Shamrock Freebie

I made a couple of Shamrock pins for St Patrick's Day.

Quite last minute, but if you want to make one too here is a little how-to...

All handstitched and takes about half an hour.

You need:

*small pieces of felt in green and white*

*Embroidery floss*

*Brooch fastening (or safety pin)*

*scissors, needle and pins*

First, cut three little hearts about 2/3 inch tall and wide from the green felt and two circles about 1 1/2 inches in diameter from the white felt.

Placing the point of the first heart in the centre of one white circle, stitch about 3/4 of the way up the centre with a back stitch.

Stitch the next two hearts in the same way, and then embroider a stalk using two lines of back stitch.

Place the second white circle on the back of the first covering the messy back stitches and adding strength, then Blanket stitch around the edges. I started just under a leaf and I like to put a pin in to hold the first stitch in place. My blanket stitch was terrible until I found this great tutorial (Thanks Karin!)

Flip it over and stitch on your brooch back fastening (or a safety pin works just as well) and then the final touch... 

Pinch the shamrock leaves in half to make them sit up in a 3d kinda way!

Pin to your sweater and have a very jolly St Patrick's!!

xo