Here at Pollywoggles we are counting down 'till Christmas and as of today there are only three more weeks to go!  If your fabric stash looks anything like mine, this time of year is when you start to realize how much scrap Christmas fabric you have... and start wondering what to do with it.  Here is a simple project to use up a whole bunch of small pieces and make a unique handmade gift or decoration at the same time. 

I love these as a unique bunting hung from around our living and dining room with twine and using those little tiny clothespins that you can pick up at craft or dollar stores (look in the scrapbooking section).  They are also cute hung on your tree, or used as gift toppers in place of tags. 

I have to admit, finding the time to do a project just for fun is a challenge for me.  Sometimes I have to find an excuse to make something that has nothing to do with pattern design.  Since the spring, I have had the privilege of helping out with an organization called MOPs.  It stands for Mothers of Preschoolers (which I no longer am... wow), and is all about giving moms with little ones support and encouragement.  One of the things I am in charge of for our local group is coming up with something "hands on" that we can make or do together that the moms can then take home.  It's usually something quick and simple, but satisfying in that it allows us to explore a little bit of creativity for ourselves in a day that is generally consumed with diaper changes and the drama of the 4-and-under crowd.  This month, I came up with a fun (and FAST) project suitable for this Fall season we are into... and that can also be a neat project to do with older children as well. 

Earlier this summer I started a new adventure...  I became a bee-keeper!
In mid-July I drove home from a local apiary (that's a bee yard, or place where someone keeps bees) with a box containing somewhere around 10,000 bees.  I will say that I had quite a lot of appreciation for the tape holding that box together as my vivid imagination had no trouble imagining the 45minute journey home if that box should suddenly pop open!
Since then, I have been thoroughly enjoying seeing firsthand many of the fascinating things that I have been reading about in books about bees and beekeeping.  I have SO MUCH to learn!  This year is all about educating myself, learning to observe the bees doing what they were created to do, and trying as hard as I can to help them get through our long cold Canadian winter.

You are probably wondering by now why on earth I am posting about this on my sewing blog.  Well, when you are a creative individual you can turn most anything into an excuse for stretching your craft-making muscles... and beekeeping is no exception!  As a brand new beekeeper, and being the somewhat nerdy individual that I am, I've made it a priority to take notes each and every time I open up the hive.  I record things like how often and how much sugar syrup I give the bees to help boost their winter honey storage production, when they have a new frame of wax drawn out or filled with nectar or honey or baby bees, and how my queen seems to be doing.  All these notes are written down in a notebook... an ugly notebook. 

And I don't see why someone who enjoys sewing would put up with an ugly notebook when there is so much pretty fabric around!  Especially if that fabric happens to have bees on it.

I love fleece.  The first thing I ever designed (this was way back before having two-legged kids) was a fleece-lined dog coat for our Great Dane.  Fleece has been my favorite fabric every since!

Currently, I have two fleece patterns available.  The Drew & Jesse fleece lounge/pj set, and the Muskoka (formerly called Autumn Grace) Dress (that's the one pictured above, including the "So Cozy Cowl" from the Expansion Pack ).  Both of these patterns are staples in my own kids' wardrobes, and because of that I have quite a collection of fleece scraps built up!  So today I'm going to show you five quick ways to make use of those of the scraps of fleece you might have lying around... flowers.

Each of these flowers only takes about 5 minutes to make, and you can play around with embellishments like buttons or leaf shapes too.
So... let's get started!