Scandinavian Stitches by Kasja Wikman

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Reported by Susie Ziegler

I've been following Kasja Wikman's blog, Syko, for some time. Her sewing work is full of creative charm and whimsy. Her book, Scandinavian Stitches from Stash Books is a delight.

This book is full of charming projects inspired by the dramatic seasonal changes in her native Finland. I happen to love the dramatic seasonal changes here in my part of midwest USA, so her inspiration does really speak to me.

Spring and summer projects include Easter bird ornaments, a bird mini art quilt, a gardening angel, a silakka fish pillow, and more.


Autumn and winter projects include wallhangings, fruit coasters, an autumn leaf scarf, frosty baby quilt, tea pillow, and a quilted basket for cold weather mittens and hats.

Most of her design elements are top stitched applique cutouts. You'll need to have a colorful selection of fabrics and some fusible webbing to make them.


She irons down cut-out fusible backed fabric pieces and then top stitches them with high contrasting dark thread. Although I have often used fusible applique, I have never tried straight stitching the edges in this way.


I could not wait to try to make the Autumn Tree Linen Scarf, even though we were already experiencing the waning days of autumn when I received this book. I ironed on the fusible web to the back of a selection of scrap fabrics

As directed in the book, I made a chalk outline of a tree and arranged my leaves on each branch

Ironing them down onto the black linen was super easy, but now I have to get my courage up and do that straight stitching with a bright green thread. I took a deep breath and just got started. I did not use the free motion foot on my sewing machine. I machine stitched with my regular foot and a regular sewing needle.

Kasja's tree is done with one simple line, but when I stitched it, my single line was quite uneven in places. I did get more confident as I went, but I decided to add an extra line of stitches and I like the result. With projects like this, you have to embrace the wonkiness. It is part of the charm.

I finished this scarf in one evening and I totally love it!


The final section of Scandinavian Stitches is Yuletide projects. Follow Kasja's instructions to make a tomte stuffie, a yule house ornament, or a fairy angel doll. I made this Merry Mouse Pouch with Zipper.

I got a little bit confused with the assembly instructions. This image makes sense to me now, but when I was working out the pouch, I was kind of flummoxed.

Pros:

• Adorable projects have timeless seasonable appeal
• All the projects are easy and use inexpensive materials any sewer will have on hand.
• An inspiration! I think I might even be able to try her top stitched applique method with some designs of my own.

Cons:

• Projects are not difficult, but you will want to know your way around the sewing machine. Maybe that isn't really a "con"
  
• Not every motif pictured has a pattern in the book.
  

I'm enjoying this little book very much. When spring comes around I bet I will have a nice pile of bird ornaments to hang here and there. In fact, I so loved that mouse pouch, I immediately made three more as gifts for my kids' teachers.

What kind of projects do you like to sew to celebrate the seasons?