Cats and Crafts Experiment

Hi all! To all of you visiting from other places for the Cats and Crafts Experiment - I'm floresita, and welcome to Feeling Stitchy! Penguin & Fish kindly provided an adorable pattern, with no instructions except: be creative.

This idea was so much fun that all of our bloggers took part, and I am proud to present to you Gabi's version:

Gabi says about her piece:
Only 100% Portuguese materials... Cork fabric and cotton perle 8 made in Portugal! And the fastest ever stitching mood!

Next up is Kristen's project!

From Kristen:

I think the new, "Here Kitty Kitty," fabric line from Penguin & Fish is adorable. I particularly enjoy the geometric cat head print (to quilters it would be the fabric with the 9-patch cat heads on it). The embroidery patterns that come with the purchase of a fat quarter bundle are darling - they really coordinate well together for a variety of projects. 

I didn't have the fabric, because it isn't out yet, so I improvised and used what I had to create a "Crafty Cat" Mug Rug. I transferred my embroidery pattern using a light box (I used to find a sunny window and tape patterns and fabric to it in order to transfer, but my sister gave me a light box for my birthday, so that has become my method of choice). 

I decided to use yellows and oranges in this project because the cat reminded me of the family cat we had when I was really young. We called him Butterscotch, and he was an orangey-yellow. I made a small 9-patch piece with 3-inch squares and attached it to the embroidered cat panel. I used 3-ply floss and a backstitch for the majority of the embroidery, with french knots on the cat's quilt. 

Next up is Jo's project:

From Jo:

I enlarged both patterns slightly and printed out multiple copies, so that I could cut out the shape of the cats and use it as a template to cut the cats out of felt. I then appliquéd the felt shapes onto the fabric before transferring the rest of the pattern using a light box. For Knitty Kitty I used tapestry wool as the wool, couching it with a single strand of matching embroidery floss. The knitting needles on Knitty Kitty, each have a bead end. 

For Crafty Cat, I used small scraps and 0.5cm seam allowance to create a quilt top roughly the same shape as the pattern. In this case I appliquéd this onto the fabric before appliquéing the cat. The cotton reel thread was six strands of embroidery floss, couched with a single strand of embroidery floss in the same colour. For both cats and the quilt I stitched around the appliqués, for the cats I used the pattern as a guide to embroider the fur and outline and for the quilt I stitched around and between the different fabric squares.

The bags are lined patchwork (on both sides) drawstring bags and are big enough to hold an embroidery hoop and a few bits and bobs or a few balls of wool.


Next, here is Pam's adorable version - I really love the knit like texture on her knitted square:

 And last up, here is yours truly, floresita, with what I stitched up:



For my versions, I went hunting in my mom's fabric stash and found this nice teal chambray-ish fabric. For Knitty Kitty, I used light pink yarn in a sport weight and knit up a tiny garter stitch square on size 4 needles, casting on a teeny 5 stitches. I used the same yarn to create the ball of yarn shape, adding layer over layer until it popped out into a ball-like texture. I filled the kitty with a combination of embroidery floss and white sport weight yarn - I liked the chunky texture that it gave the fill stitches. The knitting needles are couched pink metallic floss.

For Crafty Cat, I used my zero quilting knowledge to create a teeny crooked quilt top consisting of the gingham square and 4 polka dot squares. I couched white yarn in between to look like piping, and filled in the corners with satin stitched embroidery floss in pinks. I wanted Crafty Cat to be all black yarn, but I filled in embroidery floss here and there in dark gray and olive green to add a bit of texture. Overall, it was super fun, a super quick stitch, and a great excuse to get creative!

Thank you, Penguin & Fish for sharing your cute pattern with us and including us in your tour!

Sew & Stitch: Review and Giveaway!

Hi all! Today I'm super-excited to be reviewing Sew & Stitch Embroidery: 20+ Simple Sewing Projects with 30+ Fresh Embroidery Designs. Alyssa Thomas, the author and creator behind Penguin & Fish sent us the book to review - and we will also be doing a giveaway later in this post!

But first, let's have a look at this book - as the title suggests, this book is a blend of sewing and embroidery. If you're like me and not big on sewing, no worries! Many projects are suitable for beginners. The style throughout the book is cute, whimsical, and beginner-friendly.

The book is divided into 4 sections: Section 1- Embroidery Essentials features the tools and materials you'll need, a well-illustrated stitch library and intro to basic sewing techniques. Section 2 - For The Home, has patterns for embellishing household objects and wall art. Section 3 - Just For Fun has sweet, kid-friendly items. Section 4 - Personal Style features embellished clothing, cases, and clutches. The last pages of the book are dedicated to stitch and color guides, and there is a large, fold-out sheet of iron-on transfers with some of the embroidery patterns.

Each project is well-laid out with a list of supplies and helpful suggestions on materials and techniques. The sewing instructions look very clear and non-intimidating to a non-sewer like myself. Um, is sewer a word - I mean other than the other sense? Well, you know what I mean. :)

I fell in love with the owl pillow instantly:

It absolutely possessed me and I knocked out not one but 2 pillows in the past 48 hours! My first pillow was a bust, but it was my fault because I chose a terrible, stretchy material and didn't read the directions - Alyssa suggests using a Chenille needle to stitch with yarn and to stitch on linen.

After reading the directions, my second try on linen was much much better!

My only caveat with the book is the way the embroidery patterns are distributed - sometimes they are with the content, sometimes you must flip to the back of the book. Color and stitch guides are also separate and at times quite small, so I had to flip between 3 different sections to complete the owl project. On the plus side, most of the smaller embroidery patterns are contained in the iron-on transfer sheet, which is very helpful.

Here are a few more of my favorite projects from the book:

Whale Shower Curtain

Octopus Quilt and Pillow Sham

Lion and Elephant Racing Sacks

Kitty Sketchbook Cover with Pencil Case

Feather Fold Over Clutch

Overall, this is a great book, and definitely one I'd be happy to add to my library. The patterns are simple but adorable and very inspiring, and there is plenty of room to make a project your own. And now for the best part - the giveaway! Alyssa has kindly offered us another copy to give to one of our Feeling Stitchy readers!

To win a copy of Sew & Stitch Embroidery, leave a comment on this post by Monday, October 14, 9 PM US Central Time. All of our readers may enter, including our International readers! Tell us simply which of the projects pictured is your favorite.

Thanks Alyssa, for the chance to share your wonderful book with our readers!

Patterns: Penguin & Fish Quiet Book

Top to bottom, left to right

1. Jil's Book Front by Dunderklumpen12
2. Jil's Book 1 by Dunderklumpen12
3. Jil's Book 2 by Dunderklumpen12
4. Jil's Book 3 by Dunderklumpen12
5. Jil's Book 4 by Dunderklumpen12
6. Jil's Book 5 by Dunderklumpen12

Dunderklumpen12 has made the most delightful little quiet book for her goddaughter's 1st birthday using (adapted) Penguin & Fish patterns. Dunderklumpen12 has used the German alphabet and has stitched out the letters of her goddaughter's name, what a lucky girl!

A quick search on Google reveals a number of different tutorials on how to make a fabric book, I think this would make a great Christmas present for the little ones in your life!

Patterns: Penguin & Fish

Blocks and embroidery by KCQuilts, embroidery patterns by Penguin & Fish

I love these bright and colourful blocks by KCQuilts and the embroidery in the middle of each is just perfect. The embroidery patterns are from Penguin & Fish, slightly adapted to go with the fabric patterns. You can read more about these blocks here.

International Quilt Market 2010

I was extremely fortunate to be able to attend the International Quilt Market in Minneapolis last weekend. It was an amazing event with way too much eye candy to share in a single post. What I loved seeing the most, of course, were the many beautiful flashes of embroidery throughout the show and its many beautiful displays.

Here I am with fabric designer, new book author, and all around awesome person Melissa Averinos. Melissa's new book, Small Stash Sewing, features a wonderful project for embroidered unicorn and moon pillows. And whaddayaknow, that unicorn was at Quilt Market, too! (Psst ... as Nicole blogged a few posts back, the unicorn pattern is available as a free download on the Wiley site.)

Me & Melissa Averinos

I had the pleasure of meeting Alyssa of penguin & fish, one of my favorite online sources for adorable embroidery patterns. Her booth was absolutely beautiful and Alyssa was one of the nicest people in Minneapolis. I can't wait to see what she does next!

Alyssa of penguin & fish

Feeling Stitchy's very own Nicole (of Follow the White Bunny fame) also made her quilt market debut. Though she couldn't be there in person, she was well represented by a preview of her upcoming collaboration with fabric designer Lizzy House -- a series of embroidery patterns based on Lizzy's new fabric line, Castle Peeps. The fabric is amazing, and Nicole's patterns are sure to be, too. My mind is spinning with ideas of how to use them in some sewing projects ...

Bard embroidery pattern, courtesy of Follow the White Bunny

Wha'? There's that unicorn again! This time he's getting snuggly with the one and only Amy Butler. It was amazing for me to get to meet Amy in person -- I can almost singlehandedly credit her with sparking my interest in sewing and quilting via her amazing fabric designs. She is as warm & lovely in person as you might expect her to be. For all you knitters, Amy was showcasing some of her brand new organic yarn for Rowan.

Amy Butler and Melissa's unicorn, courtesy of the yummygoods blog

One product that caught my eye was this sleek little LED lightbox, perfect for embroidery patterns and other types of transfers. I sure would love to get my hands on one of these!

D'oh! There's that unicorn again!

Unicorn picture courtesy of the yummygoods blog

I had a great time at Quilt Market, and though it was my first time, I certainly hope it won't be my last!

Hi Bears Cross -Stitch Pattern

The minute I saw these cute bears in Penguin and Fish's photostream, I was in love. Now you can stitch them too! The PDF pattern is on sale in the Penguin and Fish shop. Woo-hoo!