the holiday surge fills me up and creatively fuels me in an inexplicable way. my studio is absolute chaos, the to-do list is daunting, sleep is elusive, and yet i thrive on it ALL. i find that when i have countless orders to fill and projects to complete, i want to pause everything and create something new. luckily i now know this about myself, and understand that my high productivity needs to be balanced with untethered creativity. i can give myself permission to carve out a bit of time to explore a new idea (even though it feels crazy). during this holiday bustle, i decided to make an extra special plant-dyed treasure crate for the stitcher.



this holiday treasure crate is wrapped in a 15 x 32” piece of marigold dyed organic cotton cheesecloth and is tied with tea-dyed silk ribbon, a strand of madrona berries (my favorite special thing), and a bell. in addition to the fabric inside, i have tucked in an indigo thread wrapped charm hanging from a strand of gold cordage (this can be worn as a necklace or hung as a decoration). you will also find a one-of-a-kind plant-dyed wool felt “crazy quilt” pin cushion. it is filled with crushed walnut hulls (to keep your needles sharp) and has leather lining the base of the interior (to keep pins and needles from poking through the back).

my goal was to make the perfectly packaged special gift for a stitcher in your life (which of course might be you). i hope it inspires creativity and cozy stitching projects.



i have also been happily stitching up little house decorations, simply because i love them. they are the perfect way to use my precious plant-dyed wool felt trimmings. each one hangs from a long strand of crocheted mohair silk yarn, comes packaged on a little blank card (perfect for writing a gift note), and comes tucked inside a plant-dyed muslin bag.
50% from the sale of the little houses will be donated to habitat for humanity.

the new DIY sparkle star ornament kit also uses my plant-dyed wool felt. each kit is a different color (you choose a color family knowing that there is variation). it includes materials, a detailed instruction booklet, and template for making one star that is embroidered on both sides with gold thread, stitched with plant-dyed thread, stuffed with buckwheat hulls, and hangs from a tea dyed hand-torn silk ribbon. if you prefer to purchase a made sparkle star, i have also put a very small collection (only one of each color) in my shop.



and last... all of my holiday stitching means i have a bounty of scraps! my last batch of plant-dyed wool felt trimmings sold out quickly. a 5.5 x 7” plant-dyed muslin bag is overflowing with wool felt that was dyed in my home dye studio with plants and flowers from my dye garden. this homegrown color palette can be used to add pops of color to embroidery projects, stitching your own crazy quilt pin cushions, or making your own little house ornaments. for more inspiration, take a peek at my collection of over 50 free sewing tutorials.



whether you are looking to stitch up holiday decor or make a handmade gift, you will find lots of ideas in my collection of free sewing tutorials. they also can be printed out and gifted to your favorite stitcher along with an assortment of felt and fabric.
 happy stitching!


PS: myra is a constant lap-warmer this time of year which does not help my productivity.