.”

Snow White, Rose Red Fleece Scarf

Read on to learn more about Aimee and her unique style of embroidery. And don’t forget to order your copy of Doodle Stitching: Embroidery & Beyond from BN.com or pick up a copy at your favorite local bookstore!

Aimee, what got you started in embroidery? What do you like best about it?

Fair Isle Doll Skirt

Embroidery is so easy to learn; I first picked it up when I was about 5 years old and my grandma would bring me samplers to stitch on. It is the perfect way to bring any idea or sketch to life with thread and fabric. There are no charts or diagrams and no set rules—it can be as simple as a line drawing, or very complex and detailed with lots of different stitches and textures. I am very much a “make it up as I go along” type of person, so freestyle hand embroidery is perfect for my projects.

I think I like embroidery work so much because it’s so different from the computer design work I do all day, but still a great creative outlet. There is something primitive and relaxing about stitching something by hand, and the result is very special and unique, quite different from the mass-produced items we see so much of.

What is the quirkiest thing you’ve ever embroidered?

One of the first things I embroidered when I started stitching my own designs was a sketch I had done from a line in a Weird Al Yankovic song, “The Incredible Frog Boy is on the loose again.”

Canvas Cuckoo Clock

Have you ever had any embroidery/craft fails? Tell us about it.

Oh yes, I love to dabble in new things, so I’ve started many projects that never go finished, or at least never appeared before anyone else. If I screw up an embroidery piece I’m working on, I’m not afraid to rip out my stitches and start again.

What do you like to do when you’re not embroidering?

I really love anything creative, and when I have time, I paint, crochet, sculpt things out of paperclay, and customize dolls. Most of my time, though, is taken by my baby son who is just starting to walk and is quite a handful!

Is anyone else in your family crafty?   

My crafty mom, aunties, and grandmas have always been a big inspiration and encouragement to me in everything I do.

What has been your proudest craft moment so far?

I was so excited when my first Doodle Stitching book came out—it was amazing to see it out in the world! Since then, I am always thrilled every time I hear from people who enjoy my work. I am so proud to be an inspiration to so many happy stitchers.

What do cowboys, rock stars, Edward Cullen, and Wonder Woman have in common? They all recognize the awesomeness of wearing a wrist cuff.

Up your cool factor and join us in celebrating this month’s release of Aimee Ray’s Doodle Stitching: Embroidery & Beyond by downloading a free pattern of Aimee’s Butterfly Wrist Cuff. Now available from BN.com, Embroidery & Beyond offers over 20 projects that feature redwork, cross stitch, sashiko, and more!

Keep checking our blog and Lark Needlearts Facebook page for more on Embroidery & Beyond all month long – including an interview with Aimee, a giveaway of a project from the book, and lots of other fun stuff.

Get started stitching your Butterfly Wrist Cuff by downloading the pattern here. And don’t miss out on all the other beautiful projects featured in Aimee’s latest Doodle Stitching book! Order your copy of Doodle Stitching: Embroidery & Beyond at BN.com or find it at your local bookstore.

A long time ago, in a felted world far, far away, there lived a cute little cub with his canine companion, an alien girl who loved to watch her favorite Martian on her retro tv, a circus menagerie ready to astound and amaze, and a pretty scientist who channeled her inner Sheldon Cooper to create a robot sidekick.

Miniature becomes magical when you make it with needle felt, and Wee Felt Worlds offers up all sorts of diminutive scenes, each conceived and created by a talented group of needle felt designers. Here you can craft a Land of the Dinosaurs where prehistoric creatures rule the planet, a Sweet Shoppe that will have you drooling for doughnuts, a Sewing Room complete with a miniature sewing machine, a Wooly Woodland where adorable squirrels munch on mini acorns, plus many more!

Needle felting is easy to learn—simply pick up a few basic materials, and before long, you’ll be lost in your own wee felt world. As Amanda mentioned last week, we’ve got all sorts of fun things planned this month for needle felting, so keep checking back for felt-a-longs, captions contests, and giveaways!

Create a caption for me!

UPDATE: Congratulations to Charlotte! She is our randomly selected winner of the Wee Felt Worlds giveaway. Thanks so much to everyone for participating!

Speaking of giveaways: Enter today to win a copy of Wee Felt Worlds! To enter to win, leave a comment on this post between now and 9 p.m. Sunday, February 10th. Any comment is fine, but we’d love for you to create a caption for this needle-felted scene. One winner will be selected at random from among all eligible entries and announced by Monday, February 11. Click here for the official rules, and good luck!

The older I get, the less I like cold weather. That’s why each year, I tune in to see if Punxsutawney Phil is going to do me right, avoid seeing his shadow, and send us all an early spring. (To find out everything you wanted to know about Phil but were afraid to ask, check out the official Groundhog Day site here).

If, like me, you’re just trying to power through February to get to that first hint of warmth in March, I’ve got the perfect project to work on while you hunker down: this too-cute Seeing Shadows Phone Case by Mollie Johanson from Heart-Felt Holidays. Download the pattern, and pass the time stitching up a unique accessory for your phone or handheld device. Then before you know it, spring will be here!

Download the pattern here: Seeing Shadows Phone Case

To purchase a copy of Heart-Felt Holidays, where you can find crafts for every season of the year, go to BN.com.

Last week, we posted a giveaway of Aimee Ray’s Doodle Stitching collection, including an advance copy of Doodle Stitching: Embroidery & Beyond. Congratulations to Aileen, the lucky winner of all three books! We received an overwhelming number of entries—sounds like you can’t wait until Embroidery & Beyond comes out in March! Here’s what you had to say:

I have been wanting the Doodle Stitching books for months! – Pam

Aimee Ray has the cutest designs! I am inspired by her designs, especially the mushrooms and little birdies. – Stitchin’ Kat

I love Aimee’s books and whenever I’m in doubt of what to do next, I look to her for ideas! – Jennifer

I have her first two books and look forward to the new one! – April

Many of my previous projects have been Aimee’s patterns. Can’t wait for her new book! – Debbie

Who doesn’t love these books! Her work is amazing. – Susan

Who doesn’t love Aimee’s books, indeed? Aileen will be able to get an early start perusing Embroidery & Beyond, but we’d like everyone to have a little peek at all the fabulousness in store. Check out these images from inside the book, and don’t forget to pre-order your copy of Doodle Stitching: Embroidery & Beyond at BN.com today!