Sew this adorable rag dolls in just about an hour. Free pattern and instructions!
Episodes of While She Naps the podcast.
The Baby Butterfly from Abby Glassenberg is a free tutorial here at Sew Mama Sew...
Wooyoo the Samoyed loves the new baby her owner brought home. In fact, she follows the baby around the entire day, even guarding her while she naps. This sweet pupper is such a good dog. She just loves spending time with the new baby, watching over her very protectively. From the moment the baby is
Today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast is our second annual community episode. In this very special episode I invite you, the listeners, to recommend great stuff you’re enjoying right now. A few weeks ago I put a call out here on the blog and in my newsletter asking listeners to recommend a book, app, […]
How to start a clothing line. Is it okay to use home sewing patterns? Hiring a pattern maker and grader. Getting started as a fashion designer.
This little blog of mine turns two this month. For two years I have been sewing little creatures and taking pictures of them and writing about them and it has been (and still is!) terrific fun for me. All of you who read what I write here and who look at my work and comment ... Read More »
Today on the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I’m talking with Stephen Fraser, co-founder of Spoonflower. Spoonflower is the largest marketplace of surface designs by independent artists all over the world. Through Spoonflower anyone can upload an image, tile it as a repeat, and have it printed on wrapping paper, wallpaper, or over a dozen different […]
Let's talk sewing podcasts. My list features Thread Cult, Seamwork Radio, Craftsanity, While she naps and other crafty sewing podcast.
On this episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast I’ve asked award-winning quilter Thomas Knauer to talk about the state of the quilting industry. Thomas describes himself as both an artist and a geek. He has an art degree from Kenyon College and two MFAs, one from Cranbrook Academy of Art and another from Ohio […]
I recently subscribed to a new email newsletter that I love: The Wonky Press. It’s written by quilter and blogger Jessica Skultety and she just started writing it a few months ago. Already Jessica is seeing results from communicating with her most loyal fans via email and I thought it would be neat to talk... Read More »
A round up of how to gelatin print, inspirational images, and tutorials.
Listen to a quick teaser for this episode by clicking the button below: On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about building a lifelong career in sewing with my guest, Nancy Zieman. Nancy Zieman is an author, designer, businesswomen, TV producer, blogger and national sewing authority. She’s the host of […]
On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about the sewing and quilting industry with my guest, Pokey Bolton. Pokey Bolton was introduced to art quilting and the related needle arts in 1998, and ever since she took her first stitch (a fly) and embroidered her first motif (a spider), she has […]
I taught a class with Meighan O’Toole on Friday night called Social Media for Aritsts and Crafters. A group of nine women from the Boston area gathered at JP Knit & Stitch, a beautiful independent quilt and yarn shop in the city, to talk about social media with us. Over the course of two hours... Read More »
I've been looking forward to this book for a long time. Abby told me about it way way back in the early days when she was just starting to write it (it takes a long time for a book to come out!) and I've been following along with interest as she designed all the animals,
Charlie’s sister, Jacquie, asked me what Roxanne would like for Hanukkah this year. Roxanne has been asking for a new backpack, so we chose one from Land’s End and had it monogrammed. It was deeply discounted so we got to choose something else to go with it. Books are always a huge hit with Roxanne... Read More »
Each Wednesday throughout the summer we’ll hear from a designer about a pattern or book that caused them to head in a new direction and helped form their career. This is the second post in the series. You can read all of them right here. Diane Gilleland is one of my favorite craft bloggers of... Read More »
A round up of how to gelatin print, inspirational images, and tutorials.
Be on the lookout for Lazy Susan, member of the incredibly incompetent Suc Gang. Honestly, she’s not hard to find; she’s infamous for falling asleep mid-crime. Often, she doesn’t even complete her dastardly task, because she decides it’s time for a nap. And we’re not just talking in people’s homes: she falls asleep on displays of fruit in the supermarket, her intent to steal the watermelon evident by it protruding straight up from her shirt while she snores in full view of customers and security cameras. She got her nickname after stealing bags full of dessert from a 24 hour grocery store, and was discovered ten minutes later on the kiddie carousel passed out as it went around and around. No, she doesn’t have narcolepsy. She’s just that lazy. She can’t be bothered to finish anything when she’s tired. She’s been found passed out on children’s slides at local parks; in the lingerie section of Target with a bra on her face like a sleep mask; on top of a cage full of pillows at Walmart. You name it, she’s slept there. Since she hardly ever gets away with it, we aren’t too concerned, but stop taking pictures and tagging her on Instagram; you aren’t helping. Scent Notes: Tuberose, white magnolia blossom, crisply folded cotton sheets, Egyptian musk, a freshly poured Hefeweizen beer in a frosty cold mug.
Every afternoon, Uncle Farley takes a three-hour nap. And every afternoon, he pops his false teeth out of his mouth and into a glass of water. One day, Morgan decides she'll steal them to show her friends. But while they're on the wharf oohing and ahhing, Morgan accidentally drops Uncle Farley's teeth into the ocean! She thinks they're gone forever until she sees a fabulous fish...with a fabulous set of teeth in its mouth. Morgan and her friends pool their resources to get the teeth back--Ian's dad is a fisherman, Zakia's mom is a dentist, Markee's dad is a police officer--but the fabulous fish just won't spit them out. Will Morgan be able wrangle Uncle Farley's false teeth back before he wakes up? Originally published in 1998, this new edition features updated text and illustrations from the artist behind Canadian classics like The Paperbag Princess and Thomas's Snowsuit.
Race goers who enjoyed Flemington's Oaks Day will be swapping champagne for berocca today. The Melbourne racecourse faced wild weather and it looked like a tornado hit by the end of the day.
On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about illustration in various forms with my guest, Phoebe Wahl. Phoebe Wahl is an illustrator whose vibrant work focuses on themes of comfort, nostalgia and connection to nature and one another. A kindergarten drop-out, Phoebe complained that there “wasn’t enough time to draw” in […]
My Black Friday sale is just wrapping up as I write this. I’ve spent most of the last three days processing orders and I have 21 more to pack. I’ve been selling crafty things online for 10 years and it’s taken me that long to have a truly successful holiday sale. There were years when I... Read More »
On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast my guest is sewing pattern designer Christine Haynes. Christine is a Los Angeles-based sewing author, teacher, and pattern designer with her own line of self-published vintage-inspired sewing patterns. She has written four books, How to Speak Fluent Sewing, Skirts & Dresses for First Time Sewers, The […]
Laura Izumikawa has been photographing her napping daughter since her newborn days. Now, her work is gathered in an adorable photo book.
On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about embroidery with my guest, Rebecca Ringquist. Rebecca is a Brooklyn-based visual artist and designer. Approaching the technique of embroidery as a way of drawing, Rebecca has taught hundreds of people new ways of making marks on fabric with thread. Rebecca has a design […]
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’ve... Read More »
Episodes of the While She Naps podcast.
Free patterns I’ve published on my blog.
On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about cross stitch with my guest, Jamie Chalmers, also known as Mr X Stitch. Jamie took up cross stitching fifteen years ago and he’s never looked back. Since establishing the Mr X Stitch website in 2008, he has been showcasing new talent in the […]
I’ve made these sesame tuile cookies three times now and I can’t get over how amazingly delicious they are. They remind me of something you’d find in a Middle Eastern or Greek market and I love them for so many reasons. First, they are so simple to make. Just simmer in a medium saucepan a... Read More »
I love blogging. I spend about half my work hours writing posts for my blog. It’s a tremendous investment of time and effort to continuously write posts that are interesting, well-researched, and valuable. I find the process incredibly rewarding. About six months ago I acknowledged to myself that my blog needed to become an income-generating... Read More »
Online video instruction is an ideal way to teach sewing. Watching an expert do the work, and explain how it’s done, is the best way to master a hands-on skill. When you want to learn something as tactile as sewing, nothing is better than being able to actually see someone stitch a seam. Putting that... Read More »
