A few months ago I got an email from Caroline Critchfield, someone I'd never met. Here's what it said: Hi Abby,This is Caroline from SewCanShe. I love your blog and all of the great advice you offer plus the sewing tutorials, of course! I'd like to feature a couple of the tutorials from your blog…
Archives for January 2014
How to Get Your Print Patterns Into Stores (the Easy Way): Cut Loose Press
Walking into your favorite local quilt shop and seeing your pattern hanging on the display wall would certainly be a thrill. For many sewing pattern designers, the idea of selling print patterns is very appealing. It means your designs will be sold all over the country and bought by customers who might not ever read…
Insertion Tool for Safety Eyes
My friend and fellow plushmaker, Kristin Mayberry, sent me this email last week: "I know you love your hemostats and stuffing fork. I love them too! Have you seen this nifty tool? Another seller on Etsy makes this tool himself. It’s brilliant! I have two sizes and it makes installing plastic safety eyes so much…
The Prevalence of Free Eastern European Softie Patterns Online
I've finally embraced Pinterest. I set up an account a few years ago and was using it a little bit, but I didn't really grasp it's utility, both for collecting and storing creative ideas and for promoting my own work, until very recently. These past few weeks I've been working on a whole series of…
New Pattern: Humpty Dumpty
I have a new pattern out today. He's a classic nursery rhyme character come to life in a fun-to-sew doll. Meet my friend, Humpty Dumpty! I planted the seed for this pattern six years ago when I made a small, jointed Humpty Dumpty doll out of quilting cotton for a show at our local library….
Bee Mine Sew-Along: Making Heart-Shaped Wings for Your Love Bug
Welcome to Week #2 of the Bee Mine Sew-Along! We've got a great crowd of sewists signed up and it's time to jump in and begin sewing! If you're new to the sew-along, we're working with the Benji the Bumblebee pattern this month to make adorable love bugs for Valentine's Day. The pattern is 50%…
Podcast Episode #12: Clicks, Calories, and Caves
In this episode of the While She Naps podcast my guests are Gwen Bortner and Stacey Trock. Gwen and Stacey are both yarn people – Gwen designs knitwear and Stacey designs crocheted stuffed animals. But they are also much more than that. They are teachers, and business owners, and bloggers, too. On today’s show the…
Podcast Episode #12: Gwen Bortner and Stacey Trock
In this episode of the While She Naps podcast my guests are Gwen Bortner and Stacey Trock. Gwen and Stacey are both yarn people – Gwen designs knitwear and Stacey designs crocheted stuffed animals. But they are also much more than that. They are teachers, and business owners, and bloggers, too. On today’s show the…
How to Build Your Email List: 4 Helpful Tips for Craft Bloggers
An email list is a powerful way to build your blog and your creative business. As a friend told me recently, "My list is golden." With so many social media options, it might seem that email is old school. But think about it: from the early days of home access to the internet to…
Bee Mine Sew-Along Begins Today!
Guess what? Valentine's Day is in just a few weeks. Let's have some fun this year and sew together! Join me for a Bee Mine Sew-Along. We'll make adorable love bugs and have them finished in time to give to someone special on Valentine's Day. I'll work on one for each of my three daughters….