Hot Air Balloon

I think this is going to be my last make for this year and I cannot be more happier with it. Some projects are very addictive, once you start, you simply cannot stop until it's done. This Hot Air Balloon by Louise Papas (that is available at Cosy Project) is just that. When I saw this pattern, I knew I had to make it for my Little One and I was so right. He could not wait for me to finish it and kept asking me over and over again if it was ready yet.

Christmas Mitten

It's pretty much Christmas time and I have to say that I am not even remotely ready for this. This year simply whooshed by and I had to slow down a lot to enjoy the small moments of everyday life, enjoy my Little One being little and needing me all the time, enjoy my Big Boy being a young man and not needing me as much as before. I even had to make sure that I enjoyed the mess and the little time I had for sewing.

Artist Trading Card Swap

It's been a while since the last swap and I was wondering whether Ali would run another round this year. She usually organises four swaps per year, but taking into account how busy she has been lately, I was not sure she would do it. When I saw her announcement about the ATC swap a couple of months ago, I was really happy and could not wait to sign up. The theme for this swap is "Small Things" and it fits so perfectly with my sewing because most of all I do enjoy working on small things and adding tiny finishing touches. So here is my card for this round called "Small Things".

Revisiting the Splendid Sampler

The past week I was spending some time working on my all forgotten The Splendid Sampler quilt. At the time of the sew along, I only managed to sew 25 blocks and then I fell badly behind. I was trying to catch up and luckily printed out a few blocks, but then I gave up. Why?

Hazel the Deer or maybe the Fox or...

I rarely sew dolls. Well, almost never, I should say, but this lovely design of Hazel the Deer designed by the sweet and very talented Megan of Dolly Henry was almost irresistible.

Hexie Talk: Part II

I hope you enjoy making hexagons as much as I do. I have a small constantly growing stack of them sitting on my shelf waiting to be sewn into my Hexie Therapy Quilt. Once you have a few hexagons, you can start the most wonderful and satisfying part - hand sewing your hexies together. 

Hexie Talk: Part I

Lovely hexagons! Large, small, tiny ones, with cute prints, with flowers or simply plain ones. They are so much fun to make! What I love about English Paper Piecing (EPP) is that it is a highly portable way of hand sewing that does not require a lot of material and there are hundreds (if not more) ways of using finished hexies in your projects. It's a very therapeutic type of sewing as well, calming and relaxing.

Pretty Handmades Book Tour

Welcome to my stop on the Pretty Handmades Book Showcase Tour! "Pretty Handmades: Sewing Projects to Warm Your Heart" is Lauren's first book, published by Tuva Publishing, which consists of 20 gorgeous projects designed in a true Molly and Mama style, combining pretty fabrics and wool felt. The well written instructions and pictures are suitable for sewists of all levels and make sewing a breeze. The book is filled with beautifully styled photos and pretty illustrations. There is also a part dedicated to basic quilting and patchwork techniques as well as tips on working with felt and a basic stitch guide at the beginning of the book. Pretty Handmades is available for pre-orders on Amazon.

Work in Progress: Pretty Handmades

If you like pink, pretty and handmade little things, then this book is definitely for you. Pretty Handmades is the first book written by Lauren Wright from Molly and Mama and published by Tuva Publishing. It's going to be released on the first of October. When Lauren asked me to join her book tour, I simply could not say no. I adore Lauren's style, her creativity and her attention to the tiniest details. When this book arrived, I could not put it down. It was not just the projects that kept me excited, but the sweet photos and illustrations accompanying every page. 

Helpful Tip: How to Cut Linen in a Straight Line

Today I was working with some lovely linen and remembered about this helpful tip that I wrote a few years ago. So I decided to republish this post again just in case some of you are struggling with cutting linen in a straight line. I love working with linen, but sometimes it can be quite difficult to cut it in a perfectly straight line. Unless you have a small trick up your sleeve.

Tutorial: Pretty Bobbins

I thought I would put together a quick tutorial with photos for those of you who might need some guidance for making fabric covered bobbins. They are quick to make and perfect for pretty scraps that you cannot find a use for. I even ended up using some of my precious Liberty Tana Lawn for a few bobbins and I absolutely love how embroidery threads go together with these prints. So get all the supplies ready and off we go!

Little Sewing Kit

It's not a secret that I love all sorts of cute little sewing kits, folders, pouches and other special sewing notions. It seems to me that I can always find some time for making a new little pretty thing to keep me company on my sewing adventures. The other day I went to Spotlight to get the most ordinary and boring black buttons for some mending work, but as you can imagine, I simply could not leave the store without some pretties that inspired me to sew this little sweet folder. In pink.

Tutorial: Lovely Squares Mini Quilt

As the name suggests, this mini quilt is all about squares. A very simple and quick step-by-step tutorial on how to sew your very own mini with tiny squares of your most favourite fabrics. This pattern does not require high level sewing skills and is suitable even for a beginner. Being a very symmetrical person, I really like the perfect match of all the squares and the stitches in this pattern and the ease with which you can connect all the squares together. OK, let's get started!

~Giveaway!~

Giveaway now closed.

A big thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway! Thank you for all your comments, time, support and love! It truly means so much to me! Congratulations to Sue @suefromtexas who is the winer of April giveaway!

It's giveaway time again! I am going to stick with my plan and share the love for small sewing notions throughout the year with my dear followers. April was a month of making a lot of fabric labels/patches for me. So I decided to make a few just for this giveaway.

It's All About Minis Today

Ove the last two months I have made a few lovely mini quilts. There used to be time when I had no idea what to do with a mini, I did not even see a point in making one because they seemed to be simply useless to me. How wrong I was! There are so many things you can do with mini quilts. You can hang them on a wall to decorate your place or sewing room, you can use them as a place mat or a mug rug or even use it as a trivet and of course they make lovely gifts. I like using mine on our dining table under a vase with flowers or a small stack of books. I also enjoy using them as working mats while doing some hand sewing in the living room. I realised that the most important idea behind a mini quilt is trying new patterns, ideas, new challenging techniques and showcasing your skills and pretty fabrics and they are simply fun to work on.

Molly and Mr Mouse

It's all about tiny details. Making a pouch or an envelope or anything else is always fun, but adding the final finishing touches is my absolutely favourite part. Working on tiny stitches, choosing the right small fun print, picking the ribbons and threads all add to the pleasure of sewing. It seems like April was mostly filled with making small fabric labels for me. How simple and cute is that label? Just a piece of the right fabric and a few tiny stitches.

Tutorial: Baby Linen Bib with a Hexagon Panel

This is pretty much a step-by-step process of how to make this hexagon baby bib. It really is a quick and fun way to create something cute for your Little One. I am using Amy's from NanaCompany bib template for this tutorial. There are two reasons for that. Firstly, I really like the particular shape of this bib and it was the original bib I made for my Little One, but unfortunately it got lost. Secondly, for a few reasons we still don't have a printer at home (I know, it's crazy) after our Little One destroyed the old one a few months back. I cannot really design anything at the moment that requires printing or scanning. This shape is really great and suits older babies from about 4-6 months when they need it the most. I have designed a smaller bib of a different shape for my Little One and it was perfect for him while he was a newborn. I might write a tutorial for that later. OK, let's get started.

For this bib, as the name and the photo suggest, you will need to make 18 hexagons. They are fun to make and you can get really creative here. Once you have 18 1" hexagons, sew them into a panel, as shown in the photo above.

Hexie Stitching Companion

Oh my goodness! I am in love! I am in love with my own creation! It's not very humble, isn't it? Sorry, but I do like this little make very much and for some odd reason, it reminds me of something I had when I was little. I cannot remember it for sure, but every time I take this little folder in my hands, I have a feeling that I had something similar, maybe a coin purse. It was white and red and opened the same way. It is a very strange feeling, but a pleasant one I have say.

~Giveaway~

Giveaway now closed.

Thank you all so much for entering this giveaway! I was so touched by the number of entries and sweet comments this time around. I truly wish I could give each and everyone of you a small gift, but I had to choose only one winner and this months it's @aminiamonth. Congratulations! I am going to stick with this idea and have ten more giveaways in the next ten months. I hope you stay for more fun and more giveaways to win. Thank you very much everybody!

I am very excited today because this is my first giveaway that I am going to run not only on my Instagram account, but here, on my blog as well. I am super happy to share this teeny tiny pack of fabric scraps and some sewing notions with you, my dear friends. These are the things that I love to use myself and I thought one of you might enjoy it as well. You can enter here and on my Instagram account.

In the Making and Small Finishes

If you have visited my blog recently, then you might have seen the previous post with the Mushroom paper piecing pattern. Paper piecing technique is something that I learnt not too long ago, but since the first time I tried it, I fell in love with it. So... one late night I ended up making this dog. It's a very small block, but it can easily be increased to any size. I have an idea what I want to make with this little piece and I cannot wait to work on this.

Mushroom Paper Piecing Pattern

I am really excited today! Finally, I am ready to share this super easy, quick and fun paper pieced mushroom pattern with you all. I used to love picking mushrooms with my family when I was little. It always was a delight to take a walk through the autumn woods looking for cute mushrooms of all shapes and sizes hidden among the dry leaves under trees. I think I was hoping to spot a little gnome or a fairy every time I came across a toadstool or any other type of mushrooms really. I always believed mushrooms were little houses for fairy creatures. Look at that tiny Mousy having a strawberry for his morning tea under that large mushroom surrounded by pretty butterflies. I wish I met such a cute creature on one of our mushroom picking adventures.

Scrappy Little Thing and Future Giveaways

I absolutely love making little pretty things! Especially now when I get constantly interrupted by my Little Man, I find this kind of projects more rewarding and fulfilling. I made this scrappy coaster using a ticker tape method and tiny precious scraps from my stash.

Autumn, Acorns and Hot Chocolate Recipe

What is your favourite season of the year? I honestly cannot decide. I think I love all four of them because each has something unique and special about it and without one I would not enjoy the rest. After a hot and sunny Summer I am embracing the Autumn with my open arms. I love the slight coolness of the morning air, heavy rains and grey skies, yellowing leaves dancing in the wind and chilly evenings. Autumn is always the time when I start craving hot chocolate. With both hands gently wrapped around a warm cup and savouring every sip of that delicious drink cozily snuggled up on a couch with a favourite book. That's the Autumn I love.

Sweet Scallop Pouch

A long time ago I saw a cover of a book on Pinterest. It was in Japanese and there was not any information about this book, but I fell in love with all the colourful patchwork and applique squares on its cover. I did not even know it was a quilt. It took me a while, but I found a copy of this book in Chinese. It was the only version available at that time. This book is called Happy Flower Quilts by Atsuko Matsuyama and it's full of prettiness! A collection of 30 lovely projects designed by Atsuko in her unique style combining pretty prints and bright happy colours to create the most adorable bags, pouches, mats and quilts using applique and patchwork techniques and sewn entirely by hand. Last year this book was translated into English to the delight of so many quilters and crafters. Finally, many of us can read and understand the names, comments and instructions for the projects in this book. Last month Kristyne Czuperyk, who is one of the technical editors of the English version of the book, ran a giveaway on her blog Pretty by Hand. I had this book on my wish list, but to my huge surprise I won a copy of the English version from Kristyne's blog. Oh my! I did a happy dance when I got an email from her and then another one when I received the book from Lindsay from Zakka Workshop. Thank you so much girls!

Oh, These Bunnies!

Don't you think they are the cutest little things ever? They just asked to be made into something special and ended up on top of this linen envelope. I love making these envelopes. Quick, easy, fun and always useful for carrying around or storing some stationary bits and pieces or sewing projects and notions, or some special keepsakes.

Stamps, Watercolours and Fabric

You might be wondering what could be in common between these three things. When we went on holidays to Singapore last October, I found a very cute set of stamps featuring a little squirrel, mushrooms and acorns. The stamps came in a box that opens like a little book. I simply could not pass by that little find and took it home with me.

A Cross-Stitch Pincushion

Or as my Little One calls it "a pillow" and pretends to sleep on it making a very loud snoring noise. It makes me laugh. Without any planning, I have finished this little pincushion right on time for my Grandma's birthday and it warms up my heart to think that she would have loved it. I wish she could see it... As I wrote back in October, I wanted to make myself a pincushion similar to the one my Grandma used to have. I found a lovely pattern online that seemed absolutely perfect for this special project.

Work in Progress

It's been a while since I posted anything about my current works in progress. As always, I have quite a few small things going on at the same time that I switch between depending on my mood and the time I have available for sewing. Some of the projects have been planned, some are simply a spur-of-the-moment decisions, just like the project below. I came across that little scrap of Belle and Boo fabric (I keep a small basket on the desk where I put some of the precious scraps). I pulled a few more floral scraps and got lost in playing around with pretty fabrics and buttons. It did not take long for a vague idea to form and I can say that now it's finished. Something quite cute that I will be sad to part with. Pinks, florals and cute buttons. I cannot wait to show it to you.

DIY: Needle Minder Holder

This is such a fun project! It almost feels like making a little piece of art. So quick and easy, but the effect is super cute. If you have a collection of needle minders, then this project is for you. You will need just a few supplies that can easily be found in your craft room and about 15 minutes of your time. It might take you a bit longer if you, like me, get carried away with playing with your needle minders. OK, let's get started!

Finishing Old WIPs

I wrote before that one of the things on my list for this year is to finish most of my unfinished projects that I keep in a special box. This little guy was left forgotten pretty much since the very beginning of my sewing journey. But I am happy to say that it's all done and dusted now. The embroidery is a copy of a photo of a small figurine that was given to my husband by his parents when he was little. We still have this special toy and it sits happily in a glass cabinet with my doll collection. I was going to make a fabric envelope and leave the embroidery as a "pencil sketch", just brown outlines. I only added some fabric for the ball at that time. But when I pulled it out recently, I felt like it needed some colour. So I filled the outlines with some colourful threads.

Tutorial: Origami Love Heart Bookmark

How about some origami made with fabric instead of paper? Sounds good? Well, then get your favourite prints and let's get started! We will make a pretty love heart bookmark. I am using Liberty and Hello Bear prints for my little heart.

Hello My Sweet Friends!

It feels like it's been so long since my last post here and I miss it so much. With my Little One turning into a real boy and giving up his day sleep and the summer school holidays, I find it more challenging to dedicate any time to my blog than ever before. I am spending snippets of my spare time sewing and reading, but mostly it's all about chasing my Little Monkey. But I do come here regularly and I am so grateful to you for visiting me, leaving your comments, asking questions and following my sewing adventures. Your support and encouragement is very important and dear to me. Thank you all so much! I hope you are having a good and very creative beginning of the year. I cannot believe that half of January has gone by already.