Kajsa Wikman - Scandinavian Stitches: 21 Playful Projects with Seasonal Flair

Text and artwork copyright 2010 by Kajsa Wikman

Artwork copyright 2010 by C&T Publishing, Inc.

Publisher: Amy Marson

Creative Director: Gailen Runge

Acquisitions Editor: Susanne Woods

Editor: Lynn Koolish

Technical Editors: Ann Haley and Sandy Peterson

Copyeditor/Proofreader: Wordfirm Inc.

Cover/Book Designer: Kristy Zacharias

Production Coordinator: Kirstie L. Pettersen

Production Editor: Julia Cianci

Illustrator: Lon Eric Craven

Inspiration photography by Sanna Peurakoski, unless otherwise noted

Photography by Christina Carty-Francis and Diane Pedersen of C&T Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted

Published by Stash Books an imprint of C&T Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549

All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be used in any form or reproduced by any meansgraphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systemswithout written permission from the publisher. The copyrights on individual artworks are retained by the artists as noted in Scandinavian Stitches. These designs may be used to make items only for personal use or donation to nonprofit groups for sale. Each piece of finished merchandise for sale must carry a conspicuous label with the following information: Designs copyright 2010 by Kajsa Wikman from the book Scandinavian Stitches from C&T Publishing, Inc.

Attention Copy Shops: Please note the following exceptionpublisher and author give permission to photocopy the template patterns on for personal use only.

Attention Teachers: C&T Publishing, Inc., encourages you to use this book as a text for teaching. Contact us at 800-284-1114 or www.ctpub.com for lesson plans and information about the C&T Creative Troupe.

We take great care to ensure that the information included in our products is accurate and presented in good faith, but no warranty is provided nor are results guaranteed. Having no control over the choices of materials or procedures used, neither the author nor C&T Publishing, Inc., shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. For your convenience, we post an up-to-date listing of corrections on our website (www.ctpub.com). If a correction is not already noted, please contact our customer service department at ctinfo@ctpub.com or at P.O. Box 1456, Lafayette, CA 94549.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Wikman, Kajsa.

Scandinavian stitches : 21 playful projects with seasonal flair / Kajsa Wikman.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-1-60705-007-0 (soft cover)

1. Patchwork--Patterns. 2. Quilting--Patterns. 3. Appliqu--Patterns. I. Title.

TT835.W53465 2010

746.46--dc22

2010006222

Printed in China

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Dedication

For Elsa and Edvin, because you are the best!

Thank you to Susanne Woods for convincing me that it was the right time for me to write a book. Many thanks to everyone at C&T for helping me create a great book.

Thank you to Sanna for the amazing photography and the great teamwork.

Thanks to my immediate and extended family for the encouragement, the help, and the good laughs.

Hugs and kisses to Totte for the support through the ups and downs in the book-making process.

I would like to thank all my online friends for the encouragement you have given me through the years. Not a day passes by that I dont feel grateful that you found me and gave me your love. This book would not have been written without Laurraine, Jacquie, Amy, Alice, Katy, Mette, Anne, Di, Chara, Karen, Ruth, Lesley, Reetta, Mervi, Lucy, Anina, Marichelle, Ulla, Mirre, Agnes, Isabel, and many others.

The first flowers of spring, the smell of the sea and fish, the warm colors of maple leavesthe different seasons here in Finland are very much connected to my creativity. Every season feels like a new beginning and above all like a good excuse to take on a new craft project. As Im writing this, school will begin in two weeks, and even though it is still high summer, I am imagining the colorful leaves that will become the quilt youll find on .

Then the dark time will come, brightened up by the Yuletide season, which is the busiest time for my little business, with craft shows and social events, with candlelight, gingerbread, and mulled wine. And tomtar! More about them on ). Your seasons might not be the same as mine, but I hope you enjoy looking into my world, finding inspiration, and learning something new. If you are new to sewing, I hope this book will encourage you to get started and find your own stitched path.

If it werent for my children, I would probably still be looking for my deep artistic expression. Having children helped me realize that sometimes scratching the surface is enough to find your creative flow. Art can be playful and happy, and what could be more important than finding the simple joys in life?

I have found that my artistic mission is to make people smile. I hope this book will make you smile too.

In the early days of the Internet, there was a big fuss about all the opportunities it would bring. Not even in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would be part of it in any way. Ive never considered myself a computer nerd, but Ive become one of the nerdiest moms on the street. I spent a lot of time online when I was at home with my babies, looking for a chance to talk about something other than diapers and baby food. What I found was a welcoming community of crafters and like-minded people. I discovered the blog world and started my own blog (http://syko.typepad.com), which has led to the creation of a network of friends around the globe.

People often ask me where I get all my ideas. The short answer is that they just pop up. Still, the seed must have been planted at some point. The Internet is a great source of inspiration and is where I usually look first. Craft and design blogs, the photo-sharing community Flickr (flickr.com), and Etsy (etsy.com), an online marketplace for everything handmade, offer enough stimulation for a lifetime in front of the computer. The hardest thing is usually to turn off the computer and get started with your own projects.

The library is another source. My family and I are frequent patrons at the local library. Books and magazines provide a great excuse to take a refreshing break and have a few moments for yourself. How I love to sit down with a cup of tea and a magazine, surrounded by cozy pillows!