Remember how ages ago, I said I wanted to do pillowcases with embroidered Moomins on the side? And because Moomin transfers apparently did not exist, I'd have to get out my books, and probably use the enlarging-photocopier, and trace, and all of that?

Well, the other day, blogsurfing, I hit upon this post. See that "mosaic"? See Little My in the teapot?

Moomin patterns exist!

But then I thought - no, it's a Japanese book, I haven't a prayer of even FINDING it, let alone being able to negotiate some website written entirely in katakana to order it.

Superbuzzy to the rescue! It occurred to me to look there - the source of many good things that are crafty and Japanese. It's called "Little Nordic Embroidery." No link to the site because apparently I got the last copy they have at this time. (But Superbuzzy does have all kinds of other wonderful things). I've ordered from them before and am quite happy with the customer service.

When the book was up on the site, I was able to verify that it had pictures of the entire Moomin family, plus Little My and the Snorkmaiden. Not sure if there are fillyjonks (I really hope there are fillyjonks) or the Hemulen, but even if there aren't, these designs give me a starting place and an idea of how big I'd need to enlarge a tracing out of one of my books to be.

And I have a couple sets of blank pillowcases just waiting. (I think one set is going to get garden gnomes, owls, mushrooms, and hedgehogs; I feel the need for something just CUTE and I have the Sublime Stitching patterns for those. And yet another set will get those quotations that I talked about stitching way back months ago - the Mother Theresa and the Therese of Lisieux quotes).

I've been hired to review a chapter of a textbook (for $150) and I tend to count this type of money as "found money" - therefore fine to blow on whatever craft supplies make me happy. And the thought of being able to easily make Moomin pillowcases makes me very happy indeed.