Designers to check out

Heather Bailey is a fabric designer worth checking out. Her blog, http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/heather_bailey/, talks about her fabric and her life. She also has a free headband pattern and baby bootie pattern as well as a tutorial on binding quilts. Check out the fabric headband directions under my FUN PROJECTS.

Amy Butler is someone I have been aware of for awhile. She designs fabric as well as sewing patterns. Check out her website at http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/mainmenu.php. She has lots of free patterns for quilts and sewing projects on her site!

Inspired

I am feeling so inspired. Today, I have added lots of wonderful links to my page to entice you to get crafty. I am realizing there are so many women out there who share the same interests and somehow find time to devote to completing creative projects, blogging about them, and often taking care of kids at the same time. So I know it can be done. Here are a few of my favorite new discoveries to check out:

http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/2007/04/quick_gifts_for.html
These are the cutest baby onesies. I want to make them for everyone now!

http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/
Mmm.. pretzels…

http://morganmoore.typepad.com/one_more_moore/
Love it!

http://losabia.wordpress.com/
She made the Purl frog (check out the pattern in my FUN PROJECTS)!

http://needlebook.blogspot.com/
I want to do the coaster project

http://allbuttonedup.typepad.com/
Isn’t that the most beautiful quilt on her page?

Ok, that should keep you busy for awhile.

New products at Michaels

I know we all have a love-hate relationship with Martha Stewart, but I have to admit, I love her website, her magazines, and all of her products. I often use http://www.marthastewart.com/ as a resource to get inspiration for birthday party themes, and other entertaining ideas. I discovered recently that Michaels craft stores now caries a line of Martha Stewart products that are really stylish and fun. The Michaels website gives a glimpse of the products as well as some ideas for how to use them. For Jane's second birthday, I used ideas from a Martha Stewart Kids cookbook to come up with the butterfly cupcakes and cookie-cutter sandwiches. The retro birthday banner is part of the new line from Michaels and looks very stylish if I do say so myself.

http://papercrafts.michaels.com/

Retro fabrics we love

One thing we all have in common is a love for reproductions of vintage fabrics, especially from the 30's. But where to find cool fabric outside of our favorite shop in Orem, Utah has proven problematic. I wanted to share an article featured on the CRAFT magazine blog about how to pick fabric online and which sites are best.

http://treefalldesign.typepad.com/tree_fall/2007/06/fabric_and_how_.html

I did find a good shop near me (in Orting, WA) that carries a lot of vintage and other beautiful fabrics. Here is there site as well http://www.thewildrosequiltshop.com/.

Hope this is helpful to you. Please share any other local shops you guys have found around Seattle, Portland and Provo.

Here I go...

Wow, who knew quilting and knitting and other old lady hobbies would become so hip? I discovered CRAFT magazine and have been checking out their blog and many other funky craft blogs and websites. I have a plethera of cool websites and blogs I want to share with you and figured my own blog would be the best way to do that. My intention is to start a forum for us to share crafty ideas, get tips and tricks from one another and show off our latest projects. So if you have quilting questions, want to find a cool local fabric shop or whatever, you can turn here. See where I'm going with this?