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...

Hi all!  I am so pleased and honored to be part of Caroline’s new book, Crafty Little Things to Sew.  YAY!  Caroline is amazing- from her beautifully curated blog, Sew Can She, to her fabulous classes on Craftsy (I have tried both and love them!) to her adorable sewing patterns, she is really making waves in the sewing world! My contribution to the book is this really fun lunch box pattern.  The project is called the Lunch-in-a-Snap Tote...

I am so happy and thrilled to be a stop today on the Frolic Fabric Collection Tour!  I love all fabrics by Tamara Kate and this one is no exception.  I had a hard time choosing just one fabric to work with so I chose a few that matched my favorite one- the flower hedgehog of course:) . Those hedgehogs are too cute for words.I had lots of different thoughts about what I wanted to make and then, last week, I was asked for the millionth time...

Over on my Youtube channel today I shared a new tutorial to make this cute and fun Picnic Quilt!  I have had a great time collaborating with Organic Cotton Plus to make a few videos and I love how this one turned out!  Scroll down to get the PDF map of the quilt and print if you are here from Youtube This was an easy and fun quilt to make.  I loved ripping the FQs and then using their size to determine the size of the quilt.  It really made it...

Although I set out to make this Classic Bowling Bag sewing Pattern in black, I just couldn’t make myself do it.  I like a soft black leather bag from the department store, but if I am going to sew it, it has to be BRIGHT.  I am so glad I chose this gorgeous coral!  I love how it turned out with the buttery yellow thread. I made the tassels from some up cycled suede and used a saved pice of jewelry from a broken necklace for the brooch....

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...

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...

I have been making these pretty necklaces lately.  They are fast and simple!  The tutorial is featured on Sew Mama Sew today.  Head over and see how you can easily make your...

My 12 year old still likes a new binder cover made by me.  YAY!  She is finally over the lunch bag but still gets excited for this  I used the Notebook Slipcover Sewing Pattern of course.  On sale right now for only $5! We used the same binder from last year and picked out these very pretty new fabrics from Blend Fabrics.  The fabric line is called Season of Love.  Blend fabrics are always a pleasure to work with- their quality is so nice! Very...

I am so excited about my newest sewing pattern!  I have been thinking about making a fabric frame for years.  In fact, I made a version once to appear in a friend’s sewing book but we decided to do a different project instead.  That frame stuck in my head though and I actually knew that I could make a much better version.  Here is the result!   My sister in law, Jennifer Stein, is a great photographer and she is responsible for all...

At the end of this month I am sewing a couple of bags for one of my favorite fabric designers, Kelle Boyd of AnnKelle.  YAY!  She sent me 1 yard of this 108” wide remix yellow daisies which was WAY more than needed to make the bag she requested.   I thought it would be perfect to sew up a cute and summery vacation tote! This version has a twists I wanted to share.  I made the bag just like in the pattern describes but added a flap and...

Oh my goodness!  I love learning something new in spite of myself.  I often think I can’t take on new sewing skills since I am  busy enough with what I already know and can’t seem to accomplish the things I currently have on my plate.  It is frustrating to be bursting with projects you don’t have time to accomplish, right?  But when Caroline asked me to take her brand new Craftsy course as part of her blog hop, I knew I needed...

  The Art Caddy tote is one of my most popular patterns.  I created the tote to solve a problem in my house when the art supplies started getting out of hand and I was tired of picking them up all over the house.  I thought, how about a bag that the kids can haul around from room to room (since no one ever seemed to want to color in the same place twice) and they can store all their supplies in? I wanted it to stand up on it’s own...

This “Whatever the Weather” fabric is too cute!  I only have a few of these kits, so hurry over to the shop to get one today! The exterior of this crayon folio is pieced together to make a cute unique look.  Although many of you may have done this type of piecing before, I thought I would share the simple technique herejsut in case help is needed. Arrange the pieces on your work surface.  Your first step is to appliqué the weather...

Do you remember that cute Day Out Purse I made for Sew Mama Sew last year?  They were an extra project from Sewing to Sell that I was able to share.  I made some for the holiday craft shows I did back in November and Decmeber 2015. They were fun and quick to make.  Since they are 6” x 7”, you can use some of those bright and colorful FQs you have laying around.  Also- it’s a great chance to use up some of those trims you have...

You know those cute checkered pants I made for Miss M a few weeks ago?  I also made a 2nd pair in cute pale pink fabric with gold dots that I still have not shared.  Why? (you might be asking).  She absolutely refuses to wear them.  No amount of bribing will work.  But 2 year olds are fickle- I know eventually she will wear them and patience is needed.  I am a little frustrated though because I LOVE those pants!  And, I honestly feel a little...

My little miss is busting out of her clothes.  I forgot how fast they grow at this age!  She is so typically 2 year old stubborn though and squeezes herself into her old tight clothes.  I finally cleared out her drawers and now I am in the process of restocking.  Don’t get me wrong!  I am not making a totally handmade wardrobe!  I can’t handle that time commitment right now.  I CAN handle a few fun pieces mixed in though This is...

My oldest is traveling on her own to visit my parents this week.  She is going to get on the airplane here and my parents are going to pick her up in Atlanta a few hours later.  She is so excited and so nervous! A few years ago I made her a lovely yellow patchwork child size duffle.  But she is not a little girl anymore and she needed a piece of luggage that was more like the young lady she is going to become in the next few years.  THis is...

Honestly, my husband might have asked me to make him a backpack to take to work about 5 years ago.  FIVE YEARS!   But I still get the credit for finally making him one!  He rides his bike to work in the summer and need something to take his change of clothes in.  He is pleased to have his own Day Off Backpack (even though he will be using it for work days!).  The only one without a backpack now is my 7 year old son, so expect some cute boy...

Today is the second version of the my new sewing pattern- the Day Off Backpack!  It will go for sale on Monday, July 13th.  YAY! (pattern now avialble!  You can purchase here).I like the idea of having options for a pattern- being able to use the same basic principles, but then having extra feautures to change things up. I feel like clothing patterns do this all the time- but not so much bag and accessory patterns, right?  I feel like it opens...