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!

A Spoonful of Sugar: Joyful Journal Jacket

Greetings, friends! Happy Monday! You’re in for a happy treat today—it’s the A Spoonful of Sugar Blog Tour on the Therm O Web blog.

🪄If you’ve ever believed that creativity is just a little more fun with a dash of imagination (and maybe a spoonful of sugar), then today’s project is sure to make you smile. I’m absolutely delighted to be part of the A Spoonful of Sugar Blog Tour, celebrating the brand‑new A Spoonful of Sugar fabric collection by Jennifer Long of Sew A Story for Riley Blake Designs—and yes, it’s inspired by the timeless magic of Mary Poppins.

🫖One of the things that makes this collection extra special is that it was designed by a fellow Therm O Web team member, Jennifer Long of Sew A Story for Riley Blake Designs. Jennifer truly has a gift for creating the sweetest, most imaginative fabric collections, and A Spoonful of Sugar is no exception. Her designs are filled with storybook charm and playful details, and if you have littles in the house—or grandchildren—you’ll absolutely love the creative ideas she shares. If you’re not already following her, you’ll want to fix that right away! You can find Jennifer on Instagram at @sewastory_jenniferlong and explore her wonderful world of storytelling through fabric at www.sewastory.com.

🌂This enchanting collection features beloved characters, storybook text, graceful florals, parasols, kites, and the sweetest teacups and teapots, all wrapped in a soft, cheerful palette of blue, gold, peach, white, green, and pink. It’s practically perfect for projects meant to hold memories, ideas, and creative dreams—which is exactly why I chose it for my Joyful Journal Jacket.

💮I’ve teamed up with Therm O Web to create a special tutorial showing how to use their products to achieve beautiful, polished results when making a journal cover sized for a standard composition notebook. The blog post featuring my Joyful Journal Jacket pattern (available in my Etsy shop)—including tips, techniques, and all the Mary Poppins charm—is live over on the Therm O Web blog, and you won’t want to miss it!

🪁 Hop on over to the Therm O Web blog to see all the tips and tricks here:

👉 https://www.thermoweb.com/blogs/blog/a-spoonful-of-sugar-blog-tour-joyful-journal-jacket

🥄For my Joyful Journal Jacket, I rely on a handful of trusted Therm O Web products to achieve a polished, professional finish. Each of these plays an important role in the construction of the jacket and is listed in the pattern for easy reference:

• HeatnBond® Fusible Fleece
• HeatnBond® Medium Weight Non‑Woven Fusible Interfacing
• SpraynBond® Basting Adhesive Spray
• Pressing Paper Fabric & Craft Sheets
• HeatnBond® Fabric Fuse® Peel ’n Stick Fabric Adhesive Tape (⅝″)

🕮You can find the Joyful Journal Jacket in digital and/or paper format in my Etsy shop:

• Digital: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/928107884
• Paper: https://blueribbondesigns.etsy.com/listing/1232489096

✐Whether you use your journal for writing, sketching, planning, or creative play, this project is designed to protect your notebook while making it a joy to reach for every day. And if you’re following along with the A Spoonful of Sugar Blog Tour, be sure to visit the other stops for even more inspiring projects using this charming collection.

✨ Mark your calendars! Here are the upcoming dates to visit the Therm O Web blog and see even more projects featuring A Spoonful of Sugar:

• Belinda - Blue Ribbon Designs — February 23
• Julia - Inflorescence Designs — March 9
• Therm O Web — March 16
• Dori - The Red Feedsack — March 23
• Deb - Sprouting Jube Jube — March 30

☂️As always, if you make your own Joyful Journal Jacket, I’d love to see it! Tag me on social media when you share your project—I truly enjoy seeing how you make Blue Ribbon Designs your own. Until next time, may your stitches be neat, your ideas plentiful, and your creativity sprinkled with just a bit of everyday magic.