Share a photo and introduce your 'Critter' companions.

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If this isn't allowed let me know and I'll delete it. Another way I used some of my tiny scraps. Crunched up brown packing paper from Amazon shipping into a rough bird shape. Wrapped shape in masking tape to hold it together, glued on small fabric scraps. Cut out cardboard feather shapes, glued on fabric scrapes, glued them to bird body when dry. Made wire feet poked them into bird body after dipping them in glue. Ta Da a scrappy bird.

This is my latest slow stitch needle book. Needles can be placed on the woollen pieces or in the centre crazy patch page. I have included pockets for putting threads etc in. The front cover is a needle turn appliqué block given to me by a quilting friend who has since passed away. I have several of these blocks in varying sizes and am going to use them for similar projects. I added stitching and other ephemera to it. I have even found the perfect sized block for the front cover of my first cozy hugs book.

There’s a quiet kind of magic that happens when we pick up a needle and thread. It’s familiar, comforting… but also full of possibility. Sometimes all it takes is one small step outside our usual habits to open the door to a whole new way of creating. Lately, I’ve been leaning into a style of stitching that’s less about perfection and more about presence. Letting fabric scraps guide me. Following color instead of rules. Mixing textures simply because they feel good together. It’s playful, freeing, and endlessly surprising—and I want to invite you to try it, too. You don’t need fancy supplies or a grand plan. Just gather a handful of scraps, breathe, and let your hands wander. Maybe add a patch of unexpected color. Maybe stitch without marking a single line. Maybe layer fabrics the “wrong” way and see what story appears. This gentle kind of exploration is where creativity wakes up again. It reminds us that sewing isn’t just a skill—it’s a practice, a conversation, a bit of personal joy we get to shape however we like. So if your stitching routine has felt a little predictable, consider this your nudge. Try something new. Let your needle meander. See what unfolds when you give yourself permission to experiment. Your next favorite piece might be the one you didn’t plan at all.