project // ernie & bert felt ornament

It's Christmas on Sesame Street, and Ernie and Bert are here in felt to celebrate. Specifically, they are here to go ice skating, because it's that scene that always stands out in my memories of that classic holiday special. Something about seeing your favorite muppets in a very different scale that just throws one off, but also make them pretty cool.

Last year I made this ornament for a friend of mine, and it was one of those projects that I worked on without taking step-by-step photos. You know...because I was just making it. And sometimes I don't share these kinds of things on my blog as a result of not having the images. BUT, in the event that you're a Sesame Street kid like me (and my friend!), I'm sharing the pattern.




The instructions are essentially the same as for my Gonzo and Rizzo ornament and my Emmet Otter ornament. You may even notice that this is a bit of a series of felt Muppet ornaments. I'm working on another one right now, but it will be gifted this year and shared as a pattern next year. So I can't tell you who will be on the new one!



You will need:

Felt (I highly recommend 100% wool for this)
Matching Embroidery Floss, Plus Black
Freezer Paper and Pencil
Iron and Ironing Mat
Scissors
Scallop Shears (these are the 3mm size)
Glue
Needle

DOWNLOAD THE ERNIE AND BERT ORNAMENT PATTERN PDF

You can see the order that I layered the pieces above. Use that as your guide, but be sure to look at the previous Muppet ornaments for the general steps.



For Ernie, the eyes are embroidered with French knots and the stripes on his shirt are chain stitch for a nice, bold line.



Bert gets French knot eyes and a singular chain stitch eyebrow. His mouth and stripes are back stitch. And for all of the embroidery, I used three strands.



These two are quite the pair, and they would look so great hanging on your tree!

And as I make this year's ornament, I'll make sure I actually take the step-by-step photos. Ha!

project // duffy and shellymay felt ornaments

I have recently come to love Duffy the Disney Bear and all of his friends, which is why I decided that I NEEDED to make some Duffy and ShellyMay felt ornaments. And of course, I wanted to share the free pattern with you!

If you aren't familiar with Duffy, you can read a little about him on the Disney Imagineering site, but there's LOTS to know and learn from other places too. I first met Duffy when he showed up at EPCOT in the very early days. I remember that they had his face on the craft you could do at the Kidcot spots in World Showcase. I'm pretty sure there was a meet and greet too.

Well listen. I was early teen. Additionally, my parents were teddy bear collectors and I grew up helping in the teddy bear shop they owned. I was just not into this bear.

Fast forward to now, when I get very excited about kawaii cute things and when Disney has added to the lineup of Duffy's friends, and I'm here for it! I'm not a super fan, but I think these characters are so adorable.

On my most recent trip to Disneyland, I started working on stitching these felt faces.



These go together like my circular felt ornaments. In the pattern below, there are templates for the circles, but I cut mine using the Circles and Scallops deep-etch die (affiliate link) I designed with Benzie Design.




I did some of my stitching at my favorite wall at Disney California Adventure, and even found a bear mug in the wall. I'm fairly confident it was designed by Lucy Rigg, because, see previous note about growing up in a teddy bear shop. If you can ever find your way to this wall (well, two walls, technically), I highly recommend it.



When I initially stitched ShellyMay, I made her eyes with chunky French knots. This was partially to see how they looked this way, and partially so she didn't look all creepy without eyes. My real plan was three-dimensional eyes that would be like the safety eyes found on stuffed animals.



See how cute and shiny they are? I used these flatback cabochons, which you glue in place.

DOWNLOAD THE DUFFY AND SHELLYMAY FELT ORNAMENT PATTERNS

Now, Duffy and ShellyMay were both at Disneyland while I was there, but sadly, I didn't see them. It's okay. Maybe next time. Or maybe I just need to bring my ornaments to Tokyo DisneySea, where they are WILDLY popular and I'd certainly see them.

Now that I've made these two characters, I plan on making others. Are you a fan of Duffy and Friends? Who's your favorite?

pattern // make a cat pillow for cat day!

I am always a sucker for fun holidays, so it's fitting that I get to share a pattern for making a cat pillow on National Cat Day. Now, let me start by saying that this is a pattern for making these cat faces that can go on a pillow, but it's not a full tutorial. You can watch how I created this checking out my Instagram Reel that I made with Missouri Star Quilt Co. below.

The idea is really that you can use the mix-and-match templates to not just make a pillow, but maybe some hoop art, or on a quilt. For the easy pillow, I only used fusible web to attach the face pieces, but you might want to sew around them too. Definitely for things that get lots of use or that you would be laundering, like a quilt or a shirt.

I just really had fun making some cute kitties, and I hope you do too.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Missouri Star Quilt Company (@missouriquiltco)

DOWNLOAD THE FREE CAT PATTERN PDF

If you make something with this pattern, I'd love to see! Tag me on Instagram @molliejohanson. Now, I think I'll go give Darcy Cat a little treat on this special day!

pattern // kawaii flower pocket embroidery

Add some cuteness to your clothes with this easy and free embroidery pattern! Each month I write a column of sorts for Simply Sewing magazine. It's called Stitch Upcycle and I show ways to add embroidery to clothing and accessories or use scraps to make new things (and also stitch on them!). This is a project like that!

While on a trip to my local Salvation Army store, I found this linen Old Navy Boyfriend Shirt for a couple dollars. It was exactly the kind of thing I like to stitch on, so I bought it and waited for a fun idea to come along. And then I had the idea and opportunity!

Recently I was invited to go live with Clover and Amy from Curious Papaya and show how to add embroidery to your clothes. You can watch the entire thing (including my tech going horribly wrong), but I'm sharing the pattern here for you now!



I printed the pattern at 100% on Sulky Sticky Fabri-Solvy so that the flowers really make a bold statement. And then I used all six strands of floss with a chenille needle.

Because I like things that are kawaii and super cute, I chose colors that match my aesthetic. The colors I used are DMC 899, 3825, 743, 472, 964, and 3608. But you can go with colors that you love or that match whatever you're stitching on. You can also use all one color or just a few. I started with the pink on one side and then changed colors every few flowers to make a rainbow.



Grab the free pattern below and start stitching! You only need to know lazy daisy stitch and straight stitch, and it's truly a fast and fun upgrade to your clothes!

DOWNLOAD THE KAWAII FLOWER POCKET PATTERN PDF

podcast // very serious crafts is back for season 6

Are you serious about crafts? I may make a lot of things with cute little faces on them, and I may not always take myself seriously, but I'm a VERY serious crafter. So much so that some years back, I started a podcast with my friend Haley called The Very Serious Crafts Podcast.

We took a break after season five, but we're BACK! Haley and I are happy to welcome our new co-host Hannah, and if you listen, you'll learn more about her. You can find us on whatever platform you use to listen to podcasts. Just click the image above to find those places or search for Very Serious Crafts.

If you get as excited about crafting as we do, I promise you'll love this show. It's the funniest serious podcast about crafts you can find!

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?