Fabric arrives!

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

It’s here!  I am sew excited to have my hands on these fabrics.  Tons of ideas for projects to sew on my new machine!  It’s so nice to see it on a bolt after working with strike-offs, you just can’t wait to see what it’s going to look like and feel like at the final stages!

Look at all the pretty colors!  They are delicious!

We love these beautiful fabrics!  Thank you so much Benartex!

BERNINA JOY!

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

There are all kinds of joy in life, joy of motherhood, joy of first love, joy of friendship.  But there is another joy, Bernina Joy.

The wonderful delight of working on a machine that sews effortlessly!  I have been getting to know my new machine and have been testing it quite thoroughly.  I can’t say enough how much I love my new Aurora 440!

Dessert Club!

Monday, April 12th, 2010

How FUN!  Cottonwood Quilts of Hutchinson sent me this photo of the gals in the Desert Club that made Junk Bags as one of their patterns.  There are 24 ladies in the group.  Look at all the different colors, styles and design ideas they came up with off the pattern!

I love that this shop encourages sewing groups that build lasting friendships.  What a delight to see their  creations and to feel the excitement of being a part of that creativity!  I am sending new products and a gift to Cottonwood Quilts for keeping me posted and sending the photo of their sewing friends working on one of my patterns.

If you have a group that has used one of my patterns or fabrics, send me a photo and your story!  I would love to post it on my blog.  Send your information to: have2sew@sbcglobal.net

I want to encourage sewing groups to come to Wichita and see the Wichita Quilt Show :

Sweet Quilting Retreat

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

Last weekend at Picket Fence’s annual quilt retreat, I met wonderful, talented women.  This is Terri and her sister Marsha who was visiting from Missouri.  They both made Junk Bags, but with a crazy quilter spin to the pattern using wonderful, interesting embellishments.  I love seeing how they used their imaginations – crazy quilters find the most ingenious ways to use so many different elements in their quilts and projects.

Donna, Lisa’s daughter, who is in the education field, worked on finishing up the Mother’s Love quilt with the ruched borders.  Donna is also a knitter and crocheter and does wonderful work. 

Barbara, who I didn’t get a photo of, was working on two Cute as a Button Baby Jackets for gifts.   Baby girl  Lilly, has  a  L on the  pocket.  She fussy-cut the letter from my Sweetest Gifts fabric.  Both jackets are lined in cotton flannel.

Three glorious days in the quiet country sewing with friends and getting projects finished, what a wonderful treat!  Thank you Lisa for putting together a lovely experience!

PS: I promise I didn’t pay these gals to work on my patterns at this retreat, but what a wonderful  thing to get to see!  I learn so much watching others create and it helps me as a designer to see what the patterns and fabrics can become!

SCRAP-book

Friday, November 6th, 2009

Miss Ava has quite a toy stash at my house.  I made a junk bag with the Velcro closure to place all her toys in so when she visits, we can tote the toys around anywhere Miss Ava might plop down for play time.

This is the perfect solution for toy clutter in the living room.  The bag looks so nice sitting in the room.

I have learned over the years of sewing and making gifts for others that there will come a time when I want to revisit an idea, a technique or feel of a project.  Sometimes to show others, sometimes just to get the inspiration I need for the next project.

I start a scrap pile of small clippings of fabrics, trims, color dots from fabric selvaged edge as I cut my patterns out.

I have always done this as a reference because I sew for others, make gifts and often don’t have the item to look at later if it is a project I want to do again.  I learn so much as I go, I make special notes that made something easier for me in the process.

I collage all of the scraps and notes and a photo of the finished project for reference later.

The Junk Bag pattern and the Sleepy Bag pattern both have design board pages included that can be photo copied, scrapped and logged into your project notebooks.  I use the Keepsake Notebook pattern from The Sweetest Gifts (pattern book ) to cover each of my project books in beautiful fabrics.

You can keep the patterns in the notebook as well.  The front pocket holds scissors, tape or paper so making a scrap page is quick and easy.

I love looking through these books, the scraps of color, the photos and notes you have made to yourself about a particular pattern are wonderful tools to have on hand.

Have fun sewing, scrapping, dreaming!

Introducing Sweetest Gifts Card Line

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

I am so pleased to announce my new line of gift cards!  I love sending notes to friends and family and now with all the important communication that has developed as my business grows, it became important to have beautiful cards to send notes along with my products!

I know in the quilt shops, customers are more often than not making gifts for children, grandchildren and loved ones.  The wonderful sewing notions, beautiful stacks of fabrics and soft yarns grab the hearts of us sewers!  How fun to see them on sweet note cards. 

Each set comes with three of the same card, matching envelope with stitched address label, and three button card tags.  Send them with the gifts you make or give them to your sewing and crocheting friends!