Denim Do-it-all Bin Tutorial

Hop on over to Craftzine today for my tutorial on this fast and fun Denim Do-it-all Bin! If you make "cut-offs" out of old jeans (like I do for my boys) you're bound to wonder what to do with all of those denim legs laying around. Check it out! I've got instructions for large (shown above) medium and small sized bins.

Zero-Waste

Visit me over at Sew Mama Sew today! I've written an article on Zero-Waste in the Sewing Industry and as a bonus, Sew Mama Sew is offering 20% off all Betz White PDF Sewing Patterns in their shop for a limited time! Hurray! Hurry!

:: Signature Styles ::

Today I want to tell you about the fresh new book called Signature Styles: 20 Stitchers Craft Their Look, by Jenny Doh. I'm honored to be a part of it!

I love getting a peek into the lives of the people behind the screen (aka my computer monitor) and seeing what makes them tick creatively. Each woman profiled also contributed a sewing project to the book, so think of this as a craft book as well!

Watch Jenny's book trailer to learn more:



Congrats (and a big Thank you!) to Jenny on a beautiful book. You can visit her site to purchase a signed copy and get a free gift. :)

carrot goodie bags

I was looking in my blog archives and found these little carrot goodie bags I made with my son for Easter last year. Only last year I posted them after the holiday, so I thought I'd pull them out again in case you'd like to make them before Easter. :)

Simply made with a 1/4 circle of orange felt (about a 5-6" radius) with a 2" curved border of green felt zigzag stitched to outer edge. Seam the side to form a cone shape then fringe the green section to make the carrot top.

Snip little slits near the top to thread a ribbon "drawstring" through. Fill with treats and tie them up with a bow and a name tag. Cute in an Easter basket or at a place setting on your holiday table.

My kids are off this week for Spring Break, so I've got my hands full with work and kids sharing the same time and space. I always think of Spring Break as a preview of Summer Vacation. Makes me a little panicky to think of occupying all of that time in a fun and productive way for all of us. Got any tips?

legos and creativity everywhere

The Lego-ing begins even before breakfast. I hear the boys go downstairs and get to work. Sometimes the spread of Legos on the floor (and most other surface areas) gets to me, but they offer so much opportunity for creativity, it's hard to resist them.

Our 9 year old was customizing his mini-figs (the little Lego people, for the uninitiated) and paused for some cereal while one was drying this morning. Gotta keep up your energy, you know.

He's created a whole Lego Mini-fig Customization Station out of an old sewing accessory box I let him have. It's perfect because it hinges open to reveal individual compartments.

He made one compartment to hold his Sharpie Paint Pens, which work great on the Lego plastic. They dry opaque and have good coverage on dark colors.

Some examples for you. The Star Wars character on the left had a completely green head originally. I made the little cape and he added the paint. Some of the tiny detail on the mini figs was already there, by the way. If you're not well versed in the ways of the min-figs, you may have trouble detecting the actual customization. I know the blue guy on the right used to be orange.

The box is also customized. This is labeled the Staff Room. There's a chair, stool, bed and of course a TV.

This area is marked Pets. Our guy colored their habitat, I think with regular Sharpies, the alligator, snake and lobster were done with the paint pens.

So much creativity, so early in the morning. I love that he wakes up with a vision and has such focus...while I'm still drinking my coffee, trying to get a grip on the day.

In case you are wondering, I believe I bought the box years ago from IKEA. If you are interested I'm sure you can search "cantilevered wooden sewing box" and find something on ebay or elsewhere!

P.S. Thank you for all of the wonderful birthday wishes! It's been a great week!

:: Happy ::

Happy it's spring.

Happy you're here.

Happy to have made another trip around the sun!

(it's my birthday today!)

Introducing :: MOD MAX!

Mod Max is my latest organic fabric collection! It's big, it's bold and it's so much fun. Each print is a single element in a single color blown up HUGE. Sort of like a graphic interpretation of macro-photography!

:: Nautilus ::

:: Moth ::

:: Pinecone ::

:: Leaf ::

My original fabric designs are professionally printed in the US on a blend of 55% Hemp and 45% Organic Cotton canvas. It’s ideal for home décor, craft projects and personal accessories. It has an off-white ground, a hefty feel and is wonderfully textured. The digital printing process utilizes water-based, non-toxic pigment dyes and minimizes waste and water consumption. Heat and pressure are used to finish the fabric instead of harsh chemicals. I've made the choice to print on demand, in an effort to prevent fabric waste.

Fat Quarter cuts and yardage is now available in my shop!

Also available are pillow covers! This is a new item for me and I'm very excited about it. Offering pillow covers only (vs. including the insert) keeps shipping costs down and allows you to choose the pillow form that right for you. Wouldn't these look fabulous on your couch or summer furniture?

And speaking of warmer weather, I've also got hats available. My Bucket Hat style is such a popular sewing pattern, I decided to offer some ready-made! All are made from my original designs on the hefty hemp/organic cotton canvas.

Bop over to the shop and check 'em out!

News, news and more news

Last week was a complete blur for me! I just finished a huge design project that kept my nose to the grindstone and out of blogland for the week. I can't tell you about that project yet, but I can share this one!

I am one of the 28 Mom Entrepreneurs featured in this new book: Country Living - The Mom's Guide to Running a Business by Michelle Lee Ribiero!

Eep! And that's little me on the cover, top row center!

I got my hands on a copy a bit ago and I have been reading profiles of amazing women whenever I can sneak in a few pages. The businesses range from a Bed and Breakfast to handmade soaps to organic fair trade teas, interior design, antiques, fabrics and more. And all of the women behind the businesses are mom's balancing work and family. It's great to read about the experiences of others and gather insight about my own business from their stories. Very inspiring!

There's a great workshop section in the back that offers and overview of business plans, financing, work-family demands and staying on track. I need to carve out a nice chunk of time to devour that section of the book! No matter where we are in our journeys, we could all use advice, refinement and perspective.

My boys were pretty interested in seeing the section of the book where they were featured. Their names and photos appear, which I think they both enjoyed and felt a little funny about at the same time. I know how they feel. :) Plus, lead times being what they are with books, their photos and printed ages are from 2 years ago! They've changed so much since then. (On the other hand, I have not aged a bit...haha!)

I encourage you to check out the book!

In other news: The Felted Birdhouse Workshop begins today! You may still register!

In even more news: My next self-produced organic fabric collection is to be revealed tomorrow! I've hinted at it recently and now I am ready to share it with the world. I will introduce the line here and there will be a SHOP UPDATE TOMORROW! I've got yardage of the new fabric, small cuts, sample sets and some sewn goodies made with the new fabrics.

I can't wait to show you!