Hello Autumn! Autumnal Fungi Embroidery Pattern

It has been an embarrassingly long time since I've had the energy and creative mojo to send out a new free pattern to my newsletter subscribers... but it has finally happened!

My "Autumn Fungi" embroidery pattern features toadstools and a mushroom and lots of swirly lines to stitch in your favourite autumnal shades.

 

If you've already subscribed to the pattern segment of my newsletter, this new free pattern will be pinging into your inbox sometime soon. Hurrah!

Once it's been sent out to current subscribers, it will then be the freebie for new subscribers until I have another new project ready to share :)

Click here to read more about my newsletter and subscribe!

Click here to visit my tutorial archive for lots more free autumnal patterns and project ideas.

Red-Nosed Reindeer: Christmas Embroidery Pattern

UPDATE: this happy reindeer + snowflakes embroidery pattern is now available from my shop, and as a printable PDF in my Patreon pattern library.

Subscribe for a small monthly fee and you'll get access to a growing library of PDF patterns and tutorials, with an email whenever I add a new project. You can cancel any time. 

Click here to check out my Patreon page and sign up!

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Sew a cute reindeer surrounded by snowflakes with this fun embroidery pattern!

If you've been reading my blog for a while you might recognise this fine fellow from a Christmas Jumper tutorial I shared a few years ago. 

I'm really pleased with how the embroidered version has turned out, and I hope you guys will love him too!

This pattern is lovely and easy to stitch: it's mostly backstitch with some French knots which you could easily replace with sequins or small beads (or maybe sequins AND small beads for an extra sparkly look!). 

I stitched it last winter, and it was a wonderfully relaxing project to pick up at the end of a long day. Perfect for cosy evenings as the nights draw in, or lazy weekends when the weather is nasty outside and you just want to stay tucked up indoors with a blanket and a mug of hot chocolate.

Last Chance: Free Winter Candle & Christmas Houses Embroidery Patterns!

This past year has been a very difficult one for me, and I've dropped a few balls as a result. 

I didn't blog for a whole seven months, and it's been even longer since I sent out a brand new free project to my (very patient) newsletter subscribers. So long, in fact, that the old projects (both Christmas-y ones) now seem seasonally appropriate again! Haha, but also OH DEAR.

I finally (FINALLY) have some new free projects ready to send out, so now is your very last chance to grab the current patterns for free. 

Sign up to my newsletter before the end of the week (19th September 2021) to get a free winter candle embroidery pattern...

 ... and two free Christmas house embroidery patterns. 

 

Then if you've signed up for my pattern newsletter, you'll get the NEW project in your inbox next week! Hurrah! 

I'm so glad to finally have a new project to share with my subscribers, I think you're gonna love this one (I am super pleased with how it turned out). 

Click here to read more about my newsletter and subscribe!

Click here to visit my tutorial archive for lots more free Christmas patterns and project ideas. 

You'll also find instantly downloadable Christmas patterns in my Etsy shop.

Christmas Houses, Festive Embroidery Patterns

UPDATE: customisable versions of these patterns are now available in my Patreon pattern library, so you can add the current year or your own choice of text.

Subscribe for a small monthly fee and you'll get access to a growing library of PDF patterns and tutorials, with an email whenever I add a new project. You can cancel any time. 

Click here to check out my Patreon page and sign up!

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I've been drawing more houses!

A pair of Christmas house embroidery patterns! There's a detailed pattern, which fits in a 7 inch embroidery hoop...

... and a simpler design which will be much quicker to stitch and fits in a 6 inch embroidery hoop. 

As you may have guessed, I've adapted these from my Stay Home embroidery pattern. I was filing that pattern away and looked at the little flowers/stars on the sides and thought "ooh, those could totally be SNOWFLAKES" and the new patterns evolved from there!

I'm really looking forward to sewing these patterns over the holidays. If you stitch one (or even both?!?) I hope curling up with some soothing stitching brings you some peace and solace during this difficult Christmas.

Free Felt Christmas Candle Ornament & Embroidery Pattern

Another month, another free project for my pattern newsletter subscribers!

  

This month's project is a tutorial for sewing a felt winter candle ornament - lovely to hang on your Christmas tree, or to send to a friend you can't visit this holiday season.

The felt candle is adapted from a candle embroidery pattern I shared a couple of years ago, so I thought I'd include the embroidered version in this month's email too. 

Which one are you gonna stitch? 

Click here to read more about my newsletter and subscribe!

You can choose to just sign up to my monthly pattern newsletter for regular(ish) free projects in your inbox, and/or sign up for crafty updates from me and my shops.

Click here to visit my tutorial archive for lots more free Christmas patterns and project ideas. 

 You'll also find Christmas patterns in my shop!

4 Felt Animal Masks to Sew for Halloween

UPDATE: these felt mask tutorials (originally shared via my newsletter) can now be found in my Patreon pattern library.

Subscribe for a small monthly fee and get access to a growing library of PDF patterns and tutorials, with an email whenever I add a new project. You can cancel any time. 

Click here to check out my Patreon page and sign up!

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Four fun animal mask patterns: perfect for dressing up this Halloween (even if your Halloween party will be happening via Zoom this year!). 

Felt cat masks...

... a panda mask...

 

... plus snake and frog masks.

 

 

4 Free Cute Christmas Embroidery Patterns

I took a bunch of time off work over the summer and didn't send out any newsletters... but I'm determined to catch up with my "monthly" subscriber-exclusive freebies. 

If you're already subscribed to my pattern newsletter, expect a whole flurry of projects to land in your inbox in the coming weeks! Not yet subscribed? Click here for full details and to sign up.

First up: a set of cute Christmas characters to embroider.

These little guys would look great stitched on so many sewing projects or framed in small embroidery hoops. They're also perfect for making embroidered felt ornaments like these ones I made a few years ago.

I designed my new Christmas embroidery patterns to accompany this set of felt ornaments...

 

... the tutorials for making the ornaments are currently available for free here on my blog but I'll be retiring them this winter and adding them to my shop as a PDF pattern (along with the matching embroidery patterns). Grab them for free while you can!

Lots more free projects coming soon - watch this space :)

Felt Swan Mask: Sewing Tutorial

UPDATE: my felt swan mask tutorial (originally shared with my newsletter subscribers) is now available as part of my Patreon pattern library.

For a small monthly fee you can get access to my growing library of PDF patterns and tutorials, with an email whenever I add a new project. You can cancel any time. 

Click here to check out my Patreon page and sign up!

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The tutorial includes templates and step by step instructions for sewing the mask... which I'd normally say would be great for wearing to costume parties and festivals but we can't really go to those at the moment, can we?

Dressing up can bring a lot of fun to lockdown life, though, I think: why not wear a swan mask on your next Zoom call? or disguise yourself as a swan to do the washing up? Everything's got to be more fun when you're a swan, right?!

You could also make this mask in grey felt...

... and there's loads of possibilities if you want to make a pretty swan princess mask. You could add sequins or those little sew-on gems, stitch a bit of embroidery, or even add a little crown to the top of the mask!

New Flower Brooch Tutorial: Sew Some Felt Peonies!

UPDATE:  I shared this project with my newsletter subscribers earlier this year, it's now available as a printable PDF pattern in my Etsy shop!

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Wanna sew some pretty felt peony brooches?

These layered felt flower brooches would look really lovely pinned to your jacket or cardi this summer. You can make them in one or two shades of peony pink, or just pick your fave colours or one that matches your favourite outfit.

 

The flowers would also look great on a headband, or you could make a few of them (maybe printing out the templates at different sizes?) and add them to a wreath.

They're quite easy to make, but you do have a few layers of felt to cut out. I think they're actually a perfect project to try if you feel your cutting skills need a bit of practice. It doesn't matter if peony petals are a bit wobbly, does it? However messily you cut out these layers the finished flowers will still look great.

Remember I always recommend investing in a pair of embroidery scissors to help you with cutting small or fiddly felt shapes - the small, narrow blades make it so much easier than using standard sewing scissors.

Stack of Books Embroidery Pattern

UPDATE:  I shared this project with my subscribers earlier this year, it's now available as a printable PDF pattern in my Etsy shop!

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This stack of books embroidery pattern is perfect for book lovers, and easy to customise to include your favourite titles!

You can stitch this as it is, or add your own text to the spines to customise it. If you're a confident stitcher you could add the titles of your favourite books. For an easier, quicker project stick to the surnames of your favourite authors!

This pattern is fairly easy to sew with backstitch, though I'd recommend taking care as you sew all those straight lines. A bit of patience will make all the difference to the neatness of your finish. I'll be including two versions of the embroidery pattern: one with the book page lines added and one without in case you'd prefer to stitch those freehand.

Felt Teacup & Teapot Brooches Tutorial: Available Now!

UPDATE:  I shared this project with my newsletter subscribers last year, it's now available from my shop or in my Patreon pattern library.

For a small monthly fee you can get access to my growing library of PDF patterns and tutorials, with an email whenever I add a new project. You can cancel any time. Click here to check out my Patreon page and sign up!

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This tutorial is a step-by-step guide to sewing cute felt teacup and teapot brooches:

These are so fun and easy to sew and make sweet gifts for tea lovers. You could even make a whole batch of them, have a tea party (once the lockdown is over, of course!!) and give a brooch to each of your guests as a memento.

 

Polkadot felt makes these brooches extra cute. I found mine on Etsy, but lots of craft stores sell it. I love these mini dots but I've made these brooches before with bigger spots and they looked just as nice. If you just have plain felt you could add dots with some simple embroidery, or maybe embroider a little flower instead.

 

Dove & Robin Christmas Ornament Tutorials

UPDATE:  my felt doves tutorial and little felt robins tutorial (originally shared with my newsletter subscribers) are both now available as printable PDF patterns in my Etsy shop!

Stay Inside & Make Stuff

UPDATE: this pattern and tutorial is now available in my Patreon pattern library.

 

Subscribe for a small monthly fee and you'll get access to a growing library of PDF patterns and tutorials, with an email whenever I add a new project. You can cancel any time. 

 

Click here to check out my Patreon page and sign up!

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Hello! I hope you're doing okay? These are weird, scary times, huh?

This is just a very quick blog post to say that I'm going to be self-isolating to take care of my dad over the coming weeks/months and won't be making any trips to the Post Office any time soon. So my weekly sales are paused, and I've removed all the handstitched samples from my Etsy shop (my printable PDF sewing patterns will still be availavle from my Etsy and Folksy shops).

I'm hoping that this extra time spent at home will mean I'll get a whole bunch of new patterns in my shops soon (especially now we're starting to get good light for taking photos!). I'm also going to work hard catching up with the freebies for my newsletter subscribers, and I've got some fun stuff planned for here on my blog, too, which I hope you'll enjoy if you're stuck at home for a while.

In the meantime, I thought I'd re-release my "Stay Inside and Make Stuff" embroidery pattern for my pattern newsletter subscribers, as it feels super appropriate for this time of social distancing! (Plus I feel guilty about having not sent out a new pattern in ages - sorry guys!).

The pattern also includes templates for making a felt applique version of the floral wreath, and a "Go Outside and Get Inspired" embroidery pattern (I'm trying to get out at least once a day for a walk at the moment and am feeling very thankful for all the signs of spring in my neighbourhood).

  
Take care of yourselves xxx

Sewing Tutorial: Felt Teacup and Teapot Brooches

UPDATE:  I shared this project with my newsletter subscribers last year, it's now available from my shop, or in my Patreon pattern library.

Subscribe for a small monthly fee and you'll get access to a growing library of PDF patterns and tutorials, with an email whenever I add a new project. You can cancel any time. 

 

Click here to check out my Patreon page and sign up! 

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I'm running a little behind with 2020's first freebie for my pattern newsletter subscribers... so I thought I'd make it a double tutorial!

This year's first free project will be a step by step sewing tutorial for making cute little felt teacup brooches...

... and felt teapot brooches, too.

A felt teacup or teapot (or both) would look lovely pinned to your favourite jacket this spring, and one of the brooches would be a fab gift for the tea lovers in your life (along with some tea, of course!). You could also swap the brooch clasp for a hairclip to make Alice in Wonderland style hair accessories, or add a ribbon loop to make a cute teacup ornament.

Polkadot or other patterned felt is optional when making these brooches but it looks super cute. If you just have plain felt you can easily add dots or other patterns with sequins, seed beads, or some simple embroidery.

If you've been following my work for a really long time you might remember these designs (and these photos) from the days when I sold lots of tea-themed brooches. It's so nice revisiting these old projects to share them with you guys and having a nostalgic browse back through my photo archives.

I used to make blue and red versions of the teacups and teapots, both on a zingy yellow felt background but you can of course make yours in any colours you fancy.

 

Choosing matching sewing thread will help your brooches turn out lovely and neat - I took this photo when I sat down to sew blue teacup brooches and had dozens of blue threads but none in the shade I needed!

Here are some teapots and flowers in progress - I love looking back at these colourful work-in-progress pics.

Since I took this photo back in 2008 the forget-me-nots have evolved into a design I included in my first book, and a version of the primrose design is now available in my shop as a printable pattern. Aaaaand of course now I'm working on a tutorial for the teapots :)