My older daughter is now only wearing skirts that I have made, so she needs more of them for spring. I had this lovely Nani Iro fabric and decided to add some running stitches around the flowers for more color, then I made the lining poke out the bottom with more stitching.
As you can see, we’re having another gray day here in Atlanta, so not the best for photographs. Oh, and if you want to buy some Japanese fabric and help support Japan, you can check here and here.
Turns out that this book actually does exist in real life and not just in my imagination. After working on it for such a long time, I wasn’t so sure, but it came in the mail last week! Although it won’t be available in bookstores for a few months, it’s finally finished.
The idea behind the book is that sewing is a cumulative process, with your skills building as you go. So the projects are organized in groups of three in each chapter, increasing in complexity with each project so that you can build on the new skills you’ve just learned. For instance, in one chapter you’ll make a simple grocery tote, then an art bag with a divider and pencil pouch, then finally an insulated drawstring lunch tote. There are 33 projects in all, with a teaching focus so you’ll learn along the way. And even if you’re an experienced sewer, hopefully you’ll want to try out the projects.
For the cover, I wanted to add texture, so I digitized and machine stitched the title, then on the title page (shown below) and all of the chapter openers, I hand-stitched and photographed designs that Chronicle’s graphic designer created. The layout and design of the book was a collaborative process, with me mostly driving the good folks at Chronicle nuts with my detail-oriented personality. When I first thought of writing a book, I assumed that I’d just sew the projects and write the text, but it’s much more of a DIY project. I created the illustrations and styled the backgrounds, with the photographs taken by my friend Laura Malek. I’ll write a post about the full process when it’s closer to the release date. But as you can see the book has a wire-o binding that allows it to lay flat while you sew, a nice rigid cover with rounded corners, and it also includes a pocket with full pattern pieces.
You can go ahead and pre-order it now! I’ll share projects and photos from the book soon.
The auction quilt is finally finished! I’m excited about the result, but I think for this project the process of teaching kids to sew was more important than the end result. We’ve been working on this over the course of the past two months with more than 400 children ranging in ages from three to twelve.
As you can see, the stitch pattern starts off simple at the top with the three and four year-olds, then becomes increasingly more complex as you move further down the quilt, going in order and ending with sixth grade in the bottom strip. After the kids finished the embroidery, we then sewed the nine strips of fabric together and parent volunteers helped to hand quilt it. The quilt is approximately 5′ x 5′ and is really meant to be hung on the wall since it isn’t very practical with all these stitches.
The children really seemed to enjoy the process and I think many became interested in sewing. Kids come to sewing with far less trepidation than adults who have never sewn before, but many were still intimidated. Once they picked up the needle, they all learned quickly and seemed to really enjoy it. The best reward for me was seeing the kids’ enthusiasm for sewing; learning a new skill with such tangible results can be extremely satisfying for children. My idea for this quilt came from our experience with Montessori learning, where sewing is a routine part of the environment, so I knew the kids could do it. This whole experience reminded me of the need for these hands-on skills in our digital age — hopefully home ec will make a comeback.
I think that the combination of bright colors and beautifully imperfect stitching gives it a wonderful folk art feel. I hope someone will love this handmade style as much as I do and will want to buy it. There is a lot of love in this quilt since it took more than 800 hands working together to make it!
Special thanks to Whipstitch Fabrics for donating the fabric for this quilt. You can read more about the design and preparation for this quilt in my earlier posts here, here, and here.
Betz White let me know about her felted bird workshop and I thought it was something that might interest many of you. During the two weeks of April 4-15, Betz will be hosting an online workshop to make this adorable felted bird and birdhouse from recycled materials.
She’ll be using a combination of downloadable .pdf patterns and a dedicated blog where you can ask questions and share ideas on your own schedule. So Betz will be available to guide you through every step of the process. The course is $25 and you’ll learn multiple techniques, ending up with a lovely spring project. If you can’t be around for the two weeks of the project, you can enroll and pick up the instructions later. No sewing machine required and it looks like a great project for a beginner or more advanced sewer. Sounds like fun! You can register here.
Spring is here! If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that I was debating the next step for this site. Good news! I’ve hired an intern who will be helping me. Her name is Gigi and she’s helped me put together this round-up of crafts! I think she did an excellent job finding great projects for you. So, thanks to Gigi, here are 50 projects to get you ready for warm weather and sunny days ahead.
Easter
Bunny Bowling (my project for Etsy’s The Storque.)
Paper Bag Bird’s Nest from Alpha Mom.
Peeps Bunting from Dana for V & Co.
Chocolate Surprise Eggs from Not Martha.
Easter Egg Diorama Music Box from Matsutake.
Grow Your Own Easter Grass from Zakka Life.
Crocheted Flower Cards from Floral Showers Crafts.
Fabric Easter Basket from Vanessa for Moda Bake Shop.
Felted Egg from WoolPets.
Pressed Plants from The Crafts Dept.
Easter Basket idea from Oliver + S (adapted pattern).
Fuzzy Easter Chicks and Mini-eggs from The Purl Bee.
Sparrow’s Nest from The Purl Bee.
Bunny Finger Puppets from The Purl Bee.
Clothing & Accessories
Spring Hoodie from The Purl Bee.
Popsicle Ruffle Top from Living with Punks.
April Showers Scarf from The Purl Bee.
Bicycle Bucket from Noodlehead.
Honeycomb Smocking from Craftastical.
Petticoat from Alissa Burke.
Playful Pinwheels from Paper n Stitch.
Leaves and Branch Brooch from Maya Made.
Girls Spring Mini-Tote from Betz White.
Handkerchief Mother’s Day Card from Khali for Bloesem Kids.
Deer Button Brooch from Cut Out and Keep.
Spring Ruffle Top from Made by Rae for Sew, Mama, Sew!
Rose Petal Tee from Kayte Terry for Etsy How-Tuesday.
Quilted Garden Tote from Alissa for Sew, Mama, Sew!
Bamboo Handled Purse from Little Birdie Secrets.
String Thing summer hat from Jezze Prints.
Smocked Sundress from Heather Ross for Martha Stewart.
For the Home
Bird Feeder from Design Sponge.
Wind Sock from Daisy Janie.
Child’s Tent from Meg for Sew, Mama, Sew!
Birdie Pattern from Scandinavian Stitches for Sew, Mama, Sew!
Ruffle Garland from Kojo Designs.
Toadstool from Tao of Craft.
Pinwheel Garland from Simple Crafter.
Flowers & Gardening
Poppy Boutonniere from Grosgrain.
Tattered Flowers from Sew4Home.
Paper Seed Pots from Pickles.
Seeded Paper Pouches from Design Sponge.
Chalkboard Planting Pots from Design Sponge.
Plantable Paper from Alpha Mom.
Paper Daffodils from Alpha Mom.
Pom-Pom Branches from The Crafts Dept.
Garden Markers from Bunny Tales.
Scrap Cards from mmmcrafts.
Wallflowers from Dana of Made.
Flower Pinwheel from Heather Bailey.
