It’s been a very HAPPY week for Gingercake Patterns and moi, Virginia Lindsay 🙂 My new book, More Sewing to Sell is finally available for purchase and I am so excited to share it!  This book was a challenge and pleasure to write.  I really wanted to give my readers valuable information on running a sewing/ crafts business.  Not only did I contribute my own experience, but I interviewed 8 very successful sewing superstars that make this book a fantastic resource. Do you see who is in that photo above?  That’s right!  The fabulous Anna Maria Horner!  She talks about hiring employees for the first time and gives her advice when you will know to hire for your business.   She is just as kind and down to earth as you would expect. I also interviewed Kendra Oakden of Swankaroo.  I have admired her simple, beautiful backpacks for quite some time and was really happy to get her in the book.  I was so surprised to learn that Kendra is a one woman show running her business on a small scale exactly the way she wants.  I thought for sure she had 20 employees making backpacks and web designers organizing her social media and photo shoots.  It is amazing what she has accomplished! But I know most of you are most interested in the projects!   I love the sewing projects too!  Here is a peek at a few of them… And, as always, C & T publishing has done an amazing job of photography, styling, and formatting the book.  It is truly a joint accomplishment!  Take a look at some of these photos (and these are projects in the book too!)… Gorgeous, right??  So, do you want to win a copy of the book?  I should hope so!  This is going to be a simple giveaway just for YOU, my regular readers 🙂 . SO leave a comment below and tell me if you have dreams of starting a sewing business and what is holding you back.  OR, if you are already running a business and what improvements you hope to make.  OR, if you don’t want to start a sewing business and like keeping it a hobby and why you like that.  Basically, tell me about YOU! 🙂 . The giveaway will end on December 18th and I will contact the winner via email.  USA readers will get a book and everyone else will get an ebook!  Just leave a comment to enter!...

For the past couple of years I have offered a kit to make a really cute (not ghoulish) version of my Modern Folksy Kitty Sewing Pattern in Black.  This year I didn’t offer the kit but I am offering the pattern on sale for just $5!  I decided to share here how to make the yellow eyes and face on the kitty so you could easily re create this version. Here are some tips to learn how to make the kitty face~ Cut out the eyes from the yellow felt.  Use an embroidery needle (a needle with a long eye) to sew the eyes onto the kitty using matching yellow embroidery floss.  Use a split stitch to sew the felt to the kitty body. Print out this PDF below as a pattern to cut out the kitty  eyes Black Kitty Kit face In the sewing pattern, there are links to help you learn these simple embroidery stitches. After sewing on the perimeter of the eyes, use black floss (provided) to sew a satin stitch to make the eye center. Again use, the diagram on page 22 of the pattern to help with the stitches. Enjoy making your black Kitty!  I love how it is decor for Halloween but still pretty...

Eye masks are the perfect project for using up some of those precious scrap fabrics you have been saving!  They only use a small amount of fabric and look adorable.  AND, they work really nice too 🙂 . My newest Youtube video tutorial will give you all the detail on how to make one! To download the pattern piece, click on the blue letters below.  Enjoy your sewing! Easy-Eye-Mask-Tutorial This Funny Eye one was made using fabric markers!  Cute,...

Head over to my newest youtube video to see how to make this cute Sun Glass case! Click on the blue letters below to download the pattern piece! mother’s day sun glass...

Last week Marion finished preschool!  Kindergarten here she comes!  So, I rushed around and made her 3 teachers quilted fabric frames.  You know that is my favorite gift to give, right?  I love how you can give it with a cute saying or special picture and then the recipient can then hang it as is, OR put their own saying or picture in there.  Thus, the perfect gift for your favorite teacher! Alas, in my rushing, NO PICTURES!  but I did make new printables for the frame over on Canva.  Now, I warn you, I am not a graphics expert and I have seen much cuter fonts and configurations than these, but they are still pretty good!  And, Marion colored in the apple, flowers and hearts, so they turned out really cute.  AGAIN, SORRY NO REAL PICTURES :(.  But I still wanted you to see the quotes in action, so I did a little photo shop trickery!  Basically, I superimposed the new quotes on old frame photos.  So, let’s pretend this is what my frames looked like…  (and to get the FREE printables, scroll below!)   Cute, right?  Thoughtful AND EASY!  That is my favorite part because this time of year I am totally swamped with end of the year activities.  As a result,  putting together a nice teacher gift can be challenging.  So, the quilted fabric frame pattern to the rescue- AGAIN! So, here are the PDF printables!  Just click on the blue letters below.  I would recommend printing them on white cardstock and then trimming down.  I usually take the piece of glass/ plexiglass and put it centered over the printed quote.  Then lightly trace with a pencil and cut it out.  Then it will fit perfectly every time!  The printables are for a 5” x 7” frame (which is the standard size of the quilted fabric frame sewing pattern!). Big-heart-to-teach influence of a good teacher teachers plant the seeds Here are the quotes up close so you can see them!  But to print out, you need to download the PDFs above in blue 🙂 I hope you get some use out of these fun quotes!  I know my MOM is going to call me soon and say “Well, Ginny, your quotes were cute but down here in the SOUTH, kids are already out of school!”  Sorry I am late for you on the teacher gifts, southern friends!  But you can PIN these to pinterest and use them next year!  Yay!  And, follow ME on pinterest while you are at it 🙂...

I love summer and going to the pool, beach and lake with the kids.  They splash around and I relax (sorta) and it is really nice.  But, I admit that sometimes I feel  a bit like a pack mule lugging all the towels and chairs and snacks etc.  Yes, the older ones carry their own towels and chairs.  Yes, my husband helps me when he comes along!  But, I am often the one doing the majority of the carrying.  THUS, a new beach BAG! This one was made using very lightweight fabrics and wide handles so I can just fold it up and put away without having it take up too much space.  Bonus!  I like making video tutorials nowadays :).  So watch below to see the movie magic and make yourself a new boho beach bag too…   You will need a yard for the exterior and almost a yard for the lining too.  I didn’t use any interfacing but you are welcome to add for a sturdier version.  Here are a few more...

This is one cute chicken!  I don’t know about you, but tons of my neighbors and friends have chickens now.  It may be that I live in a rural area that is still pretty close to Pittsburgh and lots of people around here love the whole hobby farm thing, but I know that chickens are super popular all over the country, right? So, just in time for those hens to start laying again (and for my sweet neighbors to give me some fresh eggs!), I created this new video on my Youtube channel to celebrate our favorite domestic feathered friend. Head over to my Channel (and subscribe for more fun sewing videos!) to watch the video!  Click below (on the highlighted letters!) to get the pattern pieces.  They are just 2 pages and make sure you set your printer to 100%...

I am so excited about my newest sewing pattern, Seraphina Swan!  Swans are a favorite of mine and to bring this idea to life has been a really fun sewing journey.  The original pattern version has wings made from cotton or felt stacked together.  I love that version since you can mix favorite fabrics and give your personal style to your swan. But I was also interested in making a dressed up version.  I came up with this gorgeous gal with her tulle wings and sparkly crown.  Do you want to know how to make your own dressed up version of the Seraphina Swan?  It is easy and fun (of course!) I have to admit, making the wings this way is even faster than the original version.  I used plain white tulle and gold glitter tulle.  These are both very easy to find at your local craft store.  I imagine it would be gorgeous is pale pink or dramatic black too! Making these tulle wings is as easy as folding napkins 🙂 . Below are picture directions…  Now, just like adding the fabric feathers in the pattern, you stack these tulle feathers.  First 4, then three and then three more at the front edge.  I mixed in 1 gold “feather” in each layer.  I love how light and airy they look!  Continue with the binding just like in the pattern instructions. One extra tip for these wings- use a pressing cloth (just a layer of cotton fabric is what i used!) and press these wings flat after you have the wings finished and before you attach to the swan body.  It makes them less pouffy but you still achieve this pretty and floaty look. Now for that cute little crown.  This can be accomplished in many ways!  I used a glitter felt from National NonWovens but the options for making a sparkly crown are endless!   Here is my version… There!  It is so easy to create a beautiful swan!   Don’t forget, now until November 16th, 2017 the brand new Seraphina Swan PDF pattern is only $5!  Don’t you feel like making a swan today?? Let me know in the comments how you would dress up your swan.  I would love to hear your ideas.  If you make a swan, tag me on IG with @gingercakesews and using hashtag #seraphinaswan.  Or, send me an email!  I love to see your creations.    ...

Thanks for all the interest and comments on my Booth tips last week.  I decided to follow up with some talk about pricing!  A much debated topic but I hope I can help you by sharing my thoughts and ideas. The first thing to understand about pricing handmade items to sell is that your time and effort are THE biggest factor in the process when you are sewing.  YES, material costs are something to think about but they really only add pennies instead of dollars to the bottom line.  Here is my story of sewing crayon art folios to help you understand my pricing process. My biggest seller from over the years is the Crayon Art Folio.  Year after year after YEAR, people keep buying them when I do a holiday show.  When I designed the sewing pattern back in 2010, I made a few (maybe 7) for the holiday show I attended that year.  They sold out quickly and I wished I had made many more.  The following year, I made 20, and priced them at $20, and again, ALL sold!  Wow!  That was $400 dollars.  The following year, I made 20 again and priced them at $25.  Only half sold to my disappointment but not my surprise.  $25 was too much for a crayon holder even if it did have cute designer fabrics, crayola crayons and a nice paper pad.  But honestly when I calculated my time, $25 was a more realistic price for all my efforts!  There are lots of parts to the crayon holder- the fusing of interfacing, the sewing on velcro, the individual tiny crayon pockets, and then, top stitching through thick layers, etc. My customers (in Pittsburgh- a pretty frugal market) are willing to pay about $20 for this product.  I tried $22 and that sold OK, but $20 is the sweet spot.  They feel like they are getting something really nice for their kids and even though it’s a little much for crayons and paper, its something that will last.  For me, I needed to figure out how to make ME feel comfortable with selling for $20, not try to get THEM to change their whole understanding of the worth of handmade.  Other things can sell for more- designer pillows, chic purses, etc.   Nothing is worse than person after person at a show praising your work and then after looking at the price walking away! Ouch. Here is what I did to get ME comfortable with $20.  First- I looked at the design.  How can I make this quicker and easier?  That is the question you need to ask your self over and over again.  Selling handmade is about craftsmanship, but you can very...

You know how I keep blathering on about how much I like giving quilted fabric frames as gifts.  Well, here I go again!  I made a new frame and a set of mother’s day quotes to share 🙂 . Above is the one I am sending my mom.  But I made 2 more for you to choose from!  These will make great mother’s day gifts for you too!  If you don’t want to sew the frame, you could buy a 5” x 7” frame and still use the printables 🙂 Below are the PDFs that you download to print on your own.  These are 5” x 7” sizes and will work for the pattern size 🙂 . Click on the blue words above the saying to open the PDF! totheworld artofliving...

I was asked to make another round of Katie Birds for Blend Fabrics!  These fabrics, called Flutter & Float, are perfect for bird pillow!   Very pretty and whimsical 🙂 The Katie Bird pattern is fun for showing off pretty prints since it is simple and not too busy.  But is also adds some character that a simple square pillow can’t possible offer!  I  hope you will try it out sometime 🙂When you use nice high quality fabrics like these from the Flutter & Float line, you don’t need to necessarily add the extra layer of interfacing/ flannel that the pattern calls for.  I also reduced the size the 90% (because I can fit them into a standard box for shipping more easily!) and instead of zig zag stitching on the wings, I sew them right sides together with a piece of white fabric and turned it right side out.  This is an extra step but gives the wing a more finished look which I like when combining 2 prints like this. These cuties will be in the Blend Fabrics booth at the Quilt show this spring.  Let me know if you find them there!  I would love to see a photo of the display!...

  I can’t resist making Modern Folksy Bunny Sewing Kits!  It’s something I look forward to every spring.  My youngest, Marion, loves the Peter Rabbit stories.  My others were only moderately interested but she loves them.  Something about being naughty I think!  Although she is interested in the stories about Peter, Benjamin, (and that very naughty Squirel Nutkin), she likes how the very sweet Flopsy Mopsy and Cottontail look.  She always wants me to stop and admire their pretty pink shawls and sweet innocent faces.  So, this year I decided to change up the modern Folksy Bunny and give it a new look inspired by those sweet sisters of the more famous Peter Rabbit.   I changed the regular Modern Folksy Bunny Pattern quite a bit to create this version.  First, I changed the shape of the head by moving the dart to the center.  Then I made both ears face forward and created this sweet little face.  There is something so special about embroidering little faces and it really takes your handmade projects to the next level.  From a simple afternoon project to a family heirloom in my opinion!  In the altered pattern you get with this kit,  I provide lots of instruction (including links to very helpful video tutorials) to insure that you are successful at the embroidery.  No need to feel intimidated if you have never done embroidery before.  It is easier than you think and you will probably find that you love it. The shawl is also a new creation and it adds a special touch for sure.  My girl loves playing and dressing her bunny with the shawl!  I think I will make her a few more so she can change it up.  It is a quick and easy sew with the pattern pieces included in the kit.   It took a lot of trails to get this shawl just right, but it was worth it since the fit is so nice 🙂 Although I originally wanted to use linen, I decided to use this lovely Robert Kaufman Essex Linen Blend instead and I think it’s a better choice.  The essex blend gives the pretty look of linen (and is part linen!) but is much easier to sew with.  The pink shawl fabric is Art Gallery fabric and has that wonderful “art gallery feel.”  The fabric is smooth and easy to sew with, and has a lovely bright pink color and delicate white pattern.    The kit not only includes the fabrics, you will also receive yarn for the tail, interfacing for the ears,  and the embroidery floss for the bunny face.  Visit my shop to get your Modern Folksy Bunny Spring 2017 Kit...

  Have your purchased your Classic Bowling Bag pattern yet?  Well, get off that fence and get your pattern already!  It’s only $5 (until 3/17/2017) AND now you will be entered to win 3 half yard cuts of fabric from Bloomerie Fabrics!  YAY!  That means you are entered simply for buying the pattern!  AND, if you win, you can choose from 100s of gorgeous designer fabrics and make one AWESOME bag for yourself 🙂...

The classic bowling bag look great with pockets on the end!  Here are instructions to show you how to add end pockets  and make them look really nice. First, take a piece of fabric, in the same direction as your end piece, that measures 8” wide by 12” long.  Pay attention to fabric direction.Fold in half with wrong sides together so the piece is now 8” wide by 6” high.  Cut a piece of stabilizer (I am using non fusible interfacing but Pellon 931TD also works fine). that is also 8” x 6” Layer the interfacing inside the folded fabric and top stitch across the top folded edge.  Now you have a pocket!Layer the end piece on top of the pocket piece, face down on your work table.  Pin if needed.  Baste together by sewing 1/8” close to the edge of the end piece.  Then, trim off the edge of the pocket to match the curve of the end piece.  See the photo below. Turn the piece over and now you see your pocket piece in place! Follow the pattern instructions to add the end piece onto the sides.  Your basting stitches that you make to ease the end piece in place, should begin just above the pocket top edge. In the pattern, I  give you the option of hand stitching the seam of the end pieces over toward the sides to define your bag.  It is optional in the pattern, but if you add pockets to your ends, it is highly recommended.  Otherwise, the pockets with bow out and distort the look of the bag. Now you can enjoy the extra storage of end pockets on your Classic Bowling Bag! Visit my PDF pattern shop to purchase your copy of the Classic Bowling bag pattern and make something beautiful today!        ...

Every time I say “New” classic bowling bag I cringe a little inside thinking, “Can I call my pattern a new classic??”  But I do love this new pattern and I am so excited to share it with you all!  Here it is!  A sewing pattern to create the classic bowling bag… I have spend most of my work days over the last month working on this bag.  It has been fun to create- the quilted sides, the simple materials, and the easy construction made it easy to make lots of sample bags.  The biggest challenge was working out the sizing and especially the handles.  I made lots of versions of these handles!   I really wanted to make them look nice but avoid using fancy hardware and difficult techniques. I am so so please with the way they turned out!   I always work to keep things simple and although there are lots of ways to make handles,  keeping them simple and making them look professional are a challenge for sure.   The idea is that a beginner sewer can accomplish something that looks really nice and not kill herself in the process 🙂So, this bag is a testimony that theory- create something beautiful, that you can feel proud to carry, and ENJOY the sewing process!  There are some simple tricks included in the pattern to make sure your are not constantly using your seam ripper and feeling confused.  The materials are easy to find at the fabric store (or even at walmart for that matter!) and although more experienced bag makers could take this to the next level with special interfacing, brass zippers, grommets, and leather handles (all those things would make this bag fantastic!), a beginner could easily accomplish something fantastic too by keeping it simple. It does require sewing through layers, sewing straight lines, installing a zipper, and gathering pockets.  But a beginner with some experience could handle it for sure!  The lining pockets are inspired by vintage travel bags with their pockets that can hold lots of stuff but don’t distort the look of the bag.  I am excited to share lots of versions of the New Classic Bowling Bag pattern with YOU!  I hope you feel inspired to make one yourself!  I know you quilters will get excited to show off your talents and you bag makers can really show off your bag skills on this one.   I hope to learn some things from you all!  You can purchase the pattern in my shop!  Let me know what you think!...

My bloggy friend Hayley of Welcome to the Mouse House and her daughter Ainsley have a wonderful fundraising happening!  They are working hard to sew up Lucky elephants to raise money for the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennesee.  Have you ever heard of the elephant sanctuary?  Be sure to go check it out!  They are doing a wonderful job with one of earth’s most fascinating and beautiful creatures. Hayley was yesterday’s stop on the Gingercake Holiday Gifts Sewing Tour.  She has some great tips on how to make the Lucky elephant an even faster project!  She is also looking for some sewers to help out on all the order they are getting for embrACE the elephants, so be sure to let her know if you want to join in! Only one week left of the gifts series!  Have entered this week’s giveaway yet?  Go ahead and enter so you have a chance to win.  Next week is out last giveaway and you are going to LOVE it.   a Rafflecopter giveaway Next week is going to be fantastic!...

Do you all see the Penguins made by Amanda of Jedi Craft Girl last friday?  Love them!   Thank you so much to Amanda for participating in the Gingercake Holiday Gifts Sewing Series.  You can read more about her cute penguin pair by visiting the Jedi Craft Girl Blog.  She made these gifts using the very popular Annie’s Penguin Pillow Pattern. I have never tried to use minky before at the belly but it looks so soft!  She used a basting spray to keep it from shifting all around.  Very clever! I have made many many penguins myself over the years.  Including the Valentine penguin that is my favorite!  You can visit that blog post here.  It is a free upgrade tutorial! Back in 2013 when I did this gifts series before, 4 bloggers sewed up penguins to give as gifts.  They were all so cute!  First is Caila’s from CailaMade... My good friend Amy (in real life!) of Mindfully Made Studios sewed a cute penguin too.  She made her penguins from fleece- again as a baby gift for a brand new niece… Next, the talented Jenny of the Southern Institute had her daughter Abby sew up the Annie’s Penguin Pattern as her first project.  WOW!  awesome job Abby!  This girl has a future in sewing!   My last penguin to share was sewn by Jess of If Only They Would Nap.  She always brings a fresh eye to sewing projects.  Jess also has 4 boys and sews for them all the time!  That is an accomplishment.  I love the boy spin on this guy below. Now that we have walked down penguin memory lane (and I feel so grateful to my blogging friends for sharing their projects!), I don’t want you to forget about the Week 3 giveaway happening!  Just click below to enter.  It is so easy! a Rafflecopter...

This is my stop on my own Gingercake Holiday Gifts Sewing Series!  I knew immediately that I wanted to share the Quilted Fabric Frame pattern!  It is my new favorite gift to give 🙂 When I created the new frame pattern this past summer, my oldest was immediately smitten.  She is into decorating her room and accessorizing (like many 12 year olds I know!).  Giving a frame can be a little tricky since you either need to have a photo already in it or it feels kinda half finished if you give it empty.  Instead of gathering photos (since you know, at this age, she is going to want to put her friends in there), I decided to make some cute quote printables instead.  Problem solved and I get to pass on my not so subtle Mom messages too 🙂 I used Art Gallery Fabric that I purchased from one of my favorite etsy fabric shops- Llama fabrics.  They have a fantastic selection, Chio always refunds shipping overages, AND it is shipped so fast!   I love how these fabrics from different collections still coordinate.  Another amazing thing about Art Gallery! I also think these will be great to sell at a craft show with the quotes.  That way, people can give them away as a finished gift and the person receiving the frame can either use it with the quote or replace it with a photo.  YAY! I decided to use the binding option for these frames so that they have a gallery type look.  But this pattern also has options of tabs and not binding as a finish.  It is very versatile! I made the quotes into PDFs that you can be downloaded and printed by YOU!  I created these on the canva website. Have you tried Canva yet?  It is an amazing and easy resource for creating graphics.  I highly recommend trying it out! create-sunshine desire-to-create-card grateful-heart stayhumble throw-kindness These quotes are sized to be 5” x 7” since that is the basic size of the frame.  But you can easily adjust their size on your printer to be larger or smaller.  You are welcome to use these but please to do claim them as your own. I can’t wait to give these to my daughter!  One more thing- the pattern calls for using plexiglass which is really nice if you have some handy.  I previously had a sheet of it cut at the home improvement store into 5” x 7” pieces and it worked great.  But for this project, I bought $1 frames from the dollar store and used their glass!  An easy solution for sure except that the glass is fragile. PLUS, if you use a nice card stock to print your quote,...

Sara Soares of Made by Sara is a talented sewer and makes the most beautiful children’s clothes!  She just had her 4th baby (a little boy!) and wanted to make his first made by mama gift.  She chose the Lucky the Elephant pattern. Sara made him at 75% size (better for little hands!), added a rattle while stuffing and made a grabby t-shirt tail (you have to visit her blog to see it!). Less than 24 hours are left to enter the Week 1 giveaway of the Gingercake Holiday Gifts Sewing Series!  Up for grabs is FIVE  C&T publishing books! Including my book, Sewing to Sell!  This set of books will keep you inspired for a long time! a Rafflecopter giveaway Next week will start out with my friend Kristy of Sweet KM and a brand new Giveaway!  YAY!  I can’t wait to share it with...

My 2nd daughter Anne likes things BRIGHT and FUN and LOUD!  She saw these birds (again from Belnd fabrics!) and knew right away that she wanted her binder to be covered in this fun fabric. Anne is going into 5th grade this year.  She is ready to rule the school!  Her last year of elementary is going to be her best for sure (according to my positive and bright middle child!) Go ahead and get your your pattern on sale to make your own Binder...