Valentine's Day Biscornu

It does not often happen to me that I am prepared in advance. :D Now, however, I remembered that Valentine's Day is not so far away, about four weeks from today. That means there is still enough time to make a few little gifts.

What about a lovely biscornu in lovely pinks? Or, if you feel like purple or blue - go ahead, change the colours, pick your favourites, get creative :)

I got a bit carried away, couldn't keep the two sides in the same style, one is more controlled, symmetrical while the other is a bit whimsical - but I have a feeling it will look quite good when put together. There is place in the middle for a nice little button.

I think I am also going to stitch this soon but didn't want to wait until I have a finished product to photograph. Perhaps someone can stitch it before me? Race you? :D :D


Please enjoy, and send me a photo if you make it.

Click on the picture, as usual, to get the pdf download. In case you don't have Google and can't download it, write a comment and I will send it to you in an e-mail.

New Year - new projects

Here are some pictures of what I have done this year.

The dress, to be honest, I started last year, sometime in October. It was supposed to be a wrap dress, following this pattern but it didn't work out. First, I cut the fabric wrong, tried to sew together two pieces to have the right size but it didn't look very good. Then I could not follow the instructions in the tutorial, didn't understand how to sew together the sides (if someone can explain, I would be grateful). Anyway, I was so disappointed, I almost threw out the whole thing. But I just put it in a corner and promised to take it out again when I have calmed down.

So I took it out now, and instead of the wrap dress I just sewed it together in the middle and created a faux button plaque. It was too low in the neckline (after all I teach in a school) so I added that piece of lace. The front is shorter than the back, on purpose. I also decided to add some elastic in the sleeves. After all the problems, I think I did a good job, I am really happy with it. :)

This is a pajama top I made following a pattern I made from a favourite t-shirt that is too old now. I tried to add some embroidery with my sewing machine, I think it looks great.

Next I will make a t-shirt from a nicer knit fabric with the same pattern.

I couldn't resist buying the holder for my i-phone that you can do cross stitch on. Actually, I bought two. This is for my boyfriend, not ready yet. I just wanted you to know that you can unpick the stitching on the silicon and stitch again, even though they say in the instructions that it is not designed for that. I stitched the bird first upside down and decided to try to unpick. I wasn't easy, but not not impossible either.

And finally a square I am making for the charity quilts project I am helping, a Groovy Chick pattern. I am working on a second one right now, almost ready with that, too.

You gotta love long winter holidays!!! :D :D

Happy New Year

Baby Jesus in a nutshell - tutorial

I wanted to make a tutorial on how to make a Baby Jesus in a nutshell like this. They are traditional in Hungary. You can make a handful in an hour, so perhaps it is worth sitting down tonight, in the middle of the hectic preparation, and make some with the kids.

Unfortunately I haven't made photos when I made these, and have no opportunity to take any right now (I am sitting on a ferry to Finland), but I thought if someone wants to make some, it is so easy, perhaps I can write down the tutorial without the pictures, and it might still work.

You will need:

halved walnutshells
wooden beads (mine were about 1 cm in diameter)
white fabric scrap for the duvet: a circle about 7 cm in diameter)
a little bit of fiberfill or other stuffing
a piece of white lace for the head (I had some small pieces of crocheted lace, but if you have none, just a small piece of white fabric would do)
golden cord, about 20 cm
small golden charm (I used a star)
glue


To open the walnut, push a knife in the wider end, wiggle carefully, and most of the times it opens easily. Take out all the nut. I have pictures of this step.

Take the golden cord, fold it in half, tie a knot and glue it in the narrower end of the nutshell.

Wrap the lace piece around the wooden bead, as if it was a head scarf, and sew or glue in place. I just sewed through the hole in the bead a few times.
Glue the head on the top of the golden cord.

Sew running stitches around the white circle, about half a cm from the edge. Pull the ends, and put a little stuffing in it, then tie the ends together.
Glue it into the remaining empty space in the nutshell, push it down so that it fills it all.

Glue a star in the middle.

Actually, next time I will make them, I will embroider something in the middle of the fabric circles before doing the running stitch, it might look even better than the glued star - but I came up with the idea too late.


Finally, draw a face. I only drew sleeping eyes but you can add more details if you want.

If something is not clear, go ahead and ask.


I made about 20 for the Christmas market and they were very popular. :)

Christmas squirrel

Hello, here is another small Christmas animal to stitch - there is still time for these minis.
I hope you find it cute.

Enjoy.

Mini Christmas patterns

Hello, everyone, here is my latest freebie: an owl and a cat, getting ready for Christmas.

I hope you like them and have the time to stitch them up before Christmas. Use them on a bookmark, a gift tag, a pincushion etc.

Here are some pictures of the Christmas market I went to a week ago. It was very cold, -10, my feet were freezing, but apart from that I enjoyed it a lot. Sold lots of the small Christmas decorations, but that means I didn´t make much money. However, I at least got back what I spent, and earned a bit for charity, too. All in all I consider it a success. :)

Garbage truck for little boys

My friend's two-year-old son loves garbage trucks. So I have made a pattern for him, I am almost done with the embroidery, too, I will post a picture of it when I finish.

Until then, please, enjoy the free pattern.

I have been sewing and embroidering a lot, preparing for a Christmas market on the 8th of December. Here are some things I have been making, ornaments, zipper pouches and pencilcases, phone holders, fabric baskets and one more bag to the ones I made earlier.