UPDATED February 17, 2019: You can now purchase a copy of the Spool Bird pattern in two sizes from Michael’s Etsy shop for $5 right here. In 2008 Michael Fulkerson was working as a sewing teacher at Spool Sewing, a fabric store in Philadephia. The store owners asked Fulkerson if he could create a pattern…
Archives for May 2014
Maya the Mermaid and a Finished Doll Quilt
A few months ago I was searching for a hand sewing project I could do in the evenings and weekends while relaxing with my family. I gave English Paper Piecing a try and fell in love. Here's why EPP is perfect for me: You don't have to cut anything in a straight line with a…
Resources for Bloggers Interested in Becoming Better Writers
No matter how you cut it, blogging involves writing. It doesn’t have to be a writing-intensive exercise (Geninne has a wonderfully successful art blog with very few words), but it’s going to involve putting at least a few sentences together for each post and sometimes much more than that. Writing is a craft just like…
Soft Rattle Balls to Sew: Free Tutorial
Sew a basket full of soft rattle balls in a rainbow of colors (or do all black and white!). These are a great toddler toy, and they’re also fun juggling balls for older kids. To make a soft rattle ball you’ll need: two 8″ x 5″ scraps of fabric (I used fleece, but almost any…
What is Quilt Market (and Why I Didn’t Go)
Quilt Market was last weekend. My Instagram feed was full of pictures of new fabric collections, designers beaming proudly in their beautiful booths, and the crazy crowds at Sample Spree. If you sew and follow sewing blogs at all, I’m sure you’ve heard about Quilt Market. But what is it exactly? How did it come…
Podcast Episode #20: Rachael Gander and Kim Werker
In episode #20 of the podcast my guests are Rachael Gander and Kim Werker. Rachael is a sewist, mom, wife, designer, blogger, and fabric enthusiast who learned to sew alongside her mom, but lost interest in the craft until her early twenties. She has spent the last fifteen years making up for lost time, experimenting…
4 Plush Makers You Should Know About
One of the things I love best about the Internet is that it gives me the ability to find beautiful work by plush makers around the world. In the past, hunting for this sort of work was really difficult. I was dependent on a few images sporadically published in obscure magazines with no way to…
How to Applique on Fleece
Fleece is a little bit fuzzy. It's got a short plush pile with little fiber nubs that make it really soft and cuddly and perfect for toys. You might think that the fuzzy pile would make it difficult to applique on fleece, but it's not hard at all once you know a few tricks. For…
Tools and Access Don’t Equal Expertise, But They’re a Pretty Good Start
Last year I was talking to a designer about the class line up at an upcoming sewing conference. I pointed out that one of the classes people seemed to be most excited about was on surface design. She said, “I don't think surface design should be taught at conferences like this. Are you there to…
Coming next week…
I wanted to pop in quickly to show you two new things coming to my shop next week. First is a brand new and totally fun supply… The most adorable safety eyes! The eyes are the most important part of a toy and they can be kinda nervewracking to make from felt or embroidery…