A Spoonful of Sugar: Portable Picasso Portfolio

Greetings, friends—welcome! I’m delighted to share a brand-new project tutorial as part of the A Spoonful of Sugar Blog Tour. I’ve teamed up with Therm O Web to create something extra special—the Portable Picasso Portfolio—a charming, travel-friendly art wallet designed to keep young creatives happily occupied wherever their adventures take them.

This project was such a joy to design, blending functional sewing with playful details and just a touch of sparkle. The Portable Picasso Portfolio is sized perfectly to slip into a tote or purse and unfolds to reveal space for crayons and a small notepad—making it an ideal on-the-go activity for errands, travel days, or quiet moments away from home. I’m sharing the full step-by-step tutorial over on the Therm O Web blog, where you’ll find all the details to make one (or several!) of your own.

The star of this project is the utterly enchanting A Spoonful of Sugar fabric collection by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story for Riley Blake Designs. Inspired by the whimsical world of Mary Poppins, this collection is bursting with storybook charm—featuring beloved characters, graceful florals, playful kites, and delightful teacups. The soft color palette and nostalgic illustrations feel as though they’ve stepped straight out of a classic tale, making them the perfect match for a project designed with childhood creativity in mind. I’ve paired these fabrics with the coordinating Sparkle Stencil and HeatnBond Sparkle Paste to add a glimmery accent, because every project deserves a little magic. Truly, it’s practically perfect in every way.

This project also pairs perfectly with my Joyful Journal Jacket pattern, making it easy to create a coordinated creative set for the whole family. While the Portable Picasso Portfolio was designed with kids in mind, the Joyful Journal Jacket is tailored for teens and adults, offering a stylish and functional cover for journals, planners, or notebooks. Sewn together in coordinating fabrics, these two projects make a thoughtful gift pairing or a fun way to encourage creativity at every age—proof that handmade artistry isn’t just for little ones. If you’re looking to extend the joy of making beyond this project, you’ll definitely want to check out the Joyful Journal Jacket tutorial as well.

To create the Portable Picasso Portfolio, you’ll use a combination of coordinating fabrics and Therm O Web products to add structure, durability, and a bit of magical sparkle. Below is a list of supplies used for the project shown. You’ll find all the step-by-step instructions and helpful tips for using these products in the full tutorial on the Therm O Web blog:

🔗https://www.thermoweb.com/blogs/blog/a-spoonful-of-sugar-portable-picasso-portfolio

These are the supplies I used, including the Sparkle Stencil and Sparkle Paste:

A quick note: some of the links you’ll find here are affiliate links. If you choose to buy through them, I may earn a small commission. That support helps keep this blog running and ad-free for everyone—thank you for being here!

• HeatnBond VersaCraft Firm Non-Woven Single-Sided Fusible Interfacing
• HeatnBond Fusible Fleece
• HeatnBond Medium Weight Non-Woven Fusible Interfacing
• HeatnBond Sparkle Paste by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story — Sugar
• HeatnBond Sparkle Stencil by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story — A Spoonful of Sugar
• SpraynBond Pattern & Stencil Spray
• HeatnBond Pressing Paper Fabric & Craft Sheets (1 sheet)
• HeatnBond Fabric Fuse Peel n Stick Fabric Adhesive Tape, 5/8”
• Cotton Fabric from the A Spoonful of Sugar collection by Jennifer Long for Riley Blake Designs
• Palette knife, foam brush, or paintbrush
• ¼” flat elastic — 7½” piece (sample uses black)
• Basic sewing tools (iron, cutting mat, rotary cutter, ruler, small sharp scissors, wooden iron or spoon, sewing machine)
• Clover Hera Marker or pencil
• Wonder Clips
• 4” x 6” blank notepad
• Crayons

If you’re ready to stitch up your own Portable Picasso Portfolio, be sure to hop over to the Therm O Web blog, where you’ll find the complete step-by-step tutorial along with helpful tips for using their products to add structure and sparkle to your project. This is a quick, satisfying make that’s perfect for gifting or for keeping little hands happily creating while on the go—and it’s a wonderful way to showcase the charm of the A Spoonful of Sugar fabric collection.

I hope you’ll feel inspired to gather your supplies, click through to the tutorial, and start sewing along. When your project is finished, I’d love to see it! Be sure to share your Portable Picasso Portfolio on social media and tag me, so I can admire your creativity. There’s something truly special about handmade projects that encourage imagination—happy sewing, and enjoy creating a little magic of your own!

Le Petit Escargot Fabric Tour

Bonjour, friends! I’m so excited to welcome you to the Le Petit Escargot Fabric Tour—a delightful celebration of fabric, creativity, and the beauty of slowing down to savor each stitch. This charming collection is designed by Lori Woods for Poppie Cotton and is shipping to quilt shops this month, making it the perfect time to gather inspiration and start planning your next project.

Take a leisurely stroll through a dreamy garden with Le Petit Escargot, a soft and playful fabric collection filled with a charming mix of florals, patterns, and curious little snails. With its gentle color palette and storybook feel, this line captures the quiet magic of slow, simple moments. It’s perfectly suited for quilts, fun handmade projects, nursery décor, and anyone who appreciates a sweet, whimsical aesthetic. Le Petit Escargot is a lovely reminder to pause, create, and enjoy the process—one stitch at a time.

Today, I’m sharing three projects that highlight the versatility and charm of this beautiful fabric collection.

Project One: Daisy Zippered Pouch

For my first project, I created a Daisy Zippered Pouch, a cheerful patchwork zippered pouch that showcases most of the fabric prints from the Le Petit Escargot collection. This project was a true creative experiment—I didn’t use a pattern, instead designing it myself and letting the pouch come together organically as I worked.

The pouch features a boxed bottom, giving it a roomy interior that’s both practical and stylish. Finished, it measures 9.5″ W x 8.5″ H x 3″ D, making it perfect for holding sewing supplies, travel essentials, or everyday odds and ends.

To add a sweet handmade touch, I embellished the pouch with a wool felt daisy made using wool blend felt from Benzie Design, accented with pearl beads in the center for extra texture and charm. One of my favorite details is the zipper pull—I repurposed Poppie Cotton packaging ribbon, giving it new life and adding a subtle, thoughtful accent that ties the project back to the fabric collection.

✨ Why it works: Patchwork allowed me to play with the full range of Le Petit Escargot prints, while an intuitive, pattern‑free design and handcrafted embellishments make this pouch feel truly one of a kind.

Project Two: Flower Basket Journal Cover

For project two, I once again let creativity lead the way—no pattern involved, just inspiration and a love for playful details guiding the process. The Flower Basket Journal Cover began with a foundation‑pieced basket block, using Country Confetti as the background fabric to give the design a soft, whimsical base.

Once the basket block was complete, I appliquéd it to the front of the journal cover using HeatnBond Lite Iron-On Adhesive from Therm O Web, securing it with a decorative stitch that adds both texture and visual interest. To bring the basket to life, I filled it with a bouquet of wool felt flowers, created from wool blend felt from Benzie Design. Every leaf and flower was hand‑stitched in place, making this project especially relaxing and rewarding to work on. For the finishing touch, I added tiny buttons for the flower centers, giving the design a bit of charm and dimension. The journal cover fits a standard composition notebook, making it perfect for sketching, journaling, and everyday note‑taking. A vintage button and elastic closure keeps everything neatly wrapped up.

The finished journal cover measures approximately 7.5″ wide x 10″ high x 1″ deep, and it’s a lovely example of how Le Petit Escargot fabrics pair beautifully with wool felt and hand‑stitched details.

✨ Why it works: The soft, storybook feel of Le Petit Escargot blends effortlessly with hand appliqué and wool felt, creating a journal cover that feels both cozy and creative.

Project Three: Happy Day Quilt

My Happy Day Quilt was the very first project I created with Le Petit Escargot, and it became the heart of my stop on this fabric tour. Once again, there was no pattern and no plan—just time spent playing in my studio and letting creativity take the lead. In fact, the Daisy Zippered Pouch and Flower Basket Journal Cover were both inspired by this quilt’s design, pulling elements and motifs directly from it.

The quilt finishes at 24″ x 24″ and is made using 6″ blocks, each one a mix of foundation piecing and machine appliqué. To add depth, texture, and personality, I embellished the blocks with wool felt, buttons, beads, baker’s twine, and plenty of hand stitching. The backing and binding are both Country Confetti, tying the whole piece together with a soft, cheerful finish.

The wool appliqué blocks feature a collection of happy, playful motifs—including a strawberry, a rainbow, bunting, a teacup, a flower basket, and a daisy. Each block was designed to feel lighthearted and joyful, making the quilt a celebration of simple pleasures and creative freedom.

This quilt truly came together through exploration rather than expectation. It’s a reminder that sometimes the most meaningful projects are the ones created without rules—just fabric, time, and a willingness to see where the process leads.

✨ Why it works: Le Petit Escargot’s gentle colors and storybook charm make it ideal for playful appliqué, layered textures, and heartfelt embellishment—perfect for a quilt that’s meant to make you smile.

Le Petit Escargot by Lori Woods for Poppie Cotton is a collection that truly invites you to slow down and savor the creative process. With its soft florals, playful motifs, and gentle storybook charm, it’s a joy to stitch with—whether you’re quilting, crafting small projects, or creating something meaningful for your home. This collection is shipping to quilt shops this month, so be sure to keep an eye out for it at your favorite local shop.

I’d love to know—what would you make with Le Petit Escargot? A quilt, a journal cover, a sweet handmade gift? If this collection inspires you to create, I hope you’ll share your makes on social media and tag me so I can see what you’re stitching. There’s nothing I love more than seeing how the same fabrics spark different stories in each maker’s hands. Happy sewing—and don’t forget to slow down and enjoy every stitch 🐌✨

Springtime Organizing with Fabric Canisters

Greetings, friends—happy Therm O Web project tutorial day!  Today I’m sharing a beginner‑friendly fabric canister sewing project that’s perfect for organizing your home. Spring is finally in the air, and with it comes that familiar urge to refresh our homes, tidy our spaces, and bring a little order to the everyday. Spring organizing sewing projects are some of my favorites, especially when they’re both practical and fun to make—and today’s project fits that perfectly.

You asked for it—and I listened! My Fabric Canisters have been one of my most requested projects, and I’m so excited to finally share this sewing tutorial with you. These soft‑sided storage containers are beginner‑friendly, quick to sew, and incredibly versatile—making them ideal for springtime organizing in every room of your home.

Sew Simple: Fabric Canisters featuring VersaFoam

This fabric canister project is all about simple sewing with a big payoff. These canisters are sturdy enough to stand on their own, yet flexible enough to be easy to use and store. They’re perfect for organizing sewing supplies, craft tools, bathroom essentials, kitchen utensils, or even small toys. If you love handmade fabric storage solutions, this is a project you’ll come back to again and again.

One of the things that makes this project extra special is the stabilizer used in the tutorial. This design features HeatnBond VersaFoam Single‑Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer, a brand‑new product from Therm O Web. VersaFoam adds the perfect balance of strength and stability while remaining soft and easy to sew—making it an excellent choice for beginner sewists who want professional‑looking results without complicated techniques.

For the model fabric, I chose Hey Love Bug by McKenzie Elston for Poppie Cotton. The playful prints and fresh colors make this project feel bright, cheerful, and just right for spring. Choosing a fabric you love is a simple way to turn functional storage into a decorative accent that works beautifully in your space.

The pattern included with the tutorial includes measurements for THREE sizes of canisters: small, medium, and large.

👉 You can find the full step‑by‑step Sew Simple: Fabric Canisters tutorial and pattern over on the Therm O Web blog, where I walk you through the entire process using VersaFoam Stabilizer.

https://www.thermoweb.com/blogs/blog/sew-simple-fabric-canisters-featuring-versafoam

Supplies Needed for This Fabric Canister Project

• HeatnBond VersaFoam Single-Sided Fusible Foam Stabilizer
• HeatnBond Medium Weight Non-Woven Fusible Interfacing
• Cotton Fabric 
• Outer Fabric (model uses Hey Love Bug by McKenzie Elston for Poppie Cotton)
• Lining Fabric (model uses Country Confetti from Poppie Cotton)
• Oliso Iron
• Olfa Cutting Tools (cutting mat, rotary cutter, small sharp scissors)
• Pencil
• Wonder Clips
• Optional: Plastic Deli Containers (round food take‑out containers)

Spring is the perfect time to tackle organizing projects that don’t feel overwhelming, and sewing your own fabric storage is a great way to do just that. Once you make one fabric canister, it’s easy to imagine a whole set—mixing sizes, fabrics, and colors to suit your needs. They also make thoughtful handmade gifts for teachers, crafters, and anyone who loves staying organized.

Be sure to head over to the Therm O Web blog to check out the full tutorial and start making your own fabric canisters for spring organizing. If you give this project a try, I’d love to see what you create! Share your finished canisters on social media and tag me so I can cheer you on and share your work.

Happy sewing and happy organizing!

Matilda Fabric Tour – A Sweet Nod to Nostalgia

Greetings, friends! I’m so excited to be joining the Matilda Fabric Tour, featuring Matilda, a delightful new collection designed by Terri Henson for Poppie Cotton. This line instantly stole my heart with its bright and beautiful blend of nature-inspired prints and timeless charm.

Matilda is full of vintage florals, fluttering butterflies, tone-on-tone designs, and classic geometrics that evoke a lovely sense of nostalgia. The color palette is equally charming—pretty pinks and reds, cheerful yellows and whites, soft teals, and leafy greens—all coming together to create a fresh and playful collection that’s perfect for quilting, crafting, and sewing projects of all kinds.

For my stop on the tour, I created several projects using Matilda, all of which are original designs made specifically to showcase this beautiful fabric line.

Tulip Table Runner

The first project is my Tulip Table Runner, made from my own pattern, Tulip Table Runner & Alphabet House Mug Rugs. The finished size is 33.5” x 12.5”, making it a perfect accent piece for a table, sideboard, or dresser.

This runner combines fusible appliqué with traditional piecing, allowing the Matilda prints to really shine. The soft florals and gentle colors pair beautifully with the tulip shapes, giving the piece a sweet, spring-inspired feel. I used Country Confetti for the sashing, border, and binding, which adds just the right amount of contrast while still keeping everything cohesive.

If you love floral appliqué and enjoy projects that come together quickly but still make an impact, this runner is a joy to stitch.

Alphabet House Mug Rugs

Next up are two Alphabet House Mug Rugs, also from the Tulip Table Runner & Alphabet House Mug Rugs pattern. Each mug rug finishes at 9.5” x 6.5” and features fusible appliqué.

These little houses are full of charm and make such fun, functional décor. A tiny ¼” button is used for each doorknob, adding a touch of whimsy and dimension. I used Country Confetti for the background, which allows the Matilda prints to stand out while keeping the overall look soft and inviting.

These mug rugs are perfect for gifting, seasonal decorating, or adding a little handmade happiness to your afternoon snack.

Rosy Zippered Pouch

The final project is my Rosy Zippered Pouch, an original design created especially for this tour. This pouch measures 9.5” x 6.5” x 3.5”, making it a great size for storing sewing notions, cosmetics, or everyday essentials. There isn’t a pattern for this project—I simply made it up as I went along, letting the Matilda fabrics guide the design and details along the way.

One of my favorite details on this pouch is the hand-dyed lace from Lady Dot Creates featured between the patchwork and the focal fabric—it adds such a lovely vintage touch that pairs beautifully with the Matilda collection. I also created a 3-D wool felt rose embellishment (using Benzie Design Wool Blend Felt), finished with a ¼” button in the center, for a bit of extra texture and charm. A red tab zipper pull completes the look.

The back and lining are made with Country Confetti, tying everything together and giving the pouch a polished finish inside and out.

A Perfect Collection for Creative Sewing

Matilda is truly a joy to sew with. The prints mix effortlessly, the colors are uplifting, and the overall feel is both nostalgic and fresh. Whether you’re making home décor, small gifts, or quilts, this collection offers endless creative possibilities.

I’d love to see what you create! If you stitch with Matilda, please share your projects in the comments or tag me on social media so I can cheer you on. And be sure to visit the Poppie Cotton blog for even more inspiration from the rest of the Matilda Fabric Tour—there are so many beautiful projects to see.

If Matilda has captured your heart, be sure to stop by your local quilt shop or your favorite online quilt store and ask for it—it’s shipping to shops this month. While you’re shopping, take a look at Country Confetti, which makes a perfect choice for linings and backgrounds.

Thank you for visiting my stop on the Matilda Fabric Tour! I hope these projects have inspired you to pull out your sewing machine and stitch something that brings a little happiness to your day.

Happy sewing and creating!