Only four weeks away!

Our preparations for quiltmarket and our big product launch has us running like crazy! Everything is coming together, and today's photo shoot really felt great to get checked off the list. We'll have a couple more photoshoots in the coming week and a half and I look forward to sharing some pics!

For now, here's a little promo I put together with our booth number for market. This is the Anya pattern, which includes a tunic dress, shirt and shorts. As you can see, it's perfect for playtime!

For more information, or if you would like to make an appointment to see the line at market just shoot us an email via the send me a note link at the top of the page.

Sewing Summit 2012

I'm excited to announce today that I will be teaching at Sewing Summit this Fall in Salt Lake City, UT. The roster of teachers and speakers is amazing, and they are announcing more each week on the Sewing Summit blog.

I'd like to share a sneak peek of what we'll be making in my class...a new Green Bee Pattern that will launch this spring at Quiltmarket-The Ship Shape Tote!

This tote bag is simple in its construction and has a bold, modern look.

I can't wait to sew with friends new and old at Sewing Summit!

On other fronts, as you may have been able to tell from the crickets chiping on the blog I am BUSY BUSY BUSY getting ready for market and working on so many secret projects!!! You'll see an update here soon though about some of those secrets!

Happy Valentine's Day!

For a little Valentine's day sewing, or for any time of year, I created this free pattern!

Head over to Generation Q for a preview of the pattern and to download it FREE!

At the fair

I had a great time at the Craft Fair, and was shocked at how many people came through! I look forward to the next Porter Flea Craft Fair!

A HUGE thank you to Singer Sewing Machines for providing some of their 4423 model for people to try out! I love this little machine, such a great beginner's model, or one for someone that wants a mechanical machine that is portable and reliable.

The prep sewing for the fair was a blast! I even begged my hubs to help out and he sewed most of the coasters! I'm really pleased with the fabric combinations we came up with...some of which had a little Liberty of London in the mix.

I made Pincushion jar and strawberry kits...

And here's the table towards the end of the day... My mom made the amazing leather appliqued zipper pouches you see there! I'm nagging her to start an ETSY shop!

I sold a few small art pieces at the fair as well. I can't wait to get started on a new group of artworks after the new year. I've been focusing so much on the patterns and other secret projects, it will be nice to make some new art. Some of my current pieces are available over here in Anna's visiting artists boutique...

I'm excited about a workshop I'm teaching this weekend at STITCH, we're making last minute holiday gifts. Included are zipper pouches, pot holders, pillows, pincushion jars, and coasters much like the ones above! There will be holiday tunes blasting, lights twinkling, and fabric flying! I can't wait.

Shop STITCH and Green Bee Patterns this weekend!

Busy, busy bee!

I've been hard at work redesigning the pattern packaging and streamlining the branding for Green Bee Patterns. Also drafting new patterns for Spring release, writing, writing and more writing of instructions...finalizing the script for the video and some secret projects too!

See some variations of covers below...We landed on the layout in the lower photo. What do you think???

In addition to working on all of the Green Bee work I also went to Quiltmarket in October! The market is our industry trade show held every Fall in Houston TX! It was great to go with the mindset that we will have our very own Green Bee booth in the spring! I came home with so much inspiration.

I also shopped my husband, Rob Bancroft's, fabric designs around. He has been designing work for our collective Green Bee enterprise, and we are hoping to find a home for his awesome illustrations. I look forward to one day sewing up a storm with his fabric designs!!!! It was gratifying (and hard) work showing what you do to those who can really bear weight on what happens in your career! I am excited about the possibilities that seem to be opening up, more on that soon. In the coming months Rob will be a little more visible here and I hope to show some sneak peeks of his designs here and there.

The last two months have been such a whilrwind of work. It is gratifying work I am blessed and joyous to be able to do. (Okay, maybe except for long days full of pattern math!)

The Holiday season is here, and we find ourselves resting thankful in all of the blessings we have experienced this year. Especially after the rockiest start imaginable.

Floored

First, let me tell you a story about a girl that loves to sew. She didn't always love to sew, her mom tried to teach her with perfection as the goal, and it didn't take. But then one day, her mom let her borrow her machine, and she was free to make all of the mistakes in the world, and she did, but she stuck with it. Meanwhile, when it came time to think about careers, she thought she wanted to be a photographer, or an actress, or a painter, but those didn't take on their own. She was always back to the sewing machine. She worked here and tried other things. Coming from a most encouraging family of artists, she felt free to follow many creative pursuits. Then one day she and her hub, and two little dogs, moved to NYC, Brooklyn to be exact. There she was inspired to create and dream, and was encouraged along the way by this little shop. She began to see a way to create art that was truly her own, sewing and stitching and dyeing and drawing. Then she and her hubs realized, we could have a house and a yard and have the time and space to make art...if we were back in Nashville. So they packed up the pups and moved back down south. She worked with an amazing talent. She met some amazing people from all over the world. She and her hub often miss NYC but exciting things were beginning to happen in Nashville. They opened a sewing school. She helped out at this place, learned a lot, and met some amazing people. She had a show of her art at a gallery, and people actually bought the art. A friend invited her to sell her art. She started working on a secret project, actually, two. She began to dream up ideas of making sewing patterns and creating sewing videos. And then she tried this. And it was a big challenge, but she wanted to follow a dream. Then, all of the people helped. ALL of her people, both near and far, HELPED. And she saw her dream coming closer and closer. And then even MORE people helped. And her people that had already helped, they helped more. Like this, this, this, this and this too and then other things over here and here that were done by so, so, so, so many friends she couldn't even believe! Not to mention this list, which made her cry. Beautiful, wonderful tears of thankfulness and joy. Then she rolled up her sleeves, and got to work.

And the moral of the story is, do it. Whatever your IT is, pursue it with all of your might. You have gifts, use them.

I spent all weekend uttering the words "wow", "I can't believe it", and through happy tears "We did it!"

I can't wait to share this journey with you. And I plan to share every step of the way.

With gratitude in my heart.

More soon.

****Some of you have asked if you can still help, and the answer is yes! You can pledge at the same reward levels as I had over on Kickstarter, through paypal. E-mail me what you would like and I am happy to send you the info. On paypal I'm sakidesignspurses at yahoo dot com you can always just send the amount you wish and add in your reward request! See the rewards here.