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.
On Sunday I taught a 4-hour workshop called, “Design Your Own Softie.” This class is by far the hardest, and most rewarding teaching I do. It’s radically different from a project-based class in which you know, more or less, what everyone will be making. In fact, it’s the opposite. When each student walks in IRead More →
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. MaybeRead More →
Come join me on the Timeless Treasures blog today. I’ve created this free pattern for a Fox & Blankie Play Set using Timeless Treasure’s adorable Flannel Foxes and Sketch flannel fabrics. The pattern includes full instructions and a free download to make this baby blankie with ribbon loops. The brown stripe has a pocket thatRead More →
EDITED JULY 2014: My online shop has moved here to my new blog platform! ____ Today is a really big day for me and my business. I’m very proud to show you my new online shop! Come take a look. Here you’ll find all of my PDF sewing patterns for dolls and toys, plus specialtyRead More →
When I was a child I desperately wanted to make costumes for myself for Halloween and Purim. We didn’t have a sewing machine and although my mom is very creative, making costumes was not her thing. I remember spending one particularly long October afternoon when I was eight taping paper together to try to makeRead More →
Vanessa Bertozzi Etsy made a pretty groundbreaking announcement last week. Beginning in January of 2014 sellers on the site will be allowed to hire staff, have someone else ship their goods, and sell items they produce with manufacturing partners. After watching the press conference I wrote a blog post explaining the new policies, and questioningRead More →
It's rare to find a craft book now that contains projects I haven't already seen somewhere else. We're so surrounded now with projects and tutorials that it's easy to feel like everything has already been done. Every now and then, though, I come across a book that's truly new. Sew & Stitch Embroidery by AlyssaRead More →
Safety eyes are a quick and easy way to add eyes to your softies. Today I have a short video (it's under a minute!) demonstrating how to insert them. In the video I'm using an 8mm black eye just like the eyes on my Halloween pattern, Candace the Candy Corn. I'm also using two toolsRead More →
One of the best things you can do for your craft blog is to create and publish a free tutorial. Tutorials serve as anchors for your blog, continually bringing in traffic and new readers for years to come. A great tutorial helps to establish you as a designer and expert and is a free giftRead More →
*After I published this post Etsy reached out to me and agreed to do a podcast interview. We talked in-depth about the new policies and how they will impact sellers and buyers. You can find that interview here. A few weeks ago we had a great discussion here about the meaning of the word handmade.Read More →