Shabby Sewing Organizer

This organizer is another project, inspired by the Atsuko Matsuyama cheerful book "Happy Flower Quilts". I adapted the recipe quite a bit, also inspired by Kristyne Czepuryk from "Pretty by Hand" and her idea to use the tiny magnets that help attaching the mini pouch and the tiniest pincushion on Earth... 

I fell in love with that fabric as soon as I saw it on the market. 

The beautiful shabby fabrics from Quilt Gate just called my name. This fabric was designed and printed in Japan. It is not available any more since this is an old collection. I am so sorry I did not buy more colours from this collection. For all these years, I did not have the heart to cut into them...Until talented and energetic Carla from Half Dozen Daily organized the 'tiny florals anonymous swap' in Instagram... This is my first participation in a swap. It is so intriguing and challenging. I get to see so many beautiful creations from wonderful people. It was worth cutting my precious fabric for one of them ;)

The organizer provides a home for a pair of scissors, wider pocket for a small ruler, or a set of needles, skinnier pocket for a pencil or a fabric pen. I accessorized it with four wooden mini-spools, threaded with DMC embroidery floss, approximately 1.5 m in length. The spools are mounted on a hand-crocheted pink string that twists around fabric covered mini-buttons. 

The mini pouch that could collect thread, set of needles, buttons, thimble, and all different mini-notions is attached to the case with miniature magnet. This was an idea I hugged from Kristyne Czepuryk and made this organizer look so much more elegant. The same attachment I applied to the miniature pin cushion. I found it very helpful, also because it is easy to always attach it to the scissors and never lose it. The mini pouch closes with a magnet.

And that is all about the blue version of this sewing organizer. Off it flies to my partner in the #tinyfloralanonymousswap and I am really hoping she would like it and find a use of it.

The cream version of the organizer goes to my little happy shop  and I am hoping it will make someone happy.

The organizer is hand-quilted all around the lovely roses, accenting the blossoms and the leaves. I used matching DMC embroidery floss for that. It is also hand-quilted at all the seams around and few flowing stitches on the cream background. The inside is interfaced with heavy-weight fusible interfacing. The bias tape is machine-sewn on the outside and then hand-slip-stitched on the inside, so there is no visible seams on the edges. The matching cream zipper is a bit longer for comfort.

This sewing organizer does have absolutely the same features as the teal one, just different print on the elements. 

I love this beautiful organizer! We travel a lot and on our last family trip, I was appliquéing for two days in the car. I did not have anything like this organizer to keep all my notions and needs organized but now I will make one for myself as well. 

This little one goes in my treasure chest that keeps wonderful heart makings. 

Roses, teal, cream and pink - I couldn't think of anything more romantic than that...

Follow me on Instagram for more activities and for opportunity to see so many other amazing tiny floral fabric creations.

Hope you all have a very romantic day! Thank you for sharing your time with me!

♥ Ivelina

Strawberry Cupcake Bag

It is the season that makes me feel dizzy - literally... Dizzy of joy, dizzy of the rush to open my eyes wider so to accept all the beauty of this spring without fainting. Dizzy because of the sent of all the blooming flowers and grass. And the green... this green that seems to amaze me every year, as if I am throwing my sight on this green for the first time ever... 

Every single year, my heart starts jumping wildly with the first dark green after a stormy rain, with the first petal of the blooming cherry tree, right in front of my window, with the tulip buds underneath the tree. And my heart beats so strong, it makes me dizzy. I am drunk, after drinking all this beauty...

My strawberries look sad, after the winter, but I am about to make them happy, cleaning the dry, frozen leaves, making space in between them (they tent to hug each other under the snow, too close...), aerate the beds. I am always eager to anticipate the season in advance, so before they even flower, I honour the strawberries in this happy bag.

🍓Materials used:

HAORI beautiful medium weight solid pink yarn-dyed cotton - for the front and back

HAORI raspberry red for the bottom 

HAORI beautiful medium weight solid gold yarn-dyed cotton - for the lining

LECIEN Retro 30's Child Smile Spring 2016 quilting weight cotton - for the sides and cupcake appliqué, and inside pockets

Medium weight batting

Strawberry Handles - leather-like and hemp

Lace for the inside pockets

Metal accessories for inside assembly

Silver metal and pink plastic buttons

HAORI polyester thread for the handles

DMC embroidery thread

🍓Technics used:

Hand-appliqué

Hand-embroidery

Machine piecing

Machine-quilting

Hand-sewing the bias tape

🍓Size of the bag:

With the handles extended, the bag measures 40 cm.

Depending on the needs, the bag could accommodate different items in size. That is allowed by the accessories I added inside, that could work together in changing the shape of the bag. Fully opened, the bag could carry square or rectangular plastic containers or cardboard boxes, without damaging  the content. 

There are two crochet laced inside pockets for convenience - a small wallet/ cellphone pocket and one skinny pocket for pen or pencil.

The bag is finished with a front button closer.

This light happy bag is self-standing, thanks to its squared bottom. I didn't add any additional structure by interfacing the lining, since I wanted it to feel light and airy, like a spring morning. The bottom is quilted with darker raspberry red yarn-dyed cotton (not shown in any of the pictures). The bag is fully lined. 

I designed this bag, inspired by the handles and the approaching long anticipated season of spring.

🍓🍓🍓

When I first saw the handles, my 'pastry chef' mind envisioned a delicious strawberry cupcake with cream cheese frosting. While I was making the pattern for the bag, I was thinking that it should be simple and clean, very happy, with a main focus on the handles, accented by an appliquéd-embroidered cupcake. 

It was a fight and a struggle... Only, because I was measuring the proportions of the cupcake paper case and creating the appliqué, embroidering the frosting, appliquéing the cupcake itself (if you are painfully attentive, you could see the cupcake, appliquéd under the frosting, yum...)... and through all that process, I was thinking: "When will I be done the bag, so I could finally bake the cupcakes and enjoy their flavour???" 

My senses achieved the highest level of teasing. And I have to admit, I can not put a safety sign like "No strawberries were hurt during the process of creating this bag!" :(  

To fully honour the strawberries, I embroidered a textured strawberry and rewarded it with gold french knots for the seeds. It looks yummy...

I hope you enjoyed this delicious time, spent with me. I would gladly invite you to my kitchen at "Tablier taché" , where I put my stained apron and mix wonders. It is happy and welcoming there and everyone could enjoy a sweet bite. 

If you, dear friends from far away, would like to have a taste of these cupcakes, you could visit the recipe for the Red Velvet CupCake and play with it. I promise you best results.

Thank you for sharing your precious time with me! I am happy to hear from you!

With 🍓 Love,

♥ Ivelina

Hearts of Friendship Mini-Quilt

This mini-quilt I made in an adventurous sew-along with so many talented and creative wonder-makers. 

It all started with one lady who created the pattern and the first member of the wild series of colourful minis. The amazing Elise from EliseAndEmilie should take the blame for spreading the friendship in nine really tiny in size but big in love hearts. You should see the creativity that bloomed out in the web from all the 'corners' of the world. 

My fabric choice for the hearts is the lovely TILDA ♥ fabric. 

For the background I used the amazing HAORI ♥ in soft cream. 

I didn't want the hearts to be too much in contrast with the background. The soft and subtle colours on both TILDA and HAORI perfectly represent my understanding of friendship. I made sure to help the hearts pop out contouring them with matching colour embroidery floss. 

The crochet lace is another way to underline the delicacy of this project. And the burned wood buttons in each corner only helps with enhancing the natural look.

This project came out just in time for Easter. I don't have my big family around. Holiday celebrations, far from home is mostly about sharing time, meal and emotions with friends. So the Bulgarian traditions that our small family treasures are shared with friends. 

You could find the free pattern from generous Elise here.

Happy Spring, dear friends! Thank you for visiting!

♥ Ivelina

Saving the Bees

There is a big discussion out there today about the bees and their safety, about the impact a change of bee population may have upon the living life.

How important are the bees to the world?

What could change if their population diminishes?

...or even worse question would be:

What would happen to our lives if they disappear?

I don't know how many of you ask yourselves global questions like these ones and how much that affects your lives, but my mind is always busy calculating consequences. Life is such a wild spinning machine. One simple gesture, one little change could cause erosion to a tiny ring in a big chain of explosive reaction of our life stream. 

Discussing the bees' population is not about whether we will continue eating honey or continue to enjoy their colourful fuzzy buzzy flights around us, while we savour the beauty of outdoors, but is about how they affect life in general, how they maintain flowers existence.

There is a big controversy around the statement that estimates the effect of the bees existence upon prolongevity of human life.

"If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man. " Albert Einstein

There is a big article here that I found interesting to read, discussing whether or not these are Einstein's words.

I am not at all concerned if Einstein ever stated that. What is important to me is the acknowledgement and clear realization of what affects life the most. 

I am a silent Green Piece member. I have green piece in my heart. I don't preach, I don't participate in action. I look at myself and try to be a good citizen of our planet. I don't drive a lot - I try to bike distances, when possible. Even when I drive, I use economical car. I don't live in a big house. Even the one I live in, seems big sometimes, but just enough to accommodate my family. I have big yard (relatively big...). I planted thirteen trees so far and many more bushes. I have fruit trees, I have a vegetable garden and lots and lots of flowers and herbs. I never give up on my plants. Even when they are sick, I take a good care of them. I don't grow the trees and all the plants only for my pleasure. The nice outdoor look is a bonus. It makes me happy to know that I am growing plants, along with my children, and it makes me so happy to spend time outside, enjoying the scenery. 

I don't have space for any more trees, but in this year's plan are the wild flowers. 

Planting wild flowers would definitely help the bees and butterflies to be happy. 

Here I am this morning with my cup of tea, my planner and seed packages, trying to designate as bigger space as possible in my garden for these beauties. It is gloomy today, but it will be sunny and smiling tomorrow, when my flowers bloom all at once.

My little pouch is in good use, guarding the small seed packages.  

What is your plan to grow memories together this year? Do you have a garden? Do you love flowers?

Thank you for sharing your precious thoughts with me! Thank you for keeping me company this morning!

♥ Ивелина :) 

Old-fashioned Pincushion

I love the rustic look of this pincushion, I have created with so much love. It took a harsh training of my patience muscle, but I think I behaved well. 

A lot of hand appliqué was involved. To make this circles even and perfectly round was a challenge not only because of the shape (that somewhat turned out not so perfect in places), but because of the repetition - I had to appliqué all 10 of them and I have to admit, I felt like it was eternity. I like dynamics, different shapes, change of character, swings, fire and action. Repetition is a killer mood for me. But, surprisingly, these cute little circles made me love them. 

The embroidery part was the best - they all show different character through the embroidery floss that proudly and lovingly enhances their shape (with that the imperfections as well) and colour.

Love, love, love this little tiny pincushion! It reminds me of an ancient period of time, when people loved tiny treasures like that, and actually took the time to make something beautiful besides the necessities. I still wonder how they were able to find time for that.

I used the beautiful HAORI fabrics for this pincushion. It is just the perfect one - the coarse weave resembles my grandmother's hand weave ... brings so much memories from my childhood.... It is never boring to work with HAORI - not a single piece is the same as the others. Imagine what the story behind creating the fabric is!

My working needle and pins are very well taken care of in their new cosy home.

I hope you have something tiny and cute around you every day, to inspire you!

Have a happy crafty day, friends! Thank you for stopping by!
♥  Ivelina

Coffee and Mascarone

I couldn't resist the temptation to show you this beautiful combination from HAORI.

This fabric really inspire and lead me to dangerous and adventurous journey. Sometimes, I don't really think projects, but styling and coordinating. My senses become sharper and the drive to create reaches unleashed wildness.

Coffee and Mascarpone is one of my favourite European deserts - the delicious Italian Tiramisu, served with fresh espresso is a real treat. It seems to have new, better measurements now with this yummy combination of yarn-dyed fabric, designed by the amazing Lina Yang.

Wait to see what I have planned for these beauties. But for now, I can not let the Tiramisu stay for long. It is so fresh and juicy, I better take a good care savouring it with friends and family.

I have thought about you, my dear followers and readers, true supporters and friends. Since I couldn't physically share this amazing dessert with you, I would share the recipe for it in my culinary heaven. 

Have a delicious life with my Tiramisu Stracciatella !

♥ Ivelina

Dancing Flowers

Almost here, almost arrived... 

The beautiful season with flowers is not in full bloom in my garden, but the thought of it makes me dream flowers, plan the new look of my garden and sew more and more in colours.

My snowdrops were kind of week, the crocuses did not come out completely this year - just the sharp tiny leaves of theirs are peaking out of the soil, but no firing orange blooms :( For the tulips is to early to say as for the hyacinths. Patience... Just having a little more patience and plant some colourful flowers with a needle and some beautiful fabric.

I reached out to the HAORI blue. So soft and calming! 

And again, what a joy to hand-quilt this fabric and to do even the tiniest little embroidery!

I made this little pouch with magnetic closer, using the pattern from Atsuko Matsuyama latest book "Happy Flowers Quilt". I know, it is another project from the book. I think I was obsessed with it a little bit. Was it because of the cover - it is so colourful and after the winter, it feels like every day, spent without flowers hurt. Or maybe because of the style it was written in? ...I don't know... I just felt good making all these projects.

I hope, no matter where you are, flowers are a big part of your days and make you happy!

Thank you so much for visiting my little corner. I will be off to something new and happy, but will be back soon!

Sending lots of warm hugs,

♥ Ivelina