Flowers or weeds?

Flowers, or weeds?  My weed garden stitchery!

For at least a couple of years I've had it in my head to create a simple embroidery of the flowering weeds that we see every day...in our yard, along the bike path and against fence rows.  Even in the hotest and driest of summers, these 'weeds' flower with abandon and create impomptue bouquets in the most unlikely places:  through the cracks in the sidewalk or against a railroad trestle.

Most folks do their best to get rid of them, but since they do so very well in all seasons, I think perhaps we chose the wrong flowers to cultivate.  What about a weed garden?  You wouldn't have to do any work at all!  They pop up, and keep on coming, despite our best efforts to the contrary.

So, with a few line images borrowed from the internet (a Google search for weeds and line art), a lightbox to trace the images onto paper and then fabric, some simple embroidery stitches, and finally, a picture!  Chicory, bindweed, dandelions, and thistle.  They are great for pollinators, too.

However, I got bitten by a bug sprite, and now they have taken up residence with my stitchery:

Chicory, Bindweed, Dandelion, and Thistle Twins

These are my weed sprites!  They are from the wonderful Bug Sprite pattern by FantasySpriteStudio on Etsy.  The dolls have a wire armature, the easiest one I've ever seen to do.  My sprites were crocheted with size 10 crochet cotton and armatured with size 20 cotton wrapped wire.   They are about 5 1/2 inches tall.  The pattern calls for fingering or sock weight yarn and 12 to 18 gauge aluminum wire, which makes a sprite about 6 1/4 inches tall.  They are adorable, quick, addictive, posable, and just plain fun to make.

Here are the Thistle Twins, hanging out together!

I highly recommend this pattern, and all of the patterns from FantasySpriteStudio.  Treat yourself to some fun!

Have a great day, and enjoy the crochet!