Zakka Wool Applique Book Tour

Welcome to the Zakka Wool Applique book tour! This is the fourth book by Minki Kim, published with C & T Publishing, and it is a pure delight. The name "Zakka Wool Applique" speaks for itself, this book is filled with darling projects and cute felt applique motifs. What I love the most about this book is that it sparks your imagination and gives you sweet ideas that you can easily include in your own projects. This book is available in both digital and paper formats.

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.

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!

Making Pouches

It's always fun and you can always find a use for a pouch, large or small. They are useful for storing some sewing notions and projects you're working on or they can simply make lovely gifts. Do you see that little bunny hiding in tulips? Isn't he cute?! I love Sarah Jane's collection called "Sommer". It's pretty, delicate and whimsical. These pastel colours are very sweet and soft, and make me think of the best summer ever. A summer full of joy and sunshine, butterflies and berries and of course pretty flowers.

Tutorial: Tiny Bag

A tiny bag that is ooh so easy to sew and fun to use. It really is very tiny but at the same time big enough to store a few small items. It would also make a lovely case for a gift for someone special. I have made quite a few of these so far and going to make a few more before Christmas. Did I say Christmas? Ooh... Is it too early?

One Piece Tiny Bags

This idea has been on my To-Do list for a very long time. You see, I was given a box of chocolates as a small gift a while back. It was packed in a cute golden cardboard box in a shape of a handbag. When I opened it, it was just one piece of cardboard neatly folded to keep its shape. Right away I thought that it would be interesting to sew a bag using this cardboard as a template.

Garden Pansy and Making Mistakes

It's one of my favourite flowers. Delicate petals in a myriad of vibrant colours mixed with rich green foliage. Always a lovely addition to any garden or a window planter or, in my case, to a little linen pouch. I have been playing around with some cross-stitch mini patterns lately. They are so much fun! Just a little bit of time, a few lovely colours and a few tiny crosses. That's all what you need to turn a piece of bleak linen into a beauty that can be used for anything really.

Triangular Zipper Pouches

Our Little One doesn't really like dummies but occasionally he needs one to help him fall asleep especially when he is in a pram or simply too tired. But the thing is that the dummy has a tendency to get lost in a large nappy bag when we out and about. No matter how many dummies we take with us, at least one will mysteriously disappear exactly when we need it. I remembered that a while ago I saw a cute pouch in a Japanese magazine called Cotton Time that I wanted to make.

Pretty Little Fairies

I've had this pink fabric with pretty little fairies for a while but was not sure what to use it for. After I made the log cabin zippy, I thought that a little pouch would be a great idea for this print. I was going to make one with a zip but instead I came up with this.

Kiss Lock Coin Purse

Something small, cute and simply adorable. A kiss lock coin purse. Two to be exact. 

While shopping for some embroidery floss a while ago, I came across kiss lock frames. I thought they were cute, they made me smile because they reminded me of purses both my Grandmas used to have a long long time ago when I was a little girl. The purses were not fancy but rather simple, made of dark brown leather with fabric lining. My Grannies used to keep folded notes, coins and even house keys in these bag-like purses. I wish I kept them.

So after looking at the frames at the shop and smiling, holding them and looking a bit more, and letting the sentiments of my childhood memories fill my mind, I bought the frames. I did not plan on using them, I just bought them, I had to have them. They were lying in a box with some other supplies until last week when I had the urge to make something different, something I never made before. I pulled the frames out, checked out my fabric stash, played a bit with cardboard and pencil while making a pattern, stitched using some old fabric to test the pattern and some time later I had my very own fabric Kiss Lock Purses. Now you can find a FREE TUTORIAL HERE.