Cotton Schoolgirl Skirts

Whew! It's been a busy week or so. I finally found the time to post a little about what I've been up to.

I just finished a batch of these gathered waist little girls' skirts. They are cute and flouncy and ever-so-slightly bell shaped. They've all been listed in my etsy shop - Christmas ones too!

I think I would really like one. As in, for me. Grownups can be cute and flouncy too, right??

Square Knot Clutch Pattern available as PDF

Just wanted to do a quick post to let everyone know that my Square Knot Clutch pattern is now available in my etsy store as a PDF delivered via email! Previously I only had hard copy versions of this pattern [which are still hanging about in my etsy shop if you'd prefer that].

This is a really fun pattern that isn't as complicated as it looks. It's great for a beginner looking to try something more than a plain old drawstring bag or pillow. I taught this pattern as a class at the UCC, and some of the students had only taken Intro to Sewing, but everyone came away with a cute completed clutch.

And of course if you'd rather just get a clutch already made, I always have a selection of pre made clutches in my shop as well. Take a look!

Mod Hoots Baby Quilt No. 41 + I'm a Quilting Teacher!

Some exciting teaching news! I will be teaching a Modern Striped Baby Quilt class at The Urban Craft Center coming up in May. I can't wait to share my fierce love of sewing with a group of quilters-to-be. The UCC has all kinds of other great classes too so be sure to check out theirclass schedule.

This is a sample I stitched up to display in the store. The pattern is a really great and simple but versatile strip quilt pattern. It's not a color palette I usually go with, but I wanted to feature some of their current fabrics, and I have to say I like the results. My favorite fabric is the wayfarer fabric. I see a wayfarer tote bag in my future...

The sample is listed in my etsy store here if you're interested in purchasing!

Upcoming Square Knot Clutch Class at the UCC

Well, 2011 is in full swing. I hope everyone is tackling the resolutions they want to tackle and conveniently forgetting about the ones that aren't as fun.

I'll be starting off the new year by teaching a class at the Urban Craft Center. I finally finished writing a pattern for my Square Knot Clutch, and I'll be leading a two session class on how to make one. This is my first class as a guest teacher at the UCC, and I'm so excited! It will be on Thursdays, January 20 and 27, from 7-9pm. Check it out if you live in the LA area - you can sign up in the store or over the phone. Only basic sewing experience required!

If you don't live in the LA area, I do have hard copies of the pattern available in my etsy store. I experimented with running manila envelopes through my home printer and I must say I'm highly pleased with the results. They're such cute little chubby envelopes stuffed with goodness.

Maybe Fox wants to learn how to sew?

New Merch in the Etsy Store

I've taken a little departure from my characteristic manic quilting to make a few of these cute little Square Knot Clutches.

I will be writing up a pattern for these soon [hopefully].

They also just so happen to be the perfect size for a Kindle.

Does anyone else have a Kindle? I LOVE mine!

Visit my Etsy shop to take a look.

Ribbon Tie Wallet Pattern

My latest stint in the sewing room has turned out to be fairly productive. After a flurry of sewing and photoshopping, I've finally done something I've wanted to do for a while - design and write a pattern to sell in my Etsy shop.

It all started with an order from the website Spoonflower. I learned about Spoonflower a year ago while working at the Urban Craft Center. If you haven't heard about it, you absolutely need to check it out. As in, go there IMMEDIATELY after you read this post. On Spoonflower you can order fabric printed with your own design - all you have to do is upload an image, then use the website's special tools to set the size and repeat pattern. The best part about it is that there's no minimum order. For just five bucks you can order as little as an 8" square test swatch in fabrics ranging from regular cotton to cotton twill to sateen to lawn. If you're not the designing type, you can also shop designs that others have uploaded. There's a lot of really amazing stuff on there.

If you're at all observant, you've probably noticed that the owls on the wallet are actually Hootie the Owl from my banner. I was so excited when I ripped open the envelope and yanked my custom fabric out, I just had to make something out of it right away. [P.S. - you can now shop for Hootie the Owl fabric online here.]

I ended up sewing this cute little bifold wallet that [serendipitously] was the perfect size for my iPhone. I didn't want to mess around with buttonholes or snaps so I attached a ribbon to tie it all shut. I made a pdf with paper pieces to print and cut and illustrated directions. If there are any beginner sewers out there, or anyone that's rusty and looking to get back into sewing, this would be a great thing to try.

Check it out here!

Sleepy Unicorn

When I first learned to quilt it was by making the coin stacked pattern. The following weekend, for some reason, I went a little cutting crazy because I was so excited about my new hobby. I took all the fabric that I had and cut it up into 2.5" x 5" 'coins,' envisioning dozens of finished baby quilts shooting out of my machine.

Well, that proved to be rather foolish. I now have this shopping bag stuffed with probably hundreds of these coins [I'm telling you, I cut all weekend], all hacked down to a size that is fairly limiting. It is true that I will have to make dozens of these coin stacked quilts before I use them all up.

It is nice, though, to be able to reach into the bag for some coins and just start sewing without making a single cut. And I'm sure there are other patterns I can make with the pieces if I get a little creative...does anyone have any ideas?

This girly unicorn quilt (Sleepy Unicorn Baby Quilt No. 36) is the latest addition to my etsy shop. Check it out here!

Happy Honey Baby Quilt No. 35

I just finished listing my latest baby quilt in my etsy shop. It's the one that my cat was helping me with the other day...now it's ready for a loving home!

New Etsy Adds

Here are my two newest quilts I've put up on Etsy. I tried a new setup for the pictures...let me know what you think!

Newest Etsy...

I've been sewing up a storm lately...here are my newest Etsy wares! Check them out...

New Quilt on Etsy!

I've just listed my newest quilt on Etsy... the Peekaboo Owl Baby Quilt No. 30. Check it out!

Oriole Sachet

Today I was SO excited to discover a very happy email in my fox&hootie inbox.

The Mod Colonial baby quilt sold from my Etsy store!!!

This is my favorite quilt I've made so far. The Alexander Henry Birdseed fabric, the large oriole print in the center, is one of my most prized prints from my stash. 

I decided that for a little thank you, I would make a little lavender sachet out of it to include in the package with the quilt. Instead of doing a square, I thought it would be cool to sew around one of the birds in the pattern and make that the shape of the sachet. I had seen these adorable and easy little stuffed animals a little while ago, and they served as my inspiration.

All I did was fold the fabric in half, right sides together, and sew around one of the birds with about a .5" allowance. I cut it out, turned it inside out, filled it with lavender, then (slowly and carefully!) topstitched around the edge to close the opening and give it a nice finished look. It turned out so much cuter than a simple square, and it matches the quilt!

Maybe I should start selling these...

Etsy Add - Honey Bear Zippered Pouch

Finally, I have an item in my Etsy shop that isn't a quilt. It's a little zippered change pouch made with an Kokka fabric I absolutely LOVE, a vintagey cotton/linen blend covered with rows and rows of different honey jars and bottles. It's lined with yellow cotton and has a wristlet strap for easy grabbing and carrying. 

In other happy news, my quilts are now available to buy in two stores in the LA area. The first is The Urban Craft Center, the craft studio on Main St. in Santa Monica where I work (and where I got the delicious honey bear fabric!!). The second is European Equestrian, an upscale equestrian supply boutique in Malibu. Yes, both places are stores I either work in or used to work in. Purely coincidence...:]

The happy honey bears will be making an appearance on my next quilt. Check back for the post!