Molly's Sketchbook: Felt Flower Charms

Summer in New York City may be a sweltering hot trial of endurance, but one of its saving graces is the profusion of flowers that find their way into every corner of the city. Outside almost every bodega and corner deli in New York is a fragrant display of lilies, roses, sunflowers and daisies. There are even small blooms poking up out of sidewalk cracks. Recently, the rose bush at my local community garden went insane and grew over the fence, its orange blooms bursting forth onto the street.  Elsewhere in the country the flower bounty is even more serious. When I was growing up in California my mom, sister and I would go wildflower picking every summer around our cabin in the Sierras. We'd walk home with untamed armfuls of sweet peas, Queen Anne's lace and lupine.

These little Felt Flower Charms were designed with that wild abundance in mind. I used our brand new Summer Bouquet felt bundle because I love its bright colors reminiscent of late summer blooms like dahlias. Although I give three examples for how specific flowers can be sewn together, the beauty of this project is that there are no real rules. You can mix and match all the shapes to make totally unique, not-found-in-nature flowers. And best of all, no matter how you sew them together, they are as easy as pie!

Once your garden of Flower Charms is complete they can be sewn onto barrettes, pins, or hair elastics if you're being practical.  Or if you're feeling whimsical,  just toss a handful in a bowl or on a table as a cheerful display that celebrates the best of summer! If you'd like to make your own please visit my Felt Flower Charms Project Journal here. --Molly

Comments

[jordan]

Love!!!

I just love all your felt ideas. I'd love to see your take on felt food.. :)

[Aleta]

This is one of your sweetest projects ever! Thanks for posting. :-]

[Tori]

I've never been to New York but I'm completely obssesed with it in my mind!
Can't wait for the day when I visit the NYC! I love those flowers! It's very happy!

[Luisa]

Oh these look so cute and vibrant there are so many possibilites.

[Kirsten]

It's love.

[vanessa]

I love the colours! And the flowers are beautiful and inspiring........... which leads me to asking a question. I've been searching for the post you did creating little flowers on the hana ami flower loom, but I just can't find it. Please could you let me know when you posted it. I thought it was around April of this year, because I asked for the loom as a Birthday gift, but I can't find it in March, April or May. And just as an aside, when I've been clicking on the link to the purl bee on your shop page, it takes me to the purl bee with your old header, rather than your new purl bee home page. I just thought you might like to know this. My warmest wishes, Vanessa xxx

[Siona Karen]

These are delightful! I also love how flowers can just pop up everywhere even in what was before such a forlorn place. One of the walks I take every week several bits of waste ground and as the summer has progressed I have enjoyed spotting new colours and flowers emerging there, brightening up the area!

[Vicky]

I love this!!!!Well done!

[purl bee]

Hi Vanessa,
Thanks so much for your note! We're working on getting that page updated.

Here is a link to the flower loom story:
http://www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2010/6/13/whits-knits-woven-flower-necklace.html

Have a great day!

[Elaine]

It's 95 in Chicago today and those little flowers make the heat and humidity bearable because they are so cheerful!!

[Elizabeth]

I set aside some of my ongoing embroidery projects this weekend to make a few of these little flowers. They are such a great way to test out color combinations - I had fun mixing bits of felt, voiles, quilting cotton, buttons and embroidery threads to create tiny little beauties. I think these charms would look great as part of a table setting - maybe scattered across a plain white table cloth at a bridal shower.