Wild Olive

pattern // stitch all the time, disco occasionally

2026-03-07T08:59:00.001-06:00

My sister Grace is a big fan of Harry Styles, so in honor of his album "Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally." I thought it would be fun to update an old design I made of a disco ball embroidery pattern. Instead of just stitching this, I asked Grace to assist by painting in all the little squares. The result is something truly special, if I do say so myself. That's all thanks to my sister's talent. (Goodness knows I had no intention of filling these in with satin stitch!)

This is a free pattern, and there are lots of ways you can stitch it. Metallic thread would be a-MAZ-ing, it would look cute on a t-shirt, or if you're brave you can satin stitch the sections. We used acryic paint on linen, then added back stitch and a few sequins. It's one method of embroidery tinting!

DOWNLOAD THE DISCO BALL EMBROIDERY PATTERN

Want to see how this all came together? Here we go!

The fabric here is white Essex Linen. You can use any fabric you like, but natural fibers are a good idea. When in doubt, test some paint on the material.

Trace with a regular pencil.

Place the fabric in a 7-inch embroidery hoop while you are painting.

This part is where you can get creative. Using acrylic paint, each little square gets filled in with different colors. The idea is to have an area that has the highlight, with darker colors around the edges. They aren't supposed to be a perfect gradient and sometimes there can be some random bits of color.

I asked Grace to make this a more pink one, but if you search for disco ball painting, you'll see some great inspiration. Just mix the paint a little at a time, keep it bright, and you'll have something fun.

After the paint is completely dry, start stitching. Use six strands and a chenille needle so that the embroidery really stands out. The thread color I used here was DMC 02.

Because the paint makes a fairly solid surface, you need to be intentional with your stitches. If you poke the needle through where the paint is, it will leave a hole, so be gentle as you come up through the fabric. Check that the needle is coming through in the correct spot before it fully comes through.

The face and sparkle markings on the disco ball won't show after painting, so you may need to re-trace those. Or just freehand stitch them.

If you want to add some sequins, use two or three strands. Stitch the sequins down with a little star shape.

I only added the sequins to the sparkles on the disco ball, but I may go back and add some more.

And you're all finished! This is such a fun project, whether you love Harry Styles or simply enjoy a bit of sparkle in your life.

Happy Stitching!

project // kawaii felt pierogi stuffie

2026-02-19T08:30:00.001-06:00

If you've been watching any of the Winter Olympics, you may have spotted Team Poland with their giant stuffed pierogi with a face. They even presented one to Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg! I'm here with a pattern to make a much smaller, felt version in the Wild Olive style.

The original stuffed pierogi was made by a shop called Luft, where folks with disabilities learn to made these adorable plush. Sadly, they don't ship outside of Poland and they are completely sold out right now anyway (good for them!).

After talking with my friend Kristin, we decided that we should each make our own versions. She made a giant one (including a version with legs ala Jellycat!), I made a small one, and then I also made a tiny pocket-sized pierogi.

I'd also like to add that if you were to make any of these with a deeper tan color, they would look more like an empanada, and I really like that idea.

Ready to make your own little Pierogi Pal?

Here's what you need:

• Creamy-colored felt (I used Benzie's Linen Wool Blend - affiliate link)
• Freezer paper
• Pen
• Scissors
• Iron
• Black embroidery floss
• Needle
• Pins
• Sewing machine (with cream thread!)
• 7mm safety eyes
• Stuffing
• Poly Pellets (optional)

DOWNLOAD THE PIEROGI PAL PATTERN

Trace the Pierogi Pal pattern onto the non-shiny side of the freezer paper. Cut the bottom edge on the line, but leave the rest of the pattern un-cut.

Fold your felt in half and iron the freezer paper to the felt with the cut edge of the template on the fold.

Cut out the doubled felt on the scalloped line.

I didn't pin mine when I did this, but it would help a bit as the felt did want to shift slightly. This resulted in some of the back scallops being off just a little. It doesn't really show, but I know it's there. Ha!

Poke holes through the middle of the marked eyes.

Embroider the mouth with six strands of black embroidery floss and back stitch.

Peel off the freezer paper, carefully tearing it away around the mouth.

Use the scissors to slightly enlarge the holes for the eyes. You don't want them too big. It's better to make them larger after you try and add the eyes.

Install the safety eyes. Remember that this are not child safe. If you are making this for a young child, you should just embroider the eyes (and skip the weighted filling).

Sew around the pierogi, leaving one end open for stuffing. I lined up the edge of my presser foot with the indents of the scallops as I sewed.

Add stuffing, working to fill the top of the pierogi and the far corner. Essentially along the seam, which will help keep the Poly Pellets away from the seam if you're using them.

Roll a piece of paper into a cone/funnel and use it to add Poly Pellets. You'll also need to work them down into the stuffie so you get enough in there to fill it out and give it some weight. Add as much weight and bulk as you want.

As with the eyes, you should skip the weighted filler if making this for a small child.

Add a bit more stuffing to help hold the Poly Pellets away from the seam.

Pin the opening and finish sewing the seam, following the same spacing as before.

You've got a cute little Pierogi Pal now!

The weighted filler makes it so that your pierogi will semi-sit. It's not fully upright, but not laying down either. It's super cute this way!

And then, of course, I made the little pocket version. Tiny is even cuter! This one I made with the Circles & Scallops deep-etch die from Benzie (affiliate link), which is so simple. But you can also just cut a circle with scallop scissors for the same effect. I used flat-back cabochons for the eyes on this one.

Wouldn't it make a fun pin, magnet, or ornament?

Which pierogi do you want to make? A pocket pierogi, a pierogi pal, or Kristin's giant pierogi plush?

project // a critter to stitch & love // plus a milo and tina version

2026-02-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Eleven years ago, my first book, Stitch Love: Sweet Creatures Big & Small came out, and I shared a fun little pattern to make a stuffed otter or ermine, or in today's update, a stoat. Why a stoat? Because the Winter Olympics have some adorable mascots that are brother and sister stoats named Milo and Tina. I love them, and decided to use my pattern to make cute little Wild Olive versions of these two siblings.

Tina is the official Olympic mascot and Milo is the mascot for the Paralympics because he was born with one paw and uses his tail in its place. How sweet are they?

Now, I admit that my version is not quite like the official plush (which are apparently very difficult to find), but they are very "me." I'm also basically adding just a few small changes to an existing pattern I made. I decided to sew my new version with raw edges (no turning), which I've done a bunch of times for other stuffed toys, even though that's different from my original critters.

You'll also notice that I didn't include things like the different colors on their paws, tails, and inside the ears. This is intended to be a simple project!

So here's what you'll find in this freshly updated post:

The original post showing the otter and ermine I made, along with that pattern, the supply list, and the instructions. After that, I've added the process for making Milo in a simplified form because it's still fairly similar in process to the original.

Are we ready? Let's hit the slopes! Er...sewing machine...

Today's project tutorial is brought to you by my little sister's birthday, and a random web search. Since that's a little confusing, let me explain.

We got into a discussion at my house about ermine. That's the kind of fur you often see around king's robes. It's also an animal in the weasel family, and if you do a Google image search, you'll see some photos that are the cutest thing you've ever seen, and some where the ermine looks like it wants to eat your face. I highly recommend taking a look.

Anyway, my little sister saw the photos and insisted that I make her a super cute stuffed ermine for her birthday. I couldn't resist, and as I was making it, I realized that the same pattern could look a lot like other animals too. An otter. A meerkat. A cat. And if you use your imagination, probably a lot more things too. Just a few small adjustments of color, size, and placement make the difference!

So once her ermine was done, I made my own otter, and now you can too! I'll admit, the ermine (which really does look like a cat, but I promise you, also looks like an ermine) is cuter. But I find that these things each have their own personalities, and I just have to see what shows up.

Ready to make a critter to stitch & love? Here's what you need:

Fleece - 1/3 yard
Felt - scraps
Embroidery floss
Stuffing
Optional: Safety eyes

You'll also need:
Scissors
Pins
Needle and thread
Sewing Machine
Pencil or chopstick for turning pieces.

A Critter to Stitch & Love Template PDF

Following the stretch arrows, cut 2 bodies, 2 tails, 4 arms, and 4 ears from fleece. Be sure that you're cutting two layers, so you have a right- and wrong-facing piece. Cut a nose and two eyes from felt. (Skip the eyes if you'll be using safety eyes.)

IMPORTANT: One of the ways to adapt your animal friend is to alter the size of the tail, arms, and ears. For example, I added a generous seam allowance to the ermine's ears. You can also rotate the pattern piece for the body so the stretch goes the other way, that will give you a shorter, plumper animal.

Stitch the nose and eyes in place with three strands of matching embroidery floss. Stitch the mouth with six strands of embroidery floss and backstitch. For the highlight on the eyes, add a white french knot.

Otters have differently shaped noses, so I used the nose upside down. Or maybe it's right side up? The ermine has the nose the other way, and she also has large safety eyes.

Place the tail, arm, and ear pieces right sides together and pin them well. Note that on the tail, I've placed a pin across the side, because that's a good place to leave it open for turning. We'll come back to that later.

Sew around the arms and ears, leaving the straight edge open for turning. Turn the pieces right side out and add some stuffing to the arms. Leave the ears without stuffing.

Place the arms and ears on the right side of the critter body with the raw edges facing out. You can make the arms high or low, and the ears can be up on top, or off to the sides more. Just make sure that you have the edges overlapping the body piece enough so that they will get caught in the seam.

Lay the second body piece on top, right sides facing, and pin, pin, pin.

Sew around the outside, leaving an opening for turning. Before you turn it right side out, make sure that all of the seams are secure and that the ears and arms are caught in them. Also, clip those corners between the legs.

Stuff the critter really well. Go on, add a bit more stuffing. See how the stretch of the fleece made this get a lot taller than before? Now, stitch the opening closed with ladder stitch.

Let's go back to that tail. Sew around the sides, leaving an opening in the middle. Trim the corners at the top, then turn it right side out. Add a bit of stuffing in the lower part, then stitch it closed with ladder stitch.

Stitch the tail onto the back of the body with some ladder stitch.

I attached the top inch of the tail, and gave it a tug to make sure it's secure.

Give your new friend a hug, because it's all finished! And is it just me or does this otter look like he's ready for some disco fever?

Now, let's make a Milo version!

Here's the add-on pattern PDF that has the extra pieces you'll need for both Milo and Tina:

Milo & Tina Add-On Template PDF

The template piece for Milo needs to be assembled. Be sure to cut the front as shown on the template and the back piece reversed. Tina usese the original template.

Cut out the belly piece and sew it to the front. This is the same for Milo and Tina.

Cut the nose from pink felt and sew it in place in the indent at the top of the belly piece. Use six strands and back stitch.

Embroider the mouth with six strands and back stitch.

Add safety eyes or felt eyes, like in the original critter version.

Make the tail, leaving the opening in the side like with the original.

Sew the tail to the back piece, lining it up so Milo can use his tail for stability. I also tacked it in place farther down to help hold it in position. For Tina, I made her tail stick up, and also tacked it further up to hold it.

Make the arms and ears.

My sewing machine was NOT HAVING IT when sewing the ears, so I stitched them together by hand with embroidery floss and running stitch. They don't have any stuffing in them.

Layer the arms and ears between the body layers and pin them well. Sew around the outside, leaving an opening under one arm for stuffing. Watch out for the tail as you sew!

Stuff your Olympic stoat friend and sew the opening closed. I did this on the sewing machine, so the stitching lines aren't perfect, but they still match the rest of the seams.

Tina and Milo both wear cute little scarves, and for these, I just cut strips of fleece and tied them in the back. They are about 2-1/2 inches wide by 18 inches long. You'll need to adjust them slightly so you can see their faces.

I just want to hug them and cheer them on!

By the way, you can absolutely make Milo and Tina in the same way that my original version was made. Turning the pieces and the body will make them more tall and thin, which is closer to the illustrations, real-life, and plush versions of these characters. I just thought it would be fun to make mine this way. What kind of critter will you stitch & love?

pattern // it's a small world lyrics embroidery designs

2026-02-02T09:40:00.001-06:00

Love it or hate it, "it's a small world" is a song and Disney attraction that almost everyone has opinions about. Personally, I'm a huge fan. I love the overall vibe, Mary Blair's set designs, and yes, even the earworm of a song. But the meaning behind it all is my favorite. So I decided that it was time for me to make an embroidery pattern (or 3!) to celebrate these lyrics.

I chose a line from each version, including the newest verse that the Sherman Brothers wrote and Disney recently shared and added to the attraction. Then I added a few icons from the ride and the facade.

The designs are sized to fit in a 6-inch embroidery hoop, and I think it would be so cute to stitch all three and hang them as a little grouping. But they would also be perfect for stitching on a tee or hoodie, perhaps to wear on your next park day. Or maybe just for running errands and being around the small worlds we all live in. In times when it feels like things are falling apart, remembering these things can be world-changing, I believe.

There's so much that we share.

A smile means friendship to everyone.

The love we give makes us humankind.

Download the "it's a small world" Lyric Embroidery Patterns

Let's lean into these things. Let's sow love and stitch joy!

PS: If you love "it's a small world" like I do, check out my pattern for making calico goat scrappy hoop art!

printable // embroidery stitch punch card

2026-01-06T15:48:00.002-06:00

It's the beginning of January so you might be thinking of learning something new this year. Embroidery, perhaps? I'm always a fan of helping people learn how to embroider or try out new stitches. So I made a fun little printable punch card to motivate and track your progress!

My sister showed me some adorable punch cards that people were making and I immediately thought of embroidery stitches for this. Rather than listing specific stitches on the card, I used little hoops as the punch spots. This way you can use the card if you're just starting out with the basics, but it's also great if you already know 25 stitches and want to learn 10 more. Because there are so many stitches you can learn and try in embroidery!

I ususally use the same four or five, so this might get me working more special stitches into my work.

For optimal punch card experience, I recommend printing this on card stock. To make the best use of a sheet, I put two of these on a sheet. Now you can learn 20 stitches OR share one with a friend so you can stitch together!

DOWNLOAD THE EMBROIDERY STITCH PUNCH CARD PDF

Wondering which stitches you should learn or practice? If you're just starting out, these are the ten of the most common embroidery stitches you'll find in patterns:

• Straight Stitch
• Running Stitch
• Back Stitch
• Split Stitch
• Stem Stitch
• Chain Stitch
• Lazy Daisy
• Fly Stitch/Scallop Stitch
• French Knot
• Satin Stitch

There are lots of ways for you to learn these stitches, and I have some embroidery basics posts here on my blog. But if you'd like to learn with videos, all of these stitches and a few others are included in my Super Cute Intro to Embroidery eBook and video course. I recently updated the course to now be a PDF, available in my Etsy shop.

You can practice all ten of the stitches in that list (plus a few more) while making the adorable sampler shown above!

If you want to learn more advanced stitches, these are ten more stitches to start practicing:

• Blanket Stitch
• Pistil Stitch
• Feather Stitch
• Herringbone Stitch
• Fishbone Stitch
• Woven Wheel Stitch
• Couching Stitch
• Long-Short Stitch
• Bullion Knot
• Turkey Work Stitch

As I said, there are still many more stitches that I could list, but these are a good bunch to work on. Find the stitches you want to learn and then don't stop! You can just keep printing out punch cards until you feel like an absolute expert.

project // ernie & bert felt ornament

2025-12-18T09:00:00.001-06:00

It's Christmas on Sesame Street, and Ernie and Bert are here in felt to celebrate. Specifically, they are here to go ice skating, because it's that scene that always stands out in my memories of that classic holiday special. Something about seeing your favorite muppets in a very different scale that just throws one off, but also make them pretty cool.

Last year I made this ornament for a friend of mine, and it was one of those projects that I worked on without taking step-by-step photos. You know...because I was just making it. And sometimes I don't share these kinds of things on my blog as a result of not having the images. BUT, in the event that you're a Sesame Street kid like me (and my friend!), I'm sharing the pattern.

The instructions are essentially the same as for my Gonzo and Rizzo ornament and my Emmet Otter ornament. You may even notice that this is a bit of a series of felt Muppet ornaments. I'm working on another one right now, but it will be gifted this year and shared as a pattern next year. So I can't tell you who will be on the new one!

You will need:

Felt (I highly recommend 100% wool for this)
Matching Embroidery Floss, Plus Black
Freezer Paper and Pencil
Iron and Ironing Mat
Scissors
Scallop Shears (these are the 3mm size)
Glue
Needle

DOWNLOAD THE ERNIE AND BERT ORNAMENT PATTERN PDF

You can see the order that I layered the pieces above. Use that as your guide, but be sure to look at the previous Muppet ornaments for the general steps.

For Ernie, the eyes are embroidered with French knots and the stripes on his shirt are chain stitch for a nice, bold line.

Bert gets French knot eyes and a singular chain stitch eyebrow. His mouth and stripes are back stitch. And for all of the embroidery, I used three strands.

These two are quite the pair, and they would look so great hanging on your tree!

And as I make this year's ornament, I'll make sure I actually take the step-by-step photos. Ha!

project // duffy and shellymay felt ornaments

2025-12-01T09:00:00.007-06:00

I have recently come to love Duffy the Disney Bear and all of his friends, which is why I decided that I NEEDED to make some Duffy and ShellyMay felt ornaments. And of course, I wanted to share the free pattern with you!

If you aren't familiar with Duffy, you can read a little about him on the Disney Imagineering site, but there's LOTS to know and learn from other places too. I first met Duffy when he showed up at EPCOT in the very early days. I remember that they had his face on the craft you could do at the Kidcot spots in World Showcase. I'm pretty sure there was a meet and greet too.

Well listen. I was early teen. Additionally, my parents were teddy bear collectors and I grew up helping in the teddy bear shop they owned. I was just not into this bear.

Fast forward to now, when I get very excited about kawaii cute things and when Disney has added to the lineup of Duffy's friends, and I'm here for it! I'm not a super fan, but I think these characters are so adorable.

On my most recent trip to Disneyland, I started working on stitching these felt faces.

These go together like my circular felt ornaments. In the pattern below, there are templates for the circles, but I cut mine using the Circles and Scallops deep-etch die (affiliate link) I designed with Benzie Design.

I did some of my stitching at my favorite wall at Disney California Adventure, and even found a bear mug in the wall. I'm fairly confident it was designed by Lucy Rigg, because, see previous note about growing up in a teddy bear shop. If you can ever find your way to this wall (well, two walls, technically), I highly recommend it.

When I initially stitched ShellyMay, I made her eyes with chunky French knots. This was partially to see how they looked this way, and partially so she didn't look all creepy without eyes. My real plan was three-dimensional eyes that would be like the safety eyes found on stuffed animals.

See how cute and shiny they are? I used these flatback cabochons, which you glue in place.

DOWNLOAD THE DUFFY AND SHELLYMAY FELT ORNAMENT PATTERNS

Now, Duffy and ShellyMay were both at Disneyland while I was there, but sadly, I didn't see them. It's okay. Maybe next time. Or maybe I just need to bring my ornaments to Tokyo DisneySea, where they are WILDLY popular and I'd certainly see them.

Now that I've made these two characters, I plan on making others. Are you a fan of Duffy and Friends? Who's your favorite?

pattern // make a cat pillow for cat day!

2025-10-29T11:10:00.004-05:00

I am always a sucker for fun holidays, so it's fitting that I get to share a pattern for making a cat pillow on National Cat Day. Now, let me start by saying that this is a pattern for making these cat faces that can go on a pillow, but it's not a full tutorial. You can watch how I created this checking out my Instagram Reel that I made with Missouri Star Quilt Co. below.

The idea is really that you can use the mix-and-match templates to not just make a pillow, but maybe some hoop art, or on a quilt. For the easy pillow, I only used fusible web to attach the face pieces, but you might want to sew around them too. Definitely for things that get lots of use or that you would be laundering, like a quilt or a shirt.

I just really had fun making some cute kitties, and I hope you do too.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Missouri Star Quilt Company (@missouriquiltco)

DOWNLOAD THE FREE CAT PATTERN PDF

If you make something with this pattern, I'd love to see! Tag me on Instagram @molliejohanson. Now, I think I'll go give Darcy Cat a little treat on this special day!

pattern // kawaii flower pocket embroidery

2025-09-03T13:44:00.002-05:00

Add some cuteness to your clothes with this easy and free embroidery pattern! Each month I write a column of sorts for Simply Sewing magazine. It's called Stitch Upcycle and I show ways to add embroidery to clothing and accessories or use scraps to make new things (and also stitch on them!). This is a project like that!

While on a trip to my local Salvation Army store, I found this linen Old Navy Boyfriend Shirt for a couple dollars. It was exactly the kind of thing I like to stitch on, so I bought it and waited for a fun idea to come along. And then I had the idea and opportunity!

Recently I was invited to go live with Clover and Amy from Curious Papaya and show how to add embroidery to your clothes. You can watch the entire thing (including my tech going horribly wrong), but I'm sharing the pattern here for you now!

I printed the pattern at 100% on Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy so that the flowers really make a bold statement. And then I used all six strands of floss with a chenille needle.

Because I like things that are kawaii and super cute, I chose colors that match my aesthetic. The colors I used are DMC 899, 3825, 743, 472, 964, and 3608. But you can go with colors that you love or that match whatever you're stitching on. You can also use all one color or just a few. I started with the pink on one side and then changed colors every few flowers to make a rainbow.

Grab the free pattern below and start stitching! You only need to know lazy daisy stitch and straight stitch, and it's truly a fast and fun upgrade to your clothes!

DOWNLOAD THE KAWAII FLOWER POCKET PATTERN PDF

podcast // very serious crafts is back for season 6

2025-08-15T16:47:00.000-05:00

Are you serious about crafts? I may make a lot of things with cute little faces on them, and I may not always take myself seriously, but I'm a VERY serious crafter. So much so that some years back, I started a podcast with my friend Haley called The Very Serious Crafts Podcast.

We took a break after season five, but we're BACK! Haley and I are happy to welcome our new co-host Hannah, and if you listen, you'll learn more about her. You can find us on whatever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Just click the image above to find those places or search for Very Serious Crafts.

If you get as excited about crafting as we do, I promise you'll love this show. It's the funniest serious podcast about crafts you can find!

pattern // a little teapot

2025-05-21T12:29:00.001-05:00

It's National Tea Day, and I'm celebrating with a free embroidery pattern!

The timing of this was too perfect. The other day, I was looking at an old file because I was trying to track down something I made over ten years ago. In the process of doing that, I found a pattern that I made but that never became anything. I had forgotten about it entirely, and it was just sitting there waiting.

The pattern was this "I'm a Little Teapot" design, which I originally intended to stitch on a teapot cozy.

When I heard that it was National Tea Day, I knew that it was meant to be and I pulled out the pattern so I can share it with you now. This is a no-frills pattern, so that means you get to choose which colors and stitches to use. But I know you'll get creative!

DOWNLOAD THE LITTLE TEAPOT EMBROIDERY PATTERN PDF

Now, go make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy some happy stitching!

project // wood and felt quilt block stand up

2025-03-19T09:51:00.001-05:00

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Whether you love making quilts or just enjoy being surrounded by them, this felt quilt block is a fun way to decorate your craft space. And it's super easy to make!

Unlike traditional quiltmaking, this little piece doensn't require any sewing. The pieces are cut from wool felt (yes, that's printed wool felt!) and the cutting was done using deep-etch dies on a manual die cutter. The felt and the dies are from Benzie Design.

For mine, I used the Sylvia's Cozy Quilt Block die set I designed for Benzie, because it has a center square that I could use to add a cute little face. This is, of course, optional, but if you know me, you know I'll always add a face.

Using the dies is also optional, but it's so fast and easy. Plus the pieces will always be accuarate. That's especially helpful with things like this because all the pieces will fit together perfectly. You can watch a video I made showing how the die cutting works.

Because these quilt blocks are attached to, well, blocks, they are thick enough to stand on their own. I've made similar pieces to this before, painting on the wood or gluing embroidery to a wood block. These mini art pieces make me smile because you can place tham just about anywhere.

I'm lucky enough to have a dad who has extra boards around, so he cut these for me, and then sanded the corners. If you don't know someone who might be able to help you with this, check your local hardware/lumber store and see if they have any cut offs. They can usually cut them for you too, for a small fee.

Now, shall we make some felt quilt blocks?

Here's what you need:

4x4-inch Wood Blocks/Slabs - mine were cut from a piece of 1x6 wood trim
Wool Felt (I used Bellwether and Printed Felt)
Sylvia's Cozy Quilt Block die set
Black Embroidery Floss and Needle
Craft Glue

Choose a quilt block design or two and cut out the pieces from your felt. You can create any quilt block you like!

For both of mine, I used just two colors/patterns. For the 9-patch, I used salmon and floral finesse printed felt in white. For the churn dash, I used dreamsicle and and daisy field printed felt in swan.

To make your quilt block super cute, embroider a face on the center square. The face is just two french knots and a scallop stitch.

Starting on the lower third of the wood block, spread a thin layer of glue over the wood. Apply the first piece of the quilt block in the corner.

As you add the remaining pieces in the lower third, make sure they are centered horizontally, and ensure that the felt doesn't overlap the bottom edge of the block at all.

Add more glue and then place the second row of pieces. Repeat with the last row. As you work, you can adjust the placement of the felt pieces while the glue is still dry. You want everything to fit together nice and snug.

Give the glue time to dry, then enjoy your wood and felt quilt blocks!

The printed felt really makes these super cute, but if you don't have any or just want to use solids, that's adorable too. I've also used Wonder Under to fuse quilting cotton to felt, and then cut those pieces with a die cutter. It worked great and you could then have any prints you like for your little quilt block!

Part of me now wants to make more and more of these little blocks. You could practially make an entire mini quilt. And maybe that would even be fun for kids to play with!

Happy quilting!

pattern // wwjd? kawaii style!

2025-02-22T12:58:00.001-06:00

The letters of the 90s are back: WWJD. And I'm bringing them to embroidery with this free pattern featuring my kawaii style!

WWJD? or What Would Jesus Do? is a phrase or question that I've kept in my mind ever since I got my first WWJD bracelet way back when. My own bracelet was hunter green, and then I got a black one as well. It was the thing to have, but I never want it to just be a nice idea. I want it to be the very thing I live by.

What WOULD Jesus do? Sometimes it's hard to know exactly, but at the very least I can know some things he WOULDN'T do. I also know that I mess this up all the time and I'm certainly not always living and making choices like Jesus. But bit by bit, hopefully I become more like him in the way I go about my days, months, and years.

So it felt like a good time to make a little embroidery pattern that can serve as a reminder for myself. And if you'd like that reminder too, I offer this free pattern.

DOWNLOAD THE WWJD? EMBROIDERY PATTERN PDF

I haven't stitched my own yet, but I'll be doing the letters in three strands of chain stitch, just like I did for my Do the Next Right Thing hoodie. The faces are French knots and scallop stitches.

If you print the pattern at 100% it will fit in a 5-inch embroidery hoop, but it would also be great on a t-shirt or hoodie. Just something to show what you believe, while not forgetting how to orient your life.

Simple stitches. A simple idea. But harder to live. And that's okay.

If you're someone who wants to base your life off of Jesus and what he would do in any situation, be encouraged. It's worth pausing to ask this question. And even better if you ask HIM for help. Get to know him and you might just become more like him.

pattern: teeny tiny lanterns

2025-02-06T16:40:00.000-06:00

Lunar New Year is a great time to stitch up some little lanterns. These ones are teeny tiny, which might just be my favorite kind of embroidery! After I did the lantern embroidery, I threaded a bit of floss through the hanger on the lantern, then secured the ends of the thread in the hoop edges. I like that it looks like it's hanging there!

I created this pattern and wrote the original post for this way back in 2012, but I was thinking about the patterns again and I'm going to stitch another...and maybe a few more! I grabbed some adorable fabric that will end up giving my lantern a subtle rain bow on it. Pattern traced, and now I just need to stitch.

And pulling these out again made me think about the shapes and wonder how accurate my designs were from way back when. Thankfully I had a few photos from the Lunar New Year celebration at Disney California Adventure to compare them to:

The faces weren't on the actual lanterns, but I just HAD to add some Wild Olive flair to them! I also realize that Disney may not be the MOST accurate celebration, but I think it's still a decent representation. And the colors might just inspire my own new stitching!

In the pattern, there are a total of four lantern styles that I've drawn up for you. Embroider just one or a whole bunch of them on a string! They're tiny and quick to stitch!

Download the Lunar New Year Lantern Pattern PDF

If you stitch some of these up, I'd love to see them! Tag me (@molliejohanson) on Instagram, or leave a link in the comments.

project // cross stitch postage stamp pin

2025-02-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

When I think about Valentine's Day, I often think about mailing cute envelopes with adorable stamps on them. Making your own cross-stitched postage stamp as a pin is a natural next step, don't you think?

Just imagine wearing this for Valentine's Day or even beyond!

This simple project is a great way to stitch something small and get in some slow stitching without the overwhelm that can come from large cross stitch projects. The design I used is from a new cross stitch pattern in my Etsy shop.

The Hearts Day Mini Stamp pattern features 20 different mini stamp designs, including the one shown in this project. The full pattern allows you to stitch all the stamps with their little perforated border, but for this pin, I used only the inside part of one stamp. You could use ANY of the designs for this.

Instead of using the perforation in the cross stitch, the backing for this pin is felt cut out using the small stamp border in the Stamp of Approval deep-etch die set (affiliate link) I designed for Benzie Design. The dies create a perfect stamp shape every time, and I knew they'd be perfect for this.

Okay, so the truth is that I knew they'd be perfect because I designed the cross stitch patterns with this die in mind. They are exactly the right size when you stitch them on 14-count Aida!

Now, let's get on to this project!

Here's what you need:

Hearts Day Mini Stamp (no perforation) stitched on 14-count Aida
White Felt Stamp cut with small Stamp of Approval die
Embroidery Floss
Needle
Pin Back
Tacky Glue
Note: The pin back I used was a little longer because my stamp is wide. If you make a tall stamp, be sure your pin back will fit.

Trim the cross-stitched stamp down so there are two rows of Aida on each side of the stamp. Center it on the felt stamp piece.

Use one strand of embroidery floss and fold it in half, threading the cut ends through your needle. Starting at one corner, come up through the felt and Aida one row away from the stitching. Go back down one stitch away on that same row.

On the back of the stamp, slide your needle through the loop of thread and pull to tighten it. This is the loop method, and it will secure your thread without a knot.

Stitch around the entire stamp with running stitch, making each stitch one square of Aida.

Secure the end of the thread with a knot between the layers of fabric and felt. Use Tacky Glue to attach the pin back. Be sure it's facing the right direction!

Allow the glue to fully dry.

Now you have a postage stamp pin that's ready for Hearts Day! Of course, if you're a fan of mail, stamps, or the like, this is a good accessory any day of the year.

Do you love stamps? My grandpa collected them, so I kinda feel like the stamp patterns I've made are an ode to him. Now the big question is, should I design more mini stamp cross stitch patterns?

project // felt pom snowgies magnets

2025-01-20T12:00:00.000-06:00

Do you want to build a snowman? Come on, let's go and play with felt poms! Specifically, let's make some little Snowgies from Disney's Frozen!

I promise that this blog is not turning into all things Disney, but as a fan, when I have an idea for something cute to make out of lovely craft supplies, I have to do it. Today's project came to me when I was riding Frozen Ever After at EPCOT. During one scene you see the little Snowgies (and if you haven't seen them, Google them and then watch all the shorts that they appear in...Olaf Presents is especially hilarious).

The moment I saw them (which wasn't the first time), I suddenly envisioned them made from Benzie Felt poms. Fast forward to January, and I got all my supplies and started making them. There was some trial and error, but when I showed this version to my sister, who is a huge fan of Frozen, she gave me the "awwwwwwww" and I knew we were on track.

They really are adorable just as they are. They might be fun for kids to play with this way. And I also think there are ways to make them so you could have them sitting to go on a shelf or something. But I've been on a magnet kick lately, so I made mine into magnets that I can stick up near my desk or on my photo clamps just for fun.

Now, let me ask again, a little differently this time...Do you want to build some Snowgies?

Here's what you need!

Benzie Felt Balls (affiliate link) in 3 Sizes: Medium, Small, and Extra-Small
Wool Felt Scraps in Black, Light Blue, and White
Magnets (I used super strong ones)
Hole Punch
Scissors
Tweezers
Hot Glue
Tacky Glue
E6000 Glue

Now, I know that three kinds of glue is kinda overboard. You don't have to do this, but it's what I used and here's why: The hot glue is so fast and easy for attaching the poms to each other. The Tacky Glue is a little easier for adding the face. And when using super strong magnets, Benzie recommends E6000 because you really need those to hold to the poms.

If you craft a lot, these are all glues that you should have in your supply storage!

Use one medium felt ball for the head, one small felt ball for the body, and two extra-small felt balls for the feet. Attach them with hot glue and press them tightly together so the glue doesn't show.

You can arrange the feet in different ways and if you look at images of Snowgies, you might get some more cute ideas!

Use the hole punch to cut out two perfect black circles. If your hole punch struggles to do this, try ironing freezer paper to the felt first. You can also hand cut them if you'd rather.

Cut out the mouth with scissors. The blue part is a 1/2-inch wide half circle. The tooth is a teeny white rectangle.

Use Tacky Glue to attach the blue part of the mouth first. I found it helpful to glue the back of the felt piece.

Add the eyes above the mouth. I found it easier to add dots of glue to the head and then add the eyes.

Add the teeniest bit of glue to the top of the mouth, then attach the felt tooth. Tweezers are super helpful for this!

It's a happy Snowgie!

Finally, attach a magnet to the back of the head using E6000 glue. Let this cure before sticking the magnet onto anything else or it may pull off the felt ball.

If one Snowgie is good, more Snowgies are better! They can be friends this way, I think that makes them even cuter. You might even try arranging the feet differently or giving them unique facial expressions!

Now my only issue is that I will have the song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" in my head for days. And I'm sorry/not sorry if I did that to you as well. We might as well give in and start watching all the Frozen things while we craft!

Psst...if you like Frozen 2, don't miss the embroidery pattern I shared recently! I'm still loving my Do the Next Right Thing hoodie!

pattern // do the next right thing embroidery

2025-01-02T10:37:00.001-06:00

In the movie Frozen 2, the phrase Do the Next Right Thing comes up, and Anna even sings about it, and I decided to embroider it! And you can too with my free embroidery pattern!

It's just a little bit kawaii-Mollie, with my signature faces stitched on the crystals around the words.

And I love it's sort of secretly Disney. Only the people who know will know. But the message of Do the Next Right Thing is one that is good for all of us. It's something that I definitely connect with and one that I need a steady reminder of.

I first started thinking about this pattern pretty early in 2024, then decided it would be perfect as a hoodie to wear to Walt Disney World. We had a trip planned for December, so it all felt perfect. Of course, I had all manner of things going on and my Frozen 2 sweatshirt felt like a low priority.

Thinking that I would need to just put this idea off for a while made me sad, but it was fine. And then my mom made a suggestion. What if I were to embroider my hoodie while on the big roadtrip from Illinois to Florida?

And so that's what I did.

Not only did I finish all the embroidery while on the road, but I was able to wear it on our first day of visiting the parks and going to EPCOT, where you can ride Frozen Ever After and walk through spaces that are a lot like Arendale!

Did I take the opportunity to have my photo taken there? Yes, I did!

If you would like to make your own Do the Next Right Thing hoodie (or a tee, or even a pillow or hoop art), you can grab the pattern below. It's sized as I used it for my sweatshirt, but you could print it at a lower percentage to make yours smaller.

DOWNLOAD THE DO THE NEXT RIGHT THING PATTERN PDF

For a design of this size, I recommend using Sulky Stick n' Stitch (also called Sticky Fabri-Solvy). It's especially helpful on a thick material like a hoodie.

The colors I used are DMC 964, 958, 156, 211, 3609, and 310. I just tried to space out the colors in a way that wasn't too much of a pattern, but still felt like they were balanced. You could, of course, stitch this in other colors, or all in one color.

For the words, I used three strands and chain stitch, while for the crystals, I used three strands and back stitch. The faces are three strands with French knots and scallop stitch. Like with all my patterns, if the kawaii faces aren't for you, you can just skip stitching them.

Real talk here. Some days life can feel a lot like it did for Anna during the moment of this song in Frozen 2. When I feel that way, I remind myself to do the next right thing. Whatever that might be. Sometimes it's big and sometimes it's small. But do the next right thing.

Happy stitching, friends!

tutorial // muppets christmas carol tees

2024-12-12T06:00:00.002-06:00

The Muppet Christmas Carol is an absolute classic so you will love making a custom tee with Gonzo and Rizzo! The characters are made with felt applique, and the come with a fun extra too. But first, let me show you the inspiration (besides the movie!).

Last year I made this felt ornament of Muppet Christmas Carol Gonzo and Rizzo with some very tiny pieces. And I used those same patterns to create characters that would fit coming out of the pocket of a long-sleeved tee.

I started with Rizzo, but I couldn't only make Rizzo the Rat, I needed to make Gonzo as Charles Dickens too! And these tees aren't just about the pocket characters, they also have a fun message running down the arms.

In the movie, Gonzo introduces himself by saying "I am here to tell the story" and Rizzo famously says "And I am here for the food."

Well, my sister goes to Disney parks for the food. And with a trip planned, I knew Rizzo's line would be perfect for her! So I made Rizzo for her with his line, and for myself, I made Gonzo. I altered his line a little bit to have it make more sense for me. Because I'm very much about the story, the history, and the full Disney experience (and also the food a bit too...ha!).

So here's what you'll need:

A long-sleeve tee
Wool or wool-blend felt
Embroidery floss
Glue
Stitchable Alphabet deep-etch die from Benzie Design (affiliate link) - optional

DOWNLOAD THE GONZO AND RIZZO PATTERNS

A lot of this process is like making the felt ornament version. But for this, you may want to pre-wash your tee and the felt to avoid uneven shrinking.

Start by cutting out all of the pieces for your character. Freezer paper makes this a lot easier. Add the embroidery to the pieces.

Use a bit of glue to hold the pieces in place on the tee. Be sure to place your Muppet into the pocket a little so you can't see the bottom when the pocket opens a little.

Stitch the pieces down with two strands of matching embroidery floss.

For Rizzo, I used tiny running stitch. And then when I went to make the Gonzo tee, I didn't have the Rizzo shirt in front of me and so I forgot about the runnings stitch and used whip stitch, like I do with my felt ornaments. Either will work!

Cut out felt letters to add a phrase to the sleeve if you want.

I cut the letters out using the Stitchable Alphabet deep-etch die from Benzie Design (affiliate link). Like with the pieces for the characters, I used a tiny bit of glue to hold the letters in place.

To stitch the letters, the die-cut letters have stitch markings that let you stitch through the holes. Use six strands of embroidery floss and holbein stitch, also called double-running stitch.

Working in the sleeve is a little tricky at times, but it helps to stitch with the sewing method.

And now you have a fun shirt celebrating a classic Christmas movie!

The Christmas season is a perfect time to wear this, but especially in a space filled with Muppets EVERYTHING, including PizzaRizzo.

The only thing I might change if doing this again is that I would check the sleeve length FIRST. The sleeves were a tad bit long, and if I knew that, I would have made the lettering higher on the sleeve and maybe a bit tighter. I kept wanting to scooch the sleeves and that wasn't so great for the felt letters.

But I was impressed with how the letters did after a full day at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We'll see how everything does after repeated launderings!

Now, 'tis the season to be jolly and joyous...in an adorable custom long-sleeve tee!

pattern // disney gingerbread cookies

2024-12-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

At my house, everyone's favorite treat for the holidays, but also any day, is a Mickey Gingerbread Cookie. And I HAD to make an embroidery pattern of not just Mickey, but some of his pals. But as gingerbread.

The first time my mom had a gingerbread cookie at Walt Disney World, she was hooked. I also had a gingerbread piece from one of the resorts where they have gingerbread displays and it was just so yummy! So I found a copycat recipe and we started making them at home. Simply because we don't want to wait until a trip to the parks to enjoy them!

Along with loving the cookies themselves, we've become big fans of a game called Cookie Swap. It's a simple card game that requires a good memory and a bit of luck, and it's filled with favorite Disney characters all in the form of gingerbread cookies!

With all this love of Disney gingerbread, and with all the Disney Eats patterns I've made this year, I couldn't wait to bake up some new patterns.

You can download the pattern below, which is really four embroidery patterns: Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Daisy. You can stitch them on anything you like! I made mine into felt ornaments, so I'll show you how to do that too.

DOWNLOAD THE DISNEY GINGERBREAD EMBROIDERY PATTERN PDF

For my ornaments, I used Benzie Design's cinnamon wool blend felt. (affiliate link)

I'll share most of this as a regular tutorial, but first, let me tell you about how this started. I tested out using an iron-transfer pen on felt and my test went great! So I ironed the full pattern and the transfer was uneven and hard to see. So I sort of went over it with pencil.I can't recommend this method, but it is what I did.

I'd probably suggest pre-soaking your felt and then letting it dry, ironing it, and then use Sulky Stick n' Stitch for the pattern. Or you could use tracing paper, but that's a bit harder.

Now for more traditional instructions!

Use three strands for everything. Embroider the outline with chain stitch. Stitch the eyes with scallop stitch (and straight stitches on Minnie and Daisy!). Embroider the mouths and other details with back stitch. Embroider the solid noses, rosy cheeks, and Mickey's large buttons with satin stitch.

Use French knots for small buttons. Stitch the zig zags on the arms and legs with zig zag chain stitch.

Trim around the outside of the embroidery, leaving about 1/4" of felt showing. This makes it look more like a decorated cookie!

Apply a thin layer of craft glue on the back of the embroidered cut out.

Cut a 6-inch piece of string or embroidery thread and tie the ends together with a knot. Glue the knot at the top center of the ornament.

Press the glue side down onto matching gingerbread felt and let it dry. Be sure it's drying flat!

Cut around the cookie, holding the ornament hanger out of the way.

Now Mickey is ready to hang on your tree!

You can, of course stitch the layers of felt together instead of gluing them. But what I like about the glue is that it also gives the felt some stiffness and that's nice for a cookie like this.

Now I just need to stitch up more of the characters...and then design even more cookie patterns!

pattern // felt applique thanksgiving turkey

2024-11-11T11:21:00.001-06:00

It's the time of year when we think about turkeys much more than any other time of the year. At least here in the United States. Thanksgiving and turkeys go together, even if you don't eat them. And so I made a felt applique pattern that is definitely too cute to eat.

This pattern was originally going to be included in my It Felt Like Fall ornament set, but I decided to use another design instead. But as I had received a request for a turkey AND because I think this was a fun pattern, I kept it and am sharing it here for everyone!

As this was going to be a felt ornament, I kept the turkey in felt. And you can make this as a felt ornament like my other patterns, both free and in my Etsy shop. In fact, the pattern PDF includes the circles you would use for that. But I decided to do something different and stitch the pieces down onto fabric. It may still become an ornament in a hoop like this, or I might use it in another way. But it's stitched and cute like this for now!

If you're familiar with my other felt ornaments, you can just run with this and use the pattern as you like. One thing to note is that there's a lot of thickness at the center of this. It gives the turkey some puff, but you just need to watch where you stitch the belly down. I made the stitches on either side of the overlap with the feathers so that there was room for it to span the thickness.

For those who haven't made a felt applique ornament or other project, here's the basic process:

Cut out the pieces (I recommend using freezer paper for this), and embroider the lines on the feathers and the turkey's eye.

Embroider the legs on whatever backing you're using. Layer the pieces and stitch them down with tiny whip stiches along the edges.

I embroidered the mouth on the beak after finishing the applique.

If you're making this as an ornament, you would stitch everything onto the smaller circle, and then layer and stitch around the two circles. Add some stuffing (it isn't Thanksgiving without stuffing!) and finish it off.

DOWNLOAD THE TURKEY APPLIQUE PATTERN PDF

If you wanted to make this a lot flatter, you could make the applique with fabric instead of felt. You could even use the pieces to cut and layer paper. Wouldn't that make an adorable Thanksgiving card?

However you use this, I wish you happy Thanksgiving turkey stitching!

project // disney churro felt ornament

2024-10-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

Who doesn't love a good churro? And it's even better when it comes from Disneyland! So I'm honoring this classic snack in a felt ornament.

Now, I started this by saying that churros at Disneyland. And I stand behind that. Normally when I talk about Disney snacks, I include Walt Disney World in the mix, but this is a time where the Disneyland (and Disney's California Adventure) churros are superior. So many options! So many flavors!

Here are two amazing ones I've had:

The first was peach cobbler and the second was almond cookie flavor. So good!

The only sad thing is that these flavors don't stay around for long so you won't find these at the parks right now. Maybe the almond cookie one will come back for the Lunar New Year's celebrations though!

Of course, the good part is that there are always new flavors to try. It makes me wish I lived closer and could try them all on rotation.

For the felt ornament version, I went for the orginal churro. They are just as tasty as the fancy ones!

The stitching is tiny, but those lines really make the shape stand out.

Like my other Disney snack felt ornaments, I don't have a full tutorial. Just a little overview of the process. They go together pretty much like my other felt ornaments.

The felt is wool blend from Benzie Design (affiliate link). I cut the all the circles with my Circles and Scallops die, also from them, but you can use the circle templates in the PDF with plain or decorative scissors if you'd like.

Cut out the pieces with freezer paper, and embroider the face and lines through the paper before carefully tearing it away.

The pieces are stitched down to the front circle with a tiny whip stitch and two strands of embroidery floss. If you want to add extra toppings for your churro, you could stitch those on too!

To assemble the ornament I used running stitch around the edges, then I filled in with a second round of running stitch so it looks the same on the front and back.

DOWNLOAD THE CHURRO ORNAMENT PATTERN

project // no-sew tiny pumpkin quilt

2024-10-08T11:26:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wanted to make a little quilt but you don't know how to sew? Or maybe you just want to have a cute bit of fall decor finished in a hurry? Then you should consider making a no-sew tiny quilt. I also considered calling this a fabric pixel art project, because that's kinda what it is. I see it as a blend of crafts that I love: quilting and cross stitch. But this takes WAY less time.

I started making these tiny quilts this fall when my friend Kristin of Woolly Petals announced her Ghost Party Sew A Long. I love her quilts (and even collaborated with her to make embroidery patterns for one!), but I knew that making a quilt was not gonna happen before Halloween. But I still LOVED those little ghosties made of so many fabrics. And an idea materialized.

What if I made just one ghost and made it tiny? Now, Kristin has an add-on to make her pattern much smaller than usual, but that would still require sewing and I'm not fast at that. So instead of sewing, I fused the tiny squares to felt. No sewing!

By the way, when I say tiny, I mean the squares on my finished project are 5/8". Because I'm fusing them, there's no seam allowance, so you cut the squares the actual size you want them. You could make them smaller. You could make them bigger. Also because I wasn't sewing, I decided to add some curves to my tiny qhost, which wasn't part of the Ghost Party pattern. They are a little wonky, but that's part of how this how thing goes.

When I made the ghost, I captured the process on video, but really just for fun. Not a whole tutorial. But people asked me more about how I did it, and so I thought I'd make a coordinating pumpkin and show the process better.

For this one, I didn't add curves, but kept the shapes more like traditional quilting. So half-square triangles. But I think it still absolutely works. You'll also notice that the backing and way I added a hanger is different from the ghost. That's mostly for variety!

These are hanging out together at my house, and having them not look exactly the same works well. But I also think that having different ways to make, essentially, the same thing is good. But now let's dive in and make a tiny quilt!

You will need:

Fabric scraps in orange, pink (or another background color), and a tiny bit of brown
Wool or wool blend felt - at least 4-1/2" for the tiny quilt and 5-1/2 x 6" for the backing
Heavy Duty Wonder Under or paper-backed fusible web - 4-1/2" square
Embroidery floss
Wood or bamboo skewer
Perle cotton
Rotary cutter, ruler, and cutting mat
Iron
Tracing paper
Needle
Scissors
Craft glue

Note: When choosing a color for the felt you'll fuse the fabric to, be mindful that some felt may show through a bit. I used white felt, but pink would blend well with all my colors.

Cut the fabric scraps into 5/8" squares. You will need one brown square, 18 orange squares, and 30 pink squares. Cut two pink and two orange squares in half from corner to corner.

Iron the Wonder Under to the felt you're using for the tiny quilt. Once it's cool, peel off the paper.

Arrange the fabric squares on the area of the felt with the fusible web. Follow the grid pattern below:

Try to keep the pieces all straight and lined up with each other. But also know that it's almost impossible to have them be perfect. That's par of the charm of this.

When you're satisfied with the placement of the pieces, gently lay a piece of tracing paper (or the paper backing from the Wonder Under) over the pieces. This is important so you don't end up with adhesive on your iron.

Iron to fuse the fabric to the felt.

Trim the edges with a rotary cutter so there's no extra felt showing on the sides. This is also when you can make your tiny quilt more square.

If you want a face on your pumpkin (and why wouldn't you? it's super cute!), embroider the face with six strands of embroidery floss. Use French knots for the eyes and a scallop stitch for the mouth.

Next, cut the backing felt to 5-1/2 x 6" if you haven't already done so. Cut the skewer to the same width as the tiny quilt. Utility scissors are helpful for this.

Stitch the skewer piece to the top of the felt backing. Use perle cotton and whip stitch to make two sets of stitches at each end as shown.

Slide your needle under the skewer between the sets of stitches to create a hanger. Make a loop and tie the ends together.

Glue the tiny quilt to the backing with a thin layer of craft glue.

Once the glue is dry (which doesn't take long!), you can hang your tiny quilt and enjoy pumpkin spice season! This is truly a quilt project you can make in an hour or two. No sewing machine needed.

For spooky season, these two tiny quilts are ready to hang out together. And ideas for more fall or Halloween designs are in the works, along with more tiny quilts for other holidays and cute stuff.

I think these would look especially adorable on a wall full of embroidery hoops and other artwork. Right? Pull out your scrap bins and start sewing...er...ironing!

project // crystal ball felt ornament (with benzie deep-etch dies)

2024-10-03T08:00:00.001-05:00

This post contains affiliate links.

The future looks bright thanks to this adorable felt crystal ball! You might not have known that you needed a kawaii crystal ball ornament, but I'm telling you, you do. It's sparkly and cute, and we all need more of that in our lives.

I created this with deep-etch dies I designed for Benzie Design, but I'm using them in different ways. This uses two sets: first, my Circles and Scallops set, which I made to go along with the felt ornament pattern sets I make, and then a new Snow Globe Base, designed to go along with the first set and make snow globes.

Find all the deep-etch Benzie dies here.

As I was making some snow globes (scroll down to see them!), I noticed that they kind of looked a bit like a crystal ball too. And just like that, I could see into the future.

My fortune was that I got to make this super cute ornament that just makes me smile every time I look at it. Plus, I love adding sparkles and this was just a whole new way to do that.

So get your manual die cutter out, grab these dies from Benzie, and let's get stitching!

You will need:

Clear Vinyl
Wool Blend Felt (I used white and pink)
Embroidery floss
Circles and Scallops Deep-Etch Die
Snow Globe Base Deep-Etch Die
Manual Cutting Machine
Sequins and/or Themed Confetti
Iridescent Shred
Scissors
Needle

You will need to cut out one white plain circle and one vinyl scalloped circle. You also need to cut out two pink snow globe base pieces. For mine, I used the largest set of circles and the largest base, but you can also do this with the next size down for each set.

In fact, the smallest base also works with one of the smaller circles in the set, but you probably want to only use the plain circle for that.

Embroider a little face on one of the base pieces. You can use a pencil to mark the placement, but it's fine to just stitch this freehand. Here's my quick video tutorial on these faces!

Layer to felt and vinyl circles and stitch around them with running stitch. Use three strands of embroidery floss and follow the stitch markings on the vinyl piece.

Stop about two-thirds of the way around.

Add some sparkly filling to your crystal ball. Depending on what you're adding to yours, you may need to layer the filling or arrange it a bit before you close up the opening.

Finish stitching the circle and then go back opposite direction and fill in the gaps with running stitch.

Sandwich the circle between the two base pieces so it looks like the ball is resting on the base. Stitch around the base with running stitch, then go back in the opposite direction just as you did to sew around the circle.

To make the hanger, slide your threaded needle under two stitches at the top center of the crystal ball.

Tie the ends of the embroidery floss together with an overhand knot and trim the thread.

Now, let's look into the crystal ball and see what your future holds...I see...cute crafting ahead!

This crystal ball is a fun way to use the dies that I designed, but if you want to put them to work more in their intended way, head over to the Benzie blog where you'll find my tutorial for making Spooky Snow Globes! There's even a ghost pattern for you to work with, but you can make snow globes like this with almost all of my round felt ornament patterns.

There will be more of these snow globes popping up in my crafting for the foreseeable future...I know because it was in the crystal ball!

pattern // autumn cuties cross stitch

2024-09-27T12:57:00.002-05:00

We are officially in the season of autumn here, and I couldn't resist making a new mini cross stitch pattern! This really is a small pattern, but it's a fun way to celebrate my favorite season of the year in a big way. Best of all, it's free!

The chart itself is technically 33x33, but each block with a design is just 15x15 stitches. They are baby charts! This is designed to stitch all together as one mini pattern, but you could very easily stitch each section just on its own. Because they would make ADORABLE pins or magnets.

You can also easily adapt the colors. For example, if you wanted to make the pumpkin on its own, you could use black in the background for more of a Halloween look. Love yellow apples? Swap the yellow and red in that block, and maybe do the same in the leaf block!

Because the design is square, it would be so cute in a tiny frame, but you could also make it into a little ornament like this tutorial from Caterpillar Cross Stitch.

DOWNLOAD THE AUTUMN CUTIES PATTERN

I can't wait to see how YOU make your Autumn Cuties cross stitch!

project // mickey caramel apple ornament

2024-09-12T07:00:00.002-05:00

It's the autumn season, and that means caramel apples! But of course, this isn't just any caramel apple. This is the kind you get on a trip to Disneyland or Walt Disney World. The kind that looks like Mickey Mouse.

In fact, you can get lots of styles of caramel apples, including the Grogu/Baby Yoda version. I've watched them make those and it's so amazing!

But Mickey is a classic and I specifically remember my aunt buying several on a trip to Disney Springs. One for eating right away and a few to take home. It might be the only time I've eaten one of these!

If you've never had one of these, it's caramel apple like most. Apple on a stick and dipped in caramel. But then we get to the fun part. The ears are made of marshmallow, stuck to the caramel, and then the whole thing gets dipped in milk chocolate. To finish it off, they dip the bottom in melting chocolate, add candy buttons (or polka dots for Minnie!) and then cover the melting chocolate with colored sugar. And that sugar sparkles!

I didn't manage a photo of an actual Mickey caramel apple with my felt ornament version, but I did find a sipper from the Disney Eats line of merch! I think I captured the look quite well. And this way my ornament didn't get sticky either. Ha!

But now let's talk about how to make this. For all of these Disney snack felt ornaments, I don't have a full tutorial, but rather, a little overview of the process. They go together pretty much like my other felt ornaments.

The felt is wool blend from Benzie Design (affiliate link). I cut the all the circles with my Circles and Scallops die, also from them, but you can use the circle templates in the PDF with plain or decorative scissors if you'd like.

I cut out all the pieces with freezer paper, and embroidered the face and sugar sparkles through the paper before carefully tearing it away. And yes, those buttons are tiny, but you can absolutely cut them out. This is where the freezer paper really makes the difference.

The pieces are layered and stitched down to the front circle with a tiny whip stitch and two strands of embroidery floss.

To assemble the ornament I used running stitch around the edges, then I filled in with a second round of running stitch so it looks the same on the front and back.

DOWNLOAD THE MICKEY CARAMEL APPLE ORNAMENT PATTERN

Tell me your favorite Disney Parks snack that you'd like to see come to life in felt!