“No dessert until you finish your dinner.” “You can watch a show once you finish your homework.” “20 minutes playing on the computer is enough for tonight.” Sound familiar? I find myself repeating these rules, and a dozen more, to my three children day after day. As I say them I hear the echo of…
Archives for October 2013
What is a Dart and How Are Darts Used in Sewing Patterns?
I love to create dimension with fabric. What draws me most to fabric as a material is the ability to cut two pieces of flat cloth into shapes that, when sewn together, will bulge and curve outward, or pinch inward, in just the right spots to create the three-dimensional form I have in mind. I…
5 Great Sites That Will Make You Look Like a Graphic Design Pro (Even When You’re Not)
I’m married to a finance guy. He’s the type that reads Barron’s cover to cover each Saturday. On the desk next to the computer we share is a running list of stocks he’s investigating. This is a guy that loves a good spreadsheet. Curious about the bond market? I’ve got your man, and he’s…
Design Your Own Softies Workshop
On Sunday I taught a 4-hour workshop called, “Design Your Own Softie.” This class is by far the hardest, and most rewarding teaching I do. It’s radically different from a project-based class in which you know, more or less, what everyone will be making. In fact, it’s the opposite. When each student walks in I…
The Creative Benefits of Plenty
Come with me up to my studio. I want to show you something. Do you see this? This is one of my six bins of quilting cottons. I have a bin for reds, pinks, purples, blues, and greens and one for yellows, oranges, and browns. Let’s open it up and take a look inside. Maybe…
Free Pattern for Timeless Treasures: Fox & Blankie Play Set
Come join me on the Timeless Treasures blog today. I’ve created this free pattern for a Fox & Blankie Play Set using Timeless Treasure’s adorable Flannel Foxes and Sketch flannel fabrics. The pattern includes full instructions and a free download to make this baby blankie with ribbon loops. The brown stripe has a pocket that…
Welcome to My New Online Shop
EDITED JULY 2014: My online shop has moved here to my new blog platform! ____ Today is a really big day for me and my business. I’m very proud to show you my new online shop! Come take a look. Here you’ll find all of my PDF sewing patterns for dolls and toys, plus specialty…
Making Halloween Costumes for Kids
When I was a child I desperately wanted to make costumes for myself for Halloween and Purim. We didn’t have a sewing machine and although my mom is very creative, making costumes was not her thing. I remember spending one particularly long October afternoon when I was eight taping paper together to try to make…
Podcast Episode #8: Etsy’s New Definition of Handmade with Vanessa Bertozzi, Program Manager at Etsy
Vanessa Bertozzi Etsy made a pretty groundbreaking announcement last week. Beginning in January of 2014 sellers on the site will be allowed to hire staff, have someone else ship their goods, and sell items they produce with manufacturing partners. After watching the press conference I wrote a blog post explaining the new policies, and questioning…
Book Review: Sew & Stitch Embroidery by Alyssa Thomas
It's rare to find a craft book now that contains projects I haven't already seen somewhere else. We're so surrounded now with projects and tutorials that it's easy to feel like everything has already been done. Every now and then, though, I come across a book that's truly new. Sew & Stitch Embroidery by Alyssa…