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.
Ladder stitch is a revolutionary technique when it comes to sewing softies. Once you learn how it works, you never look back. Whenever you want to add ears or a nose or a tail to your softie, ladder stitch them on and the stitches will be totally invisible. Need to close up a stuffing opening?Read More →
It's officially fall, which means Halloween is just around the corner. I don't know about you, but candy corn is one of my favorite October treats. If I eat too much of it, though, I feel like this… Fortunately, we now have Candace the Candy Corn! The plush version will give you a hug insteadRead More →
I'm very excited to invite you to join me for a one-day workshop in October. I'll be teaching soft toy design at Gather Here, the wonderful fabric and yarn store in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The class will be on Sunday afternoon, October 20, from 12-4 pm. In this class I'll take you through the pattern draftingRead More →
I've always wanted to be good at embroidery. It's sewing that's portable. How appealing! I've tried many times over the years, but I was never really sure how to transfer the patterns to my fabric. Am I supposed to trace this with a pencil or a pen or what? And then once I started, myRead More →
It’s Sunday afternoon and you’ve got a few hours to yourself. You decide to finally tackle that handbag pattern you bought a few months ago. The fabric has been stacked up in a corner, waiting for you to get to it and today is the day. An hour or so in, though, you get trippedRead More →
Today I’m teaching one of my favorite classes of all time: Sewing Machine 101. Eight adult students will walk in the door in a few hours and each will be carrying a sewing machine. Some of those machines will still be in their boxes despite having been purchased years or even decades ago. OtherRead More →
My second book, Stuffed Animals: From Concept to Construction, was released four months ago. Today I have a little recap of some of the activity that has surrounded the book since it's release. This is the two-minute trailer video. I hope you enjoy it! We also shot four 30-second vignettes featuring some of my favoriteRead More →
The other day a new craft blogger said to me, "Only a handful of people read my blog and I don't know who they are. I have only 64 likes on my FB page. How and with whom does one actually begin?" Her question really made me think. How do you break into the crowdedRead More →
First up I have a new pattern in my shop today: Ruby the Reindeer. Get a jumpstart on your holiday sewing with this fun softie! You can find the pattern, and 33 others, in my shop. Thank you! And now, onto cutting felt circles… +++++ I love felt circles, but cutting perfect circles freehand isRead More →
Win a fat quarter bundle! Enter the giveaway to get a free copy of this book! Share this post on Facebook and tweet it for two extra chances to win a free pattern!” I read these posts every single day. Like hawkers at a market stall, these bloggers are shouting “free” at me asRead More →