Christmas Baking: Gingerbread Mini Houses

The aroma of warm spices fills the house and slowly, one by one, everyone comes to the kitchen in anticipation of what is being baked this time around. It does not take long for the gingerbreads to bake and, once they are out of the oven, big and little hands try to get one, even though they are still hot... Moments like that fill my heart with happiness and love. They remind me of my own childhood and times when Mum or Grandma baked something we loved, how we all gathered in the kitchen. These moments bring the family together, they bring laughter and peace and create warm memories.

Tutorial: Gift Tags

Welcome to our last week of Sip Tea and EPP Sew Along! It's been a wonderful adventure that we shared with Irina @nordiccrafter and all of you who joined us by sewing with us, leaving comments on our posts and simply liking our work. Thank you so very much!

Today I would like to share with you the way I make gift tags. A small gift tag can add a lot of charm and love to any gift. Once you see how easy it is to make the base for your gift tag, you would want to create tags not only for Christmas, but for any special occasion. So gather your scraps and let's get crafty!

Christmas Coasters

Our Sip Tea and EPP Christmas Sew Along is going strong and we still have some ideas to share with you. During our second week, Irina and I made some coasters. I can never have enough coasters! I love using them and I love gifting them to my friends. They are quick to make and let you try out some new ideas and explore new techniques. It's that kind of make that gives you an instant gratification.

Tutorial: Baby Book

Hello my dear friends! Today I would like to share with you this darling little make that I was planning to write a tutorial about for over five years. When my LO was born, I made him a simple baby book that he still finds amusing, and sometimes reads in bed.

Tutorial: Scrappy Happy Trivet

Do you have some pretty fabric scraps that you cannot part with, but don't know what to use them for? Then this quick tutorial might be exactly what you need. Easy step-by-step instructions will help you create a sweet and useful trivet featuring all your precious scraps and make you smile every time you use it. Let's not waste any time and get sewing!

Sashiko Coasters

Last month I visited the Sydney Craft and Quilt fair for the first time ever and I truly enjoyed this experience. There were plenty of amazing quilts to admire and get inspired by, wonderful stands to browse and shop at and lovely people to talk to and ask for an advice.

As I was leaving the fair, I came across a stand Indigo Niche that was selling Sashiko supplies. I have always loved this Japanese embroidery technique and even gave it once a go that failed miserably as I was not prepared to follow any instructions or even read the basics of Sashiko at that time. A panel of six designs caught my eye, and I gently pushed closer to the stall so I could see what else was there. Women were buzzing around picking fabrics, printed panels, needles, threads...talking about beautiful items hanging on the wall. Even though I have been sewing and embroidering for a long time now, I felt completely lost and had no idea where to start, but I really wanted to give Sashiko another proper go.

Tutorial: Lovely Postcard Coaster

Two years ago I made a set of Christmas coasters using my ever so favourite Belle and Boo fabric. I planned to use them only during the holiday season, but they turned out to be very popular, that I decided to keep them all year round. Every time the late night tea is served I tend to use only these coasters. They do bring joy and make us smile. I though it would be nice to spread the joy at this special time of the year so I wrote a quick tutorial for you to make your own Lovely Postcard Coasters.

Sweet Mini Fridge Organiser

I just love small cute things and I love keeping everything tidy and organised. Over the last few months I have been slowly reorganising things around the house, reducing the number of items we buy (including fabric and sewing notions) and simplifying and beautifying everything.

Delicious Date, Cacao and Coconut Balls

Do you like dates? Coconut? Chocolate? If you answer yes, then you would love these delicious balls. They are quick to make and perfect as a snack or dessert to go with your cup of tea or coffee. What I like the most about these balls is that there is no added sugar, just the natural sweetness of the dates.

"A Stitch in Time" Book Tour

I could not be more excited and honoured when Sharon Burgess of Lilabelle Lane Creations asked me to participate in her book tour for her new book "A Stitch in Time" published by Tuva Publishing. I have been following Sharon's work for some time now and I am working on a quilt using her Tenderness pattern that I absolutely love and that has a special place in my heart. So I of course said yes because Sharon's work is amazing, inspiring and involves a lot of English Paper Piecing to make you appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of this technique. The book features 18 darling English Paper Pieced projects that combine some embroidery, applique, quilting  and is complemented with delicate tiny details. Bags, mats, pincushions just to name a few.

Tutorial: Scrappy Liberty Bookmark

I know for sure that many of you (just like me) have a bag or a jar hidden somewhere in your sewing space filled with the most precious scraps. Those tiny pretty pieces that are too small to be stitched together, but still impossible to part with. Well, if you are a lucky owner of a bag or a jar like that, then this tutorial might be exactly what you need.

I am going to show you how to turn the tiniest snippets into a bookmark or maybe a gift tag, but keep your mind open and let this idea tickle your imagination and create something else using this method that doesn't require a sewing machine. Only a hot iron and a fusible web/adhesive.

Boro Style Coin Purse and a Little Surprise

I am totally and absolutely in love with my latest make! This little boro style kiss lock coin purse was such a pleasure to make, especially the front patchy part. I have always admired this kind of patched up tattered look, but never had enough courage to give it a go until I found a perfect pattern.

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.