Why I'm Retiring from Professional Sewing
Oh, my friends, this is a hard one . . . a long one. And I'll need you to be patient with me, because even as I'm typing this sentence, I'm struggling to find the words and to keep the tears from...
View ArticleThe Book That Might Have Been
First, let me say . . . thank you. I wish I could put more into those two words. They don't even begin to convey how full my heart is after reading all the beautiful comments you left on my blog and...
View ArticlePatchwork Snack Bag
This week I'll be doing my last two blog tour posts before officially starting my retirement, and I'm so happy to get to do them for two of the sweetest, most talented people I know! Today, I'm happy...
View ArticleMilk & Honey Beachcomber Bag
My friend Elea and I have never actually met in person, but it feels like we have. We've talked back and forth so many times through online messages that it seems like we've been friends forever. I've...
View ArticleSaturday
I'm propped up in bed with a quilt and my favorite patchwork pillow today, enjoying the warm sunshine that's streaming through the windows. My youngest and I were hit hard by a flu bug yesterday, and...
View ArticleBeing Real
Last week I talked by phone with my friend Stephanie who asked me to do an episode of her popular Modern Sewciety podcast about what brought me to the decision to retire from professional sewing. As...
View ArticleCross Stitch Quilt Block & Pillow Tutorials
I have a million memories from my childhood of watching my mother with a piece of cross stitch in her hands. Her handmade pictures were all over our house, and I remember sitting at the breakfast table...
View ArticleButton Card Needlebook Tutorial
The only bright side to being stuck indoors during these crazy days of social distancing is that there's a lot more time for everyone to sew. That's why I've decided to take some of the patterns I've...
View ArticleStaying with Grace
I've been trying to write a blog post for over a week now, but the words keep escaping me. What can I say to you, friends, that you're not already experiencing yourselves? Yes, it's hard to stay home...
View ArticleNine Patch Bunting Tutorial
There’s nothing so happy as a little string of bunting. It’s my favorite sort of party decoration, and it makes a sweet addition to any space -- especially a sewing room. With Easter coming in a week...
View ArticleOver 20 Fun Ideas for Organizing Your Sewing Space
One of the big projects I wanted to tackle during this time at home has been reorganizing my sewing area. After months of going full speed on one project after the next, my work space was a complete...
View ArticleParenting, Perfection, and Perseverance
A pair of cardinals has set up housekeeping in the small sago palm tree beside our backyard swimming pool. James spotted three speckled eggs in a tiny nest almost a week ago, and several days later...
View ArticleAll the Buttons Quilt Tutorial
It's been ages, friends, I know...Back in the middle of June I shared on Instagram that I was taking a break from social media for the summer, and it has been the BEST THING EVER. Don't get me wrong --...
View ArticleOld Fashioned
Hello, dear friends! I can't tell you how happy it makes me to be back in this space again after such a long time. I almost don't know where to begin, so I'm going to just list a few things on my mind...
View ArticleHaving More Fun
It's another 5 A.M. morning at my house. Having a puppy has put me back on newborn baby hours, and I'm feeling ever so grateful that I finished having children in my early 30's because I am definitely...
View ArticleA Bit of Sewing
It's been a busy week, but I managed to fit in a bit of sewing each day. I've been wanting to play around with a new pattern that I had sketched out on graph paper between grading papers and working in...
View ArticleMostly Practical
Exactly one week ago I went to bed feeling a little off, not realizing that I had acquired an extremely nasty case of strep throat which is still raging as I type this evening. I'm on antibiotics, but...
View ArticleThe Darling Gift Bag Tutorial
I love putting together themed gift bags and care packages for friends and family whenever I get the chance, and this tiny patchwork bag is perfect for that sort of thing. Pick a theme -- stationery...
View ArticleHello Summer
This morning I sewed my first project in ages, a zipper pouch made of canvas from Rifle Paper Co.'s Bon Voyage collection that will be a gift for a friend. It felt so good to sew again. I never realize...
View ArticleWhere They Love You
Time, as always, gets away from me, but I'm still a little stunned to see that it's been the better part of five months since I last visited this space. I've been busily adding projects to my "want to...
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