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.
Before we begin today’s post, take a minute to think of the name of a craft blogger whom you would identify as being financially successful. Okay, got one in mind? Imagine if that person wrote a blog post once a month in which they reported to their readers how much money they made and fromRead More →
Make these pretty roses in minutes with just a little bit of fleece and some thread. Attach them to hairclips or pinbacks for a sweet accessory, or sew them to a doll or softie. These are my two favorite ways to make fleece roses. For each of the two methods you’ll need: scissors a stripRead More →
Ever made a gift for a child and worried that maybe it wasn’t as sturdy as it could’ve been? Maybe you’ve woken up at night wondering, “Were those seams really sewing tightly enough?” “Did I remember to double knot the embroidery floss when I stitched the eyes?” “Is that tail really securely attached?” Anyone whoRead More →
Edited: Threadbias responded to this post and I published their response here. The longer I’ve worked as an independent sewing pattern designer, the more it’s become apparent to me that those of us who sew are missing out on something amazing. We are missing out on Ravelry. Ravelry is a free site for knittersRead More →
I'm very excited today because the Emma the Doll pattern is officially released! Hooray! I've made more than two dozen patterns since turning in my book manuscript last year and I have to say, this one is my favorite. I knew I wanted to design a doll and started to think carefully about what kindRead More →
Say hello to Emma and her best friend, Emma! I’m sewing a third Emma today. My new doll pattern will be released next week and I really hope you like her. She’s fleece and entirely machine sewn so she’s not only cute and stylish, but she’s also durable and machine washable. It’s good that weRead More →
“It’s entirely possible that you will choose a niche that’s too small. It’s much more likely you’ll shoot for something too big and become overwhelmed. When in doubt, overwhelm a small niche.” These are Seth Godin’s words, but the sentiment is repeated over and over to small business owners as sage advice for getting noticedRead More →
I love pins. Pins are like tiny fingers that never get tired. If you pin properly you can seam together any two pieces of fabric easily and neatly and create almost any kind of three-dimensional softie shape. Yes, pinning is tedious at times, but it’s this sort of preparatory work that makes sewing projects succeed.Read More →
This post is part of a six person blog hop on the topic of work/life balance. A chat on Twitter sparked this discussion. This is a big topic and I think our perspectives will vary in interesting ways. Okay, here we go! In 2004 I became a mother and left my full-time job. It wasRead More →
First, happy 4th of July to you! We went to the Needham parade this morning. Our eldest daughter, Roxanne, is away at sleep away camp for a month. This is the first time she isn’t with us on the 4th of July, one of her favorite holidays. She’s very patriotic. The little girls were excitedRead More →