look back: halloween patterns from dad

Occasionally, I like to look back at posts from the past. Here's something I shared back in 2010!



My dad is so very talented in so many ways. He is a huge inspiration to me, and he (without knowing it) intimidates me a little too. Because you can ask him to create something, and with seemingly very little effort, creates good things.

Like when I asked him to draw some designs for embroidering so that I could share them...

He very cleverly made these Halloween patterns for you! You'll notice these are all by hand (I could have outlined them, but I didn't want to take anything away from his style), so you can either choose one line to follow, or stitch the double lines, fill them, you can choose!

Just click on the image to get the full size file at Flickr. And please, only use for your personal projects...Thanks!

Happy Halloween Stitching!

stitch&send patterns

Last week, I introduced a project that Abbie is heading up, which I affectionately named stitch&send. I decided to join Abbie in this project and invite all of you to as well, and do this in place of another Stitch Swap this fall. You can read more about it on my post, or head over to Abbie's blog for even more information.

The basic idea here is that we're making and/or embellishing reusable bags, which will then be filled with a few basic necessities and handed out at a community Thanksgiving meal in Richmond, VA. You can stitch a patch, sew a bag, stitch on a bag, or sew a bag and then stitch on it!

Today I have a few little patterns that I quickly drew up to tie in with The Giving Heart, who will receive the items that we stitch&send.

One is based on their logo, and the others are just happy hearts. (Download the PDF.) Of course, you're not limited to just these. You can use any patterns you like! There are TONS of free patterns online (and here on my blog!), not to mention those you can buy.

Oh, and for the rest of the month of October, if you buy a set of patterns from my shop and mention The Giving Heart, I'll give you an extra set of patterns free!

And if you're looking for bags to sew, Wendi has a great (easy!) pattern that you could enlarge a big, and there are some simple drawstring pouches on Martha Stewart!

One last thing...There's now a Flickr group for stitch&send, so as you get working be sure to add your photos!

pattern: crowded peas

Today would be Shel Silverstein's 82nd birthday, and growing up, he was always a favorite of mine. There are still a few of his poems that I can recite from memory! When I saw that it was his birthday, I remembered a post that I shared here a while back. Seven years ago!

The illustration above was created in response to the word "crowded." It reminded me of Shel's poem "Crowded Tub" (it's a silly one, I still love it!), which I then used to create crowded peas. Some time after that, I used the illustration for some embroidery, which I no longer have...I don't even have a photo of it!

But I have now created a PDF of the pattern so you can stitch it...and send me a photo or add it to the Flickr group!

Download the PDF Crowded Peas pattern

Who was one of your favorite poets when you were a child? What was your favorite poem?

pattern: pennants to embroider

If you read my list from yesterday, you know that Pumpkin Spice Lattes (or PSLs) are one of my most favorite things about this time of year. So I made a pennant embroidery pattern for them! Go PSL! Go PSL!

Appropriately, I also used the Pumpkin Spice Latte color palette that I picked out last year. It works quite well for this, don't you think?



You can grab the pattern for the PSL pennant, plus my GO NUTS! acorn pennant by downloading the PDF. Happy Autumn Stitching!

pattern & project: school merit badges

I was never in Girl Scouts or AWANA (although I had a short run as a Pioneer Girl), so earning patches or badges was never really a part of my life. But I love the idea of them. It probably has to do with them being small and cute and something to collect!

Well, I've created some school-themed merit badge designs to embroider and make into little patches or badges! These are the kind of thing that you could stitch up ahead of time and present when the time comes. Rather than being something that inspires a child to do something, I like to think of them as a way to remember fun and important things that happen along the way.



The pattern includes an apple (Meeting your Teacher!), book (Learning to Read!), star (Super Star Student!), bandage (School Nurse Visit!), hall pass (Hall Monitor!), + and - (Mastering Addition & Subtraction!), x and ÷ (Mastering Multiplication and Division!), cursive lettering (Learning Cursive!), 100 (100 Days!), A+ (Great Grades!), and K-5 for starting (or finishing) each grade.

Those are just ideas for how to use them...get creative with your mini awards!

To make the badges, you will need:

Fabric
Embroidery floss
Water-soluble pen or a pencil
Felt
Pins
Scissors
Safety Pins or sew-on pinbacks
Merit Badge PDF



Trace the patterns you are stitching onto fabric, and include the circle to make cutting easier. Stitch the designs however you like, but don't stitch the circle.



Pin the fabric to felt, and cut around the circle.



If you're going to make your badges into pins, now is the time to sew the safety pin or pinback in place on the back of the felt circle.



With the embroidered fabric and felt pinned together once again, stitch around the edge. I used 3 strands of floss and a wide whip stitch, keeping the stitches fairly close. It took two 24-inch pieces to make it around. You could also use a row of running stitch or blanket stitch around the edge.




When your stitching is all done, your badge is ready to present!



I've been wanting to make merit badges for a while, and there are more planned. Be on the lookout for some Christmas designs, plus some for household tasks and more!

Download the School Merit Badge PDF

pattern: the lovers, the dreamers & me

Well, this is the last day of Lyrical Lettering! I hope you've enjoyed these embroidery patterns with some of my favorite songs.

Today's lyric is from The Muppets, and it seemed a good way to end the week. The song Rainbow Connection is classic, full of hope, a little melancholy, and most of all, sweetness. Listen to Kermit sing it on this sample on Amazon.

Download the PDF of The Lovers, the Dreamers & Me.

Thanks to Amanda, who stitched this pattern, and thanks to everyone who's been checking in for Lyrical Lettering patterns all week! Remember, if you stitch up any of the patterns from my blog, you can add pics to Flickr, or send me a link and I may add you to my Pinterest board!

pattern: grow ideas in the garden of your mind

Time for some more Lyrical Lettering and another free embroidery pattern for you!

Do you ever imagine things? Mr. Rogers did, and he presented the idea of imagination to more children (and adults!) than we'll probably ever realize. When I was very young, I got to go to the Chicago Public Library where he was doing some storytelling. I wish I remember the experience more, but I rely mainly on my parents for this memory...still, knowing that I got to be there is pretty great!

Recently a Mr. Rogers remix came out, and I wasn't sure that I liked the idea. But then it occurred to me that Fred Rogers enjoyed new technology, and he probably would have loved this!



You can grow ideas in the garden of your mind! What a word picture! Yes! And just like a flower or vegetable garden, the ideas need care...all you have to do is think, and they'll grow!

Download the Grow Ideas pattern PDF.

Jules stitched up this pattern for us, so go give her a visit and say hello!

pattern: whale fight

Have you been enjoying the Lyrical Lettering this week?

Today's pattern isn't a real lyric, but more like a misheard lyric, which I won't let go of. Sorry, but I just like my version better! In Andrew Bird's song Plasticities, he sings "We'll fight, we'll fight...", but when this song comes on (or when he sang it at his concerts this year), I can't help but sing out really loud "Whale fight! Whale fight!" Yes, I'm strange like that.

Seriously though, listen to the song (the first whale fight comes at about 1:55).



That was a pretty mellow version of it, but he's totally singing "whale fight!" Right? Tell me I'm not wrong. Even if I am, I'm a little bit loving this pattern with its poor whale, and I'm forever going to sing it my way.

Download the Whale Fight pattern PDF.

This was stitched up using the palette "Waterloo" from last week's DMC color post. I named it for a different lyric in this song!

If you stitch up any of the Lyrical Lettering patterns, I'd love to see them! Upload pictures to my Flickr group, or blog about them, leave the link, and I'll add them to my Pinterest board!

pattern: the will to work hard

Hey! It's Wednesday, and time for another Lyrical Lettering pattern!

This pattern is one that I made for my sister. She works at our local library, she works hard at life (and it pays off!), and she likes John Mayer music. This line from Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1969 was perfect for her! And I thought you all might like it too. You can watch and listen to the song here:

Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967 from Columbia Records on Vimeo.

The song lyric is attributed to John Mayer in the pattern, but ya know...you could use your name in there too! I think it would be just right for on your library tote, don't you think?

Get the PDF of this pattern here.

Thanks to Ashlea for stitching this one! Visit her blog, Scissors, Stitches & Seams!

pattern: there's a great big beautiful tomorrow

This is a week of Lyrical Lettering embroidery patterns! Each freebie gives you the opportunity to stitch up some words from one of my favorite songs!

Have you ever been on the Carousel of Progress at Disney World or Disneyland? Honestly, it's not the most exciting attraction, but I still love it! It's about changing technology, which means it's not all that up-to-date (things change so fast now!), but during its 21-minute show, you'll hear one song over and over.

It's a song that gets stuck in my head on a regular basis, but one that I don't mind because the words of the chorus are often just what I need! You can listen to it on YouTube, but here are the main lyrics:

There's a great big beautiful tomorrow
Shining at the end of every day
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow
Just a dream away!

Yes! I do believe that there is new day tomorrow, and that is a very good thing. Download the PDF of this pattern here.

Thanks to Emily, who stitched up this pattern for me!

pattern: don't be distracted

This week, I'm sharing embroidery patterns featuring the words of some of my favorite songs. I call it, Lyrical Lettering!

Today, I have words that are from, probably, the longest songs in my iTunes collection. And I've probably listened to it 100 times. It's that good. Sufjan Stevens is in my top three for musical artists (they all rotate spots), and Impossible Soul is like 3 or 4 songs in one. It has multiple movements to it. And throughout, you hear "don't be distracted."

Did you listen? When you have time, listen to the whole thing. All 25 minutes! Don't be distracted is a phrase that I frequently need to hear. So this now hangs over my desk, reminding me not to check twitter every 2 minutes, and not to get caught up in the things that don't matter. There's important work to be done!

Don't be distracted! Stitch about it and never forget! Download the PDF here.

I stitched this up using the colors from the "Impossible Tomorrow" color grouping from last week's post. The colors seemed right for this (from Impossible Soul), and tomorrow's pattern!

pattern: prone to wander

Today we start a little series that I've been affectionately calling (in my head at least) Lyrical Lettering. It's a week of embroidery patterns featuring the words of some of my favorite songs.

As today is Sunday, I thought a hymn would be a good place to start. The words "Prone to Wander" are from the song "Come Thou Fount". There have been many versions of this sung and recorded over the years, which isn't a surprise, given that it was written in 1758! It still speaks to so many, including myself. If you're not familiar, give a listen! (This is the latest version that I've found...)

"Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love." Yep. That's me. I wander all too easily. How about you? Do you wander in your life? Whether we realize it or not, we all wander in one way or another. Sometimes, I think a little wandering is what we need...it's not always the bad kind! But no matter where we are, God is always waiting, calling, ready for us to say "Bind my wandering hear to Thee!"

Stitch up this reminder of your wandering, and download the PDF here.

Thanks to Brad, who stitched up this pattern for the series. Check out his website for some really great found audio!

PS: If you're looking for my usual Sunday posts, see the new shhhh page.

project: simply stitched star pin

Can you believe that July is almost here? For my fellow Americans, that means just one week until Independence Day! Wow!

July 4th will likely be only a small celebration around here, but I thought a simple little star pin would be fun to make for the occasion. And hey...this is the kind of thing you can add to a jacket or bag for any day you need to celebrate being a star!



The star you see stitched up is from my Twinkle Twinkle pattern set, but it's here in a PDF for you to download, along with another star: a Sheriff's Badge! Perfect for kids who like playing dress up or mom's who need to lay down the law.

Here's what you need:
Felt (I used wool blend)
Embroidery floss
Craft glue
Safety pin

Also:
Scissors
Needle
Pattern
A means of transferring the pattern (disappearing ink pen, tracing paper, etc.)



Transfer the pattern to the felt, then stitch it up.

For this I used a transfer pen, and I could just barely see through enough to trace. Usually, I use tracing paper and stitch through the paper and felt at the same time, then tear the paper away.



Hold a second layer of felt behind the embroidery, then trim around the embroidery so you end up with two pieces of felt in the same shape.



Apply a thin layer of craft glue to the back of the embroidery, then press the second piece of felt onto the glue. Don't press so hard that the glue comes through, but be sure it's good and stuck.

Allow the glue to dry with the felt laying flat.




Cut a small square of felt that will just fit your safety pin. Use craft glue to attach the pin and felt to the back of your star.



Once the glue is all dry, you'll have a pin fit for a star!

You could also use a standard bar pin back for this, but I never seem to have them on-hand. Safety pins, however, I have tons of!

Also, the craft glue makes this a quicker project and I like that it adds a bit of stiffness to the felt when it's dry. But if you want this to really last, sew the pin onto the back, then stitch the two layers of felt together.

How will you wear your star pin?

pattern: shhh

If you've ever stopped by Wild Olive on a Sunday, you may have seen that I set aside Sunday posts for prayer, and I have a little graphic that says "Shhhh...we're praying."

Someone suggested that it would be fun to embroider something like that, and I agree! So I've made some "Shhh" patterns to stitch. Whether you need some quiet time for prayer, for peace, or for a sleeping baby, I do believe they will prove useful.



You can click the image above for a JPG of the patterns, or download a PDF here.

I'd really like to use a stitched "Shhh" here on the blog on Sundays, but right now, I don't have time to stitch one up. So this is where you come in!

If you embroider one of these patterns, send me a photo of it! With your permission, I'll use reader photos on Sunday's prayer posts! Send your pics to molliejohanson at gmail.

Do you have a fun way you'd use one or more of these patterns? Share your ideas in the comments!

pattern: grumpy grill

Happy Memorial Day to my fellow Americans! This is a big day for picnics and gatherings and...grilling!

To celebrate, download the Grumpy Grill pattern from my Bar-B-Cute set, and do some stitching while you're waiting for your burger to be ready!

Grumpy Grill Embroidery Pattern PDF

Of course, this pattern works for more than just Memorial Day. Get a head start on Independence Day, or just stitch up an apron for the grill master at your house!

And I'd love to see what you've made. You can add photos of your finished projects to the Wild Olive Flickr group!

pattern: mamas and babies

Here in the United States, Mother's Day is in just two weeks, and what could be more appropriate than stitching up a mama for this occasion? I decided that I needed to create two kinds of mama and baby animal pairs, and today I get to share them with you!

Above you see the Loving Alpacas. They were almost llamas, but alpacas are much sweeter, which makes them right for Mother's Day, right? They are a mini pattern in my shop, which makes the pattern only $2.

And the next mama and baby is a free pattern for you!



I'm pretty sure that moms aren't too keen on having slothful kids, but this mama is okay with it. This pair makes me smile and squeal a little every time I look at it. Eep! I just want to hug them!

Download the Sloth Mama's Day PDF pattern.

This pattern is sized to fit in a 4-inch hoop, with the branch going right to the edges of the hoop.

If you were the kind of kid who had to be asked dozens of times to do your chores, I'm sure your mom will see the humor in this one.

Happy Stitching!

pattern: tiny easter eggs (and a polka dot stitch!)

I love stitching at a small size, something you've seen here before, and will definitely see again. (In a big way soon...but that's still a secret!) For Easter, I thought it would be fun to stitch some tiny Easter eggs. Somewhere I have some not quite finished counted cross-stitch eggs that are similar, but I don't think I've seen that work in progress for, oh, 15 years or more!

These new eggs, on the other hand, were quick to stitch, and they are already done! At least, the three that I chose are done. Because in the PDF pattern that I have to share with you has a total of NINE egg designs, and each is just 1.5 inches tall.

One of the eggs has polka dots, and I did that to use a new stitch that I learned and thought you'd like to try! I found this stitch in an old book, and it was listed as a variation on the lazy daisy. Hmm...It sort of is, but it's not a stitch that I've seen anywhere else. And the diagram made it confusing, so I'm going to revise it with photos and call it the Polka Dot Stitch!

Here's how to do it:



1. Bring your needle up from the back, just inside the bottom of the circle.



2. In one stitch, go down just outside the bottom of the circle, then back up just inside the top of the circle. Don't pull it through yet. (The original diagram numbered it in such a way that you would need to make a loop like this. It's just too difficult!)

3. Loop the thread around the needle point that is poking out at the top. Make two loops that are circular, then pull the needle through gently so as not to pull the circles.



4. Go back down just outside the top of the circle. This small stitch holds the top of the circle in place.

5. Bring the needle back up just outside the bottom of the circle, then go down just inside the bottom of the circle. This small stitch holds the bottom of the circle in place.




It take a few practice tries, but then they go fairly quickly. They make good tiny flowers, or polka dots for eggs!

If you know more about this stitch or what it's really called, please let me know!




Now, how about stitching up these eggs? On their own they'd make lovely little pins or patches, or you could stitch a whole row of them for the edge of a towel or table runner!

Download the Tiny Easter Eggs PDF Pattern

Come back tomorrow for a printable with some tiny Easter eggs!