I sewed for myself again this past weekend.

It's becoming a habit. And, a good one, at that.

This time around I went with one of Liesl Gibson's newly released Liesl & Co. patterns for women: the Everyday Skirt. I loved making this skirt! It was a breeze to sew and with only 5 pattern pieces, it was fast to cut out as well. Liesl does a great job of giving thorough step-by-step instructions with helpful diagrams for anything even the slightest bit tricky. I really like the design of the skirt - the side panels are not gathered so it makes the hips slimmer - WIN! Also, pockets! And these are not on the absolute side so there isn't any added bulk from them either. Fantastic. Also, the waistband has some interfacing in the front which makes it retain its shape even after sitting in it all day.

The back is elasticized which makes this a pull on and off skirt without closures. This allows you to fit it as needed, making it a cinch to get the sizing exactly right. And speaking of fit, the skirt is meant to sit right above the hips. Liesl recommends making the same size as you buy off the rack unless you want it to sit up at your natural waist. In that case, go a size smaller. That is exactly what I did, choosing a M over a L, and I am thrilled with the fit. Also, I didn't add any length like I normally do and think that if I had gone with the larger size, wearing it at my hips, I would have had to shorten it.

The fabric I chose is a Robert Kaufman chambray that I had in my stash. It has great drape and will be a good year-round skirt - I can wear it with flats or boots now, with tights as winter comes on and with sandals in the summer. I'm glad I went with a neutral and versatile fabric this time around, but I think that I will definitely delve into some patterns and prints for the next one.

I also think that those of us that sew for tweens/teens will find this to be a good pattern for their wardrobes as well. In a fun print with a few inches chopped off the length, this pattern is a no-brainer for both of my girls. I am actually trying to get Kate to sew it on her own (with a little guidance if necessary). I think she'd learn a lot (gathering, pockets, waistbands) and get a cute skirt to boot. I'll keep you posted.

Hello! I've got three things to cover today so I'm going to attack it list-style.

1. If you are reading in a reader, click over to see the BEAUTIFUL new blog design that happened over the weekend. Actually, it happened over the summer, with a lot of hard work by the talented Dorie Schwarz, but we (she) pushed the buttons to switch everything over on Friday afternoon. I love it so much and keep wondering why I didn't do it sooner. If you click on my picture, the about page is updated and housed at its new home - long overdue! A huge thanks to Dorie for making it happen and for dealing with very vague direction from me and still being able to design such a lovely product. You're the best, Dorie. Also, go check out the quilt she just finished. Amazing!

2. Along with the new design, there are new social media links. A Facebook page? Check. Twitter? Got that, too. Instagram? Yep. (It's a locked account, but as long as everything looks like it is on the up and up, I will accept your follow request). Pinterest? You know it. Flickr? It might be dead, but I'm still there. You get the idea...go like, follow, etc., for the most up-to-date news like shop updates, book stuff, and probably, a good dose of little tidbits, too.

3. The update on the SHOP UPDATE. The books are ready to go and the camera straps will be ready soon, so I'll start with those. How does Friday sound? Good? Good. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13 around 2:30 p.m. When it's live, I will announce it here, Twitter, Facebook and probably Instagram. Scrap bags and the fabric destash will be coming soon. Remember, I am happy to sign books if you'd like.

That's a wrap for today. Back soon.

I just completed my 2012 Project Life project.

What is Project Life? It's a scrapbooking system that is the brain child of Becky Higgins. For me, it's scrapbooking light. Take the photos, print the photos, journal a little and stick it all in a binder. You don't need a dozen different embellishments or really anything fancy at all. Just photos and words. And as someone who has boxes of photos that aren't in albums along with computer drives chock-full of digital photos, I wanted to have something concrete to look at, to hold in my hands and this system works for me. I have also never scrapbooked before in my life (yes, boxes and hard drives full of photos) and I love this project.

I began working on it in January of 2012 with the intention of documenting each week on a weekly basis. Sometime in April I stopped. Life got busy and something had to give and I guess that something was Project Life. My girls kept looking back at the first three, completed months of the years and asked when I was going to finish. I paged through the album and realized that I had to finish. Over the Christmas holidays, I spent the better part of two days culling through photos and uploading them to be printed. And then over the last two and a half months, I put it all together.

I've captured all our vacations and every day moments in one place. And while the layouts I did at the beginning of the year certainly had more detail and journalling than those that happened later, they all put a smile on my face. I have done a 365 photo project on Flickr for the past 5 years and while I adore that (and am still taking a photo every day), this has far more photos and moments captured than that project ever could. This is probably the best job at memory keeping I have done since, well, forever.

My 2013 album is empty and waiting for me to fill it. The supplies are at hand, the photos waiting to be uploaded. I'm anxious to get a start on this year and catch up to the present. I figure it shouldn't take me too long - maybe a few weeks. No matter. Did I mention that I love this project?

Back in the summer, I was contacted by Creativebug and asked if I wanted to take a look at their site and offer a giveaway on the blog. I immediately said yes! I had heard about the site and had been anxiously awaiting its launch. I knew this was going to be something that I would like and use, and I bet many of you will, too.

The premise behind Creativebug is simple. For a montly subscription fee, you get unlimited access to all of the art and craft workshops on the site. Let me repeat: UNLIMITED ACCESS TO ALL THE WORKSHOPS. Pretty amazing, huh? Even more amazing is the list of well-known and extremely talented instructors including some names that are probably familiar to you: Anna Maria Horner, Heather Ross, Natalie Chanin, Cal Patch, Liesl Gibson  - and these are just some of the seamstresses. The class list goes beyond needle and thread. There are also classes on paper crafts, jewelry, ceramics, knitting, crochet, entertaining and more. Really it is too much to list.

I was able to preview the site and was very impressed by the quality of the videos. I loved that I could pause or go back a bit to see something again if I needed to. Also, the vidoes are broken down into steps so it's easy to do one or two steps and come back later to finish the project. Perfect for someone like me that often has a half hour or hour to make instead of large blocks of time. And really, nothing beats seeing someone actually make something and explain it at the same time, does it?

I encourage you to go see what Creativebug is about and if you like it to subscribe. There are classes for everyone and I think it is so wonderful that there is this amazing educational resource for crafters and artists right at our fingertips. Plus, they are adding workshops every week! If there is something that you have been wanting to try, this is a great, low-cost way of learning that new skill from skilled artisans that you normally would not have access to. Amazing, if you ask me! 

Creativebug has generously offered a free one-month subscription to one of my readers. To enter your name in the hat, comment on this post and tell me what kind of classes you would like to see at Creativebug. If you are already a subscriber, tell me what classes you've taken. I'll keep the comments open until Thursday, September 27th at 8:00 p.m. EST and then choose one winner at random.

Good luck!

Claudia Miller recently asked me if I would take a look at her Craftsy class on sewing machines, Sewing Machine 911. I said yes and I'm so glad I did!

Claudia does a fantastic job showing and teaching what is what with sewing machines. From how to wind a bobbin and thread the machine to troubleshooting issues that come up while sewing and how to clean your machine, this class is a great for both new sewers and experienced ones alike. She covers drop-in bobbin machines and front loading ones as well so you know what to do no matter which kind of machine you have. The class is packed with useful information including a downloadable chart that helps with troubleshooting problems. My favorite part was machine hygene. Cleaning your sewing machine is a must and Claudia shows you just how easy it is. Another great thing about this class? It's FREE. What an incredible resource for no cost! I highly recommend that you check it out.

I am also a big fan of the Craftsy.com video classes. This is the second one I've taken and there are so many other great ones available - sewing, knitting, gardening, jewelry making and more! Their platform is easy to use - you can skip around to different lessons and you don't need to sit down and watch the entire class in one sitting. There is also an area for you to jot video notes - great for looking back on! And finally, you have the opportunity to ask questions which can be answered by the instructor and other Craftsy users.

Have any of you taken Claudia's class? Or other Craftsy classes? I'd love to know what you'd recommend too.

Just some shots from Sunday.

I'm here. More soon.

I'm anticipating the end of the school year by lining up portable projects for summer crafting. The girls finish 4th and 6th grades next Thursday (I know - time flies!) and are gearing up for a busy summer. I'll be driving to and fro, as well as waiting during practices (field hockey and swimming) and taking some road trips so handwork is definitely in order. I also like to have something to work on in the evenings, in front of the TV - if I don't, my hands are busy feeding my mouth food I do not need. So really, it's a diet necessity.

First up, I am super excited about Blair's granny square sampler along. I took her advice and saw what yarn I had on hand. I have a good variety of Cascade 220 in my yarn bin. I pulled out all the cool colors - blues, greens and purples along with the dark gray and cream. After a trip to the yarn store, I was able to add the aqua, lightest purple and light gray to the mix getting what you see above. The two greens on the right? Only one will make the final cut - I'm waiting to see what other greens I can get my hands on before I make a final decision. The light blue may also be on the chopping block. I'd rather find a lighter aqua. Fingers crossed that the second yarn shop will have what I am looking for and if not, I'll be turning to the internet.

Second, I've enrolled in Rachel's Handstitched Summer camp/class. I'm looking forward to working on some portable sewing projects. The previews on her blog are getting me itchy to start. I can just see myself stitching poolside. Really. I'm especially anxious to begin work on the Modern Medallion quilt. For this one, I see more warm colors - oranges, pinks, berries. I've started auditioning fabrics and I'm desperately trying to stick to the stash for this one, although I may need to add some solids and maybe a couple more colors. This is a good start, though - I'm happy where it's going.

What about you? Do you have big, or small, summer crafting plans? I'd love to hear about them. Do tell.

I'm not talking cows here. Although I do like cows. No, I'm talking MOO, the online printing business. A few weeks ago, they asked me if I'd be interested in taking a look at some of their products. I said yes. (And as a matter of full disclosure, the products were given to me for free, but the opinion of them is entirely my own.)

I knew that I wanted to try out MOO's stickers. I had seen the little bitty ones on someone's flickr stream awhile back and thought they looked fun. While I was at it, I decided to see what the big stickers were like as well as the business cards.

It was super easy to design my MOO products. Because they have a partnership with flickr, I was able to put my flickr photos on the stickers and cards. The best part is that you can choose 1 photo or many different ones. In the case of the StickerBook, there are 90 stickers and each can have a different photo on it if you wish. Cool, huh? The same goes with the rectangular stickers and the business cards - you have the option of one style or many. I love that! Of course, if you don't use flickr, you can still upload your own photos for MOO products.

The little stickers are little, but they pack a punch! The girls really like them. The book of 90 would be a great present for a kid or you could use a sheet or two per guest for a birthday party favor.

For the rectangular stickers, I chose to go with one photo for all 50. I thought that these would be cute on birthday cards or to attach a gift card to a handwritten note. The size is nice and the print quality is great, too.

My favorite product are the business cards. This surprised me. I was totally expecting to be wowed by the cuteness of the stickers, but these cards are awesome! They are great quality, heavy card stock. I set up my information in Illustrator, but you could just as easily fill out the pre-set forms on MOO. I chose a variety of different photos of my patchwork camera straps for the other side. I'm excited to stick these in the packages of the next batch of straps.

Overall, I was very impressed with MOO's products and their service. The turn around time was fast. They estimated it would take about 10 business days, but I ended up getting my order in about a week's time. Love that! I also love that they gave me a promo code to pass along. If you are interested in ordering from MOO, click on this link for 10% off your order. How's that for nice?

More information on MOO can be found here.