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.
Almost a year ago I spoke at Midwest Craft Con and from the stage I asked by a show of hands how many of the 200 or so people in the audience had a day job in addition to their craft business. From where I stood it looked like nearly every hand in the roomRead More →
2016 is drawing to a close and it’s time to review the year. I thought I’d take a look at what happened in my own business and what I saw as significant in the home sewing and quilting industries. Although I’ve written this blog for 11.5 years now, I only began writing year in reviewRead More →
I’m excited to be celebrating a first for the While She Naps podcast today: our Community Episode! For this very special show I wanted to turn to you, my listeners, and hear your voices on the show. I make this show for you, and it’s because of you that the show is a success. ARead More →
For most small businesses Black Friday is the biggest sale of the year. It’s called Black Friday because this is the day when businesses go from being in the red (losing money) to being in the black (making a profit). This is true for huge national companies and it also can be true for small,Read More →
On today’s episode of the While She Naps podcast we’re talking about product development with my guest, Annie Unrein. A creative lifetime quilter, Annie Unrein of Patterns by Annie and ByAnnie.com has been designing patterns and teaching since 2000. With a focus on practical and useful projects, Annie’s patterns appeal to a sewists of allRead More →
I’m currently working with a large publishing house to create a felt kit. The kit will be in stores next fall. A few months ago I wrote about how I decided to take this project on and now that I’m nearing the halfway point I thought I’d give you an update. The first deadline wasRead More →
My 12-year-old daughter, Roxanne, is an avid reader. Actually, avid hardly describes her reading habits. She devours books. She’ll read almost anything, but her very favorite books are graphic novels. I’m not sure we had graphic novels when I was a kid. We had comic books and they seemed to be targeted mostly at boys.Read More →
Welcome to my annual Black Friday sale! Today through Monday, November 28, save 25% on everything in my shop! That includes: patterns ebooks books enamel pins supplies All orders over $50 get free shipping. Stock up on sewing patterns and make this a handmade holiday. Plus I’ve put together some neat bundles of supplies andRead More →
On today’s episode of the While She Naps podcast we’re talking about building a career as an artist and illustrator with my guest, Jennifer Judd-McGee. Jennifer Judd-McGee is a full time artist and mother living and working in Mount Desert Island, Maine. She describes herself as a nature lover, obsessive doodler, path finder, and appreciatorRead More →
Language is important. The words we use to describe ourselves end up defining us. Last week I saw these photos taken at International Quilt Festival in Houston. Photos courtesy Bill Volckening. I was struck by the function of the word “husband” to describe the lounge and reached out to Bob Ruggiero, Director of Publications &Read More →