Jo Connolly

I think That I Shall Never See...

2012-03-13T12:04:00.001-04:00

How can one tree provide so much entertainment? I don't know...it just can. :) This post proves it. So does this one. I call it "my tree", but it really belongs to my neighbor on the street behind us. And I haven't told them yet how much I appreciate their tree. I guess it's time to send them the links. :)

Aprons Aplenty!!

2012-03-09T11:48:00.004-05:00

This past Christmas was the first in many years that I had made up my mind to sew gifts and followed through with that decision. And I had a blast! I made aprons for my sister and 4 sisters-in-law. They really liked them! Instead of making a pattern, I used one from the book "More Retro Aprons" by Cindy Taylor Oates and modified the pocket of style B by making it bigger and lowering it to the waist. I also left out the darts because I was a little lazy but in hind site, wish I had used them. Sewing for a living sometimes makes sewing more "business" than "pleasure" but this project was just fun for fun's sake! Here's what I ended up with:

My Tree

2012-03-09T11:12:00.001-05:00

I know I've posted about this before, but I just can't help myself. I get to see this everyday and it changes all the time. I know my appreciation of a pine tree might seem odd, but it's become a touchstone I can look at anytime and then I think "it's all good". I can see it from my kitchen window and my studio (read: basement room with 2X4 studs & insulation) window. I know...wacky. :)

Just In Time For Spring Sewing...

2012-03-09T10:17:00.001-05:00

Just in time for Spring -- "Her Highness" -- will have your little Princess jumping for joy!! Garden of Daisies March Sale continues, so now is the perfect time to stock up!! You get 2 FREE Shamrock Appliques with any purchase all month.
Happy stitching!!

Get Sewing For Spring!!

2012-03-02T09:29:00.001-05:00

It's time to get sewing for Spring! There are lots of great designs to add to all your springy projects. Lots of great giftable ideas, too! With any purchase, you'll receive 2 free Shamrock applique files -- 2" & 3" sizes to help you get your green on. Happy stitching!!

What Inspires You?

2012-03-01T17:02:00.000-05:00

For me, one of the things at the top of that list is fabric. The way I see it, there are very few things that a good fabric stash can't cure. Boredom, the blues...all gone when you're in the presence of a good stash. Just to look at it is to be inspired. It's hard to pinpoint what attributes inspire me most -- I think it's a combination. Color, texture, pattern, feel and even smell all speak to me of the inherent potential in a pile of cloth. Although I am not really a quilter, quilting cottons are what I use most in my embroidery and sewing projects, so quilt fabric shops are my favorites. A well-stocked quilt shop is like a candy store to me. I'll have a little of this one and a little of that one... In no time, my stash can be filled out so well that projects can be started at any given moment.

I am lucky enough to have a little place in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and had to make my stash "portable". Since most of my projects are pretty small, I cut a fat quarter from many of my fabrics and have them in two plastic totes that I can pop in the back of my car when heading north. That way, I'm ready to go when inspiration strikes. I am lucky, too, that one of the biggest and most popular quilt shops is the USA -- Keepsake Quilting -- is on my route to the mountains. It has become a regular stop coming and going.

I've also made it my mission to find all the independent fabric retailers within driving distance of my house and my little place up north. I found a great shop in Salem New Hampshire -- Pine Tree Quilt Shop -- that has already been added to my "must visit again" list. I'll keep you posted on what else I find.

Happy stitching!!

I Am Embarrassed To Admit...

2012-02-18T10:05:00.002-05:00

...that although I have been an avid and eager (read: addicted) collector (hoarder?) of printed cotton fabrics for many years, I somehow missed two wonderful fabric shops within easy driving distance of where I live. The first is about a 6 minute drive. How could I not know they were there??

Quilters Common, at 364 Main Street in Wakefield, MA, offers a HUGE selection of gorgeous, colorful fabrics: designer, traditional, batiks, kids, etc., lots of tools and supplies, as well as patterns and books. The owners Collette Emelian and Antoinette Evans, who are sisters, are friendly and fun, and if you want to take your coat off and poke around, they are happy to let you. Pull around back -- the entrance is near the parking lot. Visit today and prepare to be inspired!

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The other great shop I found is Quilter's Way, at 75 Commonwealth Ave. in Concord, MA. Owner Jane Barnett offers colorful, designer fabrics, notions, patterns, pre-cuts and more. Their innovative, online "Kit Designer" allows quilters to pair patterns with their own fabric choices for creative, one-of-a-kind projects. Classes and studio time are available so you can hang out with other like-minded souls who understand the appeal of great fabric. :) Visit them in person or online -- you won't be disappointed!

How I missed these two gems is beyond me. I guess I'll have to chalk it up to my head being filled with "so many projects and so little time".

You Can Make This!

2012-02-17T12:42:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to have my patterns available now through YouCanMakeThis.com!! Sisters Kim Christopherson & Kris Thurgood of the DIY Dish offer designers/patternmakers a bright and cheerful showcase to highlight fun and creative patterns.

More patterns to come!!

Show & Share

2012-02-13T13:10:00.001-05:00

It's so much fun to see customer's creations!! Bonnie N. sent me a picture of her "Button Basket" project. I love her fabric choices and the fabric flower punctuates it perfectly! There are so many uses for these little baskets. They're great for organizing any little stash that needs controlling. They're quick and easy to make, requiring only basic sewing skills. Stitch up a whole bunch!

Thanks for sharing, Bonnie!

Oregon Patch Works

2012-02-10T08:34:00.000-05:00

I've been a commercial embroiderer for 13 years now. I started out by embroidering and making Irish step dancing competition dresses. Through that, I found out how much I love designing for embroiderers and with the help of Oregon Patch Works Embroidery Designs Mall, I've been able to get my work out there and connect with others that share my passion for embroidery. Jackie, OPW's developer and owner, makes sure that customers are 100% satisfied. Over 100 designers offer creative and exciting designs including fonts, applique, in-the-hoop and free-standing-lace designs, quilt blocks and much, much more. There's something new everyday so visit often.

Button Basket Pattern Ready!!

2012-02-05T18:28:00.001-05:00

Seedlings Sewing Patterns newest pattern -- Button Basket -- is ready!! This little charmer keeps all your teeny tiny things together in one spot. They are quick and easy to make, so you can make a bunch. Great as gifts, too!! The pattern also includes the "Happy Puffy Flowers" pattern so you can embellish the basket -- or anything you like!!

Ruffle Skirt Tutorial

2012-02-04T18:35:00.002-05:00

This is a quick-and-easy skirt to make. It is sized for a 9-month-old with a 17" waist. You can customize it to the size you need by determing the waist measurement you need and the length you want and adjusting the main rectangle accordingly. This one is paired with a dollar-store snap-crotch t-shirt with a machine embroidered lady bug applique and neckline bow added to it. A quick and cheap outfit that doesn't look it at all!!

Ruffle Skirt:

Materials:

One 7.75” X 35” rectangle of printed cotton for skirt

Two 3” X 35” strips of coordinating printed cotton for ruffle

1/2 yard of 1/2" elastic

1: Edge finish all edges of rectangle by serging, pinking, or zig-zag edge-stitching.
2: With right sides together, stitch short ends of rectangle together using a ½” seam allowance.
3: Press down 1” around top edge and press up ¾” around bottom edge.
4: Topstitch bottom edge in place ½” from fold.
5: Topstitch around top edge 1/8” from fold. Topstitch again ¾” from fold, forming the casing. Leave 2” unstitched for elastic insertion.
6: With right sides together, stitch the ruffle strips together at the short ends, using a ¼” seam allowance.
7: Edge-finish both long edges of the ruffle by serging, using a narrow, rolled hem foot on a conventional sewing machine or serger or by pressing the edges into a narrow hem and topstitching.
8: Run 2 rows of gathering stitches around the ruffle ¾” from edge. Gather ruffle to same width as hem edge of skirt. Distribute ruffle evenly.
9: Place gathering stitches of ruffle on top of topstitching at hem edge of skirt and topstitch ruffle in place, using a zig-zag stitch.
10: Insert elastic in casing. Overlap the end 1” and stitch together. Topstitch casing closed.

Lady Bug machine embroidery apploique design is available at

Garden of Daisies Embroidery.

http://www.oregonpatchworks.com/items.php?did=63544&pid=136711

Some Fabric Favorites

2012-02-04T11:25:00.000-05:00

Fabric is the medium I work in. To say I'm like a kid in a candy store when I'm fabric shopping is an understatement. Shopping in person is best -- the sight, smell and feel of fabric are heady and intoxicating. But shopping online has its place, too. I live in New England and when the weather isn't cooperating, browsing on my laptop is a worthy alternative.

What are appealing to me right now are rose-y, spring-y prints. Some of these may have been out for a while, but they deserve a mention for their happy, cheerful demeanor.

Pam Kitty Morning by Lake House Dry Goods

Flower Sugar by Lecien

Rose Parade by Moda

Sugar Hill by Tanya Whelan for Free Spirit

Sweet Shoppe by Michelle D"Amore for Benartex

I love sweet florals like these and had fun using Sweet Shoppe (above) to create this little "Button Basket".

Sweet Valentines Sale at OPW

2012-02-03T19:09:00.003-05:00

Garden of Daisies is part of OPW's 3-Day Sweet Valentine's Sale.
Over 70 vendors are each offering one set at 75% Off!!

3 Days Only -- 2/3, 2/4 & 2/5

Garden of Daisies is offering "Heart Banner" just in time for Valentine's Day. This in-the-hoop project makes a quick-and-easy holiday decoration or gift.

You have to shop from the special "sale" page for great savings:
http://www.oregonpatchworks.com/items.php?did=137311&pid=137561

See all vendors' specials here:
http://www.oregonpatchworks.com/collections.php?id=OPWV

Happy stitching!!
JoAnn :)

Seedlings Sewing Patterns are at Craftsy!!

2012-02-03T16:04:00.000-05:00

Seedlings Sewing Patterns are now available through Craftsy!! Craftsy also offers lots of great online classes and workshops and a showcase for you to "show and share" your projects. Check it out!!

I Wouldn't, But...

2012-01-31T18:38:00.004-05:00

My 21-year-old daughter has three tattoos. I admit that when I saw the first one, I was devestated. I felt somehow that my baby was marred forever...which in some ways is true. It was no easier with the subsequent two and if she ever chooses to get another (more than one?), I'm pretty sure of how I will react. That being said, those tattoos and her choice to get them, are a part of who she is -- a sweet, funny, sunny, independent, expressive and 'bohemian' young woman. If she had been around in the 70s, she would have been a quintessential hippie. I love her more than I can say -- tattoos and all. If she had to get them, the one thing I can be thankful for is that the artist was magnificently talented and from a purely "art" perspective, the art itself is lovely. :)
So, okay...I wouldn't...but if...just if...I were to get a tattoo, this would be it:

It is on the cover of one of the books in my vast collection of vintage sewing books.

It is only 1 1/2" high and 5/8" wide.

Here is the full cover of the book:

It is called "Essentials of Sewing", written by Rosamond C. Cook in 1924. I love my vintage sewing books. I especially love the illustrations. The books inspire me in so many ways, but this is one way I never expected. I'm pretty sure I won't follow through, but I did make the mistake of telling a few people, including my daughter, about this illustration and what I thought it could be used as. I have to admit though, as a 54 year-old mom of two grown, young women, the thought of it makes me smile just a little.

CraftGossip.com

2012-01-28T11:58:00.001-05:00

CraftGossip.com featured "Happy Puffy Flowers" FREE pattern today!!
Thank you, CraftGossip!!

Finally on Facebook

2012-01-27T10:50:00.001-05:00

I finally got a "Page" up and running on Facebook. I'm still new at trying to share my love of sewing online, but I'm learning something new each day. And that's all that counts...right? If you visit my page, please "Like" it if you do -- like it, that is.
Happy stitching!!

Button Basket...Coming Soon!!

2012-01-26T13:25:00.000-05:00

I've been working on my next Seedlings Sewing Patterns and have to put on the finishing touches. This little basket is great for buttons and other notions. It's perfect for countertops, desktops and bureaus to corral all the little doodads that collect there. Color coordinate it to your decor -- the possibilities are endless!! The Happy Puffy Flower embellishment is a FREE pattern!! Click photo to get your copy!!

My Sweet Emmie

2012-01-25T18:34:00.003-05:00

We had our old dog, Abbie, for 16 years. When we lost her a few years back, and even though I'm a 'dog person', I didn't want another one because losing her was so hard. Well...that didn't work out. My family kept emailing me pictures of "adoptable" dogs and I cracked under the pressure. 2 years ago, we got Emma (now known as Emmie) and I admit I am head-over-heals in love with this animal. She is funny, loving, loyal, cuddly, smart, stupid, goofy, soft, sweet and an all around love. We took her to the vet today for a check up. She had a little lump in her neck and I was a wreck. It's nothing to worry about, our dear vet said. Emmie helps out in the sewing room. Mummy is happy.

The Show of Shows

2012-01-23T11:19:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I find myself frustrated because I don't yet have my "Dream Sewing Studio". But I know I will one day. Right now, I'm lucky to have a dedicated space. My husband built a new kitchen for us 10 years ago and I have the basement space beneath it. It's still 2X4 studs and a cement floor. But it's mine and I don't have to clean it up so we can eat supper. :) And...I get to see this show every day. Lucky indeed.

Sara May Allington

2012-01-22T12:03:00.006-05:00

I posted this on another sewing site a while back, but I wanted to start it back up here. I plan to post other examples from my collection.

A year ago this past June, my dear dog Emmie, whom I love dearly, spotted a rabbit in the corner of our back yard. Unfortunately, she and I were both on the top step of my back porch and her leash was looped around my wrist when she took off after said rabbit. I went air born down the six steps to our driveway, breaking my right ankle. That’s my driving ankle, so I was pretty much house-bound and then some complications made me couch-bound for the entire summer. I couldn’t even make it down the basement stairs to my shop, so no sewing got done all summer. What’s a rabid stitcher to do?

Well, let me tell you. I became obsessed, thanks to my laptop’s ability to connect me with the rest of the world, with vintage sewing books. Ebay and Etsy became my best friends. I amassed quite a collection. Unlike many book collectors, condition was not an issue – I have come to love the dog-eared pages, stained covers and hand-written notes – all signs of a well-loved and eagerly used volume. If it includes pattern drafting, I’m sold.

At first I limited myself to those published in the 1940s and 1950s. I love the quaint attitude and near-reverence toward sewing that they reflect. But then I came across an earlier work, “Practical Sewing and Dressmaking” by Sara May Allington, published in 1913, that absolutely stole my heart. Sara devised the “Allington System of Drafting” and this book STILL had the original two-piece, hinged cardboard drafting ruler tucked inside. From 1913!!! The book is divided into "Lessons" instead of chapters, including "Utensils Needed fo Sewing and Dressmaking", "How to Take Measures", and "Women's Circular Drawers".

I plan to share and showcase little bits of my collection for those of you who might find them interesting. If anyone else out there shares this passion, I’d love to hear about your collection!
Happy sewing!!
Jo :)

New "Kindertote" Pattern

2012-01-22T11:31:00.014-05:00

I've uploaded my newest pattern -- Kindertote. It's a great way to use up sewing room stash fabric, scraps and fat quarteres. It makes a great gift for little ones who love to "put stuff in stuff", as my girls did when they were little. It also makes a great "canvas" for machine embroidery or other embellishments. My "Happy Puffy Flowers" would look great...and the pattern is FREE!!

Seedlings Sewing Patterns

2012-01-20T20:49:00.009-05:00

It's taken me a while, but I've finally been able to launch my new line of patterns. Seedlings Sewing Patterns have been developed with the creative sewer in mind. I hope that they become a starting point for the user's own creativity. I've included a FREE pattern just to get things rolling. I will be adding more as they are completed.
Here are pictures of the pattern covers.

This is SEW much fun!!

Fabric Stash Management

2012-01-13T16:22:00.001-05:00

I don't get to do much quilting, but in my embroidery, I do a lot of applique. Quilting-weight cotton prints are my fabric of choice, so I'm always adding to my stash. Because I don't have a huge studio and no open shelving, most of my fabrics are in plastic bins and drawers so I sometimes forgot what I have. I had a "Big Board" ironing board that wasn't getting much use so I turned it on end and started pinning small swatches of every fabric in my stash to it. Any time a new fabric comes in, a swatch goes up. If I run out of something, the swatch goes into an envelope in case I need to reference it for re-stocking. It's eye candy to me. :)

Welcome!

2012-01-12T17:36:00.000-05:00

I’ve spent so much time following wonderfully creative blogs that I’ve decided to dust off my own and try my hand at it. I love sitting with a cup of coffee and hopping from one blog to the next and I‘m always amazed and inspired by what I find. I’m an embroiderer who makes my living designing and writing about embroidery. I've owned Garden of Daisies Embroidery for about 13 years now. I'm excited, too, to announce that I'm just about ready to launch a line of patterns -- Seedlings Sewing Patterns. I'll keep you posted about the launch date.

So please keep my blog in mind. It will take a little while to get some real content going and hopefully, I’ll post things you’ll find worth reading.
Happy Stitching!!
Jo