New Web Store and Discount!

Just popping in to let everyone know that I now have an online store!

I spent a very busy May making and selling masks for friends, family, and strangers. My MO was to work towards the customers criteria; they would tell me what colors and patterns they liked, and I would curate a fabric selection for them to choose from. While this did work, and the customer ended up pleased with their product, it just wasn’t sustainable time-wise. Pulling all the fabrics, arranging them for multiple photos, taking photos, sending the photos, waiting for feedback…you get the idea. One friend gave me a few colors to work with and after putting together a collection of probably 25-30 choices, her reply was “keep digging.” No thank you.

Liola Archie Skirt

Well it’s been awhile, again, since I blogged about anything. I know 2020 has been a tough year for pretty much everyone, but for me 2019 was much worse. I didn’t sew really at all, I started a graduate school program 90 minutes away from home, and my dog passed away. There was a lot going on. But back in March of this year (remember March?), along with most of the rest of the world, we were put under lockdown, so I started sewing again. People asked for masks, so I churned those out. Then I got back into garments and quilting, and pattern testing! I’m excited to share this pattern I just tested because it’s really fast and super cute!

Fancy Tiger Sailor Top

Yikes. It’s been a long while since I’ve written a blog post. I won’t bore anyone with tawdry details, but it’s been a rough year. I feel like I’ve been bleeding money, and that gets depressing. Seems like sometimes you can’t get ahead no matter how hard you try. Am I right? Anyone else feel that way?  (OK, but if you do want the tawdry details,

2018 Year of the Unicorn

Yes, that’s what I said; Year of the Unicorn. Why? Surely you mean, why not? Unicorns are unique and colorful and strong and amazing and fabulous, or so I hear, and that’s what I want my year to be. (Although it is actually Year of the Dog, and I was born under the dog sign, so maybe this is definitely going to be a good year for me). In order to organize myself and get on track, I made a list for what I want to create and learn this year, and then I started tackling said list. 

Canada 150 – It’s in the Bag

A couple of months ago, I wrote about a special Canadian themed blog tour that I was asked to be part of, and it’s finally happening! This tour brings together a group of talented bloggers, bag makers, pattern designers, and of course fabric purveyors, from coast to coast. It’s been a great way to learn about the sewing scene in Canada as well as about Canada itself, as we celebrate her 150th Birthday!

Penfield Pocket Tote from Radiant Home Studio

In early January, I received an email about testing a new pattern for Radiant Home Studios. Funny story though, I read the email as I’d been chosen to test the pattern, so I responded  saying “Yes, I’d love to! Thanks for choosing me!” I then received a response from Sara, the designer saying, more or less, “Um, thanks for your interest, but who are you?” Turns out that back in the day, I had signed up to be on an email list for those interested in future pattern testing. Once you get one of those emails, you then “apply” by expressing your interest and going from there. In my case, Sara asked for my ‘credentials’ (sewing experience, photos, Instagram feed), and after that it was all good. I expressed apologies about being such a noob first though. 

Long Time, No Post.

It seemed like it had been awhile since I wrote a blog post, so I decided to check. Yep, it’s been three months. Woops. I think it was a combination of things; the outcome of the US election, then the holidays, then the inauguration, then just wanting to hide from the outside world and the internet. I still can’t watch the news. My husband and I also took a trip to Ontario for five days in January, and in February we both got the flu, which laid us up for a couple of weeks. But, just because I haven’t been writing, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been sewing! It feels as though my “to-sew” list is never ending, so I’m sharing what I’ve been working on. 

O, Christmas Fair

Christmas is in four days (and Hannukah starts in three!), so ’tis the season for holiday markets! Depending on where you’re located, they may also be called Craft Fairs, Marché de Noël, Nutcracker Market, Marché de Casse Noisette, Artisan Fair; you get the point. If you live anywhere near a church with a basement, or in a city with a community center, then you’ve probably been to a craft show. They tend to occur more during the holiday season, and while it seems like the underlying idea behind them is clear, I’ve found that they really vary from market to market. And the main thing that seems to vary is the vendors. 

To Market, To Market…

To buy a fat pig! Wait. That’s not right. More like, to see lots of beautiful fabric, right? This past weekend was the International Quilt Market in Houston, TX, and while I wasn’t there myself, I was sort of there in spirit. Backup to a couple of years ago when I lucked into sewing projects for a fabric company, Camelot Fabrics, which is based in Montreal. I’d heard of Camelot, I even have a lot of their fabric, but I had no idea they were in Montreal. It was a pleasant surprise and the stars must have aligned because here we are, two years later and I’m still getting to work on some cool projects.

A Very Vermont Wedding Weekend

Ok so here are some things that I know: 1) It’s been a LONG time since I wrote a blog post. Suddenly working part time again plus normal summer activities plus trips meant that I was just so busy and sitting down to write didn’t happen. 2) I’m so sick of hearing/reading about/seeing/thinking about Donald Trump that I needed to do something to distract myself and hopefully distract others as well. 3) If you’re getting married at the height of summer, there is hardly a more beautiful place than the mountains of Vermont.