project // felt ravioli pocket pal (or ornament!)

I don't know about you, but I love pasta. In fact, there's never been a pasta I didn't like. Okay, maybe the black squid ink pasta. But that was still fun. Anyway...it's World Pasta Day, and I can think of no better way to celebrate that with felt ravioli with a cute smiling face!

Earlier this year, I made felt pierogi, and started thinking about making this ravioli then, but it's taken until now to do it. I'll call the timing kismet since I get to make them part of this fun food holiday.



To make these, I used the Squares and Scallops deep etch die (affiliate link) that I designed for Benzie Design. It makes the project extra easy because both sides of the ravioli will match perfectly and they have pre-punched holes so your stitches are always perfectly spaced. But you can also use the square template that I've included. Ideally you'd cut that with scallop scissors or pinking shears.

The sauce is also really fun because when I was making a bunch of these, I hand cut the sauce. Each one was different! But I also made a template you can use if you'd like. But seriously, try just cutting a little spoonful of sauce. It's super cute and will make your ravioli all unique.

Now, get the felt pasta water boiling and let's make some ravioli!



Here's what you need:

Wool Blend Felt (I used Benzie felt in colors linen and strawberry)
Squares and Scallops deep-etch die set (I used the medium scallop die)
Embroidery Floss
Black Cabochon (also available from Benzie!)
Scissors
Craft Glue
Chenille Needle
Stuffing

DOWNLOAD THE RAVIOLI PATTERN PDF

You'll need to cut two ravioli pieces from the linen felt, and one sauce piece from the strawberry felt.

If you're using the square template instead of the deep-etch die, use scallop scissors or pinking shears to cut the shapes. Try to cut the pieces so the shaped edges are OUTSIDE the square template and that the two pieces match as much as possible.



Add a ring of glue on the back of the sauce piece. Keep the glue away from the edges AND out of the center area as much as possible. Place the sauce on one of the ravioli squares.



Stitch the smile in the middle of the sauce. Use six strands of black embroidery floss and a single scallop stitch. If you ended up with glue in the middle of the sauce, you should wait to embroider the face until the glue is fully dry.

If you want to embroider the eyes with French knots, you should do that not. You can also use black brads (Benzie Design sells 4mm ones that would work well), which would also need to be added now. Otherwise, wait to add the glued on eyes until later.



Layer the two ravioli pieces together with the sauce on the outside. Starting on the back, in a lower corner, come up through only the back layer and between two stitching holes.



Stitch around the three sides with running stitch, leaving the bottom open.



Add some stuffing inside the ravioli. Cheese or meat are typical, but I recommend polyfil in this case. Ha!

As with real ravioli, try no to overstuff this little pasta pocket. Just a bit of stuffing will do!



Stitch across the opening, then go back and stitch the opposite direction, filling in the stitching gaps. This double running stitch or "holbein stitch" makes the stitches look the same on the front and back.



When you get back to where you started, end off the thread, trying to keep the knot as hidden as possible.



Now you can add the eyes. I used 5mm black cabochon for this one, and glued them in place with craft glue. Sometimes I use Beacon's 3-in-1, which dries fast and is clear.



Once the glue is dry on the eyes, your little ravioli friend is all finished!



I designed this originally to be a pocket pasta pal, but of course, you can also add a loop of embroidery floss as a hanger so it's an ornament. It would also be cute as a fridge magnet! You can stick a magnet on the back or glue a super-strong magnet INSIDE the back and it will hold through the felt.



When I was making these, I tried attaching the sauce two ways. I showed you the first way, but above is the second method. This one uses applique stitching around the edges. I love how finished it looks, BUT the glued version has a little more dimension with the way the edges lift off the past a bit. That's why the glue shouldn't get too close to the edges.

You can decide which way you want to make yours!

I also used two different sizes of eyes. The applique version has the smaller eyes. I honestly think both are cute!

review // custom woven labels by rayboslabel

Who doesn't love a cute little detail on projects? Woven labels are a fun way to add those details, and there are so many options available now. But making your own is even better. Custom cute little details? Yes, please! Rayboslabel makes this possible!

First, here's my full disclosure:

Rayboslabel contacted me and asked if I would try their service and write a review. They provided these labels to me free of charge, but I'm gonna give you my honest thoughts. I did also collaborate with them to make an Instagram reel, for which I was paid. They have since also offered me an affiliate link, so links to Rayboslabel in this post may earn me a commission if you decide to order labels.



Now, let me share my experience and some close-ups of these labels!

Rayboslabel makes several types of labels, but I only did the woven labels. From my understanding, they can make things that are more complicated than what I did, but I thought simple would be cute. And I do think they came out super cute! I made two different designs, and had them set up a little differently to try them out.

I've never had labels like this made before, so I was going in without knowing what I was doing. You know, other than seeing labels that exist, and some of my graphic design knowledge around colors and fonts.



At the time that I ordered mine, there were two size options, but now there are four! They are listed in millimeters, which I often use in projects, but you might want to pull out a ruler and look at physical dimensions when planning your labels.

My pink Super Cute! label is the 60x20mm size. When flat, that's about 2-3/8 x 3/4 inches. The teal ones are the 60x15mm, which are about 2-3/8 x 5/16 inches.

It's nice to see that they've added more sizes, but right now they are all the same length and just have different widths. My brother recently needed some labels and he wanted something more square, so these just didn't work for him. But it's possible that more options will come, because I know they are taking in lots of good feedback!



The labels come in these cute little boxes, which is very nice. The two boxes were inside a larger box, and having these for storage is helpful. My Super Cute! labels were the first ones I decided on.

I designed these entirely using the design tool on their website. Most of the time I use an older laptop, and it's been having a hard time with new web technology. Unsurprisingly, my computer couldn't handle this task. I tried using my phone, and acutally, it went pretty well. You can see me setting things up in the Instagram reel I made.

But I wanted to adjust the text a bit by making the lines of text separate, so I could make them closer to each other. Doing this on my phone was harder. Once I switched to a newer desktop computer, I was fully in business! I would imagine that a tablet would also work. It really came down to me trying to be precise.

The amazing thing is that they offer SO MANY color and font options. (Far more that the company my brother used for his labels!) They also have other design elements. But like, you can scroll and scroll for a long time. I started by searching for "pink" and that helped narrow down the colors to look through. If you know of a font name you like, it's worth searching on their tool, because they may have exactly what you want. Or you may spot something while looking through the big list!



I envisioned folded labels for these. The kind you have as a little tag in a seam or even at the back of a shirt. As far as I could tell, that wasn't an option, BUT I also wasn't super familiar with the terminology around sewing and fold allowances. So what did I do?

I emailed and asked.

They told me that they could definitely make these folded labels for me! There's actually a place to add a message to your order (it's all the way at the bottom of the design page), and I'm fairly confident that you could just write those special instructions in that box.

But even better, I've seen that they are looking at making folding a regular option in the design process because people like this!

You can see from the back how these are woven, with the reverse of the colors showing. The ends are basically raw, which is where this would get sewn in, but the sides are well finished.



For the second design I got, I kept them flat and I uploaded a design. These cute little doodles are some of the "kawaii confetti" that I have on projects in my book.

I uploaded this as a transparent PNG with the designs all in white. Then I chose a background color (the teal) and adjusted the image placement. It was very easy!



The little lines came out super clear, and I love them.

When they arrived, I was a little confused. I thought I had ordered these to be iron-on labels, which is an option they offer. I thought it would be fun to iron these into the edges of little bags or at the back of garments, etc. When I tried ironing them, they didn't work. After some trial and much error, plus an email, I discovered that I DIDN'T actually choose iron-on. OOOOPS!

So pay attention to those settings and you'll get what you expect!



These non-folded labels came with interfacing on the back. (This is also why I thought they were iron-on at first.) This gives them some stability, but it's also there to protect the back of the label.



After ironing mine (for no reason...ha!), I was able to peel that backing off when it was warm. That's not an official recommendation, but it is good to know if you don't want that backing. Presumably, you could also request that they leave off the backing in the message section.

I'll be sewing these on flat, but I do think I'll try folding the ones where I removed the backing and sewing them as little tabs.



And here's the first project I used my Super Cute! labels for! This is a little table covering (also with the "kawaii confetti" pattern I designed and had printed as fabric). It's simple, but that little detail makes all the difference.



So here's the bottom line: Would I order these and pay for them myself? Yes. In fact, I very likely will order more and try out more complex designs with more colors.

The pricing is completely reasonable for what you're getting. As with anything, the more you buy, the lower the cost per label.

Shipping cost is a little high, but they are shipping these internationally (they are manufactured in China). They also come VERY quickly, so you are getting premium shipping.

The options they offer are both extensive and limited. SO MANY colors and fonts, plus some great detail options like little holes for hand sewing, which I want to try. They also only focus on longer labels, at least for now. But I've also learned that they can work with you tomake custom sizes, so it's worth emailing them if you have an idea.

I honestly was impressed and recommend Raboslabel. Also, everyone I've shown these to have been impressed. They're good. Plus, how fun it is to have YOUR OWN CUSTOM LABELS?!?!? Want to save 15% on your order? Use code WILDOLIVE at checkout!

stitching super-cute food kawaii style

I wrote another book.

Stitching Super-Cute Food Kawaii Style is exactly what it sounds like: A book all about embroidering the most adorable food you can imagine.

When I set out to write this book (and make all the patterns and projects!), I wanted it to be something that was more than just cute foods with faces. The goal was for the whole thing to *feel* cute and kawaii.

To make this happen, I chose colors that make me feel happy (and I even got to give them super cute names!). I thought about how the faces on the foods could be most expressive to show off the cute-factor. For the projects, I considered how to incorporate sweet details. And then I added something I've been calling "kawaii confetti", which is a sprinkling of stitches that bring things together.

I really think I achieved my goal.




There are 18 projects, and each one has features embroidered designs created just for that project (okay, so one of them actually uses patterns from the motifs section, but it has some customizations). Plus, there are ideas for different ways to make the items or swap in different patterns. I love a good mix-and-match book! Oh, and all templates are included at 100%—no resizing needed!

Then, there are over 140 additional embroidery patterns at the back of the book. Every single motif is shown fully stitched. They're designed so you can use just a few simple stitches to make them look super cute, but you also can jump in with more advanced stitches if you're up for it. The patterns are easy to trace from the book, but there's a link to download them too so you can print them out on water-soluble stabilizer (my favorite method!).

Order Your Copy!

If you follow my work, this book should feel kinda familiar. It's very me!

I also know that embroidering food with faces is not everyone's cup of tea. But if the things in Stitching Super-Cute Food Kawaii Style don't make people smile, I'm not even sure what to say. This book is here to bring a bit of lightness and joy to our everyday.

It's about everyday objects that are just a little different from usual. It's about having fun and smiling and not taking things too seriously. It's about getting loving the little things so you can be ready to take on the big things in life.

Now, the book only had room for so many patterns and projects, but one idea I had that didn't make it in was for a kawaii vending machine design. I couldn't just let that idea go to waste, so I made it into a bonus pattern that is available for everyone who pre-orders the book. This is basically the vending machine of my dreams. (And yes, I did spend a lot of time looking at Japanese vending machines when planning this pattern!)

You can order the book anywhere you like, and then just head to my website to claim your free pattern.

I can't wait for you to explore the pages of Stitching Super-Cute Food Kawaii Style and start making so many cute things. Tell me, what kinds of foods are you hoping to see in here? I'll tell you if there's a pattern for that!

pattern // stitch all the time, disco occasionally

My sister Grace is a big fan of Harry Styles, so in honor of his album "Kiss All the Time. Disco Occasionally." I thought it would be fun to update an old design I made of a disco ball embroidery pattern. Instead of just stitching this, I asked Grace to assist by painting in all the little squares. The result is something truly special, if I do say so myself. That's all thanks to my sister's talent. (Goodness knows I had no intention of filling these in with satin stitch!)

This is a free pattern, and there are lots of ways you can stitch it. Metallic thread would be a-MAZ-ing, it would look cute on a t-shirt, or if you're brave you can satin stitch the sections. We used acryic paint on linen, then added back stitch and a few sequins. It's one method of embroidery tinting!

DOWNLOAD THE DISCO BALL EMBROIDERY PATTERN

Want to see how this all came together? Here we go!



The fabric here is white Essex Linen. You can use any fabric you like, but natural fibers are a good idea. When in doubt, test some paint on the material.

Trace with a regular pencil.



Place the fabric in a 7-inch embroidery hoop while you are painting.

This part is where you can get creative. Using acrylic paint, each little square gets filled in with different colors. The idea is to have an area that has the highlight, with darker colors around the edges. They aren't supposed to be a perfect gradient and sometimes there can be some random bits of color.

I asked Grace to make this a more pink one, but if you search for disco ball painting, you'll see some great inspiration. Just mix the paint a little at a time, keep it bright, and you'll have something fun.



After the paint is completely dry, start stitching. Use six strands and a chenille needle so that the embroidery really stands out. The thread color I used here was DMC 02.

Because the paint makes a fairly solid surface, you need to be intentional with your stitches. If you poke the needle through where the paint is, it will leave a hole, so be gentle as you come up through the fabric. Check that the needle is coming through in the correct spot before it fully comes through.

The face and sparkle markings on the disco ball won't show after painting, so you may need to re-trace those. Or just freehand stitch them.



If you want to add some sequins, use two or three strands. Stitch the sequins down with a little star shape.

I only added the sequins to the sparkles on the disco ball, but I may go back and add some more.



And you're all finished! This is such a fun project, whether you love Harry Styles or simply enjoy a bit of sparkle in your life.

Happy Stitching!

project // kawaii felt pierogi stuffie

If you've been watching any of the Winter Olympics, you may have spotted Team Poland with their giant stuffed pierogi with a face. They even presented one to Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg! I'm here with a pattern to make a much smaller, felt version in the Wild Olive style.

The original stuffed pierogi was made by a shop called Luft, where folks with disabilities learn to made these adorable plush. Sadly, they don't ship outside of Poland and they are completely sold out right now anyway (good for them!).



After talking with my friend Kristin, we decided that we should each make our own versions. She made a giant one (including a version with legs ala Jellycat!), I made a small one, and then I also made a tiny pocket-sized pierogi.

I'd also like to add that if you were to make any of these with a deeper tan color, they would look more like an empanada, and I really like that idea.



Ready to make your own little Pierogi Pal?

Here's what you need:

• Creamy-colored felt (I used Benzie's Linen Wool Blend - affiliate link)
• Freezer paper
• Pen
• Scissors
• Iron
• Black embroidery floss
• Needle
• Pins
• Sewing machine (with cream thread!)
• 7mm safety eyes
• Stuffing
• Poly Pellets (optional)

DOWNLOAD THE PIEROGI PAL PATTERN



Trace the Pierogi Pal pattern onto the non-shiny side of the freezer paper. Cut the bottom edge on the line, but leave the rest of the pattern un-cut.

Fold your felt in half and iron the freezer paper to the felt with the cut edge of the template on the fold.



Cut out the doubled felt on the scalloped line.

I didn't pin mine when I did this, but it would help a bit as the felt did want to shift slightly. This resulted in some of the back scallops being off just a little. It doesn't really show, but I know it's there. Ha!

Poke holes through the middle of the marked eyes.



Embroider the mouth with six strands of black embroidery floss and back stitch.



Peel off the freezer paper, carefully tearing it away around the mouth.

Use the scissors to slightly enlarge the holes for the eyes. You don't want them too big. It's better to make them larger after you try and add the eyes.



Install the safety eyes. Remember that this are not child safe. If you are making this for a young child, you should just embroider the eyes (and skip the weighted filling).



Sew around the pierogi, leaving one end open for stuffing. I lined up the edge of my presser foot with the indents of the scallops as I sewed.



Add stuffing, working to fill the top of the pierogi and the far corner. Essentially along the seam, which will help keep the Poly Pellets away from the seam if you're using them.



Roll a piece of paper into a cone/funnel and use it to add Poly Pellets. You'll also need to work them down into the stuffie so you get enough in there to fill it out and give it some weight. Add as much weight and bulk as you want.

As with the eyes, you should skip the weighted filler if making this for a small child.



Add a bit more stuffing to help hold the Poly Pellets away from the seam.



Pin the opening and finish sewing the seam, following the same spacing as before.



You've got a cute little Pierogi Pal now!

The weighted filler makes it so that your pierogi will semi-sit. It's not fully upright, but not laying down either. It's super cute this way!



And then, of course, I made the little pocket version. Tiny is even cuter! This one I made with the Circles & Scallops deep-etch die from Benzie (affiliate link), which is so simple. But you can also just cut a circle with scallop scissors for the same effect. I used flat-back cabochons for the eyes on this one.

Wouldn't it make a fun pin, magnet, or ornament?

Which pierogi do you want to make? A pocket pierogi, a pierogi pal, or Kristin's giant pierogi plush?