I adore audiobooks. They kept me sane during my long Atlanta, and later Washington, DC, commutes. They were my traveling companions on long solo road trips. And they continue to allow me to combine my two favorite pastimes – reading and crafting. What I love most is when a book includes one of my hobbies.… Continue reading Listen to This – Make That
The Stitching Coach Playbook
Perks of Being a Stitchin’ Librarian
Being a librarian has its perks. One of those perks is that I get to see nearly finalized copies of books before they are published called a “galley” that librarians, booksellers, journalists and other influencers use to review and share with potential readers. Sometimes those books are sent to me as a tangible copy but,… Continue reading Perks of Being a Stitchin’ Librarian
Happy New (School) Year!
Many of my private students already have begun a new school year. My first day back is today and I joined my co-educators in a retreat to get ready for the new year. It will be great to see students later this week for orientation. Did you sew any back-to-school items for the littles in… Continue reading Happy New (School) Year!
When Quilting Gives You Scraps, Make Two Quilts
I advise a sewing club at the high school where I serve as the librarian. We get lots of donations from grandparents who are downsizing or people who just don’t have time for crafting. Shocking, I know. Every school year, I like to have a charity project I can work on with my students. So… Continue reading When Quilting Gives You Scraps, Make Two Quilts
UFOs in your craft room?
How many UFO sightings have you had in your craft space? Not little green aliens, but those UnFinished Objects you have tucked in drawers, stuffed in project bags and hidden under the guest bed. I refuse to be embarrassed by my numbers because, as I tell my students, grace over guilt. Life happens, am I… Continue reading UFOs in your craft room?
Fairest of the Faire
I love county fairs! More than the eccentric clog-an-artery foods and competitive animal demonstrations, my favorite part of fairs is the fiber arts competitions. Perfectly pieced patchwork quilts, granny square afghans and embroidered items that take your breath away. This week I downloaded my application form and it got me thinking, have you entered your… Continue reading Fairest of the Faire
These Projects Were Made For Traveling
If you are anything like me, you love to take sewing or knitting projects on vacation. For me, it began with my first love – embroidery. Easy to pack and small enough to stash in a backpack or beach bag, embroidery helped me to be more patient and slow down. Later I added hand quilting… Continue reading These Projects Were Made For Traveling
Happy National Tape Measure Day
In researching what I wanted to write about this week I stumbled upon something I didn’t know. Did you know that New Haven, Connecticut, resident Alvin J. Fellows patented a “spring-clip tape measure” in 1868? Who knew? Like me, you may have a cute version of this invention in your craft room or even a… Continue reading Happy National Tape Measure Day
7 Habits of Highly Effective Crafters
Ever since I transitioned from a hobbyist to a needle arts teacher, I have struggled with how to effectively manage my day job, personal life and The Stitching Coach. It’s been trial and error figuring out how to balance making gifts, class samples, completing personal passion projects and planning upcoming classes. As I researched and… Continue reading 7 Habits of Highly Effective Crafters
What’s in your playbook?
Learning is so much easier when we are young. You are surrounded by intelligent and trained adults who hand you a playbook in the form of lessons and textbooks that guide you to greater understanding. When we leave school we loose those mentors but there are still so many things to learn. How do we… Continue reading What’s in your playbook?