My first two quilt patterns - where to find them!

I have been working on these two patterns and the samples for almost a year.  I'm sure it's not supposed to take that long, but I am so very happy to finally have them to show you!

The first pattern is made using vintage or re-purposed sheets.  It's named Jane Dandy, and comes with directions for two sizes, baby and twin.  It also comes with fabric requirements in case you want to make it with new fabric.

The second pattern is very close to my heart.  It's made from old jeans, and I am just so thrilled with the way it came out.  I used at least 15 pairs of jeans, so that I could incorporate lots of different colors, and lots of friends contributed their old jeans to the cause!  The directions are for having a quilt that comes out just like the cover, but you can, of course, use the directions as a guide and make your own, one of a kind quilt.

You must be thinking to yourself, "Where can I get these great patterns?"  There are currently two places

• My Etsy Shop, and 
• PatternSpot.com

If I get a good response, or requests for it, I will have them printed.  Right now they are in the form of PDF downloads.  While I love PDFs, and have purchased many patterns that way, I know some people still prefer printed patterns.

I am so happy to share this exciting news with you!

New Napkins in my Etsy Shop

I finally got around to making a few more napkins for my Etsy shop. They work so well, they are absorbent, and they wash really well.



I have so many beautiful tablecloths in my stash that have seen better days. I really should sit down and make a whole bunch.

Following my Bliss & Making Connections

It's been well over a month since I posted anything. I had told myself that for the new year I wanted to post at least twice a month on my blog. So much for that!

I thought to warm myself up, I'd let you know about two great things that are going on for me now.

The first, is that I'm taking a class in Adobe Creative Suite CS4 online at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. It's an accredited program, so if I decide to keep taking classes and actually get a degree, I could actually use it. Which is good, because the classes are NOT cheap. But, I felt like I needed to learn Illustrator and Photoshop if I want to successfully design fabric, so I signed up. I'm also one of those people who (sadly) is more diligent about something once I've opened my wallet. So spending the money is a motivator to stay on track.



I'm loving the videos and presentation like format of the learning so far. And getting to see all of my classmates work is both inspiring and motivating. Some of them seem so good, already, after only the first week. I may have to step up my practicing time.

In more local news, I had a great Etsy shop owner from Hartford reach out to me and say that she was looking to start an Etsy Team of Hartford artisans...how cool is that? I was actually able to give her some additional names and emails of folks who might be interested. Her name is Katie Tolve and her Etsy shop is cute.n.boot and she makes great pen pal supplies. She also started us all a blog (Team HartBeat), and we have our first get together scheduled in March. Last but not least, she made us a great button (at my suggestion!)



How great is THAT? And irony of all ironies...we actually work in the same BUILDING in our day jobs. I'm hoping to meet her for lunch soon.

So, that's it for now...I'm hoping to post more often. I'm dreaming of going to Quilt Market in May. Even if it means I just get to meet some of the awesome peeps I've met on Twitter. So send all the positive vibes you can. Following your bliss can be a lot of work.

My Biggest Etsy Shop Update Thus Far...and News

So, it's pretty exciting, now that I've had a few more Etsy sales, to keep adding things to my shop. It's really motivating to actually finish things that I've had lingering on the table, or worse yet, just waiting for pictures. So here the new things are, with more to come this week I hope!


Felted Baby Block


Super Luxe Cashmere Scarf


Cloth napkins from repurposed vintage tablecloth


Potholders from repurposed vintage tablecloth

And, because I've done a few test patterns now, I'm getting asked to do more! Which I love. One pattern for a designer who I've done one for in the past, the amazingly talented Patty Young. And the other is another Tweep, Trish, of Two Peas in a Pod. So much fun to test patterns, because it's almost like a challenge, and it makes me what to get right to work as soon as the pattern arrives in the mail (or email as the case may be!) and not come out of my sewing room until it's done.

Thanks for your support everyone! I can't wait to blog about my new pattern tests. Happy Fall!

Thinking Fall...and Purses!

Wow. Can it be? Almost six weeks since I posted? Clearly I need to get a better routine going. I've made all kinds of stuff, but haven't had the foresight to take pictures, let alone post about them. I made a gorgeous Amy Butler halter top for myself, that's been worn and washed already. I'll definately post about that later.

Most of my very favorite projects are usually things that I sort of dream up, and wing as I go along. I find that with a pattern, I have this preconceived notion about what stuff will look like, and if it doesn't, I'm never quite as happy with it as I want to be. This project was one of those organic ones...it started with some great lucite handles I bought at Mood in January. They were really reasonable and I have another pair of light grey ones. Since this bag came out so well, I'm sure I'll be making another with those shortly!

The result was this...


I've seen these types of purses a lot of places, and wanted to make one with a simple shape, but as interesting a pattern as I could find. Something I might be able to use a lot. So, of course, it's black and white. It's made from an upcycled, felted Fair Isle cardigan, and some awesome Michael Miller Disco Dot for the lining.




It's not very big, only about 7" square, with about a 1 3/4" width. I've seen people with these really overstuffed, and the sweater just stretches out and the handles stress...so I thought if I made it small, it would be harder to overfill.





The handles are sewn on with the cuff edge of the sweater, so the color matches perfectly. I was so thrilled that it fit through the opening on the lucite handles, it seemed perfect. I did stitch the sides closed again, I wanted them to be as strong as possible.



I LOVE it...but I am promptly putting it in my Etsy shop. My first sale really got me motivated. It's already time to start thinking about the holidays and gifts...where does the time go???

My first Etsy Listings!

This is scary and exciting all at once!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6459539