I was looking for a fun summer patchwork project and decided to make my free Casey the Crab pattern up with some quilting cottons (the original sample is in fleece). I grew up in Maryland going to the Eastern Shore with my family every summer. We would always get Maryland crabs one night, usually at…
Studio Update and Pre-Order for Brand New Enamel Pins!
This summer I’m working on a series of fun projects that I want to share with you. First, though, I have to tell you about a most amazing gift that I received from a blog reader. A few months ago my friend, book agent Kate McKean, reached out to me asking if I knew anyone…
10 Free Softie Patterns to Sew for Sew-a-Softie Day
Tomorrow, July 16, is Sew-a-Softie Day. This is a worldwide event organized by sewing pattern designer and sewing teacher Trixi Symonds. Trixi is the author of Sew Together Grow Together, a collection of hand-sewing projects she developed over twenty years in classes and workshops for children. She blogs at colouredbuttons. The goal of Sew-a-Softie day is…
Article about Bill Volckening in Modern Patchwork
I’m excited to have an article in the Summer 2016 issue of Modern Patchwork which will be hitting newsstands soon. This piece is about quilt collector Bill Volckening. Bill began collecting quilts by accident when a girlfriend took him to a small quilt show in a New York brownstone. He has since become an internationally…
New Pattern: Sweetie the Popsicle
For our middle daughter, Stella’s, 10th birthday we took a small group of her friends to Fun and Games, a nearby arcade. The kids ran around putting coins into machines, playing wack a mole and skeeball for nearly and hour. By the end each kid had a sweaty palmful of tickets to be redeemed at…
The Story of Penny Gold’s Quilt “Self-Portrait, Year 2”
Last spring I wrote an article about Penny Gold’s quilt, “Self-Portrait, Year 2” for GenerationQ magazine. I continue to be so struck by this quilt and the story behind it that I’m republishing the piece here with the magazine’s and Penny’s permission. “Self-Portrait, Year 2: Beneath the Surface” was one of the most memorable quilts…
Going from PDF to Print
One of the biggest advantages that self-publishing PDF patterns give us as designers is the ability to test the market in a very low-cost way. In June of 2009, almost seven years ago, I made a piece of pink patchwork, cut it apart, and sewed it into an elephant. You can see it here. Every…
A New Asleep Awake Doll
When I made the pattern for the Asleep Awake Doll I cut out a several dolls to sew up. This little girl ended up all sewn, but sat on my work table waiting to be stuffed for a few months. This weekend it was time to give her some attention. On the awake side she…
Spoonflower Introduces Fleece
For years I lived in fear of sewing stretchy fabric. I made all of my dolls and toys from wovens, or from faux fur with a woven backing. Then, about four years ago, I started sewing with fleece and my fear evaporated. When it comes to softies fleece is a dream to sew with! It’s…
Craft as Escape and Affirmation
Shotgun shacks in Greenwood, Mississippi. In 1997 I moved from my college apartment in Baltimore to Itta Bena, Mississippi, a town of just over 2,000 people in the heart of the Mississippi Delta. I was there to teach French and social studies at Threadgill Junior High in Greenwood, twenty minutes down the highway. In the…
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