pattern: hipster honeybees

Sometimes when I'm working on a new set of patterns and illustrations, an idea comes along that I really really love, but that just doesn't fit. It feels a shame to set it aside completely, and so you benefit from this. I bring the pattern here to the blog, as I am today with a pattern that didn't really work with my A Heart Full of Honey patterns.

I love the idea of "hipster logos" and the retro simplicity of them. So I used a standard format, added some honey and love to the mix, and stitched it up. I'd like to think that maybe the bear holding my embroidery is a little bit hipster because he only eats locally grown artisanal honey. (He'll need some glasses before it becomes official though.)

Download the Hipster Honeybees embroidery pattern.

You'll notice that this has a layered look to the fabric. When I went to stitch this, I decided that I really liked this yellow fabric in my stash, but it was scraps left from another project and they weren't wide enough for my hoop.

To fix the problem and still use the fabric, I stretched the strip across my hoop and stitched the pattern, then removed it from the hoop. Then, I placed two strips on the inner hoop at the top and bottom, with the embroidered strip laying on top. The outer hoop went on top, I tightened everything, including pulling the edges of fabric more than usual to get better tension, and it was set.

Problem solved and I really like the fraying edges!

Download the Hipster Honeybees embroidery pattern.

The pattern is fairly small (it's shown in a 4-inch hoop) so I recommend you use only 2 or 3 strands for fine lines and bee details. Stitch it as hoop art or on the pocket of a shirt! But of course, you could make this really big too! Giant Hipster Honeybees could be all the rage. Just watch out for this guy to come on a honey hunt...