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.
In the past few weeks I've had a few exciting Abby Glassenberg Design press pieces and projects completed and I want to share them with you. My first Simplicity pattern is out and in stores nationwide. I designed these! Simplicity 1681 This set includes two of my original Lovey Dovies (the bear and the bunny),Read More →
Two weeks ago I was at a coffee shop with my two younger daughters. I glanced at my Twitter stream and saw that Lilla Rogers has a book out. Lilla Rogers. Photo by Sharon Jacobs. I knew about Lilla Rogers because she’s the illustration agent for two long-time bloggers whose careers I’ve followed from wayRead More →
When I set up a photo shoot for the cover image on a new pattern I take lots and lots of photos, sometimes close to 100. There are so many variables in a shoot like this: the child has to have their eyes open and look happily engaged, the toy has to be facing forward,Read More →
Oh wow! One of my patterns just sold from my Etsy shop! Hooray! Except I’m at the playground with three kids and no laptop and after this we’re going to piano lessons and then a playdate. We won’t be home for at least three hours and when we do get home I have to cookRead More →
When I sit down to sew a stuffed animal I like to have all the best tools and materials right at my fingertips. Sewing softies isn’t an expensive craft and most of what you need is pretty humble and easy to find: some soft fabrics, a needle and thread, fabric scissors, a marking pen, andRead More →
What’s the best way to sell your handmade goods online? Open your own storefront and you’re on an island. If you can’t bring in the traffic yourself you aren’t likely to make enough sales for it to pay off. Open a store on Etsy and you’ll get lots of traffic, but you’ll also literallyRead More →
I had so much fun over the weekend revisiting this goldfish pattern. By playing with different circle sizes I made some new, bigger eyes and a pair of fat fish lips! I also sewed him from fleece so he’s squishy and soft, but I kept the shimmery organza tail. This fish was the first patternRead More →
How much is a sewing pattern for a stuffed animal worth? When I sell a single sewing pattern to a big company, such as a book or magazine publisher, or to one of the big pattern companies like Simplicity, I can generally expect to get $250 for that pattern. Then, six months or a yearRead More →
If you read a lot of blogs like I do (ahem…150+) then most likely you're reading them in an RSS reader. This digest format is super convenient and makes keeping up with dozens of blogs a snap. But the format also has its drawbacks. One issue is how easy it is to lose track ofRead 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. OneRead More →