Glad midsommar - free summer wreath pattern

Today in Sweden we celebrate midsommar, that is Midsummer. It is common that girls wear a wreath made of wild flowers.

To honour this tradition, I created a summer wreath pattern. Enjoy, and happy Midsummer to all.

Summer freebie "Primitive" and a textile art tutorial

Hello, again.

Before I show you guys my "best piece so far" - according to my boyfriend (and perhaps myself, too), I want to give you a little present for your patience.

This mini sampler I created inspired by the "primitive" embroidery style. I think it would look really lovely on a cushion or a wall hanging for the summer. I hope lots of my readers will like it and make it. Use your brightest colours. :)

Just click on the picture and you get to the pdf.

And now, here is a little tutorial how to create a piece of fabric art.

I have to say, I am sure I didn't invent this. I have read lots of different instructions and watched countless videos and I am sure they influenced me, but I cannot find any particular one that I followed. I just followed my own heart and head with this project.

I have no pictures of the steps, but it is not so difficult to imagine, I promise :)


First of all, you need a sleepless night. After tossing around in bed for a while, get out and turn on the lights. Take a piece of scrap fabric from your drawer, fold it in half, pick up a pair of scissors and cut out a shape. I cut out a bird, but you can make whatever you like. It doesn't even have to be "something". For me the whole thing was really an improvisation, I didn't draw the shape, but if you feel safer that way, go ahead and draw or use a printed pattern.
By folding the fabric, you get two pieces that are identical but facing each other.

Pick another, slightly bigger piece of fabric, pin the shape to it and sew around with the sewing machine a few times. You can also add extra lines, apart from the outline. In my case I added the beak, the legs and the wings of the bird. Again, you can draw the lines in advance, but I didn't, it doesn't have to be perfect. When you sew the second or third round, you don't have to be precise and follow the first line, on the contrary. Be free, enjoy the process and don't worry too much. You can turn under the edge of your appliqué or leave it to fray, as I did.
If you don't have a sewing machine or love sewing by hand, this can be easily done without a machine, too.

Repeat with the other piece - try to make the second piece similar to the first - or not.

And voila, you have made a lovely piece of fabric art.

Extra: if you feel like it, you can sit down next day and embroider some words on it. I embroidered the word "bird" in English, Swedish and Hungarian and used some sparkly metallic embroidery thread.


This is the result:

Oops, I took the second picture in different light. The first one is truer to the real colours.



I love them so much that now I am having a difficulty deciding what to make of them. I think they will become a decoration on a bag. Or a cushion. Or an apron. Or…

Happy summer crafting to everyone. See you soon, with a sewing pattern, of all things!

Peacocks and a basket of flowers - Swedish pattern

Happy midsummer! Trevlig midsommar!


We had a fantastic midsummer celebration today. Love this Swedish custom.
So that all my readers can also celebrate with us, I have created a little pattern with old Swedish motifs: peacocks and a basket of flowers.

I am off to Hungary tomorrow, so if you don't see me for a while, that's the reason. But perhaps I can check in once in a while. Have a lovely summer, everyone.


Click on the picture to get the pdf.

Midsommar cross stitch pattern

The biggest feast in Sweden is coming this weekend. Midsommar (Midsummer Night) is a beautiful celebration, I was so lucky to be here last year, too. Actually, this means that I have been here for a year! If we are not counting the week I spent in Budapest after learning that I got the job and had to run home to pack.
I have to say I haven't regretted moving to Sweden for one moment! Love being here.

To celebrate, I made a small pattern with midsommarblomma (Geranium sylvaticum). I dedicate it to Stephen. :)






Hope you like it.

Summertime free pattern and bookmark pattern

I have been listening to Ella Fizgerald. And also, it has been around 30 degrees here recently, so I really got into a summer mood. :)

Ella Fitzgeraldot hallgattam. Na és mostanában 30 fok körül jár a hőmérséklet errefelé, nem csoda, hogy nyári hangulatba kerültem. :)

First I made a pattern to celebrate summer, with all the colours and flowers but then realised that most of us probably doesn't necessarily want to stitch something this big, so I made a smaller, bookmark version as well - not a small bookmark, though ;)

Először készítettem egy mintát, amivel igazán meg lehet ünnepelni a nyarat, sok-sok színnel, virágokkal, meg ami csak belefér, de aztán ráébredtem, hogy sokunknak valószínűleg épp ez nem biztos, hogy bele fog férni, így hát született egy kisebb, könyvjelző méretű verzió is. Bár könyvjelzőnek azért nem olyan kicsi ;)

Hope you like it.
Remélem, tetszeni fog.