March Make-a-Long with Béa

A lovely embroidery project to celebrate the rain!

We have seen a lot of your spool projects on the Simply Vintage facebook group and with the hashtag #QUILTMANIA2021! We are very happy to see that this new make-a-long offered by Béa inspires you that much. As March often brings rain with it, why not take advantage of this time we have to spend inside? Here is third part of our series: embroideries and appliqué.

You haven’t started your spool yet? Go visit our blog for the January and February parts.

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Hello everyone,

March… it feels like Spring already. Nature is starting to sparkle again, the days are getting longer and hail showers are coming. For me, I love the springtime traditions of Saint Patrick, with the shamrock, the symbol of Ireland and its beautiful ballad.

In this month’s project, show me how this promising month inspires you.

March

Below is the example of the version I made on my sheet above the February part, with a height of approximately 12cm (4 _^3/4“). Now get to your needles!

Materials

• Slightly flowery fabrics: 1 square of 12 x 12cm (4 _^3/4” x 4 _^3/4” )
• Scraps of fabrics for the little girl (here white, pink, flesh color, blue for the umbrella)
• Scrap of green wool for the shamrock
• Textile tag (frog)
• Mouliné cotton embroidery thread (orange, blue, green, black, brown…)
• A small heart button for the barrette
• Repositionable glue (optional)
• Mini clothes pin (optional)

Instructions

1. On the square of flowery fabric, draw a square 9 x 9cm (3 _^1/2” x 3 _^1/2“) and centre it (in case the fabric frays). We’ll cut it afterwards. Place this square on the peak and on its centre. To help yourself with the little girl, begin with a drawing, then appliqué the little girl. Start with her legs, dress, head and arms. For her hairs, help yourself with the video:

Embroider the little girl’s eyes with French knots (1 thread), her red lips with satin stitch (1 thread). Embroider “March” and “Saint Patrick” with back stitches.

2. Recut the flowery square at 9cm (3 _^1/2“). Using repositionable glue, place it on the spool strip above February.

3. On the left side of the glued square’s inferior peak, embroider the snail with back stitches (1 or 2 threads). Make some French knots on the flowery square with an embroidery cotton thread of your choice. Appliqué the umbrella, embroider its ribs (back stitch and French knot, 1 thread) and its stick (satin stitch, 3 threads). Embroider the swallows with black satin stitches (1 thread).

4. Sew the tag (frog) on the right side of the inferior peak of the square.

5. Inspire yourself of the model to continue the February branches by using more springy greens (featherstitch and daisy stitch). At the top of the branches, appliqué 3 green wooly hearts to make the shamrock.

6. March is my son’s month so here is his mini pin!