Tilda Sunkiss Sewing Organizer

To be kissed by the sun is a gentle act of love. There is not a living creature on the planet that doesn't need the sun to survive.

Tilda Sunkiss comes with a splash of colours - so bright and vividly eye opening, that it hurts the senses :)

The Sewing organizer pattern is form Tone Finnanger's book Tilda's Toy Box. To play with colours from Sunkiss collection is a pure happiness. It changes my mood while cutting and choosing the fabric pattern. There is so much joy in making this kit.

I chose the teal blue for starters. Blue is my weakness - so obvious, isn't it? :))

The hint of purple is so dreamy. I chose it for the inside of the organizer. It does look quite busy in prints and colours - more than my liking is usually accepting, but I feel the drama positively this time, not too overwhelmingly.

I love the heart pin-cushion to the left - it is slightly filled for providing comfort to the pins that live there :).

I made more pincushions, pattern by Tone Finnanger. I couldn't resist using more colours of Sunkiss, but the blue-teal character seemed to pull my attention strongly. 

I suggest you try these beauties out! Grab your Sunkiss bundle and sew away - the colours work their magic into raising the mood. Happy sewing, my friends!

♥ Ivelina

Lemon Tree 🍋

Tilda 'Lemon Tree' came in February with an unbelievable dance of colours. The splash of yellow and green is like a smiling sun in spring, but seems like looking at it through filtered sunglasses. The yellow is not this burning young white, but a tired mature one, mixed with mustard. The green is almost an exposure of a colour to a setting sun light - not bright and vivid. And then there is the teal blue in between them, that makes the whole colour pallet a little chilly in all this warmness. 

I wasn't sure at first how to like this mixture of colours, after all the vintage faded Tilda collections that have won my heart through the years. And then I designed these little things that made my home happier.  

'Lemon Tree' screams for lemons, and my attention was captured by this old whimsical lemon tree with all the magic and hope that it grew through the years! I have to admit, this is my favourite print of all - in this yellow-orange shadow, that makes me calm in the fresh old-tree hug. I took the time to explore all the creatures in the print. That is why, the first cut was for the back of the pillow - I couldn't chop the tree - I had to preserve it:

When it is dark at night, there is a chandelier, hanging on, that helps the darkness disappear :)

Lemon tree without lemons is just wood without soul, ready to be cut and burn into last sparkle, warming up cold winter days. I have picked the DMC thread in matching colours and the right 'Permin' linen and got busy stitching the lemons. 

All my house is full of freshness. The true Tuscany lemons are quite fresh and sour in colour as their flavour. The Meyer lemons make a perfect match with the yellow of the 'Lemon tree' collection.

My first make is this square basket in randomly cut patches. I can walk everywhere with it, storing my bathroom necessities or fabric leftovers, or even having it as a fruit basket. I wonder what fruit could I put in ?! :)))

After the fresh lemon SPA treatment, I am moving my comfort to the living room.

At one point, I need to stop by the kitchen, where lemon curd and aromatic raspberries will dance in a delicious cupcake round. Visit my kitchen for more about the cupcakes.

The idea of making a pillow cover came after the basket. When I saw how well the prints came together, I decided that I need this joy in my living room. Lemons are a given - they are the focus of my design in total, but how to bring up the pink? That is why I adapted the cross-stitch design to focus on the pink flowers of 'Lemon Tree' collection.

These flowers create an interesting presence of warm colours, slightly brought up to Earth with the cool, almost plain green-blue stripes, that I cut on a bias. 

One thing that was important as well is the back of my pillow, that has the so loved lemon tree in its gorgeousness. I focused on the vase and the main branches with stitching around the main lines, plus few modest accents on the front as well.

I believe that we are in charge of creating the mood of our days. Sometimes, cheerful things come from unexpected actions at unknown places. I couldn't believe I will love these colours, but when I was done with my living room setting, I found how much I enjoy the colours and the deliciousness together. And I am on my way to create more joy with Tilda 'Lemon Tree', because there are two more main colours in the collection to be explored, and they are as cheerful as the yellow and green (and even more).

Have a bite, my friends, savour your early spring day as if it was a delicious fresh cupcake and enjoy the colours that surround you!

🍋 

Wishing you fresh days,

 ♥ Ivelina

Advent in Winterwald

Advent is about to start - the most exciting countdown ever experienced! It is the best time of the whole season - the anticipation of Christmas... the busy preparation, the desperate attempt to calm emotions down and the beauty in all that. 

I am feeling partially unnaturally calm, partially terrified. For the first time I won't be home for Christmas - the whole family won't be home for Christmas. We are going on a vacation! ... but that is a story for another day. Today is all about "Advent in Winterwald". I chose to keep the original name, just because English language doesn't have a matching word for Winterwald. It is a story about little creatures in a snowy forest, who are getting ready for Christmas in the most beautiful way. So, Welcome to the "Advent in the Snowy Forest".

These beautiful creatures, little children of the woods, are in a perfect co-habitat with the animals of the forest. And the Acufactum book "Advent in Winterwald" tells an original story about this joyful relationship with amazing projects and images. I only managed to make these two and they will turn into a nice decorative pillows.

The fabric that is designed, inspired by the colours of Nature and that doesn't hoot for attention but speaks for its greatness through its complicated weaving, surely is HAORI. If you look at the whole Fall/Winter collection, you will be able to find the two different brown colours I picked for this project:

When the designer Ms Lina Yang created this collection, it was inspired by the colours of the Earth in its preparation for the winter season. The faded greens of the forest in its yearly preparation for the long rest and the deepened blue of the rivers, wholeheartedly missing the playful pure white summer clouds on their vigorous run to the ocean. The blue is a reflection of the gloomy, sad, foggy blanket that the sky is sleeping under. The forest is completely naked in the late fall. The bark of the trees and the branches are looking almost grey. 

It all changes with the first snow. In a 'Winterwald', the trees look alive again, and so vividly brown. The rivers' eyes are dark blue and few sunny beams get caught under the magnifying glass of the painfully white snow. The strength of the white and the magic of reflection bring the forest and the creatures, that call it their home to the most festive stage of the year - the preparation for Christmas.

Materials used:

HAORI double sided 1/2 yard light brown 

HAORI double sided 1/2 yard dark brown 

HAORI Christmas cotton strips for binding and zipper cover

Warm Company 100% cotton batting

Ticking stripe 27 count 100% linen

DMC embroidery thread

Techniques used:

* Cross-stitched embroidery

* Hand-quilting for the front of the pillows

* Machine-quilting for the back of the pillows

* Zipper sewing

* Bias-binding

HAORI is one of a kind heart-felt fabric for me. It started with the image fabric love a year ago , went through the ecstatic wave of joy, that almost left me without breath when I first touched it, and now continuing with an exploding culmination of friendship, that makes this season even more merry. 

I admire Lina for her creative way of perceiving the weaves so they become strictly candid, and at the same time present an incredible texture. It is a pleasure to quilt with her fabric - there are many directions to be followed and one to be chosen. I simply love the choices she is given me with her designs - an incredible person she truly is!

Home is the best place to count down the days till Christmas. Every day is a treasure and give me new hope for being better in what I do. Sometimes, I am not sure of the end result, but I know, it would be from the heart, so it must be good, it must be pleasing and heart-warming. My daughter says, that these pillows are for hugging, and is doing so every night on the sofa with her cup of tea. Well, than they must be considered a 'goal-achieved' project. From this Christmas on, these pillows will immerse all the good memories of many many seasons, and their hugs will become warmer, more soothing and cordial. 

Sending warm hugs to your home for Christmas,

♥ Ivelina

Nordic Winter

Inspired by the upcoming season, I have designed this mini-quilt with a little twist to the stockings and the Christmas tree appearance.

The Nordic Christmas has always amazed me with the clean and fresh look to all the decorations. The colours that are mostly leading the parade of the spirit, are red and white. I chose the traditional green and the all natural linen, plus not so screaming for attention white and grey linen for the miniature stockings. 

DailyLike Canada fabric choices made the quilt really modest in colours, except the bright red velvet ribbon, that holds the mini stockings. I couldn't resist the temptation of the red and the warmth of the velvet. 

I have used linen, and lots of it. :) What can I do?! I just love linen. And the stockings look really nice, made with linen - as if they were worn by little Santa's helpers a lot, I mean a lot. And this is a good sign - presents and treats. 

These mini-stockings still can hold chocolates, or little messages from Santa ... even cookies :)

Here are the ingredients for the recipe:

DAILY LIKE Canada Half yard Basic Solid Linen “Natural” as a background fabric

DAILY LIKE Canada Half yard Quilting Cotton “Green Land” for the backing

DAILY LIKE Canada Half yard Quilting Cotton “Snowing” 

DAILY LIKE Canada Half yard Quilting Cotton “Winter Tree” for lining the stockings and the tree

DAILY LIKE Canada Quarter Fabric Pack “Nature” for the stockings

DAILY LIKE Canada Fat Quarter Fabric “Gleam” for the stockings

DAILY LIKE Canada Ribbon “Leaf” 

DAILY LIKE Canada T-Hooks, one pack of four

Additional items are the cute buttons, the velvet ribbon and the embroidery thread.

Making the mini-quilt was a magical experience - it is a gradation of joy, that sets the mood for the season.

The boots are well equipped with jingle bells.

I had some lovely ladies testing the pattern for me, before releasing it. They were extremely supportive in creating their own version of whimsical mini stockings and charming decoration. You could check their Instagram accounts for more images and other incredible creations:

Check back for more images, as I will update the quilt library with every new mini-quilt made by you.

For the rest of the days of November, with the generous cooperation of Daily Like Canada, I would like to announce a joyful, magical winter sew-along of this mini-quilt. Daily Like Canada and I have prepared a special prizes for two of you, that I am sure you would like a lot.

Join us for this fun and creative parade for Christmas. Show us your magical Nordic mini-quilts in Instagram with #NordicWinterMiniQuilt. Follow me @mon_etui and @dailylikecanada for updates and news. You can participate on Facebook as well, just make sure you tag me, so I could see your beauties.

I have created a Facebook Group here , where you could join and share your magical experience.

The sew-along will run till the end of November. It ends November 30th at 8:00 pm EST (5:00 pm PST). Two winners will be chosen to receive a lovely prize: seven half yard pieces of fabric from DailyLike Canada (3.5 yards in total), that include the full collection of Winter Wonderland plus two more pieces from the Nordic Winter mini-quilt and few heart-made by me items from Winter Wonderland. Check IG or Facebook for the information on the prizes.

Please, find the pattern of the mini-quilt here.

I hope you will enjoy the process and set the right mood for the season!

Happy sewing!

♥ Ivelina

Apple Blossom Purse

Today it feels like it was a very long time ago, when the apple trees were blooming - the most elegant, intriguingly delicate with its shades of pink to crimson glory, the apple blossom inspired so many poetic confessions. 

My poetic confession today is with this purse, I ended up loving so much...

It is a pure revealing of my soul - such a pretty, not screaming pink, my favourite ever, characteristic in texture fabric, embroidery, Japanese-style design, absolutely cool and unique handle and great size...

I have always wanted to make a big bouquet of apple blooming branches for my picture album, but I have never had the heart to cut them. That is how the idea of copying one of the blossoms and embroidering it was born.

It was late April, when my lonely apple tree was blooming. I took the impossible challenge to draw one of the tiny branches, staring hopelessly at the tree, as if there was a power in it, that could lead my hand into somehow representing this innocent beauty... 

I took all my stash of embroidery floss from pink to crimson red and greens out and started looking for the right colours. It had to look real, as if it was a picture taken. Well... the sun was playing games with me, undermining my work, the wind wasn't helpful either, making the leaves dance... I fought with them with all my creative ability, just until I had the closest possible realistic colours. And what an inspiring fight this was in between the sun kisses and the wind hugs...

After this adventure of creating the perfect blossom, it was time to work with thread and fabric for the so desired image of the apple blossom.

By the time I was done painting with the needle on my favourite canvas of HAORI fabric the real apple blossoms were gone, sacrificing their life for the fruit growing to start.

I had my image of the blossom now forever painted on my fabric. What to do with it, was another decision I did not want to make lightly. So I left it on my working table to look at it every time I do something else, to inspire me, until I see in my heart what I want to make with it.

And here it is - the purse.

I adapted a pattern by Yoko Saito from one the many books, written by her in my library, that give me such inspiration.

I used the new Spring-Summer 2017 fabric from HAORI for the back and the bottom and the classic solid pink for the front. The handle is from my so favourite deep green, with which I have made so many items. I think it will end up being on every item I make with HAORI :)

Zipper is the happy LECIEN Jelly zipper - I love these zippers! I lined it with regular light weight cotton in matching colour.

The purse is free-style hand-quilted on the front and I followed the gentle lines of the print on the back and on the front right side, to create more contrast and drama. 

The handle is embroidered with feather stitch, using variegated sashiko thread. I also applied that stitch on the front, where the two fabrics meet. For those of you, who read my posts for quite awhile now, you know my love for the French knot is limitless. I can not have embroidery theme without it. It makes my feather stitch so much more interesting...

That is about it for the purse. My girls fought over it, without realizing the more they fight, the prouder I was becoming with myself (without my nose pointing too high), and most certainly, I can not share the purse with neither of them (how would I choose who will have it, and I can not make the same one ever), so it stays for me. And it makes me happy - it is a rare thing to make something for myself, so I am planning to enjoy this moment.

Thank you for sharing the moment with me! 

I hope you have so much inspiration in your days, because without inspiration, the soul and heart are sad.

Happy summer days, my friends!

♥ Ivelina