I’m not an art journaler. I totally admire people like Hanna who create loose, painterly journal pages each day. Keeping an art journal is a way to simply play with materials and images and create something with no expectations. That idea is so appealing to me! Even though I don’t keep an art journal, I…
On Learning a New Skill (as an Adult)
I do not cut or sew in a straight line. I don’t use a ruler. I don’t use a rotary cutter or a cutting mat. For me sewing is not about making perfect stacks of 3” squares in coordinating hues. I sew to make three-dimensional shapes from fabric. Puzzling how to achieve those shapes, how…
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…
Crocheting a Softie and How it Differs from Sewing One
My crew on the lawn in front of the house. I’m always behind the camera! We spent the last week of August on Cape Cod, staying at a beautiful home owned by a friend of ours. Situated right on the water with a big porch that invites you to just lounge and watch the boats…
Let’s Talk Process: A Blog Hop
Today I'm excited to be a part of a blog hop all about the design process. Eight designers have come together to talk about how we turn new ideas into new things. Designing is a highly personal process, and it's somewhat mysterious, too. It's really special to have this chance to show you how it…
Generating Design Ideas From Stories in the Public Domain
Classic children's stories are a wonderful source of inspiration for stuffed animal and doll makers. Many of the classic tales are now in the public domain which means that they either have expired copyrights or are ineligible for copyright protection. No permission is needed to use works that are in the public domain and that's…
How to Become an Expert: Be Persistant
I’m in the car shuttling kids from one place to another when I’m suddenly struck with an idea for a brilliant design. I can see it so clearly in my mind’s eye and I become totally consumed with developing it and making it come to life. Duck prototype on my desk today. The rest of…
How Getting Rid of Perfection Can Make You a Better Designer
Everything I know about soft toy design I learned in one of two ways: sewing toys designed by other people and experimenting with my own patterns. These are the two tickets to my growth as a designer. The more patterns I study, and the more times I try to incorporate a new technique into my…
5 Simple Ways to End Procrastination and Jumpstart Creativity
Do you ever find yourself procrastinating from doing the thing you love most? Let’s say you’ve been really busy recently with a big project for work and now it’s finally finished. All the time you were working on the project you were longing for free time to sit at in your studio space and just…
Having a Dedicated Work Space Makes All the Difference
Have you ever had an idea for a craft project stuck in your head? Something you know you have to make? I get ideas like this all the time. It can be frustrating to have an intense desire to make something and watch the day slip away leaving you with no time to sit down…