Wonderful Wednesday #76: Wild Olive Stitch Club

While doing some research on incorporating embroidery in English Paper Piecing, I found the perfect way to bring both together - Mollie Johanson of Wild Olive is doing a FREE Jam a Month Stitch Club this year using EPP!

Download the patterns

Mollie has already made the first 6 patterns available on her blog:
January: Orange Marmalade
February: Cherry Preserves
March: Raspberry Jam
April: Grapefruit Jam
May: Blueberry Jelly
June: Pineapple Marmalade

You can try your hand at embroidery and EPP using these patterns or there is also an option for cross-stitch too!

Mollie's Jam of the Month Quilt

This weekend I carefully cut out all the EPP shapes Mollie provided for the mini EPP quilt, so I could try to visualize the size and how it fits together:

Ok, I am almost convinced that I should try to make this mini quilt... but I admit I'm intimidated because I've never made a quilt before! But a small one does seem like a good way to start...

Fun with Half Hexagons

In the meantime, I started playing with half hexagons in a nice orange, to match my cute jam embroidery:

When you cut hexagons in half, there are so many possibilities for framing a central hexagon! The arrangement above is one way...

Here is another:

And here is yet another possibility!

Please note my edges don't exactly match up because I forgot to include the seam allowance in my half hexagons - if you cut your half hexagons properly, they should line up perfectly!

If Only Quilting Was Taught in School

I admit I had a hard time in geometry (they always said in school that you would either be good at geometry OR algebra but not both) algebra was a bit more my thing as it was more like writing sentences and learning a language.

As much as I love shapes and color, drawing them out in geometry and the very dry way they were discussed bored me to death. But sliding these colorful shapes around taught me more about angles and shapes than I ever learned as a child. Maybe basic quilting would be a good subject for school, as it teaches you so much more than how to make a blanket!

Ok, so I've really traveled far afield in this post - suffice it to say EPP has changed my perspective on quilting and handmade items, and I thoroughly recommend it!

If you're looking for an easy, free way to start with English paper piecing, Mollie's Jam a Month Stitch Club is perfect!

Christmas Countdown #21: Mollie Johanson

A wonderful free pattern, Posable Gingerbread People by Mollie Johanson are on Handmade Charlotte.

If you adore Mollie's sweet style as I do, there are lots of holiday themed patterns in her Etsy shop as well:

Patterns: Mollie Johanson

Just shared some exciting news on my blog. It's ABOUT my new writing gig. http://t.co/KG4Hv2wpw6 pic.twitter.com/FslkemjgcJ

— wild olive (@molliejohanson) September 30, 2015

Mollie Johanson from Wild Olive has been really busy recently, not only has she started writing for About.com, where she shares some really useful tips and some free patterns, she's also recently posted on her own blog, some really cute Dia De Los Muertos patterns, also free to download.

Have you seen the free #DiaDeLosMuertos #embroidery patterns on my blog? http://t.co/KG4Hv2O0nE pic.twitter.com/bcCHyhrNUs

— wild olive (@molliejohanson) October 8, 2015

I love this time of year when the Day of the Dead patterns come out!

Patterns: Wild Olive Christmas Sampler

Wild Olive Christmas Sampler 2014 by Wild Olive

Wild Olive has created a very cute red work Christmas sampler; on her blog she says she hopes they become a yearly thing, ooh I hope so! Check out Wild Olive's blog to for a great tutorial on how to frame your embroidery in an Ikea frame as well.

Tutorial Tuesday

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

I have a tutorial roundup to share with you all today on this lovely New Year's Eve. There are so many amazing New Year's-themed tutorials available in the blogosphere that can either be prepped for tonight, or made as the New Year comes underway.

If you are looking for a unique accent to your New Year's Eve outfit, this Embroidered Gem Necklace Tutorial by Taylor over at Mary Janes & Galoshes is perfect!

Some of us might need a cold pack to recover after the New Year's Eve festivities, and Maggie from Smashed Peas and Carrots has a super adorable tutorial for embroidered hot/cold packs.

For those of us who are starting a new semester or sending little ones back to school in the New Year, Wild Olive has a great tutorial for an embroidered pencil topper, that's sure to make the school year better.

The holiday decor is going to be stored away, and there needs to be something put in its place. Steph from the Silly Pearl {Handmade} has a darling Embroidery Hoop Wreath Tutorial that is sure to brighten up a door or entryway in the New Year.

I hope you enjoy and give some of these tutorials a try. Happy New Year to you all!

Patterns: Oink

Wild Olive has just released a very cuddly new pattern, check out Mollie's blog post on how she did the watercolour tinting.

Patterns: Wild Olive Summer Stitching Club

Wild Olive Summer Stitching Club sneak peak

This coming Monday (June 3rd), Wild Olive is launching her Summer Stitching Club. Each week between June and August club members will receive a mini embroidery pattern, small enough to fit on a paper pieced hexagon and the ideal size to take with you to the beach or the pool side. They'll also receive instructions on how to do the paper piecing, so by the end of the summer they'll have a lovely table mat or wall hanging. What a lovely way to remember the summer of 2013. You can sign up here, hurry, if you sign up before tomorrow you can join for an absolutely bargain rate!

DIY Pouch tutorial

This lovely felt pouch by Lova Revolutionary just caught my eye - hop over to Wild Olive to download a simple template and get stitching. I love the almost Navajo look to the design, for a rather serendipitous reason which I'll share with you guys in about a week or so... ;) Enjoy!

Try the Tutorial!

Patterns: Earth

Earth Day by  MadameUgly

Madame Ugly stitched this Wild Olive pattern to celebrate Earth Day recently. I love how Madame Ugly has stitched this pattern on corduroy and I love the different direction fill stitching using variegated thread. 

Right now I can't spot this particular pattern in the Wild Olive store, however Wild Olive's Solar System set is listed and that has an Earth pattern, although viewed from a different angle.

March Stitchalong: week 4

Time for some balloons! These little guys were so cute all on their own that I didn't see the need to go crazy with any fancy stitches.

I've got a couple of competing pinks going, but I think it's pretty cute all in all. At the end of this month's stitchalong, I'll be framing each piece in a hoop and hanging it in my craft room as a sort of Feeling Stitchy birthday gift all year. What are you guys gonna do with your stitchalong pieces?

Look at this sweet piñata on patterned fabric by TheMarchOwl:

Love this sweet little guy stitched on purple by viji52:

kghawkes stitched a cake card for her grandma:

Luciana stitched a felt version of the balloons, with a beaded border:

And here's an adorable orange piñata stitched by KJ

Want to join in? Download the free patterns designed by Mollie Johanson, stitch up one or all, tag your photo "MarchStitchalong2012" and add it to the pool.  :) Just one more week! Be sure to tag your pics and I'll include as many as possible in next week's final wrap-up post!

Download the PDF
Week One
Week Two
Week Three

March Stitchalong: week 3

That's right guys, it's cake time. I was very fickle with this cake, and did a lot of stitching and re-stitching, so as luck would have it, I wasn't finished until precisely yesterday evening. I practiced my couching on the birthday candles, using 4 strands of embroidery floss - I love the woven sort of effect it created. Then lots and lots of french knot frosting. Now I see how addictive french knots can be. I am a fellow french knot junkie, it appears!

I was super-happy to see lots of you joining us this week on the March stitchalong, so without further ado, let's see some stitching!

Awwwwww! Check out this quilted birthday card stitched by mega4beth - sweetness! I love that sweet and simple color scheme - gorgeous.

Here's an adorable piñata stitched by LaWhimsy

I particularly love that she included an idea sketch. If only I was so prepared! :)

Here's some more birthday cake, stitched by viji52

I think I see some beaded eyes? Great idea!

Daisyeyes stitched her piñata on a t-shirt - great job stitching!

I love how 1.2.Stitcharoo created a whole birthday scene with the motifs - and that one of the balloons is sad.

Creative and sweet!

And just look at this gorgeous little cake by Luciana

I love those wavy, two-colored candles - and that's a delicious looking cake! :)

Well, if all of this cuteness has inspired you, feel free to join in! Download the free patterns designed by Mollie Johanson, stitch up one or all, tag your photo "MarchStitchalong2012" and add it to the pool. Can't wait to see more! :)

Download the PDF
Week One
Week Two

March Stitchalong: week 2

Have any of you started on the March stitchalong yet? As for me, the second I saw Mollie's patterns for this month, I had them printed out and ready to go. :) Sometimes I love the beginning stage best of all - lining up all your colors, tracing everything out, still not quite sure what everything's gonna look like...

I started by lining up a couple of palettes of bright colors:

I wasn't sure which palette I liked best, so I mixed it up and used colors from both:

Yeah, you knew I would go for that cute little piñata first. :) Eeeeeeeep. Isn't he a cutie? I've been loving all the crazy french knot projects you guys have posted lately, so I decided to stitch up his saddle all in french knots:

I thought it would take forever, but it was pretty quick. It also didn't take half as much floss as I thought it would - just 3 medium-lengths of floss. More french knots for the bridle. Oh, and I used all 6 strands throughout.

One of you was lightning-fast and stitched up a piñata, too:

This seriously adorable version was stitched by Artful Magpie. I love that she was adventurous, and used a bright color as a background!

As for next week, I've already got the next motif in the hoop:

Want to join us? To join, stitch any or all of the birthday motifs for this month's stitchalong (thank you, Mollie!), tag them "MarchStitchalong2012" and add them to the embroidery pool! See you next week!

Download the PDF
Week One

Cuckoo clock

Free ornament pattern by Mollie Johanson

How wonderful is this sweet little cuckoo clock ornament? Mollie is posting wonderful free Christmas ornament projects on her blog this month - they're quick, easy, and her tutorials are super detailed and a joy to look at.

Here are some more:


These are all great options if you want to do some holiday stitching but don't have a ton of time or materials. They'd also be great projects to teach some beginners in your family...

Patterns: Nutcracker Sweets

Nutcracker Sweets by Wild Olive

Ok, yes, I know we haven't even passed Halloween yet but this pattern by Wild Olive was too cute not to mention. As of blogging, this pattern is currently not in Wild Olive's shop because *ahem*, I just bought the last copy, but I'm sure it'll be back in soon, so it's definitely worth checking out because it's Christmas-y but not too Christmas-y if you know what I mean. I'm sure there are lots of households (like mine) with little dancers in, who would love a spot of Nutcracker any time of the year! As well as Clara, the pattern sheet also features the Nutcracker himself, a Christmas tree and a Grandfather clock, amongst other things.

Wild Olive: Embroidery Basics

Photo by Mollie Johanson

I just stumbled across the most wonderful Embroidery Basics series over on Mollie Johanson's blog, Wild Olive.

So far she's featured a gorgeous array of pics and stitches, including:
Transferring a pattern
Choosing colors
Strands, sewing, stabbing, and starting
Running and back stitches - free pattern!

Her photos are just amazing, and she has the cutest little mascot ever:

Photo by Mollie Johanson

If you haven't visited Embroidery Basics, you should run right over there and do so right now. I'm so inspired - thanks for creating such a wonderful series, Mollie!

Penguin x 3 + ear muffs = Cuteness

Three penguins, originally uploaded by anda76.

Pardon me if I squeal a little bit...

These are, like, the cutest penguins ever!

With ear muffs /head phones. And their little feet!

..squeal!

Patterns: Cuckoo Clock

Cuckoo Clock by Wild Olive stitched by giddy99

I always like seeing the patterns that are out there being stitched by other people; here is a fine example of Wild Olive's Cuckoo Clock stitched by giddy99 as part of her Duvet Project.