For years, embroiderers have fallen in love with the imaginative world of Molly Mine embroidery designs. From whimsical crazy patch blocks to playful storytelling and unforgettable details, Linda Atwill’s creations have brought joy and creativity to stitchers everywhere. Now, following Designs by JuJu's acquisition of the Molly Mine catalog in 2025, we're honored to introduce Linda Atwill's beloved designs to a whole new generation of machine embroidery enthusiasts while preserving the creativity and storytelling that made them favorites in the first place.

Linda’s designs have long stood out in the embroidery world for their richly detailed motifs, hand-embroidered inspiration, and charming sense of humor. From inspired crazy patch collections to inventive in-the-hoop projects, her work has inspired countless stitchers to create quilts, jackets, pillows, home décor, and treasured heirloom projects filled with personality and joy.

At Designs by JuJu, we’re honored to help preserve and celebrate Linda’s creative legacy while bringing these beloved designs to customers with refreshed instructions, updated formatting, and the warm community support DBJJ is known for.

Today we sat down with Linda to talk about her inspiration, her love of storytelling through embroidery, and the wonderfully whimsical Spooky Crazy Patch Collection, a playful Halloween-inspired series packed with nostalgia, quirky characters, and hidden little moments that make every block feel alive.

Before Linda Atwill became known for her imaginative Molly Mine embroidery designs, she was a lifelong maker with deep roots in sewing and creativity. Born and raised in Northeast Texas near Dallas, Linda spent years working in sewing factories, creating everything from bull riders' vests and ladies' fashions to children's nightgowns and women's undergarments.

In 2006, while raising her young family, Linda discovered machine embroidery digitizing and quickly fell in love with the creative possibilities it offered. What began as a new artistic outlet grew into the Molly Mine brand that embroiderers know and love today. As a stay-at-home mom caring for her son Caleb, Linda built her design business around family while continuing to create the whimsical, detail-rich designs that became her signature.

And if you ask Linda about herself today, she'll quickly tell you there's more to her than embroidery. She loves crocheting, enjoys spending time outdoors rockhounding, and describes herself with a laugh as "a bit of a nut job," a sense of humor that anyone familiar with her quirky aliens, mischievous monsters, and storytelling-style crazy patch designs will immediately recognize. That creativity eventually found its perfect outlet in embroidery, where Linda combined her love of storytelling, decorative stitching, and imaginative design.

A Love for Hand Embroidery Inspired It All

Long before she became known for her imaginative embroidery machine designs, Linda’s creative roots were grounded in traditional hand embroidery.

“I based my style on actual hand embroidery,” Linda shared. “I worked in a needlework shop where I taught all types of hand embroidery like stumpwork, Brazilian embroidery, cross-stitch, ribbon embroidery, and turkey work.”

Her background in traditional needle arts heavily influenced the richly textured look that Molly Mine designs are known for today. Linda even earned first-place ribbons at the Texas State Fair for some of her hand embroidery work before discovering machine embroidery digitizing.

“As soon as I purchased an embroidery machine, I immediately gravitated toward the digitizing side of the game.”

That passion for texture, decorative stitching, and artistic detail became the foundation for her iconic crazy patch style.

The Inspiration Behind Molly Mine Crazy Patch Embroidery Designs

Linda credits her former boss, Anita Godreau, for introducing her to the beauty of crazy quilting.

“She had lots of antique crazy quilts in the shop,” Linda explained. “I loved them.”

While Linda never created a hand-pieced crazy quilt herself (“I still haven’t made one by hand, HAHA!”), the artistic spirit of antique crazy quilts deeply shaped her embroidery style.

One of Linda’s favorite parts of creating crazy patch blocks is designing the decorative motif stitches themselves.

“I love creating the line motifs! I could do it all day!” she said.

Her inspiration comes from everywhere — vintage wallpaper, old artwork, clothing patterns, nature, and even unexpected everyday details.

“I’m inspired by all of God’s creations and plagiarize Him often,” Linda joked. 

That perspective shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows Linda. Inspiration can strike from almost anywhere—from a walk outdoors looking for rocks and treasures to a vintage pattern spotted in an unexpected place.

And sometimes, a simple idea grows into something much larger. Some blocks evolve into companion designs or interconnected scenes. In her Christmas Crazy Patch series (September 2026 release), for example, separate cardinal blocks were intentionally designed so the male cardinal appears to feed the female when placed together correctly.

The Storytelling Behind the Spooky Crazy Patch Collection

“I wanted a set that was FUN!” Linda said. “I wanted to shy away from witches with this series and just focus on crazy monsters and spooky moments — but nothing too scary.”

That playful energy is woven throughout every block.

From UFO cow abductions to skeleton dinosaurs, mischievous monsters, and quirky aliens, the collection feels more like pages from a vintage Halloween storybook than traditional spooky décor.

Linda hopes stitchers feel a sense of childlike nostalgia when they look closely at the designs.

“I want them to see the cuteness,” she explained. “That feeling like when we were in grammar school with all the cute cats, pumpkins, and ghosties on the walls.”

She also drew inspiration from beloved classics like It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Tiny Stories Hidden Inside Every Block

One of the most charming things about Linda’s crazy patch designs is that nearly every block tells its own tiny story.

Her father once told her: “These should be framed on a wall — they tell a story!” That comment stayed with her and continues to inspire her creative process.

Some stories stretch across multiple blocks in the collection. For example:

• An alien with a burning spaceship appears throughout the series
• Another alien is abducting a cow
• A skeleton is being chased by a dinosaur
• A dodo bird quietly appears in one corner
• Skeleton piranhas wait nearby
• A monster is upset because the mummy used all the toilet paper for repairs

Linda’s sense of humor shines throughout the collection.

“Everyone knows Sasquatch loves root beer!” she laughed while describing one of her favorite blocks.

Even the smallest motifs often have their own personalities. One particularly funny detail? A one-eyed eyeball monster dressed as a pirate… complete with an eye patch.

“He didn’t think his costume idea through,” Linda joked.

With so many quirky details woven throughout the collection, it’s no surprise Linda has a few personal favorites.

Favorite Designs from the Collection

When asked which blocks are closest to her heart, Linda had a hard time choosing.

“I love digitizing trees,” she said, pointing to the dramatic tree featured in the Sew n Rip graveyard block.

She also especially loves the Headless Horseman block — and shared that the owl featured in the design was originally sketched by her sister Esther during church one evening, leading to a laughing fit that nearly got them in trouble.

Linda also revealed that several blocks include extra details created specifically for the DBJJ releases, giving longtime Molly Mine fans something new to discover.

Why Stitchers Love Crazy Patch Embroidery Designs

One of the things Linda treasures most is seeing how stitchers personalize her designs with their own fabrics, embellishments, and creativity. “No two finished projects look alike,” she said.

Over the years, customers have transformed her blocks into:

• Quilts
• Jackets
• Tree skirts
• Shoes
• Lamp shades
• Dollhouse furnishings
• Pillows
• Rocking chairs
• Foot stools
• Even White House-worthy wearable art

“I had one friend who made a jacket she wore when she and her husband were invited to the White House,” Linda shared. “How cool is that?”

That versatility is part of what makes crazy patch embroidery so addictive for creative stitchers.

A Creative Legacy Continues at Designs by JuJu

For Linda, seeing her collections continue through Designs by JuJu feels especially meaningful because of her longtime friendship with Julie Trieb.

“Julie and I have been friends for 20 years and have always had a healthy respect for each other’s work,” Linda said.

Now, a whole new generation of embroiderers is discovering Molly Mine designs through DBJJ.

And what does Linda hope people feel when they stitch one of her crazy patch creations?

“I want people to feel peace and a sense of accomplishment with their finished work.”

Many customers have even described stitching the blocks as therapeutic.

And perhaps the most surprising revelation of all? Despite creating some of the embroidery world's most beloved crazy patch designs, Linda has a confession. "Guess what!" she laughed. "I've never made a quilt."

Whether you’re already a longtime Molly Mine fan or discovering Linda Atwill’s incredible storytelling style for the very first time, the Spooky Crazy Patch Collection is filled with the kind of imaginative details that make stitching feel magical. From mischievous monsters and quirky aliens to nostalgic Halloween charm and hidden surprises tucked into every block, these designs invite you to slow down, create, and enjoy every stitch along the way.

Even if you’ve never tried crazy patch embroidery before, Linda’s designs are created to make the process fun and approachable. Watching the fabrics, decorative stitches, and whimsical motifs come together is part of the magic, and no two projects ever turn out exactly alike.

Whether you stitch a single block, create a Halloween quilt, or simply enjoy discovering all the tiny hidden details Linda tucked into each design, the Spooky Crazy Patch Collection is a reminder that embroidery should be joyful, imaginative, and fun.

Explore the full Spooky Crazy Patch Collection.

Collection Details

• Number of Blocks: 20
• Available Hoop Sizes: 5x7, 8x8, 7x12, 8x12 (interchangeable with Quilting Backdrops™)

View All Molly Mine Designs at Designs by JuJu: Molly Mine Collection at DBJJ

We can’t wait to see how YOU bring these crazy patch blocks to life with your own fabrics, embellishments, and creativity! Be sure to share your finished projects with us in the Designs by JuJu Blessings Facebook Group, we love seeing the unique personality every stitcher adds to Linda’s designs.