Appliqued Butterfly Picture

We try with varying success each year to attract butterflies to our garden. We suffered a setback a few years ago when our beautiful butterfly bush failed to survive an especially harsh winter. I designed this project so we can always have butterflies at our house, even if real ones don't find their way to our backyard. It hangs year-round in my craft room, but it would make a great gift for Mother's Day.

The butterfly wings are cut from WoolFelt from National Nonwovens (I used Mac 'n Cheese, Chartreuse, and Blue Bayou) and appliqued onto an even-weave background. The details are embroidered with DMC six-strand embroidery floss. I'm not gonna lie--this project requires some patience, especially the monarch butterfly. But it's totally worth the effort, don't you think?

This project was featured in the 2016 Garden issue of Craft Ideas  magazine. Click here to go to the patterns and instructions on the magazine's website.

Groovy Goldfish Beanbag Bookend

This cute little goldfish is my kind of pet. She requires no care, and she adds a splash of color to the shelf while she holds books in place. The word groovy may be betraying my age, but I think this design has a definite retro vibe. The neon color palette and gradient bubble pattern definitely deserve to be called groovy, don't you think? Plus it's a beanbag (filled with rice). You don't get much more retro than a beanbag.

This project requires two skills--cross-stitching and some simple sewing. I used 16-count Aida fabric and six-strand DMC embroidery floss (one of my favorite crafting supplies, as you know). The beanbag is assembled from another favorite crafting material--WoolFelt from National Nonwovens. The colors I used are Mac 'n Cheese and Sunburst.

This project was featured in the 2016 Summer issue of Craft Ideas magazine. Visit the project page here for a black-and-white chart and assembly instructions. If you'd like to download and print a color PDF chart, click here.

(Tip: As you can see from the photos here, the zigzag background is created with half cross-stitches. If you find the half cross-stitch symbols on the charts confusing, you can just refer to the photos.)

My Designs in Summer Magazines

I'm always happy to see spring arrive, but this April has been especially exciting. My designs are featured in four of my favorite needlework and craft magazines! Here's a preview of my projects. If you'd like to give any of them a try, you can find the issues on newsstands now.

From Quilts and More magazine: My Heartfelt Pillow is simple to sew from strips of pink and orange pink fabrics and sweet felt hearts. See my project, as well as other featured projects from this issue, here: www.alpeoplequilt.com/summer. 

Used with permission from Quilts and More™ magazine. ©2017 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

Used with permission from Quilts and More™ magazine. ©2017 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

From Make It Yourself magazine: Felt tomatoes, peaches, and cucumbers displayed in Mason jars. (I've never tried real canning, but I suspect I should stick to sewing my fruits and veggies.)

Used with permission from Make It Yourself™ magazine. ©2017 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

Used with permission from Make It Yourself™ magazine. ©2017 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

Used with permission from Make It Yourself™ magazine. ©2017 Meredith Corporation. All rights reserved.

You can find two of my cross-stitch projects in the June issue of Just CrossStitch magazine: a pair of Butterfly & Moth pendants, and a summery Flowers & Stripes Tote.

I love that Craft Ideas magazine publishes an annual Garden issue that's filled with all kinds of flowery and fruity projects. Here's a peek at my Crocheted Poppy Purse from this year's issue.

Don't the lemons and strawberries on the cover look yummy? I may have to make some time to crochet those too. Happy stitching, everyone!

Cross-Stitch Lavender Sachet

I just love making little pillows and filling them with lavender, pine, or potpourri. I'm not even going to guess how many sachet projects I've shared on my blog.  I designed this one to resemble a vintage French perfume package. It's filled with dried lavender buds, so it smells absolutely divine, and it's worked in cross-stitch, half-stitch, and back-stitch in just three shades of embroidery floss, so it's quite easy to make. Perfect for a Mother's Day present or a springtime gift for yourself, n'est-ce pas?

The sachet shown here was stitched on 18-count antique white Aida fabric, and it measures 5" by 7 1/2". If you prefer to work on 14-count Aida, your sachet will come out a little bigger (and will require more lavender buds). The lovely editors at Craft Ideas magazine featured this design in the Spring 2016 issue. You can click here to go to the instructions, chart, and key on the magazine's website. Bon stitching!