Sewing, blogging, and creative business.
I’m very excited to have finished this patchwork Progress Pride Flag quilt. The pattern is by Bobbie Gentili from Geeky Bobbin. All of the fabrics are scraps from my stash.
This was a fun project and the finished quilt is really bright and colorful. As part of this process, I also enjoyed learning more about how the design of the Progress Pride flag came to be.
Wow! Thank you to everyone who entered The Artful Bird giveaway! I learned about all kinds of new birds, especially birds from Australia and New Zealand. Awesome. It was fun, too, to hear how you identified with the personality traits of particular birds. Your comments were fascinating to read! And the winner is… #29 - Read More →
My new book, The Artful Bird, begins its blog tour today. And there will be one live tour stop along the way, too! I will be in New York on Saturday, March 5, for a trunk show and signing at Purl Soho from 12 pm – 1 pm and I'll be teaching a bird-making workshopRead More →
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ I love jointed soft toys because they have moving parts. Any place on a toy where two parts are making contact could have a joint. Hips, shoulders, elbows, knees, and claws areRead More →
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ When I have an idea for a new soft toy, going from a sketch to a set of pattern pieces can be a daunting task. How do I make those shapes inRead More →
Stuffing is a really important step in softie making. When it is done well, the finished toy is firm and smooth and completely filled out, from its tiniest extremity to its widest part. When it is done poorly, the finished toy is lumpy in some parts and deflated in others and it may not standRead More →
The Artful Bird book launch and trunk show is this coming Saturday, February 5th, from 3:00 – 5:00 pm at Essentia, a beautiful boutique in downtown Wellesley, MA. All of the birds I made for the book (over 40!) will be for sale. We will be serving seed and nut inspired pastries and I willRead More →
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ Head gussets have got to be one of the biggest challenges in soft toy design. You will remember from the post on underbody gussets that a gusset is a piece of fabricRead More →
I have had a thrilling week receiveding emails from people all over the country who have received my book from their Amazon pre-order. And next week, The Artful Bird: Feathered Friends to Make and Sew, officially debuts in bookstores everywhere. Oh my. What a wonderful feeling! Many years of experimentation and exploration of fabric bird-makingRead More →
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ Like any medium, fabric and stuffing present certain design challenges. Fabric can tear during stuffing, shapes can get distorted when they go from two-dimensions to three, balance can become an issue ifRead More →
Editor's Note: This series of posts became a book! Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction was published by Lark Crafts in 2013. +++++ Jointed soft toys are a lot of fun because they have moving parts. And moving parts imply play. I like the retro look of a simple jointed toy, too. And they areRead More →