I'm very excited to have a brand new pattern in my shop today! This one is a continuation of my original plush animal rattles with three new designs: a bear, a bunny, a puppy. You can sew one of these rattles in under an hour and they make a super sweet handmade gift for a…
Archives for August 2012
Things I Love About Sewing: It’s Open-Ended
Close your eyes and think back for a minute to Junior High and High School. Think about all those classes you took, all that homework you did, all that stressful cramming for math quizzes and biology tests. Now try to remember a project you did for school. Not just any project, but your favorite project….
Adding Seam Allowances to Pattern Pieces
When I'm in the process of designing a sewing pattern I design without adding seam allowances to the pattern pieces because I need to see exactly how the pattern pieces come together. But when I cut the pattern pieces from fabric I add a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Here is how to add a 1/4…
Sewing With Fleece: Tips and Tricks for Making Great Softies
Shelley the Snail pattern available right here. Fleece is an amazing fabric for sewing softies. Here's why: it's machine washable it's easy to find in almost any fabric store it comes in a huge variety of colors and patterns it's super soft and huggable it's durable it's forgiving of stitching mistakes Despite fleece's many fantastic…
Beautiful Toys Made By You!
1. Bunny Lovey made by lots of pink here 2. Bear Lovey made by stitch-craft 3. Elephant Lovey made by courtney darling 4. Pig Lovey made by casa di donna —– Of all of my patterns, the Lovey Dovey continues to be the most popular. It has been totally thrilling to see lovies popping up…
Head to Tail Bags – Cute Handbags To Sew for Kids
And now presenting my brand new pattern: Head to Tail Bags! This pattern comes with four fun designs (a lizard, a bear, a piggie, and a chick) so you can make different bags for different kids. And they are the perfect size for holding handfuls of treasures or to wear as an adorable fashion accessory….
Podcast Episode #3: Shawn Smith of Shawnimals
Shawnimals website. All images by Shawnimals and used with permission. Today I’m very excited to bring you an interview with Shawn Smith, the creator of Shawnimals. I contacted Shawn because he has a thriving plush business that includes both handmade toys and toys he’s designed and had manufactured in China and then distributed to…
Book Recommendation: The ABCs of Making Teddy Bears by Linda Mead
I feel like there is a whole intimidating world of artist teddy bears makers out there that I can't compete with. They have conventions with juried competitions and participate in super active message boards and only use the finest materials to make their bears. I admire this community, though, for their high standards and their…
Kids and Cross-Stitch
Our kids have daily and weekly chores. And they have an allowance. The two are connected, but not contingent upon one another. In our family when you start first grade you begin to take on personal and household responsibilities. Every morning, after you wash up and get dressed but before you come downstairs for breakfast,…
Things I Love About Sewing: It Connects Me To History
This post is part of a series. Read them all here. Me in 1984. I spent six summers of my childhood at Camp Ramah in Palmer, Massachusetts. The first summer I was just turning 8 and was the youngest camper. Most of the kids in my bunk were from Massachusetts and the first question they…