Felt Bee Pattern

Welcome to another edition of Felt Pattern Friday! I found out yesterday that I live right near the Honey Capital of Canada, complete with the world's largest bee. How cool is that? Bees are fascinating insects, and so complex that we're just now starting to grasp the full extent of their intelligence and their importance to our ecosystem.

They're also pretty darn cute: furry, big eyes, delicate wings, erratic flight patterns... what more could you ask for? So with that in mind, I bring you a spring bee.

Click HERE to download the free pattern.

This is an image file that you can adjust to any size you want. A tiny bee would make a cute pin. A big bee would make a great quilt block. A really really big bee might even make a comfy cushion. If you prefer a PDF version of the pattern, one is available through Craftsy HERE (PDFs can't be resized though).

Here are some other fun and free bee project ideas:

• Need a felt beehive and some friends to go with your bee? This beehive appliqué pattern from Wee Folk Art can be adapted for number of projects and materials.
• Painted rock bees can be a fun addition to any garden. I made some insect rocks as a kid and loved it! If you have some littl'uns around, I'm sure they would love to help. With the right kind of paint, rock creatures will last for many years.
• For the really little ones, Craft Passion has a pattern and tutorial on how to hand appliqué a bee on a onesie (there is also a ladybug and caterpillar). While you're at it, why not crochet them a matching stuffed bumble bee from this pattern by Crafster user frecklesinoureyes?
• Does your favourite four legged friend like to dress up? You could make them a bumble bee hoodie! The Dog Clothes Pattern blog offers a tutorial, as well as tons of other dog clothing patterns and information. (My apologies to your dog for providing you with this information.)
• My favourite of all is the Beehive Tea Cozy by Patons, free on Ravelry! This is the kind of thing that makes me want to relearn crochet. If I could justify cluttering up my kitchen with one more questionably useful thing, this teapot cover might just be it.

Next week, I'll be talking flowers to ensure this litte guy has plenty on which to snack.