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.
One of things I like best about sewing dolls and stuffed animals is that it gives you permission to jump into sewing without knowing the rules. The language of sewing is intimidating for a lot of people. Not sure what a dart is? Can’t sew a zipper yet? Don’t really get grain? That’s totallyRead More →
I have a new pattern out today: the Flower Power Rattle. This is a soft, easy-to-hold toy with crinkly petals and a gentle rattle sound, perfect for a new baby gift. And it's a quick-sew pattern that you can make, start to finish, in under two hours. Josephine was pretending to plant, pick, and smellRead More →
I woke up one morning a few months ago in a terrific mood. I got the kids ready for school and walked them over to the schoolyard. As I was headed home I ran into a neighbor. She’s a mom, too, and we sometimes talk on the way to and from school. She’s tall andRead More →
One of the very best things about a blog is that it’s alive. Unlike a static website, a blog is always fresh. It’s current. Blogs allow readers to see what the writer is working on, or thinking about, right now. But because a blog is an ever-growing body of work it can become unwieldyRead More →
I just wanted to pop in briefly today to share some good news. My editor at Lark, Thom O'Hearn, emailed me this morning to tell me that my newest book, Stuffed Animals, is going to press for a second printing! I don't know all that much about how these things work, but according to ThomRead More →
When you make tiny things, you need tiny props for your photo shoots. A colorful bunting adds a cheerful party-like feeling to a photo and it’s an easy prop to make yourself. You’ll need: All-purpose thread Felt scraps in five bright colors (I buy wool-blend felt here) Freezer paper and a pencil OR cardboard andRead More →
Have you read The $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau? It’s excellent. Real, actionable steps to improve your online business, launch a new product, and build a community of customers. I’m taking many of Chris’ ideas and applying them to my own creative business. Right now I’m focusing on writing an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). I’veRead More →
I’ve stocked much of my sewing studio from local thrift stores and rummage sales. Reusing materials you find secondhand is eco-friendly and usually much cheaper than buying new. Here are my best tips for a successful shopping trip to the resale shop: 1. Don’t buy thread. Thread becomes brittle over time. Old thread will frayRead More →
I'm working my way through my older patterns to bring them up to my current style. This means I'm sewing new samples, taking some new photos, adding additional links to helpful blog posts, and generally polishing each one until it's shiny and new. Darcy the Dachshund PDF Sewing Pattern I worked on sewing all newRead More →
Wherever you are right now, you are fortunate. Why? Because you’re reading this post from a screen of some kind, which means you probably have electricity. And most likely you’ve got a warm place to sleep tonight and enough to eat for dinner. We know that not everyone is so lucky. Every few months there’sRead More →