pattern // a little teapot

It's National Tea Day, and I'm celebrating with a free embroidery pattern!

The timing of this was too perfect. The other day, I was looking at an old file because I was trying to track down something I made over ten years ago. In the process of doing that, I found a pattern that I made but that never became anything. I had forgotten about it entirely, and it was just sitting there waiting.

The pattern was this "I'm a Little Teapot" design, which I originally intended to stitch on a teapot cozy.

When I heard that it was National Tea Day, I knew that it was meant to be and I pulled out the pattern so I can share it with you now. This is a no-frills pattern, so that means you get to choose which colors and stitches to use. But I know you'll get creative!

DOWNLOAD THE LITTLE TEAPOT EMBROIDERY PATTERN PDF

Now, go make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy some happy stitching!

project // wood and felt quilt block stand up

NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.

Whether you love making quilts or just enjoy being surrounded by them, this felt quilt block is a fun way to decorate your craft space. And it's super easy to make!

Unlike traditional quiltmaking, this little piece doensn't require any sewing. The pieces are cut from wool felt (yes, that's printed wool felt!) and the cutting was done using deep-etch dies on a manual die cutter. The felt and the dies are from Benzie Design.



For mine, I used the Sylvia's Cozy Quilt Block die set I designed for Benzie, because it has a center square that I could use to add a cute little face. This is, of course, optional, but if you know me, you know I'll always add a face.

Using the dies is also optional, but it's so fast and easy. Plus the pieces will always be accuarate. That's especially helpful with things like this because all the pieces will fit together perfectly. You can watch a video I made showing how the die cutting works.



Because these quilt blocks are attached to, well, blocks, they are thick enough to stand on their own. I've made similar pieces to this before, painting on the wood or gluing embroidery to a wood block. These mini art pieces make me smile because you can place tham just about anywhere.

I'm lucky enough to have a dad who has extra boards around, so he cut these for me, and then sanded the corners. If you don't know someone who might be able to help you with this, check your local hardware/lumber store and see if they have any cut offs. They can usually cut them for you too, for a small fee.

Now, shall we make some felt quilt blocks?



Here's what you need:

4x4-inch Wood Blocks/Slabs - mine were cut from a piece of 1x6 wood trim
Wool Felt (I used Bellwether and Printed Felt)
Sylvia's Cozy Quilt Block die set
Black Embroidery Floss and Needle
Craft Glue



Choose a quilt block design or two and cut out the pieces from your felt. You can create any quilt block you like!

For both of mine, I used just two colors/patterns. For the 9-patch, I used salmon and floral finesse printed felt in white. For the churn dash, I used dreamsicle and and daisy field printed felt in swan.



To make your quilt block super cute, embroider a face on the center square. The face is just two french knots and a scallop stitch.



Starting on the lower third of the wood block, spread a thin layer of glue over the wood. Apply the first piece of the quilt block in the corner.

As you add the remaining pieces in the lower third, make sure they are centered horizontally, and ensure that the felt doesn't overlap the bottom edge of the block at all.



Add more glue and then place the second row of pieces. Repeat with the last row. As you work, you can adjust the placement of the felt pieces while the glue is still dry. You want everything to fit together nice and snug.



Give the glue time to dry, then enjoy your wood and felt quilt blocks!




The printed felt really makes these super cute, but if you don't have any or just want to use solids, that's adorable too. I've also used Wonder Under to fuse quilting cotton to felt, and then cut those pieces with a die cutter. It worked great and you could then have any prints you like for your little quilt block!



Part of me now wants to make more and more of these little blocks. You could practially make an entire mini quilt. And maybe that would even be fun for kids to play with!


Happy quilting!

pattern // wwjd? kawaii style!

The letters of the 90s are back: WWJD. And I'm bringing them to embroidery with this free pattern featuring my kawaii style!

WWJD? or What Would Jesus Do? is a phrase or question that I've kept in my mind ever since I got my first WWJD bracelet way back when. My own bracelet was hunter green, and then I got a black one as well. It was the thing to have, but I never want it to just be a nice idea. I want it to be the very thing I live by.

What WOULD Jesus do? Sometimes it's hard to know exactly, but at the very least I can know some things he WOULDN'T do. I also know that I mess this up all the time and I'm certainly not always living and making choices like Jesus. But bit by bit, hopefully I become more like him in the way I go about my days, months, and years.

So it felt like a good time to make a little embroidery pattern that can serve as a reminder for myself. And if you'd like that reminder too, I offer this free pattern.

DOWNLOAD THE WWJD? EMBROIDERY PATTERN PDF

I haven't stitched my own yet, but I'll be doing the letters in three strands of chain stitch, just like I did for my Do the Next Right Thing hoodie. The faces are French knots and scallop stitches.

If you print the pattern at 100% it will fit in a 5-inch embroidery hoop, but it would also be great on a t-shirt or hoodie. Just something to show what you believe, while not forgetting how to orient your life.

Simple stitches. A simple idea. But harder to live. And that's okay.

If you're someone who wants to base your life off of Jesus and what he would do in any situation, be encouraged. It's worth pausing to ask this question. And even better if you ask HIM for help. Get to know him and you might just become more like him.

pattern: teeny tiny lanterns

Lunar New Year is a great time to stitch up some little lanterns. These ones are teeny tiny, which might just be my favorite kind of embroidery! After I did the lantern embroidery, I threaded a bit of floss through the hanger on the lantern, then secured the ends of the thread in the hoop edges. I like that it looks like it's hanging there!




I created this pattern and wrote the original post for this way back in 2012, but I was thinking about the patterns again and I'm going to stitch another...and maybe a few more! I grabbed some adorable fabric that will end up giving my lantern a subtle rain bow on it. Pattern traced, and now I just need to stitch.

And pulling these out again made me think about the shapes and wonder how accurate my designs were from way back when. Thankfully I had a few photos from the Lunar New Year celebration at Disney California Adventure to compare them to:




The faces weren't on the actual lanterns, but I just HAD to add some Wild Olive flair to them! I also realize that Disney may not be the MOST accurate celebration, but I think it's still a decent representation. And the colors might just inspire my own new stitching!

In the pattern, there are a total of four lantern styles that I've drawn up for you. Embroider just one or a whole bunch of them on a string! They're tiny and quick to stitch!

Download the Lunar New Year Lantern Pattern PDF

If you stitch some of these up, I'd love to see them! Tag me (@molliejohanson) on Instagram, or leave a link in the comments.

project // cross stitch postage stamp pin

When I think about Valentine's Day, I often think about mailing cute envelopes with adorable stamps on them. Making your own cross-stitched postage stamp as a pin is a natural next step, don't you think?

Just imagine wearing this for Valentine's Day or even beyond!




This simple project is a great way to stitch something small and get in some slow stitching without the overwhelm that can come from large cross stitch projects. The design I used is from a new cross stitch pattern in my Etsy shop.

The Hearts Day Mini Stamp pattern features 20 different mini stamp designs, including the one shown in this project. The full pattern allows you to stitch all the stamps with their little perforated border, but for this pin, I used only the inside part of one stamp. You could use ANY of the designs for this.



Instead of using the perforation in the cross stitch, the backing for this pin is felt cut out using the small stamp border in the Stamp of Approval deep-etch die set (affiliate link) I designed for Benzie Design. The dies create a perfect stamp shape every time, and I knew they'd be perfect for this.

Okay, so the truth is that I knew they'd be perfect because I designed the cross stitch patterns with this die in mind. They are exactly the right size when you stitch them on 14-count Aida!

Now, let's get on to this project!



Here's what you need:

Hearts Day Mini Stamp (no perforation) stitched on 14-count Aida
White Felt Stamp cut with small Stamp of Approval die
Embroidery Floss
Needle
Pin Back
Tacky Glue
Note: The pin back I used was a little longer because my stamp is wide. If you make a tall stamp, be sure your pin back will fit.



Trim the cross-stitched stamp down so there are two rows of Aida on each side of the stamp. Center it on the felt stamp piece.

Use one strand of embroidery floss and fold it in half, threading the cut ends through your needle. Starting at one corner, come up through the felt and Aida one row away from the stitching. Go back down one stitch away on that same row.



On the back of the stamp, slide your needle through the loop of thread and pull to tighten it. This is the loop method, and it will secure your thread without a knot.



Stitch around the entire stamp with running stitch, making each stitch one square of Aida.



Secure the end of the thread with a knot between the layers of fabric and felt. Use Tacky Glue to attach the pin back. Be sure it's facing the right direction!

Allow the glue to fully dry.



Now you have a postage stamp pin that's ready for Hearts Day! Of course, if you're a fan of mail, stamps, or the like, this is a good accessory any day of the year.

Do you love stamps? My grandpa collected them, so I kinda feel like the stamp patterns I've made are an ode to him. Now the big question is, should I design more mini stamp cross stitch patterns?

project // felt pom snowgies magnets

Do you want to build a snowman? Come on, let's go and play with felt poms! Specifically, let's make some little Snowgies from Disney's Frozen!

I promise that this blog is not turning into all things Disney, but as a fan, when I have an idea for something cute to make out of lovely craft supplies, I have to do it. Today's project came to me when I was riding Frozen Ever After at EPCOT. During one scene you see the little Snowgies (and if you haven't seen them, Google them and then watch all the shorts that they appear in...Olaf Presents is especially hilarious).

The moment I saw them (which wasn't the first time), I suddenly envisioned them made from Benzie Felt poms. Fast forward to January, and I got all my supplies and started making them. There was some trial and error, but when I showed this version to my sister, who is a huge fan of Frozen, she gave me the "awwwwwwww" and I knew we were on track.



They really are adorable just as they are. They might be fun for kids to play with this way. And I also think there are ways to make them so you could have them sitting to go on a shelf or something. But I've been on a magnet kick lately, so I made mine into magnets that I can stick up near my desk or on my photo clamps just for fun.

Now, let me ask again, a little differently this time...Do you want to build some Snowgies?



Here's what you need!

Benzie Felt Balls (affiliate link) in 3 Sizes: Medium, Small, and Extra-Small
Wool Felt Scraps in Black, Light Blue, and White
Magnets (I used super strong ones)
Hole Punch
Scissors
Tweezers
Hot Glue
Tacky Glue
E6000 Glue

Now, I know that three kinds of glue is kinda overboard. You don't have to do this, but it's what I used and here's why: The hot glue is so fast and easy for attaching the poms to each other. The Tacky Glue is a little easier for adding the face. And when using super strong magnets, Benzie recommends E6000 because you really need those to hold to the poms.

If you craft a lot, these are all glues that you should have in your supply storage!



Use one medium felt ball for the head, one small felt ball for the body, and two extra-small felt balls for the feet. Attach them with hot glue and press them tightly together so the glue doesn't show.

You can arrange the feet in different ways and if you look at images of Snowgies, you might get some more cute ideas!



Use the hole punch to cut out two perfect black circles. If your hole punch struggles to do this, try ironing freezer paper to the felt first. You can also hand cut them if you'd rather.

Cut out the mouth with scissors. The blue part is a 1/2-inch wide half circle. The tooth is a teeny white rectangle.



Use Tacky Glue to attach the blue part of the mouth first. I found it helpful to glue the back of the felt piece.

Add the eyes above the mouth. I found it easier to add dots of glue to the head and then add the eyes.



Add the teeniest bit of glue to the top of the mouth, then attach the felt tooth. Tweezers are super helpful for this!



It's a happy Snowgie!



Finally, attach a magnet to the back of the head using E6000 glue. Let this cure before sticking the magnet onto anything else or it may pull off the felt ball.




If one Snowgie is good, more Snowgies are better! They can be friends this way, I think that makes them even cuter. You might even try arranging the feet differently or giving them unique facial expressions!

Now my only issue is that I will have the song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" in my head for days. And I'm sorry/not sorry if I did that to you as well. We might as well give in and start watching all the Frozen things while we craft!

Psst...if you like Frozen 2, don't miss the embroidery pattern I shared recently! I'm still loving my Do the Next Right Thing hoodie!

pattern // do the next right thing embroidery

In the movie Frozen 2, the phrase Do the Next Right Thing comes up, and Anna even sings about it, and I decided to embroider it! And you can too with my free embroidery pattern!

It's just a little bit kawaii-Mollie, with my signature faces stitched on the crystals around the words.

And I love it's sort of secretly Disney. Only the people who know will know. But the message of Do the Next Right Thing is one that is good for all of us. It's something that I definitely connect with and one that I need a steady reminder of.

I first started thinking about this pattern pretty early in 2024, then decided it would be perfect as a hoodie to wear to Walt Disney World. We had a trip planned for December, so it all felt perfect. Of course, I had all manner of things going on and my Frozen 2 sweatshirt felt like a low priority.

Thinking that I would need to just put this idea off for a while made me sad, but it was fine. And then my mom made a suggestion. What if I were to embroider my hoodie while on the big roadtrip from Illinois to Florida?

And so that's what I did.



Not only did I finish all the embroidery while on the road, but I was able to wear it on our first day of visiting the parks and going to EPCOT, where you can ride Frozen Ever After and walk through spaces that are a lot like Arendale!

Did I take the opportunity to have my photo taken there? Yes, I did!

If you would like to make your own Do the Next Right Thing hoodie (or a tee, or even a pillow or hoop art), you can grab the pattern below. It's sized as I used it for my sweatshirt, but you could print it at a lower percentage to make yours smaller.

DOWNLOAD THE DO THE NEXT RIGHT THING PATTERN PDF

For a design of this size, I recommend using Sulky Stick n' Stitch (also called Sticky Fabri-Solvy). It's especially helpful on a thick material like a hoodie.

The colors I used are DMC 964, 958, 156, 211, 3609, and 310. I just tried to space out the colors in a way that wasn't too much of a pattern, but still felt like they were balanced. You could, of course, stitch this in other colors, or all in one color.



For the words, I used three strands and chain stitch, while for the crystals, I used three strands and back stitch. The faces are three strands with French knots and scallop stitch. Like with all my patterns, if the kawaii faces aren't for you, you can just skip stitching them.




Real talk here. Some days life can feel a lot like it did for Anna during the moment of this song in Frozen 2. When I feel that way, I remind myself to do the next right thing. Whatever that might be. Sometimes it's big and sometimes it's small. But do the next right thing.



Happy stitching, friends!