Happy New Year's Eve!

The quilt is all finished and is available for preview at Collage. It will be available for purchase at noon eastern time.

I received a new camera for Christmas and was really looking forward to a lot less struggle. So far it hasn't proven to be any easier, though it is a much nicer camera than I had previously (7.2 mega pixels vs 2 mega pixels). It has *so many* settings it makes my head spin. It has settings for splashing water, candlelight, text, faces, etc. Unfortunately it doesn't have a setting labeled "baby quilt" or "fabric".

I've been taking pictures for the past two and a half hours and have finally decided that those I've taken are good enough. There are many more pictures shown in the listing. Do they look ok to you?

It seems the camera has focussed well at the center but it gets sort of blurry toward the edges. Or have I been staring so long I can't see straight anymore?

What are your New Year's Eve plans? We'll be heading over the the in-law's like we do most years. They just live a couple blocks away...very convenient. I'll indulge in my yearly shrimp-fest. Though this year I'll be creating my own low-carb cocktail sauce so I can eat shrimp til I burst with little guilt attached. And, of course, we'll be banging pots and pans outside at midnight. I think I still love doing that as much as the children do!

Giveaway reminder!!

Just a little reminder about the big giveaway! If you're not in the know (or have forgotten) take a peek at this post!

I'm going to extend the deadline because I know of at least one person who has something in the works. And, well, I hadn't expected to be as busy as I was during the holiday season. And I still need to make the prize. So you've still got time to play!!

Let's extend it until Jan 10th. Plenty of time for all of us. :-)

A Sneak Peek!

We are stocking new items tomorrow at Collage!! Everything will be available for sale at noon (eastern) on New Year's Eve.



I'm not quite finished with my big project so it's not up for preview just yet. But I'll give you a little sneak peek. :-) I just need to stitch the back side of the binding and wash out the markings from quilting. So it'll be up for preview before long.



I've also snuck a few new things into the shop.

I hope you have all had a magical holiday!! I sure did!!

I'm still in awe!

Wishing all a Merry Christmas!!


Carol of the Bells - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.


Miracle from 34th Street - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.


Music Box Dancer - Holdman Christmas Display 2007 from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Let's take a drive...

...and look at Christmas lights.

(click below to see what I'm talking about)

OOOH! So pretty!

I laughed so hard I snorted.

Whoa!

The cutest EVER!

I admit, I have a bit of a *thing* for packaging. And I got something in the mail today that has me absolutely giddy!

Check out my new hand-carved rubber stamps from CraftPudding!! Aren't the great? I'm over-the-moon in love!

As you can tell, I haven't figured out what my standard layout will be. I'm having a blast playing though!

I'm also super impressed because the very thought of hand carving a stamp brings back traumatic memories of carving linoleum blocks with scary sharp gouging thingies in school.

And those necklace/earrings sets are all newly listed in the shop. I'm feeling much better today and had to play in some beads!

A new doll

I finished a doll today. Out of all the bazillion doll patterns I've made I didn't have one that was the proper size so I made a new one. I'm *loving* this pattern! The size (11.5" tall) and proportions just look so cute to me. Expect to see more made from this pattern in the future.



I'm *still* sick. Bleck! But I think today was the worst of it. I'm feeling better now than I did this afternoon. I'm giving myself tonight to finish wallowing in it.

Tomorrow I've got some Christmas decorating to do! Time to tranform the living room from a makeshift sewing studio into a Christmas wonderland!

And then, one of these days, I need to do some Christmas shopping! I am SO behind!!

Coming up for air

I've been wonderfully busy the past week. I wish I could keep my business going like this all year long!

Pictured is the order I got out today. I started working on it Thursday night. I got sick Friday. I am amazed at how slow-pokey I am when trying to create while sick.

All worked out great in the end though. I finished today (when I said I would ship) and even managed to get the package out to the mailbox before the mail carrier came by. That is *huge*! I saw on the news this morning that today is the busiest shipping day at the post office and the mere thought of having to stand in an insanely long line certainly got my sick self moving!

I've been asked if I'll have more items stocked in time for Christmas. No, I don't think so. I have one more order to complete (not a holiday order though). And then I really need to devote some time to my family's Christmas.

I'm severely behind on that front. My husband has picked up a lot of my slack around here lately. He's done dishes and laundry. But *holiday merriment* is totally my job and I need to get to it! I haven't bought one present yet. We don't have a Christmas tree yet. And there are a few things I'd like to make for my children.

I do, however, have a plan to make a certain number of bendy dolls every week this year. I should have a grand stockpile by next Christmas. They've always been popular. But this is the first year I really felt like I just wasn't keeping up with the demand. So I am taking steps to be better prepared next year.

Shop Talk

Even. More. Bendies. Added. Here.

I know I said I'm feeling twitchy to move beyond bendies. But people keep asking for more. And I can't say no. :-) So it's likely I'll keep making them until people stop buying them or it gets too late to mail them in time for Christmas. Whichever comes first.



I promise to better prepare for next Christmas. Had I known the whole China/recall toy thing was going to happen I would have started preparing Dec. 26th last year. I may just do that this year in preparation for next Christmas.

That is, actually, the plan. Seriously. :-)

Shop Talk

Just added a few more bendies to the shop.

I think I see the end of the bendy doll creating binge on the horizon. Well, except that I think my children will be receiving some this Christmas. But, other than that, I think it's nearly time for a quilty break.

My quilty fingers are feeling twitchy!

Shop Talk

New stock is available atCollage today. New items become available at noon (eastern time) but many are up for preview now.

All of my *Princess Nimble-Thimble* items can be seen *here*.

Yes, I did it. I made some needlebooks. I've been asked repeatedly to make some needlebooks for sale. I've been hesitant though. To be honest, they take so long to make that I've been concerned they'd end up being priced too high. Keeping my pricing reasonable is always a concern of mine. But then so is attention to detail. Finding balance between the two can be a challenge to say the least!

Since I've been asked about them so much recently I decided to make a couple and see how it goes. Perhaps there will be more in the future. I hope so. I just love making them!

Another quick shop update

I just stocked the shop with several bendy dolls (7, to be exact).

And I also added this picture to the Fairy Mail stationery sets because a friend of mine said that the picture online had her thinking they were much bigger than they are. They're pretty darn tiny. Small enough for oooh's and aaaah's and little squeals of delight. Yet, just barely big enough to actually write on. These sets are a bit tedious to make but so cute it had to be done. :-)

Today I'm working on something special to stock at Collage tomorrow. New items will be available at noon (eastern time, I think). Hint: working on un-twisting my arm. ;-)

Shop update

Just a quickie post before I hit the hay to say I *just* slipped a few bendy dolls onto the store shelves.

Edited at 6am because, well, that didn't last long. No worries. I'll be making more over the next few days. I probably won't be listing any today though as we're having friends over and I'll likely just be wrapping bodies in any spare time I find today. Watch for them over the weekend though. Or let me know if you'd like anything specific.

I also made up some Winter Holiday Fairy Mail stationery sets. I haven't put together these little sets in a while. I don't know why I've waited so long as they're so unbelievably sweet. (Well, maybe the fact that all those itty-bitty envelopes are a bit tedious to make had something to do with it!)

This is tiny stationery, intended for the correspondence of fairies and dolls. I can't even begin to tell you how fun this can be!

Isabelle's dolls are forever writing letters and sending cards. I've even found several fonts on the computer that will print really teensy so we can print out a lengthy letter and fit it inside a tiny (1" x 1.5") envelope.

Perhaps you know some dolls or fairies in need of some lovely winter holiday stationery?

Well I'm off to bed. Sweet dreams...

It's supposed to snow today. Maybe sleet mixed with now. We're hoping for all snow. I love how bright the light that comes in through the windows is so bright when there's a layer of snow on the ground. We can't count on a good snow every year here in St. Louis. We're often right on that dividing line between snow and rain, which usually results in sleet and ice. And while we do see our share of flurries, it's a big deal if we get enough snow to fully cover the grass. This little snow will almost certainly leave blades of grass still peeking through. But the kids will still have their faces pressed up to the windows, nonetheless.

I had a basket of oranges here that were rejected as snacks due to their sour taste. Hey, they were on sale! I had been planning to slice them and dry them but have taken my time getting around to it. Simmy's productivity has me inspired and I'm happy to say they're in the oven.



I finished this dollhouse family (adults are 4.5", children are 2.5") for an order. And I was going to say that I had just finished listing some bendy dolls in the shop but they've been swooped up as I've been typing this post. I do have a few more to finish up that I'll be listing sometime today so there will be more.

Now that I've slept enough to feel normal again, I'll explain a bit about what the whole Collage thing is all about.



I'll start off by saying I'll still have my etsy shop. The two shops serve different purposes and so I think there's a place for both.

To put it simply, the purpose of my etsy shop is to bring is a little extra to supplement my husband's income. While I enjoy creating things for that shop, I do aim for making things I that I think will sell. There are things I don't make because I fear they'd end up being priced beyond what someone would be willing to pay due to the time it would take to make that item. There are things I don't make because I think they'd only appeal to a select audience. And I don't think I have put the effort into finding that audience.



Collage is an interesting opportunity for me. By joining with other creative souls I'll be increasing the exposure of my offerings greatly. We all plan to offer *special* things at Collage. And I plan to offer things that I might normal not make with the intent to sell.



I'm going to allow myself to get as creative as I want. Oftentimes I hold back on some of the detail I'd like to put into something because I want to keep it's price down. I'm not going to worry about that sort of thing here.

Rather I'm going to create what I feel inspired to create. I'm going to work on things until I feel they're perfectly finished. And I'm going to create them as I see them in my mind's eye, without concern over whether something may seem odd or weird to some. Hopefully I'll find an audience that appreciates my art odd, weird stuff.



This angel, the "Angel of Virtue", is my first offering at Collage. When my husband first saw her he sighed and rolled his eyes a teensy bit. He does not appreciate the aged/stained look. He could not understand why I ruined what could have been a pretty doll with stains. He thinks I am insane to spend hours embroidering her dress only to scorch it in the oven. I know that many reading this are agreeing with him. That's ok.



I can't explain why she needs to be this way, but to me this is how she had to be. To me, she is perfect this way. I see personality is her that would not be there had she been all bright and pristine. The stains give her a sense of wisdom and a gentleness that would not be there otherwise.

I know this doesn't make sense to a lot of people. The upside is that I'm ok with knowing there's a chance that she may never sell. She's perfectly welcome to live here forever because I love her. To me, she's perfect.

And I'll pretend it doesn't bother me in the least if everyone doesn't see what I see. In truth, I do feel a little vunerable about this. But I know that it's my own insecurity showing and I'm trying hard to not let it factor in.

On another note, I've completely recovered from my night of no sleep and my house has recovered from my crazy weekend of crafting. So now I'm back to it. I am working on bendy dolls at the moment. Some for an order, some for the shop. So look for them soon, probably tomorrow.



And then I'm actually thinking of making some needlebooks to sell. I've been planning to create a tutorial but I've been asked about them so much lately that I think I may just make a few to sell as well. My arm has been sufficiently twisted. :-)

Today's the day!

In just a few hours Collage opens!!!

I've been up all night finishing that doll. I couldn't stop until she was *perfect*. So now that the sun is up, I'm off to bed.

But I wanted to remind you before I turn in!

The big announcement

Well, here's the big announcement. See that blue banner over to the left? Tomorrow at noon the new wahm-congo, Collage, kicks off. And I'm a part of it! I'm so excited to work as part of a group!!

This time of year gets crazy hectic for me so I haven't been able to do all that I would have liked for the launch, but I will have one special doll I've been working on. Here's a sneak peek. I've still got a bit of work to do on her before I can get her listed (though she has progressed quite a bit since I snapped that picture) so it's likely to be a late, late night around here.

(pssst...she's an angel and there's redwork involved....shhhh!)

On a roll

This was the state of my kitchen table over the past few days. My much anticipated bead order finally arrived and I got busy making earrings galore! My shop is now *fully* stocked with earrings. Seventy pairs to be exact.

I don't think I intended to make that many when I started but I tend to get lost in a pile of sparkly beads. Especially the Swarovski crystals. I could just twirl those fancy beads in front of a lamp and watch rainbows shoot out of them all day.



I was also on a bit of a roll with bendy dolls. I had an emergency order for twenty that had to get on their way to their destination as soon as possible. I had seven ready to go. And the other thirteen I made in one huge marathon session. Phew! I was so happy to get that box in the mail the next day. I didn't know I had it in me (though I hoped I did!).

And now, with that box on its way and my kitchen table (almost!) clear once again, I've got one last project to work on before a little break. Do you remember when I said I had a business announcement to make soon? I'll be back tonight with that announcement and a little sneak peek.

Bribery

I've got a scathingly brilliant idea! (Can anyone guess which of my favorite movies that line is from? Hint: It's from 1966.)

Ok, I'll start at the beginning. It's a little pouty and pathetic at the beginning but it get's better. So stick with me.

Remember this flickr group I began way back when I first started putting patterns and tutorials on my blog? Well, only dear dear Bettsi came to play with me. And I get a little sad about it every once in a while because there's nothing I love more than a crafty party. And if it weren't for Bettsi it would be my 14th birthday party all over again (that's the one that no one showed up for).

Do you hear the violins playing their melancholy tune? Good. Then the stage is set for the good part.

A giveaway!!! (I just sort of blurted that out, huh? Perhaps I didn't need so much build up if I was going to do that!)

The rules: If you use one of those patterns or tutorials over there in the left sidebar between now and Christmas and share a picture at the flickr group, you're name will go in the hat. Don't forget the .pdf patterns. They count too! And feel free to modify them to your needs. It's all good!

I don't know what the prize will be, but it'll be good. OOOH!!!! (yes, I stopped typing to flap my hands in that happy-excited sort of way!) I do know what it will be!!! And it is good!!! But let me make it first, then I'll show you. I'll give a hint though: it's quilty!

I'll be completely honest, too. Pouting about how no one (except for Bettsi!) would come play with me wasn't really what inspired this idea. Actually it came to mind because Christmas is on a strict budget here this year. And I know it is for lots of other people too. We're planning lots of handmade gifts. And I was thinking that perhaps those patterns and tutorials might prove handy for the holidays. Especially since I'm always happy to help if you get a little stuck along the way!

So get to crafting! And then come show me!!!! The drawing will be on New Year's Day (since that's always such a boring, do-nothing day.)

Oh, and if you have already made something and would like to share a picture that counts too. Everyone's invited to the party.

Just another Tuesday

"Another Tuesday" as in I'm finally getting to the stuff I'd planned to start on yesterday! But somebody had to do some housework around here. Turns out my middle name is Somebody.

Gearing up for a change of pace around here...new projects ready to go!

Thought I'd share a few things I'm loving these days:

1. This sweet gingerbread house to decorate online. (Thanks, Jenny!!)

2. This amazingly beautiful dress makes my heart all fluttery! And, yes, I need the pantaloons too! I wish she had the pattern available NOW. But it's definitely good motivation for the diet as I'm not so sure it would be quite as adorable on my body as it is on her body.


3. New, blue glasses that are fun and were very, very affordable. Please pardon the bizarre expression on my face. Self portraiture is not one of my talents.

a busy, busy day

(It's definitely worth the effort to click that picture and make it bigger. The sparkle shows up much better)

The Annie twins now have finished Christmas outfits. Well, all except my Annie needs her wings still. I ran out of pre-stained fabric.

And speaking of pre-stained fabric...

I was asked for a tutorial on how I stain fabric for that "prim" (aka primitive, but cuter) look. Ask and you shall receive!

Another question I was recently asked (but I couldn't reply via email so everyone gets the answer) was if I am taking orders for next Christmas.

And then I realized I wasn't very clear when I posted this.

Because, really, I'm pretty caught up right now. Unbelievable, but true. I'm busy for the next 5-7 days. But then I'm done. At the end of my list.

Now if I were to begin something big, like a nativity set, it would be 10-ish days before I finished. And then by the time it got to wherever it was going, it would almost be Christmas.

So it seems sort of late to me for something like that. Because I know *I* would want something like that by the day after Thanksgiving at the latest. Maybe I'm a spaz about stuff like that though. I'm willing to admit. A little.

Bottom line is that I am still accepting orders. Most orders I can guarantee in time for Christmas. And if I were at the point where I had reached my limit, I'd say. But we're not there yet.

However, something big, like a complete nativity set, I'm not sure I can have finished in time for Christmas. I'd try (hard!). But I can't promise. But if that's ok, I'd happily accept your order.

Click to download my Doll/Animal price list (opens in Adobe Acrobat). (There is no charge for baby Jesus with a nativity set).

Oh, I was also asked about a back view of this quilt. You know I love those backs! But I didn't take a picture of this one because I used a small floral print with a green backround. And I can't get my camera to show the stitching. If you really want to see you'll just have to come by for a peek (and tea and snackies, of course!).

And did you see who left a comment on that quilt's post? The lady who designed the fabric! ACK! Do you think she noticed how badly I messed up the layout of those squares? I managed a couple big mistakes in laying out 16 whole squares. Yes, I did.

I was in such a hurry to get to the quilting that I did a very poor job laying them out. I assumed no one would look that closely. I could be wrong though. I'm so embarrassed!

WIP: Angel outfits

They're coming along nicely. Two dresses finished (one without mistakes...guess which I'm keeping!). One set of angel wings sewn and awaiting quilting. Everything has been coffee-stained and baked. And two stuffed stars to embroidery and sew. I'm working on the embroidery right now.

I did have some boy bendies for the shop but a spill left them all damp and root beer-scented. Maybe this is how my children tell me they'd like some bendies to keep.

My bead order STILL has not come. It's making me crazy as that package is full of Swarovski crystal love!

In a nutshell...

Finished a Peter Pan bendy set for an order.

Caught a cold (bleck!).

Gotta go to the grocery store (bleck again!).

Working on Christmas Annie outfits.

Added more bendies (girls)to the shop.

Making some boys tonight.

Bead order has NOT arrived YET (grrrr!).

That is all.

Bendy Heaven

The Hittys are finished! I think I may have to make some more of these at some point. I just love them. Even if no one was ever interested in purchasing one I'd be perfectly happy keeping them all for myself. However these girlies were a special request by someone who has 4 daughter who each needed their very own mini-Hitty.

If you're not familiar with bendy dolls they might seem a little too plain...too simple. Let me tell you, in real life they're magical. At least I think so (and have since the very first time I laid eyes on one!). You just can't truly appreciate the scale of them until you've held one (or four!) in the palm of your hand. I've probably made near 1000 of these little dolls over the years and they still delight me.

I also made a few non-Hitty bendies today for the shop.

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with pictures of the Annie twins Christmas outfits. And hopefully my bead order will arrive so I can make all sorts of new sparkly earrings and such over the holiday weekend!

Answering a question

I just wanted to answer a question left as a comment to my last post as I couldn't reply via email. I shouldn't have been so vague and I don't want to leave anyone wondering.

So the question was if I would be offering the nativity (or another) for sale in my shop.

My answer:

The nativity was a special order for a friend. At this time I don't have plans to make any for my store.

If I were to put it on my list, I'm afraid it would be mid-December by the time I got to it. Probably too late for this season.

I got a very late start on holiday business sewing this year. I will definitely do better next year. :)

And, just for fun...Are you a child of the 80's? I am!

You Are 92% A Child of the 80s

There's hardly a moment of the 80s that you missed out on. Was there ever a better decade? As if!

Are You a Child of an 80s?

Nativity finished. Baking not finished.

Yesterday's baking day was going along fine and dandy until I ran out of eggs. Uh-oh. Someone dropped the ball on that. Yes, me.

Oh well, we got 5 loaves of bread, 2 pans of pumpkin bread, and the cranberry and banana bread I had already mentioned. Check the recipe category in my sidebar for those recipes. I followed the pumpkin bread recipe for the cranberry bread. I just substituted a can of whole berry cranberry sauce for the pumpkin.



We'll be doing some baking tonight too. Only this time it's going to be cheesecake and pumpkin pies. Mason is thrilled. Those are his two favorites. And they're soft e that his hanging-on-by-a-thread tooth won't even interfere with his enjoyment.

And I have plans to concoct a diet-friendly dessert for myself. I have some fat-free cream cheese, a package of sugar-free cheesecake-flavored pudding, and pumpkin. Hopefully it works. Because cheesecake and pumpkin pie are my favorites too.



The nativity set is finished and will be off in the mail today. If you're interested, there are more detailed pictures here.

Up next on the crafting agenda: mini bendy Hitty dolls and Christmas ensembles for the Annie twins.

A day of baking and stitching

Today is going to be a *big* baking day. I did this two weeks ago (spent about 5 hours baking) and it worked really well. Everything lasted just about 2 weeks. And it was so handy to just keep pulling stuff out of the freezer. So I'm doing it again.



I just pulled 2 loaves of banana bread and 2 loaves of cranberry bread from the oven. I've got about 5-6 loaves of whole grain bread rising. And I plan to make pumpkin bread, granola, and possibly cookies but the time the day's through.



Today's stitching project is to finish the nativity set...or come as close to it as humanly possible. The angel is finished. And all the other bodies are ready to be dressed and finished. So it could happen.





The animals, however, are finshed. The camel and donkey are both 4" tall. The cow is 3.25" tall. And the sheep is 2.5" tall. I'm in the midst of embroidering a blanket for the camel's back.

Hopefully I'll be back to post tonight about successes in both baking and stitching.

Dragons!

Dragons have arrived in my shop. They're made of wool felt, some of which I've dyed myself, and stuffed with wool. They're 6" tall.



I haven't made dragons in a while. Unfortunately they just take too long to make and making them isn't as profitable as it should be. They are one of my more requested items at holiday time though so I made a few assembly-line style to shave off a little construction time.

I have to admit, this dragon is one design that came out exactly as I intended. And I love that!



When I was first asked to create a dragon I was a little torn. I have issues with fierce/mean/fighting toys and I wasn't so sure I wanted to create a fire-breathing killer. But then I thought of all the sweet, not-so-fierce dragons in storybooks and decided that I would make a dragon if I could manage one that looked kind and playful...like a puppy ready to pounce. And, somehow, I think I actually managed to do just that. At least that's what I see when I look at them.



Over the next few days I'll be finishing a nativity set I'm making with large-sized bendy dolls and felt animals. And then I plan to spend a little time on restocking my shop with new earrings and perhaps a few necklaces. I'm just waiting for my bead order to arrive! It's shipped so I know it will be here soon. And then it will be time to work on some surprises for the new business secret I'll soon be revealing.

Busy, busy!! And I totally *love* it!

little quilt

The last time I placed an order with the Fat Quarter Shop I picked up the charm pack of this collection since it was on sale. I like this collection because it's Christmasy yet not only good for Christmas, if you know what I mean.

I finished this a couple weeks ago but just now got around to taking a picture. The charm pack only consisted of these 16 squares so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to do a simple patchwork and play with freehand fans a la Tonya. I loved it! I just pulled out one of my handy-dandy double-ended water/air soluble markers (I used the purple air soluble end) and drew a couple arches at a time and stitched them. Right up my alley.

I'll definitely be doing this sort of quilting again. I love how it looked after being washed. I have a feeling it might be a bit labor intensive on a quilt larger than 17" square (which this little quilt is) but it was totally fun.

On another note, I've been having such a hard time keeping up with all the blogs I love to visit. I took the plunge and signed up with Bloglines. Wow! What a huge help that is!! Wish I had done that sooner!

Also, thank you, all, so much for all your support regarding my book dream. One day...

Weekend plans and secrets revealed

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend so far! We're having gorgeous autumn weather with temperatures in the low 60s. It's that kind of weather that makes you want to open the windows and scrub the house shiny.

There won't be too much scrubbing going on here this weekend. The bare minimum, actually. Instead there will be lots and lots of stitching. I've got some orders to work on (I just sent off the order pictured) and a few more things to finish up for my etsy shop.

Also, weekends have become baking time around here. Last Sunday I baked myself silly: 3 loaves of whole grain bread, 3 loaves of pumpkin bread, 5 dozen muffins, 3 dozen mini muffins, and a pan of weird brownies that ended up crumbled in some banana muffins. The freezer is still well stocked except for bread. I'll need to make more tomorrow.

Speaking of bread, I finally found (thanks to a net-friend's recommendation) the *perfect* whole grain bread recipe. It's the best ever, I think. Soft and spongy. Totally worth the little bit of extra work.

On another note, I'd like to chat a bit about my patterns. I'm often asked about my patterns for things you may see throughout my blog that I don't have listed over there in my free patterns and tutorials. Please know if the rambling I'm about to do doesn't answer a question you may have, just ask. I'm not bringing it up because I don't want to be asked. Rather I'm bringing it up because I'm asked so much that I can only assume there are many people who are wondering but haven't asked.

So here's the deal- Some patterns are pretty easy for my to create and explain. I love sharing and these patterns are the perfect thing for me to share.

But I haven't shared them all. And the biggest reason for that is that I have this (silly?) dream of one day writing a crafty book. Or at the very least making some patterns available for sale. Also, many of my patterns are in a very rough state. Some are literally cut up sketches and nothing more. There's a lot of work that would need to go into some before they were presentable.

The book thing is the big dream though. Unfortunately I haven't the slightest clue how to go about pursuing this dream.

I'd also have to figure out how to present them more professionally first. Handwritten, hand-drawn scans are fine for here (though I'd like nicer here too), but not good enough for *the big dream*.

So, anyway, that's why I have a stash of patterns that I haven't shared. I want to be prepared just in case my secret big dream should ever have the chance to become a reality.

New goodies!

Available at my etsy shop

Just a fly-by post :)

More finishes

I finished this little quilt (15" square) the other day. The last of the autumn themed projects. Which makes me a little sad. Autumn is my favorite, you know.



I also whipped up this redwork heart using a free pattern from Angela at The Country Cellar. Thanks, Angela!!

Finally, I need to answer a couple questions left in the comments of my "Socks are not for feet" post (some people do not have "show my email" checked in their blogger profile...hint, hint...and cannot be replied to through email)

Yes, I have more sock dolls coming. :) I only have supplies enough for around 15 more dolls...one or two of most sock options. So if you are hoping for something specific, please email me ( PrincessNimbleThimble AT gmail DOT com ) and let me know. I'll happily make what you need as long as I still have the supplies on hand.

As for bendy dolls: I'm working on some right now. So, same thing. Email me if you would like something specific. Or, if you prefer to choose from an assortment, there will be some available very soon. It will be in the next day or so. I'll definitely be posting here when they're available.

I've also got some business news beans to spill soon! Something exciting is brewing!!