Gone Pattern Designin’

There’s good news and bad news. The good news is that I have found a mentor to help me get my pattern design business off the ground. She has given me a lot of ideas and information about how to do this and I am well on my way to getting my creations designed and ready for prime time.

Sewing Room Bed — "Bed" in the Sewing Room

The bad news is that in order to do focus on pattern design, I will be taking a brief vacation from my blog. I won’t be doing a lot of posts for the next 1 -2 months or so, but I will be posting photos here and there of what I am doing so you know that I am working hard.

My son recently built a “bed” for me in my sewing room closet since I spend so much time in there. He got all the blankets out of the linen closet and then added all his stuffed animals (so I have some company) to create this little nest. He likes going in there at the end of the day to take a break and enjoy looking at my fabric (a real chip off the old block 😉 ).

I’m excited about this new direction and looking forward to showing off what I’ve accomplished.

Keep it thimble!

Carry All Project Tote

Sew many things, sew little time! Sorry, it just had to be said – there are a lot of things going on in the next few months and I need to be better about managing my sewing and designing time. This is the year I really want to take a step forward with turning Keep It Thimble into something more than a blog – and I working over the past few months on some things that are helping in that regard.

One thing I am planning is to have three of my patterns written, tested, and published before the end of this year. The first pattern is called “Carry All Project Tote”. This is a working title, so if you have any title suggestions, please send them my way!

This tote was inspired by the popular L.L Bean tote bags, but with a twist (of course). My version features two exterior pockets, one in front of the other, and it also has a bit of the lining that peeks out on the top to form a nice contrasting edge. Another nice feature is that this tote is very sturdy and stiff so you can easily reach inside to get things without the bag flopping over. The dimensions are the perfect size for a few books, sewing supplies, and other project needs. It would also make an ideal library tote.

The pattern will be written up by the end of July and then it will be tested in August/September and ready for purchase in October – if all goes well. That may be an optimistic schedule, but I have to start somewhere don’t I?

In other news, the group involved in the Porch Sale had a meeting yesterday. We have expanded to about 17 vendors and should have a nice variety of things to offer. Mark your calendars for Oct 14th and 15th.

Keep it Thimble!

Free Pattern – Shaker Pincushion

The January Sewing Club pattern is finally ready! I was trying to think of something fun to kick off the new year and figured that any sewer can always use another pincushion. This one is nice because you have a place to store your thimble, thread and snips. I was inspired by something similar I saw at an antique store. Enjoy!

Click here to download a .pdf of the pattern. (1.6 MB)

Folded Patchwork Star

This is a folded patchwork star that is easy to make. These make great Christmas gifts and it’s a great way to use up some of your stash (to make room for new fabric). My grandmother showed me how to make these stars when I was little – I can still remember carefully looking through all the fabrics in her stash to pick the fabrics for the star I made. Once the star was completed, we got an old round cheese box, covered it in fabric, and sewed the star on top!

Buy Pattern – Sale! $2.99

The pattern is available for purchase in my shop. It contains step by step directions for creating the Folded Star, with photos showing the key steps. It has finishing instructions for both a fabric covered box and a table topper.

Radiant Folded Star Pattern — Radiant Folded Star and Covered Box

Keep it Thimble!

Vintage Apron

This is a fun little apron that goes together pretty quickly. This make a great gift, and it’s a good way to use up some of your stash! So without further ado, I present the Vintage Apron.

Free Pattern – Trick or Treat Bag

I am pleased to present the first project for KIT Sewing Club – a trick or treat bag I designed for my son! Please see the “Sewing Club” tab at the top of the page for more information on the club. You don’t have to join in order to enjoy this pattern.

Click here to view pattern.

Please send in a picture of your bag when it is completed and I will post it on the blog. I look forward to seeing what everyone makes! Please add a comment if you have any questions about the pattern.