Lots of fun and interesting things are going on here at Abby Glassenberg Design! First, I wanted to share some recently published projects. I have a fun Mama and Baby Chick pattern in the current issue of Quilt-it…Today magazine. It even made the cover! This is a great Easter basket project. I love tucking the…
Archives for February 2014
Delegating Tasks Can Be Worth It
An elderly couple lives next door to us. They are devoted dog owners with two terriers, Tiffany and Jean Luke, whom they love dearly. I see my neighbors out every day, taking the dogs on long walks. Whenever we stop to chat, they always give me an update on each dog’s funny antics. Managing two…
How to Make a Softie with a Pocket Mouth
Kids love secret hiding places. When we were looking for a new house and looking at house kits with prices, our older daughters would always fall in love with the homes we toured that had rooms under the stairs or back halls with mysterious doors. I think all kids (and maybe adults, too) wish for…
Is Anybody Out There?: Strategies for Improving Customer Engagement
This post is part of a 3-person blog hop. Head on over to Tara Swiger’s blog and Stacey Trock’s blog to read their perspectives on this topic, too. One of the best, and worst, aspects of running an online business is that you interact with your customers from behind a computer screen. It’s wonderful…
Tips for Designing Reversible Toys
Toys are fun! The goal in designing a toy is to make something so appealing that people young and old will want to sit down and play with it. Toys spark our imagination. One of the interesting challenges of being a toy designer is coming up with something that will evoke that emotional response. A…
Podcast Episode #14: Tara Swiger and Stacey Trock
My new microphone makes a debut in this episode of the While She Naps podcast (hooray for improved sound quality!). I chat with Tara Swiger and Stacey Trock about marketing tools and strategies for small creative businesses. I met Tara a few months ago when she was in Boston teaching some workshops. We went out…
Bee Mine Sew-Along Winner!
We had a great crowd participating in the Bee Mine Sew-Along this month. It's been really fun to sew with you! Congratulations to Kathy Slaughter, the winner of the sew-along. She made this adorable love bug. Didn't she do a great job? Kathy will get a copy of Never Been Stitched, a new books from…
How to Make Soft Rattle Blocks for Babies: Free Pattern
Whip up a quick and fun gift for your next baby shower with these soft rattle blocks. Each block includes a variety of colors and textures to engage a baby’s senses and you can make them even more interesting by slipping a rattle insert inside. To choose fabrics that will be pleasing together, start with…
How to Manage an Editorial Calendar for Your Blog: A Guest Post from Kristin Link at Sew Mama Sew
It’s Thursday night at 9:30 and you realize you haven’t posted anything on your blog this week. Quick! Think of a blog post! Sound familiar? It sure does to me. I wrote this blog for seven years that way. It’s not terrible to have to come up with content on the spur of the moment,…
How to Get Started Podcasting
Along with most Americans, my family watched the Super Bowl last weekend. Every time the game coverage paused for commercials my older daughters, who are seven and nine, became totally exasperated. “What is this?!” It was an old school moment for me. I realized that my kids live in a world of a la carte…