I've been working on something new behind the scenes, and I'm excited to finally share it with you!
Meet The Linen Patch, a brand new collection from Craftapalooza Designs!
Printed linen. Playful stitches. Made by you.
The idea is simple. Take a beautifully printed piece of linen, add your favourite fabrics, a little appliqué, some happy stitching and turn it into something lovely, useful and completely your own.
Because you know me. I can't leave a perfectly good piece of fabric alone when I can add a little patchwork!
And the first design in the collection? Well, it's a scrappy apple!
🍎 An Apple a Day: 2027 Tea Towel Calendar
I've always had a soft spot for vintage linen tea towel calendars. There's something so charming about a calendar hanging in the kitchen, particularly one that becomes a useful tea towel once the year is over.
So I thought, why not give that idea a little Craftapalooza treatment?
Meet An Apple a Day, the very first design in The Linen Patch collection!
It's a 2027 calendar printed onto a lovely linen/cotton blend, with a big, juicy patchwork apple taking centre stage.
But here's where YOU come in.
The apple is yours to create!
I've designed a fusible appliqué pattern so you can raid your scrap basket, choose your favourite fabrics and create your own colourful patchwork apple.
Florals, ginghams, spots, stripes, novelty prints, a little Liberty perhaps? Yes, please!
I've gone for my usual gloriously scrappy mix of prints and colours, but I can already imagine how different these apples will look depending on the fabrics you choose.
And that's exactly what I love about it.
Same design. Different fabrics. Completely different personalities!
🪡 A Little Appliqué, A Few Playful Stitches
One of the things I wanted for The Linen Patch was to create projects that are enjoyable to make without being overly complicated.
For An Apple a Day, we'll use lightweight two-sided fusible appliqué to position our fabric pieces onto the printed linen.
Then comes my favourite part. The stitching!
I've used simple hand-sewn whipstitches around the appliqué, with a few little cross stitches thrown in for good measure.
Nothing too fancy, just lovely visible stitches that add texture and personality.
And because I've deliberately left the appliqué edges raw, they'll soften and become a little fuzzy with washing and use.
I rather like that slightly scruffy, handmade look. Perfection is definitely not required around here!
Of course, you can use your favourite decorative stitches instead. A blanket stitch would be lovely, and there's plenty of room to play. And if you want to machine finish the fusible applique, go for it!
🧵 From Printed Linen to Finished Tea Towel
The calendar is printed onto a beautiful 55% linen / 45% cotton blend, which has that lovely natural texture I adore.
Before the stitching begins, there's a little fabric prep, including heat-setting the print and prewashing the linen to allow for shrinkage.
Then it's time to choose your fabrics, create your apple, add those playful stitches and hem your tea towel.
The accompanying pattern includes step-by-step instructions, appliqué templates and photographs to guide you through the process.
You can add a hanging loop, or display your finished calendar using a wooden magnetic poster hanger.
And here's one of my favourite things about this project...
When December 2027 rolls around, your calendar doesn't have to be packed away!
Simply keep using it as a tea towel!
A little handmade keepsake that stays useful long after its calendar days are over. 🍎 AND the perfect gift to make for your stitchy besties!
Of course, you might decide it's far too pretty to dry the dishes with. I won't judge!
💕 A Whole Collection of Linen & Stitches
An Apple a Day is just the beginning of The Linen Patch.
I've been dreaming up all sorts of ideas for this collection, combining printed illustrations and designs with appliqué, favourite fabric scraps and a little hand stitching.
Think flowers, seasonal designs, charming little illustrations and projects that are lovely to make, display, use or give as gifts.
Some will be practical, some decorative, and some a little bit of both.
What ties them all together is the opportunity to take a printed linen design and make it uniquely yours.
I love the idea of combining the nostalgic charm of printed household linens with colourful modern patchwork and the simple pleasure of stitching something by hand.
And of course, finding another excuse to play in our scrap baskets!
🍎 Coming Soon: An Apple a Day!
The An Apple a Day 2027 Tea Towel Calendar will be the first release in The Linen Patch collection, and I can't wait to see what you create with it.
I'll be sharing more photographs, details and release information soon, so keep an eye on my newsletter and socials.
And there are already more Linen Patch designs taking shape for 2027!
Now I'm curious!
Would you hang your handmade calendar in the kitchen, or use it as a tea towel?
And what would you love to see printed on linen next?
Until next time, happy stitching!
Nic x
The Linen Patch by Craftapalooza Designs
Printed linen. Playful stitches. Made by you
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