Nom! Happy Halloween!

Cannibal Jack-o-lantern, by C.White, 10 years old

Some days you are the *nommer*, some days you are the *nommed*. That's what my son's jack-o-lantern reminds me of. Nom nom nom...

Wishing you a Happy Halloween a few days early! I am leaving in the morning for Houston and the International Quilt Market. I hope to meet lots of people, talk sewing patterns and fabric prints and make all sorts of connections, like last Spring. I have 3 new sewing patterns I'll be previewing that I am really excited about! I haven't shown them here on the blog (well maybe one peek) because they are not quite ready for the printer. Good gravy these things are a lot of work! Designing, photographing, writing, testing, printing, etc! But to make each pattern as perfect as can be it takes a tremendous effort and time investment. It's all totally worth it in the end. I hope to share them with you later next month.

If you happen to be attending Quilt Market later this week, I will be doing a "schoolhouse" presentation for Brewer, one of my pattern distributors. Come by (2:30 friday, 10/29) and listen to me speak about repurposing, see samples from my sewing pattern line plus there will be a little give-away! (BTW, this show is trade only).

On Saturday from 2-3 at the Brewer booth, I'll be doing a make-and-take felt ornament demo! Introducing the Itty Bitty Ice Cream Ornament! This is super simple to make and if you are at the show you can come by the demo table and make your very own! (If you're not attending the show, I will do a tutorial for you here on the blog in a week or two. See? I got ya covered.)

So, until next week, have a safe and Happy Halloween!

costume creep

In the midst of my scurry to get everything done for Quilt Market, there is costume making. We love Halloween around here and I'm afraid we have created monsters (in more ways than one!) with the elaborate costumes we end up putting together for the boys. Last year was a doozy. This year we proposed a scaling back....

But like most undertakings, we suffer from "project creep". One detail or idea leads to another and the next thing you know, your zombie costume that was "just some ripped-up out-grown clothes" has layers of zombie skin peeking out from underneath. So, I'm putting the deadlines aside for a bit to indulge in my guys' creative process.

My other son has decide to be The Great Pacific Trash Vortex, or "Garbage Gyre". Time to get out the hot glue and the recycling bin! I'll let you know how that one turns out.

Have a great weekend! Hope there's some pumpkin carving in store for you!

Book review: Wee Wonderfuls

Today I have the honor of reviewing Hillary Lang's new book, Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls To Sew and Love, as part of her blog tour! Hillary and I share the same publisher, STC Craft, who was nice enough to send me a copy of this gorgeous book.

When I first heard Hillary was writing a book I was so happy! Hillary's style is clean and modern yet so very tied to the past. Her love of all-things-vintage and eye for color is undeniably spot on. Her blog, Wee Wonderfuls was one of the first craft blogs I had ever visited, way back in...gosh, maybe 2005? I was so inspired by her ideas and craftsmanship, I devoured every word, image, and link. If you are interested in making dolls and toys, I think you'll feel the same way about her book.

Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls To Sew and Love has everything from simple dolls, to teddy bears, animals, puppets and more. Since I am a MOB (mom of boys), I am happy to see that there are definitely some great "boy" projects included. Plus I can make some of the sweet girlie doll projects for the nieces in my family.

I love this "Ellie Bag" and can imagine it made for boys (sans hair bow) in grey or blue with plaid flannel ears. It reminds me of something we used to have as kids to put our jammies in.

And this little monster, Koji, couldn't be cuter. Although most of the projects skew to younger ages, my 8 year old would still love to have this guy!

If you haven't made toys before, you couldn't have a better resource than Hillary. She's got all of the technical details figured out and shares all of her tricks with you from choosing appropriate fabric to stuffing your creation just right. The back of the book has 2 sections with colored edges for easy reference. One is basic techniques and the other is all of the pattern pieces. The patterns are not removable from the book, but they are all actual size for easy tracing/copying. Hooray!

If you 'd like to win a copy of this book, head on over the STC Craft Blog to enter! Too see more peeks inside the book, check out the adorable video Hillary and her husband made. Oh the cuteness. :)

crunch time

Hey. I'm just peeking in here to tell you that this week is officially *crunch time*. My online workshop Felt & Stitch Holiday started today, so I am spending some time over at the workshop blog getting acquainted with the group.

And with just about a week until I leave for International Quilt Market in Houston, I've got my nose to the grindstone finalizing some new sewing patterns. (Psst! sneak peek!) I'm also preparing for a presentation and demo that I am doing for one of my pattern distributors. (more about that later, too.)

On that note, I had better get my tail in motion to get everything done in time!

Stop back tomorrow when I take a little break to show you the new Wee Wonderfuls book!

unexpected beauty

Earlier this week I went on a crisp morning bike ride. I brought my camera along, hoping to capture some images of autumn.

What's this? A big pink rose. Growing along a fence, reaching up over my head. Not what I expected. I'm not really a rose type person. I much prefer brilliantly colored leaves and sprouting mushrooms and piles of acorns gathering under the trees.

The rose caught me by surprise. Really? Is it rose season? The way the sunlight shown through it, it looked like stained glass or bunny ears or a big bubble of bubble gum.

Unexpected beauty. Be on the look out. It can make your day.

deep forest

I love woodsy stuff...moss and lichen, ferns, old tree bark, acorns and fallen leaves. My new Coquille shawl reminds me exactly of those things. I finished knitting it just a few days ago.

If you click on over to Knitty.com you can see what this looks like worn. I used the same yarn and colorway as was shown in the pattern: Crystal Palace Mini Mochi in Fern Rainbow.

Fern Rainbow...what a perfect name.

It's super soft and light weight. The pattern was fairly simple to knit with some short rows (to make the fluted edge) and easy increases/decreases. I'm so happy with this, I cannot wait for some cooler weather to wear it. Maybe I'll put it on for a walk in the woods.

What should I knit next? Anything fun on your needles you'd like to share?

pine cone popularity

Many thanks to all who entered my Felt & Stitch Holiday Online Workshop give-away! The randomly selected winner is Wendy aka Misswendiki who's favorite projects from the workshop slide show are the poinsettia brooches and the felted hat. Congratulations!


From reading your lovely comments, it sounds like choosing a favorite was a tough assignment. (I'm glad I was able to offer you a challenge and make you work hard for the give-away!) Looks like the pine cone ornaments got the popular vote. They're fabulous hanging on the Christmas tree but look right at home as a fall décor around the house or adorning a gift.

For those of you that didn't win a spot in the workshop, there's still time to sign-up and join the fun. The workshop begins in a week in October 18th. I'd love to see you there!

answers, testimonials and a give-away!

I am so appreciative of your warm response to my online workshop announcement for Felt & Stitch Holiday 2010! Many of you have signed up lickity-split and I thank you! A few have you have taken the time to email me with questions. I thought I'd post them here, in case a few others were wondering the same things.

I am sooo busy, what if I can't find the time?
No worries! Feel free to take the class at you own pace. The class content will be posted Mondays and Wednesdays from October 18th until November 12th, but you may access the information any time through the end of the year! The beauty of an online class is that you can participate when the time is right for you. You can even attend in your pajamas, no one will know. (in fact, I encourage it!) Even if you only have time to read the posts, watch the videos and print out the pdfs, you'll have everything you'll need to make the projects this season or any other time.

What level of participation is required?
As much or as little as you'd like! Some of you are looking for a place to make great stuff, connect with others and share your work, Great! Still, others would prefer to "sit in the back of the class" as it were, and observe. That's fine too. I welcome you to craft away quietly in the background. Keep in mind though that I will be on hand and at your service ready to respond to your comments and questions if need be!

Is this for me?
If you’ve enjoyed my books and the projects on my blog over the years, this is for you. If you have some basic sewing skills and have felt, fabric and trim scraps in your stash, then this is for you. If you’re ready to get started on your holiday crafting, let’s get started!

What did the class members say about it last year?
In 2009, participants from 11 different countries gathered online for my first Felt & Stitch Holiday Online Workshop! Here’s what just a few of them had to say about it:

"My daughter and I signed up for this together and have enjoyed talking each week about it... I can't even imagine the amount of work that went into the making of the projects, let alone the videos!! I was expecting some great crafts, but the videos made such a great addition. I'm been crafting a long time, but with your super videos, I picked up some great tips. The pdfs and rest of the directions were wonderful, too. Thanks so much for all the time and effort you have put into this workshop."
~ Janet, North Carolina

"Thank you so much for doing this workshop! I have enjoyed every minute! I found all of your instructions to be very clear and easy to follow and the video demonstrations were so helpful. I really feel that I have learned so much and you offered such a wonderful variety of techniques and ideas."
~ Katherine, North Carolina

"I think the workshop was wonderful. Thank you for all the effort you put into this. The materials, patterns and tutorials were great. The projects were very usable and have been fun to make. My daughter has loved seeing what I would create when I had all my “stuff” out to work on the different projects."
~ Nicole, Colorado

"Thank you very much for sharing all those ideas and being so helpful with tips and advice. I really enjoyed the workshop and seeing the how differently the things turned out in the Flickr pool. It’s amazing to think that today it’s so easy to work together with like-minded people from all over the world – and while I’m already posting this here from Germany you guys are just getting up and getting started…"
~ Mareike, Germany

"Even though my work has filled my days and nights over the course of this workshop, I knew that Mondays and Wednesday I could take a short break, watch your video, and plan when to try the projects….even if I was traveling for business. The workshop website is beautifully laid out, your videos are clear, and the projects what I’m come to expect from reading your blog."
~ Patricia, New Jersey

What a great bunch! Have they convinced you to sign up yet? :)

Now what about that give-away?!
I will be giving away a free spot in the Felt & Stitch Holiday Workshop 2010 to one lucky commenter! (If you've already signed up or plan to sign up and you win the give-away, I'll refund your registration!)

To enter, watch the following slide show from my last post (if you haven't already!)...

Next, comment below, telling me what your favorite project is in the workshop. Comments must be posted by midnight EST Sunday October 10th. One lucky winner will be drawn at random and announced Monday October 11th. (Please be sure you leave your email or link to your blog so that you may be notified!)

Good luck! And I hope to *see* you at the workshop!

(Comments now closed, thank you!)

Felt & Stitch Holiday Online Workshop 2010

Announcing: Felt & Stitch Holiday Online Workshop 2010
October 18-November 12

Get ready for the season with my holiday online workshop. I’m bringing back the original Felt & Stitch Holiday workshop for all of you that missed out on it last year! Join me in my virtual studio to make wonderful felted wool projects for your holiday décor and gift giving. I’ll be teaching and working with you along the way through a combination of blog posts, downloadable PDF’s, and videos posted weekly. Learn and collaborate with others in the class through a combination of blog comments and the class Flickr group. Projects will include ornaments, home décor and small gifts, designed especially for this workshop and are not available in my books or anywhere else!

I'm so excited to be able to offer you these projects again this year! I put together this slide show to get you inspired for the season and this special event.

Felt & Stitch Holiday is jam-packed with ideas, techniques and projects you can start making right away. Inspired my book, Warm Fuzzies, this workshop will focus on small projects made with felted wool sweaters and/or craft felt. You will learn the basics of working with felt, a variety of applique and embellishment techniques, experiment with needle felting methods and more. Each week I will post wonderful holiday projects for you to make applying these techniques. I will share with you tricks of the trade. Even if you have never worked with felted wool before, you'll complete this workshop feeling like a pro! You might also feel a bit like Santa with all of the gifts and décor you’ll create.

The Details:

This 4-week workshop begins October 18 and runs through November 12. Cost of the workshop is $40. Once registered, participants will receive a password (via email) granting access to a special blog page created just for the workshop. Each Monday I will demonstrate a technique. On Wednesdays I will post a project for you to make using that technique. In addition to the workshop blog, you will have access to the class Flickr group where you can share photos of your finished projects, ask questions and take part in discussions. Feel free to take the course at your own pace on your own time! All workshop content will be available to participants through December 31, 2010.

Registration opens today! Visit my shop for more details and to sign up now!

Coming soon...

Be sure to stop by Monday for an announcement!