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!

Pink Retro Telephone Pillow

©2017 Kathleen Berlew

The 1970s was a colorful decade of avocado appliances and pastel telephones. My family had white and beige wall and desk models in our house, but my grandmother had a pretty pink telephone on her nightstand that I absolutely loved. This little pillow is a tribute to that phone and to all things retro that have become cool again. You can follow the instructions below, or click here to download a printable pattern sheet.

To make your own phone pillow, you'll need:

• Pink retro print fabric, two 11 1/2" x 10" pieces
• National Nonwovens WoolFelt®: Pink, Shocking Pink, White
• Pink baby rickrack
• Pink mini pompom fringe
• DMC six-strand embroidery floss: 605 Very Light Cranberry, 818 Baby Pink, White, Light Effects E168 Silver
• Polyester fiberfill
• Buttons: one 1 1/8" white, ten 3/8" clear with glitter

©2017 Kathleen Berlew

Print out the pattern below and size it so the base of the phone is 6" wide. Cut the telephone base and receiver from pink felt. Cut the large circle from white felt, the small circle from shocking pink felt. Sew the white button to the center of the shocking pink circle with white floss. Sew the clear buttons evenly spaced around white button with silver floss. Use cranberry floss and whipstitch to sew the shocking pink circle to the white circle. Use white floss and running stitch to sew the dial to the center of phone base.

Next, pin the receiver onto one piece of the print fabric, centered, so the top edge of the handle is 1 3/4" from the top edge of fabric. Tuck a length of pompom trim under the outer edge of the receiver, pin it in place, and trim away excess. Pin the phone base onto the fabric so bottom edge is 2" from bottom edge and the cradle tabs overlap the receiver slightly. Tuck a length of pompom trim under the outer edge of the receiver base. Cut a 20" piece of rickrack and tuck one end under the receiver and one end under the base, as shown, and pin in place. Sew base and receiver in place using baby pink floss and running stitch, making sure to sew through rickrack. When you've finished stitching, arrange the rickrack "telephone cord" around the phone and tack it in place.

To finish the pillow, pin the appliqued print fabric piece and the backing piece together, right sides facing, and stitch around with 1/4" seam allowance. Leave and opening for turning. Snip the corners and turn the pillow right side out. Stuff it with polyester fiberfill and hand-stitch the opening closed. 

©2017 Kathleen Berlew

All done! Now show it off in your TV room and watch some episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore or your favorite '70s sitcom.

Felt Easter Peeps Basket

I'm not sure what I liked better about the Easter basket I got every year as a child--the chocolate bunny inside or the fluffy pom-pom peep that was tied to the handle. I never outgrew those little yellow peeps. I have a flock of peeps that come out every year with my Easter decorations. Last year, my love for Easter peeps inspired me to make this little felt basket.

The supplies are pretty basic--wool-blend felt in bright yellow, blue, and chartreuse; white jumbo rick-rack; and buttons from my sewing basket. To give the basket some fun texture, I snipped slits on the wings to give them a feathery look, and I added a border of fringed grass around the bottom. This design was featured in the 2016 Spring issue of Craft Ideas magazine. Click here  to go see the instructions and patterns on the magazine's website.

I admit, this basket is too small (just 4 1/2 inches tall) to hold a big chocolate rabbit, but you can fill it with colored eggs, foil-covered chocolates, or marshmallow peeps.

Spring Flowers Cross-Stitch

It's snowing here in Pennsylvania as I write this blog post, so any bulbs that had started to sprout in my garden are now covered in a few inches of fluffy flakes. While I wait out this temporary setback to the arrival of spring, I thought I'd share a cross-stitch project that might help chase winter away.

One of my favorite things about cross-stitch is that it requires so few instructions. If you have a chart and a color key, you can just go ahead and transfer a design from paper to fabric stitch by stitch. You can substitute colors if you like, and you can even stitch on different types of fabric to create different sizes and effects.

This spring flowers design, which was originally published in Craft Ideas magazine, features a geometric trellis pattern of irises, tulips, and daffodils stitched with eight shades of DMC embroidery floss. (I'm not a math person, but I do appreciate geometry and symmetry in my needlework.) I stitched the model shown above on 18-count Aida, which created a design area of about 4 1/2 by 5 1/2 inches. If you use 14-count Aida, your pictured will be about 6 by 7 inches. You could also stitch it on linen or another even-weave. Experiment with different fabrics to find out which work best for you.

If you'd like to give the Spring Flowers design a try, click here to download and print the chart and floss key. As I said, cross-stitch requires little instruction. Just follow the chart and start stitching!

Felt Celtic Pins

St. Patrick's Day doesn't last just a day anymore--it's a month-long celebration complete with parades, dinners, and wearing of the green. When I was in grade school, I used to push the limits of my Catholic school's dress code with green accessories, right down to green shoelaces and nail polish. Although I'll still wear green beads and a plastic leprechaun hat during my family's annual St. Patrick's Day dinner, I have developed an appreciation for more subdued Irish-themed accessories. Sometimes, I even make my own.

These appliqued Celtic pins are sewn from green and gold felt and embellished with simple embroidery. I admit, the pieces are pretty tiny, but I think the end result makes the patient snipping and stitching worthwhile. The pins were featured in the 2016 Spring issue of Craft Ideas magazine. Click here to go to the instructions and patterns on their website.

Looking for other St. Patrick's Day projects? Check out these cross-stitch designs--Shamrock and Thistle Pins and Irish Flag--which I featured previously on the blog. Click on the link below each photo below to se the original blog post.

Shamrock & Thistle Cross-Stitch Pins

Cross-Stitched Irish Flag

New Designs in "Just CrossStitch" and "Craft Ideas"

What a great way to end the month! Spring issues of two of my favorite magazines came out, and my designs are featured in both of them. You can find my appliqued flower sachets (above) in Craft Ideas. They're filled with dried lavender and make a pretty spring or Easter gift.

If you're a cross-stitcher, you might like my Ireland Sampler in the April issue of Just CrossStitch (that's it on the cover below). You can find my Ho, Ho, Ho Ornaments in the magazine's "Christmas Stitch" section. It's always Christmas when you're a crafter, right? I'm also super honored that the nice people at Just CrossStitch featured me in the issue's "Designer Q&A" page.

Happy (almost) Spring, all--and happy stitching!  

Mini Felt Robots

©2017 Kathleen Berlew

These miniature robot ornaments are made from some pretty low-tech materials--wool-blend felt, buttons, snaps, and embroidery floss. They hang out on the bulletin board in my craft room, where we can keep an eye on each other, but you could also clip them to a backpack or use them as decorations in an older child's bedroom.

The inspiration for this project came from my love for 1950s sci-fi movies and a need to use up some of the odds and ends that had accumulated in my sewing box. I started with National Nonwovens WoolFelt® in Denim, Smokey Marble, Confederate Blue, Silver Grey, Black, Strawberry Parfait, and Opal. I created simple body shapes and then added felt appliques and simple embroidery to create the "control panels" and other details. The buttons and snaps are sewn on with metallic embroidery floss. If you want to have a go at making your own little robots, print the patterns below and size them so they're about 4 1/2 inches tall.  

©2017 Kathleen Berlew

Use the photos above and below as reference to create details, such as panels, eye bands, and mouths on the front pieces of the robots. When you're happy with your designs, sew the robot fronts to the backs with running stitching, stuffing them lightly with polyester fiberfill as you go. I added jump rings and key chains to my robots for hanging, but you can use ribbon, chain, or another material you have in your craft supply stash.

©2017 Kathleen Berlew

This project was originally published in the Winter 2015 issue of Quilts and More magazine, which includes detailed instructions and patterns for making these little robots. The print issue is no longer available, but you can click here to peek inside and order the digital issue.

Images used with permission of Quilts and More magazine and Meredith  Corporation.  Copyright 2015.

Cross-Stitch Hearts & Arrows

Don't wait for someone to surprise you with a Valentine's Day gift--make one for yourself! Aren't these hearts-and-arrows cross-stitch pendants sweet? And better yet--they're super simple to make.

If you follow this blog, you know how much I love these jewelry settings from the Etsy shop Kailea. I stitched my hearts and arrows on 18-count white Aida, so the finished pieces fit perfectly in the rectangle pendant setting. Follow the charts below to stitch your own. I used two strands of DMC six-strand embroidery floss in 3831 Dark Raspberry, 3852 Very Dark Straw, 995 Dark Electric Blue, and 996 Medium Electric Blue. It's not a traditional Valentine's Day palette, so feel free to substitute pinks, reds, or your own favorite colors.

Cross-Stitch Hearts & Arrows   ©2017 Kathleen Berlew

Cross-Stitch Hearts & Arrows   ©2017 Kathleen Berlew

This project was originally featured in the Winter 2015 issue of Craft Ideas magazine. Click here to go to the instructions and charts on their website.

Printable Yarn Organizer Cards

I don't make resolutions when each new year begins, but I do like to try to make a fresh start and get organized. In my craft room, my new year projects included a major purge of supplies and clutter that were just taking up space. It took a bit of effort, but the payoff is that my work space now has room for a TV. Let the Netflixing begin!

The calendar still says "January," so I still have time to squeeze in at least one more project. In my purge, I discovered a box filled with yarn labels that I had stashed away. I admit it--that was my yarn filing system. When I had to identify which yarn I had pulled from my basket, I had to figure out which label it matched with. This week, I'm sharing my simple solution to my yarn mess--printable yarn organizer cards. My design is nothing fancy, but it does have space for all the information you might want to keep on file about the yarn in your stash--name, color, fiber content, weight/yardage, needle/hook size, and yarn weight (4 for worsted, 6 for super-bulky, etc). I designed the cards so I can keep yarns from one company together on each card.

If you're ready to get your own yarn basket under control, click here and download/print the number of cards you need. I left plenty of room on the left side so you can punch holes with a three-hole punch. Use a single hole punch to punch out the circles indicated on the right side of each box. Fill in the information that pertains to your yarn and tie a strand through the corresponding hole.

Wow, that was so easy, I'm wondering why I waited so long. Better late than never, I guess. At least I'm starting the new year with a clean craft room and an organized binder of yarn swatches.

Cross-Stitch Peacock Purse

I'm always amazed at the versatility of DMC embroidery floss. It comes in an amazing range of gorgeous colors, and it has a luxurious sheen. It's also super inexpensive--less than 40 cents a skein! When I was playing with color combinations one day, I came up with this peacock palette and knew I wanted to use it in an accessory of some sort. I came up with this vintage-look evening bag, which reminds me of a Flapper purse from the Roaring Twenties.

Although I call it a "Cross-Stitch Peacock Purse," it's actually worked in half cross-stitches on black Aida fabric. I lined the bag with shimmery blue fabric and completed the "Flapper" look with an antique chain and embroidery floss fringe. The finished bag is 4" by 6"--the perfect size for carrying a cell phone and lipstick on a special night out.

This design was featured in the 2015 Holiday issue of Craft Ideas magazine. If you'd like to give the project a try, click here to download and print the chart. (Stitch the chart as shown and then turn it upside down to stitch the second half of the purse.) To assemble the purse, click here to go to the instructions on the Craft Ideas website. Trust me, it's much easier to make than it looks. Happy stitching!

Happy Handmade Holidays!

Christmas is just days away, and our house is all decked out for the season. I love incorporating handmade decorations in my holiday decor---made by me or by loved ones. The sweet sequined ornaments above were stitched by my maternal grandmother in the '70s. I still think sequins are magical! She used to work on felt projects all year round.

This beautiful bird nest ornament was made by my paternal grandmother. She created the nests from wood shavings and starch, and then filled them with beans that she dyed to look like eggs. I'm so happy to have these keepsakes so I can bring them out each year and remember the women who provided my first craft inspiration.

This little gingerbread house was made by me at my sister's annual gingerbread party. (Full disclosure: I did not bake the gingerbread; I assembled the house from a kit.)

I'm going to be taking a few weeks off from the blog world to spend time with my family. I hope you're doing the same. Before I go, I'd like to wish you a very Merry Christmas and the happiest of New Years!

Blue Acorn and Oak Leaf Garland

Blue was my first favorite color. I had a blue dress that I wore to death when I was in elementary school, and I even had a pair of blue suede shoes (it was the '70s). Now I'd have a hard time picking a favorite color--I love them all! But I do find a blue palette soothing. Last year, I made a bunch of felt acorn and oak leaf ornaments in shades of blue and white. This year, I strung them onto a strand of white rick-rack to make a garland that I can keep up all winter.

For the acorns, I cut simple acorn and cap shapes from felt and sewed them together. I added chain stitch details with DMC embroidery floss. The white floss is DMC Satin (S5200), which has a gorgeous sheen. For extra sparkle, I embellished the acorns with glass beads, glittery buttons, and snowflake sequins. I also used rick-rack, one of my favorite embellishments, on some of the caps. To finish, I sewed pairs of acorns together, stuffing them with polyester fiberfill before I stitched them closed.

For the leaves, I embroidered chain-stitch veins on oak leaf shapes that I cut from felt. I assembled the leaf ornaments the same as the acorns--sewed pairs together and stuffed them with fiberfill. If you look closely at the photo below, you'll see that I sewed a jump to the back of each ornament for hanging.

Here are the finished ornaments, waiting to be strung onto the garland. They look so frosty and wintry, I think I may have to make myself a cup of cocoa.

Pink Christmas Tree Cross-Stitch

I've always wanted a pink Christmas tree--one with fluffy faux branches, white twinkle lights, and colorful kitschy ornaments. Since I haven't gotten around to indulging my pink tree craving yet, I decided to make a miniature cross-stitch version. (The design is actually worked primarily in backstitch and half cross-stitches. The only full cross-stitches are on the base.)

I stitched my little tree on 18-count white Aida, which creates a finished design size of 1 1/2" by 2 1/2". I used two strands of DMC Light Effects E168 Silver for the base, trunk, and branches. For the "needles," I used three strands of DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss in 776 Medium Pink and 605 Very Light Cranberry, alternating the shades along each branch. To add some extra sparkle to the design, I sewed a pink seed bead to the tip of each branch and the top of the tree.

Pink Christmas Tree   ©2016 Kathleen Berlew

Follow the chart above to stitch your own tiny tree. Of course, you can use any colors you like. I think I might make one that's all silver--I'm in a vintage kind of mood these days. I framed my finished tree in a little silver frame at a flea market last year for fifty cents (I can't resist bragging about a bargain), and I think it suits the design perfectly. I may not have room in my house for a full-size pink tree, but I can definitely find a spot for this one.

2016 Holiday Gift Guide

Christmas is less than four weeks away--how can that be?! If you plan on making gifts for any of the people on your list, you better start crafting! For this year's edition of my annual gift guide, I've collected eight simple projects that you can whip up in time for the holidays. Whether you cross-stitch, crochet, or sew, you should be able to find a DIY gift that suits your skills. Click on the name of the project below to visit the blog post where it originally appeared.

1. Cross-Stitch Veggie Hoop: This cute little cross-stitch project uses just seven colors of floss, and stitches up in just an hour or two. A great gift for cooks and gardeners.

2. Crochet-Covered Earrings: If you have a ball of yarn, a crochet hook, and a few minutes to spare, you can transform a pair of boring plastic earrings into something fresh and fun.

3. "X-Files" X-Stitch: I designed this cross-stitch hoop to celebrate the return of one of my all-time favorite shows. Stitch one for an "X-Files" fan while they anxiously await season 11.

4. Mini Cross-Stitch Kit: Is there a reluctant crafter on your Christmas list? Encourage their creativity with a DIY kit that you can assemble from an Altoids mint tin and supplies you  have on hand.

5. Appliqued Autumn Leaf Sachet: The pine fragrance of the holiday season doesn't have to go away when the tree comes down. Sew a simple appliqued sachet and fill it with dried pine balsam to enjoy the scent of the forest year-round.

6. Shamrock and Thistle Cross-Stitch Pins: For the Celt on your Christmas list--cross-stitch pins that celebrate the symbols of Ireland and Scotland. 

7. Farmer's Market Tote: The veggies on this tote bag look yummy enough to eat. To simplify this project, I sewed the appliqued panel onto a purchased canvas bag.

8. X-Stitch Paper Heart Accessories: Sweet little hearts cross-stitched on perforated paper make pretty accents for barrettes and hair clips. Perfect for a little girl--and maybe a grownup girl too.

I hope you find a project you like on my 2016 gift guide. If not, you can browse through my blog to see dozens of other designs. Happy holiday crafting!