There is a new pattern from Colette Patterns called Laurel. What a fun pattern! It can be embellished and altered to meet your individual style. There is also a free downloadable booklet that includes nine other variations of the pattern! I LOVE IT!

In Denver? Come learn to make a lovely Laurel with me at Fancy Tiger this summer!

In preparation for one of my upcoming classes at Fancy Tiger this spring I whipped up this silk blouse. There is something about silk blouses that feels very old fashioned and feminine to me. Even in this geometric tribal print I feel like I am wearing something my grandmother would have worn to work. Paired with skinny jeans and some orange sandals for spring.

This pattern is from one of my FAVORITE sewing books: Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross.

I subscribe to only two magazines right now. One is BurdaStyle Magazine, which I love. The other is Mollie Makes. My heart beats a little faster when I find the latest issue in my mailbox! Issue 25 was no exception. The girls and I got started right away on some bunnies! It is spring break and we have a few days home to craft and pack for an upcoming epic adventure to Disney World!

Happy Spring. Happy Easter.

Spring sewing is in the air and I was rummaging through my stash and came across this lovely jersey. I wanted to make a summery maxi dress with it and after looking through my stack of patterns decided on this one. I pre-washed my fabric. Laid it all out and prepared the pattern. I began cutting out the skirt pieces when I realized that in my excitement I didn’t even check to see if I had enough fabric to make this dress. Well, after some swear words and deep breathing I decided to just whip up a maxi skirt with the two pieces I already cut out. A happy accident indeed!

I am a HUGE fan of Project Runway! In fact, I secretly dream of being a contestant. I don’t think I would ever make it, and if I did I don’t think I could handle it. However, it is fun to dream. In preparation for this dream I have been practicing drafting, designing and illustrating my fashions. I was completely inspired by a trip to NYC I took last fall and to Mood Designer Fabrics! I designed, drafted and stitched up this sweet skirt using some Jason Wu fabric I purchased at Mood. While I was there I also picked up some gorgeous Thakoon fabric and I made my first Sencha top. I love this pattern and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a comfortable blouse that fits great.

Jason and I have been planning a secret trip to Disney World for spring break this year. The girls don’t know! I can’t wait to see their faces when they find out! I whipped up this Socialite Dress for the trip. I love any dress with pockets and this one delivers. Plus it is great for layering under a cardigan if it gets chilly. We will be there on Easter, so it might just be my Easter dress. Yeah Spring!

February was a great month. Although Denver has not seen a hard winter I got to escape the chill and take a vacation with my two girls to Austin, Texas to visit my in-laws and spend two days at QuiltCon! The weather was warm. The show was great. The Quilts were AMAZING and the classes and lectures were inspiring! I even got to spend a day with Jay McCarroll making a patchwork skirt out of Center City fabric. I love all the fabric lines that Jay has designed and Center City might be my favorite. Meeting Jay was so much fun. He is adorable. Not to mention talented, kind and funny. I even went out for a margarita with him, his partner, some friends and the Fancy Tiger ladies. I was trying to be cool and not act like a dorky fan.
I sat in on some lectures too. One was with Amy Butler. She is one of the most inspiring women I know. She is a true artist and she shared her process in color selection that really had me feeling motivated to get creative and start designing my own fabric. You can see that lecture and more for FREE on the QuiltCon Lecture Series on Craftsy!

A photo tour of my trip to NYC.

Over the next seven months I will be traveling to NYC, Austin and Boulder for very inspirational and fun sewing adventures!

First up is the Heather Ross Weekend Sewing in New York City! I will be hitting the Big Apple with two of my fellow sewing instructors from Fancy Tiger. Of course there will be lots of sewing. However, I anticipate even more shopping, eating, drinking and girl talk on this weekend than sewing. We shall see!

In the new year and after all the holiday madness is over it is off to Austin, TX for QuiltCon! I am most excited about getting to meet Jay McCarroll and make a fun skirt with him.

In April, just after my 43rd birthday, I get to participate in the first Makerie Sewing Retreat. This takes place in Boulder, Co. just a short drive from my home in Denver. I am too excited for words and I can’t wait. Amy Butler will be there! Yes, Amy Butler. I know. I will be the dork in the front row. There is still room if you want to join me!

I am madly in love with Denyse Schmidt’s new collection for FreeSpirit Chicopee! I had to make myself a dress out of this print. I used Anna Maria Horner’s Socialite Dress pattern. The yoke on the dress is made from some luscious Yuwa fabric from Japan.

I spent a day at Fancy Tiger Crafts sewing with Anna Maria Horner. She is a peach. She is. She is sweet and beautiful. She is also talented and has an endless supply of snappy energy that I can’t explain. I can’t lie, I want to be her BFF.

A lovely group of crafters and Anna fans made Multi-Tasker Totes, which Anna said is her number one pattern. I can see why. It is fun to make and can hold everything and anything.

On a different note; peach season came early this summer to Denver. My grandmother’s peaches make wonderful jam! Here is to enjoying the final days of summer.