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.
Please note that this post is my opinion. I’m not qualified to provide you with legal or financial advice. Opening a PayPal account is one of the first steps you take when you start selling things online. PayPal is the primary way most people send and accept money and it’s a trusted site and soRead More →
Stitching the features on your softie can be the most nerve-wracking part of the whole process. Do it right and the toy looks professional and adorable. Do it poorly and…well, it’s disappointing. I made a cute little video to show you how I satin stitch the eyes and noses on my softies. This is myRead More →
In early 2013 I called 18 of my long-time blog readers on the phone and talked to them for half an hour or so. Although it was a little out of the ordinary to just pick up the phone and talk to the people who read my blog, it was one of the most transformativeRead More →
My dear friend, Stacey, from Fresh Stitches is going to have a baby soon. Stacey and I met on Twitter a few years ago and quickly became friends. We both design stuffed animals (hers are crochet and mine are sewn) and we’re both interested in online business. Stacey came to stay with my family aRead More →
While She Naps marks its 9.5 year anniversary this month. This blog has endured all these years, through all my life changes and business changes, because at its heart it is a space where I’m free to explore whatever interests me most. It’s become integral to my creative life. It’s changed as I’ve changed, butRead More →
I started a podcast by accident. In February of 2012 I was finishing up the manuscript for Stuffed Animals and knew that I didn’t want to immediately write another book. I decided to explore how other people had created businesses doing what I loved: designing sewing patterns for stuffed animals. I figured if I talkedRead More →
In 2003 I was teaching 6th grade social studies at a middle school in Newton, Massachusetts. I was part of a team of four teachers, each in a different subject area. Three of us were women in our 20’s and the fourth was a man in his late 50’s named Lou. A year away fromRead More →
Allie Olson is the co-founder of Indiesew, a curated ecommerce site offering “sewing patterns for the modern woman.” With Indiesew Allie and her business partner, Steve Herschleb, are working to promote independent sewing pattern designers and create community among women who love to sew their own clothes. Allie carefully chooses the designers and patterns thatRead More →
When I started my podcast a year ago I made a wish list of ideal guests. Over the course of the year I’ve had the pleasure of talking with so many of them: Ann Wood, Jess Brown, Lilla Rogers, Kristin Link, Kari Chapin, among many others. I’m so pleased to be closing 2014 with someoneRead More →
I have trouble thinking big. I’ll happily write a daily to-do list and plow through it, but ask me to dream about what could be and I get very uncomfortable. I’m not a big risk taker, I’m really careful with money, and I definitely don’t want to sink all my energy into a crazy ideaRead More →