Sewing skipped a generation in my family. Growing up we didn’t have a sewing machine at home and I never saw my mother sew. The first time I sewed was in Home Economics class in 8th grade. I was terrible at it and got a C- on our final project due to wonky seams on…
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…
Etsy Redefines Handmade: Authorship, Responsibility, and Transparency
*After I published this post Etsy reached out to me and agreed to do a podcast interview. We talked in-depth about the new policies and how they will impact sellers and buyers. You can find that interview here. A few weeks ago we had a great discussion here about the meaning of the word handmade….
What Does “Handmade” Mean?
*A week after this post Etsy changed its definition of handmade. I wrote a second post about the new policies which you can find here. **After I wrote the post about Etsy’s new policies, Etsy got in touch with me and that led to a podcast interview with Etsy which you can find here. It…
A Response From Threadbias
Two weeks ago I wrote a post asking why there isn't a site like Ravelry for sewing. The post provoked quite a bit of interest in the broader online sewing community and the response was pretty tremendous. There was a lively discussion in the comments and I received quite a few emails from people who…
Why Isn’t There a Site Like Raverly for Sewing?
Edited: Threadbias responded to this post and I published their response here. The longer I’ve worked as an independent sewing pattern designer, the more it’s become apparent to me that those of us who sew are missing out on something amazing. We are missing out on Ravelry. Ravelry is a free site for knitters…
The Position of Soft Toy Makers in Today’s Sewing Industry
One of things I like best about sewing dolls and stuffed animals is that it gives you permission to jump into sewing without knowing the rules. The language of sewing is intimidating for a lot of people. Not sure what a dart is? Can’t sew a zipper yet? Don’t really get grain? That’s totally…
The Real Truth About Crafting For Charity
Wherever you are right now, you are fortunate. Why? Because you’re reading this post from a screen of some kind, which means you probably have electricity. And most likely you’ve got a warm place to sleep tonight and enough to eat for dinner. We know that not everyone is so lucky. Every few months there’s…
I Have an Internet Nemesis. Now What?
Make anything and put it out for public display and you’ll attract criticism. You’ll attract praise as well, of course, but no matter what you do there will be people who don’t like what you’re doing. Some will keep it to themselves, and some will tell you what they think. Of those that tell you,…
A Tribute to Kathreen Ricketson
I've been so saddened in recent days by the sudden death of Kathreen Ricketson, founder of WhipUp. If you haven't heard what happened, here is the news story. Kathreen was a mother, a crafter, a leader in the online craft world. She was a forward thinker, a collaborator, and a unique voice. If you want…
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