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.
Today is the release of the second pattern in Six Months of Softies! This month we're making an adorable whale designed by the amazing Jen Gubicza of Zooguu. Photo via Zooguu. I love this picture so much. That was totally me as a teenager. This whale is easy and fun to make and Jen givesRead More →
I love sewing, but there are stages in every project that can be tedious. Stuffing a softie, for example, or pressing seams open. When faced with these tasks it’s easy to make an excuse to set the project aside and go get a snack, or check Facebook, or really do anything but finish theRead More →
I don't like the big reveal. I like to share my ideas and my projects with you as I work them through and to give you a sense of the creative struggles and triumphs of my day to day work. From time to time I work on a project that I need to keep prettyRead More →
Nobody is commenting on your blog. Why should you care? Because comments add value to your post and are social proof of your blog’s worth. When insightful people write something in response to your post they make your post more valuable. And when you respond, you develop a relationship with them. Relationships build a business.Read More →
EDITED: PicMonkey now has a feature called “canvas” that allows you to begin with a solid-colored or transparent background so these steps aren’t necessary, but here’s the tutorial anyway 🙂 I don’t own a graphics program, not even Photoshop, and investing in one isn’t in the budget this year. Instead I’m really enjoying learning toRead More →
The post is part of an occasional series called "Awesome Handmade Toys." These posts feature toy makers whose work I think is particularly fresh and inventive. You can see previous posts in the series here. I also pin toys to my Inspiring Softies pinboard on a regular basis if you're looking for more inspiration. +++++Read More →
I remember so clearly opening the pink and yellow blankie my aunt crocheted for Stella, our middle daughter, when she was born. Knowing how much work went into selecting the yarn and stitching that blanket made us feel so loved. Babies end up getting tons of gifts in their first year and it can endRead More →
I don’t own a graphics program, not even Photoshop, and investing in one isn’t in the budget this year. Instead I’m really enjoying learning to use free online programs to their utmost. PicMonkey is one of my very favorites. You may know of PicMonkey as a photo editing program, which it is, but it’s alsoRead More →
March has been a great month! I love softies and there's always so much to learn and see in the softie-making world. This month we explored: designing cut-and-sew softies on Spoonflower taking an indie plush business to the next level with Monster Factory using one of my favorite softie-making tools, the ball point awl.Read More →
Last night I taught Sewing Machine 101 here in town. This is one of my favorite classes to teach. People walk in the door with a sewing machine they got as a gift or inherited from an aunt or bought for themselves with the best of intentions. They’re nervous. Maybe they’ve tried to sew withRead More →