Featuring Cindy -- A Blogger's Quilt Festival Quilter!

Hi all!  Cindy of Sew Cindy is the featured quilter today!  I hope you have have fun getting to know Cindy more -- 

1. When did you begin quilting?

I began "sewing" when I about 7 years old watching my grandmother sit at her Singer. I was always a pest, nagging her to let me use the needle. Once she did - I took it from there making doll clothes, doll blankets and always asking my mother if I could sew on those buttons that fell off Dad's uniforms. You see, Mom didn't sew so I spent endless hours with my grandmother. Grandmother was also the one who taught me to crochet. I thought I was on Cloud Nine when Grandmother finally allowed me to sit at her Singer and learn like big people.  I sewn my own clothes since I took Home Ec in the 7th grade. I worshiped my Home Ec teacher because she had "all those machines!" That's when I got my OWN first machine, bought and paid for by ME from babysitting money.

    The "quilting" part of my life has always been there but I never really considered myself a quilter until 6 or 7 years ago when I started making "big" quilts (bed-size). I guess you can say that quilting is now a full part of my sewing. I'd have it no other way.

2. Why do you quilt? 

I quilt for the simple pleasure of it. To give someone something homemade from the heart puts a smile on MY heart. There's no greater gift than giving a gift.

3. What is your favorite quilting tip? 

I don't know if I'm really qualified to give a quilting tip since I still consider myself in the "learning phase". But, if I were to suggest something to someone - it would be: "Don't be afraid to press a seam open if it makes matching seams easier". I recently had to press open seams on a wall quilt I made to allow the multiple points to lay flat enough to come together nice and "point-y".  Maybe this stems from me being a garment seamstress first - we were taught from the gitgo to press seams open.

4. What was your inspiration for your QF quilt? 

My Fall Quilt, the pumpkin, came from my love of pumpkins.  I've ALWAYS loved pumpkins and to this day, I call the kids "pumpkin" and as well as the grandkids.  Fall is pumpkins in our home, pumpkins everywhere!! With that being said, it was appropriate to come up with a pumpkin quilt.

5. Do you sew other things? 

By my previous answers, it is obvious that I do sew other things. Garments, home decor, quilts, and a personal passion of mine are Christmas ornaments - of all styles.  Our three trees are covered with homemade ornaments from years and years. I love to make them, give them and display them.

6. Anything else you would like us to know about you? 

I think what people don't know about me is that I LOVE football - High School, College and Pro football. And I'm the same way about baseball.

 And a little secret "weirdness" about me is that I LOVE to play Christmas music year-round. I have more Christmas music on my computer than any other kind of music.  I love the month of July - not for the season but because of "Christmas in July" fabrics coming out in the shops.

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Thank you Cindy for sharing with us!  I tend to press my seams open too - and I too started with garments as a girl :)  Some habits are hard to break!

I hope you all have a great weekend,  thanks for the well wishes for Emmalie.  She seems to be on the mend, but Sophia and Owen may be moving on to the latest cold - we will have to see how that turns out.  I bound my largest two quilts yesterday - at this rate I will for sure be meeting my deadline - just hope my hands can keep up :)
Amy
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My Immediate Future --

Lots and lots of inches/feet/yards of bindings!  I like to roll my binding on a ruler like Natalia, and then I've learned I can wear it like a bracelet while attaching it to my quilt top.  This keeps it from getting twisted, or tangled.


Here's a tip for you --

I sew my strips together this way.  I've tried cutting them on the 45 degree angle, but usually mess it up!  So my easy solution is to sew, then clip away the seam allowance.  Most of the time I don't mark it, just eyeball it and move on to the next bit :)

I'm sure there's a few of you shaking your finger at me - I'm okay with that - this is what works for me.  :)
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In other news, my Emmalie is sick with pneumonia :(  She's had a couple of colds in the last month, and the coughs that accompany them, and developed that nasty infection deep in her lungs.  Sadly, she had it about three years ago too.  Most of my Wednesday was spent arranging doctors appointments, a quick trip to the hospital for a chest x-ray, and pharmacy for meds - all the while her main concern was that she not get a shot!      Poor thing.  I'm praying that we see her energy pick back up in the next 24 hours, and that the medication clears her up, so she can get back to school!  She hates to miss any school.  Though I'm pretty sure Kindergarten may be the culprit of the colds!

I hope you are having a good day - I'm probably on the couch with Em and a needle and thread, stitching a binding in place. OR trying to keep up with everyone's comments for the giveaway :)

Amy
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Fabricworm -- Giveaway!

It's Wednesday and time to focus on another fabulous sponsor!  I asked Cynthia, the brains behind Fabricworm, to share a bit about her shop --

We at fabricworm.com strive to bring the quilting and crafting community the newest and most trend forward prints on the market. Our specialty is Modern Children's fabrics, and Willow by Alexander Henry is a perfect example of the kind of fun, whimsical prints, often retro inspired, that we like best! We hope that you will enjoy our collections as much as we do!

Hugs,
The Fabricworm Team 

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Cynthia is giving away one set of 16 fat quarters!  One fat quarter of every fabric shown above :)  I think this one is so adorable -

LOVE it!  

To win:

1-Leave me a comment, of any sort :)

2-Follow the Fabricworm Blog

3-Fan Fabricworm on Facebook

4-Follow Fabricworm on twitter

4 chances to win, please leave an individual comment for each entry to have it counted.  Those numbers are so handy!

To avoid any confusion - the numbers start over every 200 comments, so #415 will be #15 on the third page of comments.  I can hardly believe I just wrote that! Since when do I have 3+ pages of comments!!??  :)

Good Luck to each of you~

Amy

PS - the comments in yesterday's post are invaluable - you might learn a thing or two.

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Question For Quilters

I have a boring post today - BUT I would love for you to answer a question for me!


As a quilter, is there anything you have learned, that you wish someone had told you?


I asked this question on twitter and had some great responses, and would love to have your input too :)


I need to run, everything is coming together but, there's still so much to do!


Blessings~
Amy


PS - tomorrow won't be so boring :)  hint, hint
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Canton Village Quilt Shop - Winners!

Thanks so much to all of you that have participated in this giveaway!  Jackie is a huge support to so many of us, with her encouraging comments where ever she goes!  Her love of color and expert eye, make her blog a great one to follow :)

The winners --(via random number generator)

268


315






262

488

Congratulations Ladies!  I'm setting this up before bed, so if you have a chance to email me before I get to you please do!  My Monday morning is full :)

Amy
Look at me - I'm blogging from the couch & I have snapshot capabilities :)
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Happy Day!

Knowing that you all will be excited for me - I have to share!!

I got a laptop!  Just for me :)

I feel official now.

Hope you are having a great day~
Amy
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Featuring Ariane -- A Blogger's Quilt Festival Quilter!

 Ariane of Ariane's Crafts is today's featured quilter!  I hope you enjoy getting to Ariane a little better --



1. When did you begin quilting?
I began quilting in August 2008. I was in need of a hobby, a creative outlet to help me cope with stress. I needed something that I could do for myself and use my creative skills. I had always been very creative as a child. I would draw, paint, cross stitch and do other crafts as a young girl. When I had my kids, I stopped doing a lot of those creative things. Then I went back to work full time and I just did not take any time for myself, or do anything for myself. So, one day I found out my cousin was having her first baby and decided to make her a quilt. I only had basic sewing skills. My Mom had given me her old sewing machine. I had only used it to hem pants. But, when I went fabric shopping, I got drawn in by all the wonderful fabrics and my creative side just jumped for joy to make something. I went online and read a bunch of sites about the basics of quilting and just did it.

2. Why do you quilt?
I quilt because it makes me happy. I get to take some time for myself. I can use my creativity to make something unique. I love to share what I do with others. People seem to love to look at quilts that I have made. I love to share the process with them. It helps to keep me relaxed. I can focus on a project and forget about my worries for a bit while I am working.

3. What is your favorite quilting tip?
I think the best tips are to make sure your seams are correct. Using a 1/4 inch foot helps in this department. Once I bought a 1/4 inch foot my blocks were much flatter and my tips matched better. Trimming the blocks to ensure they are square, is also very important. Pinning..pinning...pinning. This also helps. When I first started I hated to do all these little steps. But now I realize that I am always much happier with the results when I take the extra time to do these things.

4. What was your inspiration for your QF quilt?
My Quilt Festival quilt was inspired by all the modern quilts that I was seeing online. I love these quilts. But I am more a traditionalist. I was making this quilt for my brother and is wife. They love modern things. So I tried to combine a modern color combination with a traditional log cabin block. I think it turned out really great. I also love scrappy quilts. I used a mixture of modern, contemporary, traditional, country, and reproduction fabrics. I just made sure they were in the same color way. It was fun to go to many different shops and mix all the fabrics.

5. Do you sew other things?
I do sew a lot of bags. I love bags. They make great gifts. I also sew outfits for my daughter. I am still learning about sewing clothing. I do find this a bit more challenging. I love to do hand embroidery too, and hand piecing. I always have some hand stitching project on the go to take along with me.

6. Anything else you would like us to know about you?
I am self taught. I have never taken any quilting or sewing classes. I just learn from all the wonderful tutorials online and from books and magazines. I wish I could take classes. But I work shift work. This makes it impossible to take a course with more than one class. The local classes never seem to be on my days off. So I thank all those who put tutorials on there blogs or flickr. It allows people like me to learn new skills without having to take a class. 

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Amy again!  Ariane, I'm a self taught quilter too!  It's amazing how much you can pick up via books and the internet :)  Your quilts and photographs are beautiful - thank you so much for sharing with everyone here. 
Have a great weekend everyone~
Amy
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Color!

I love color!  I've drooled over solids from time to time, admiring the variety of tones within one color group.   I convinced myself decided to purchase a color card for the Kona Cottons, after spending far too long deliberating the "perfect" color. 

Faster decisions for me!  I've enjoyed admiring the board, imagining what I will do next.   

Have you made a solid quilt? 

It's on my list :)



 Amy
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Canton Village Quilt Works - Giveaway!

My friend and sponsor Jackie of Canton Village Quilt Works is sharing her quilting story and giving away fabric from her shop!  Enjoy --

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Hi my name is Jackie and I am the owner of Canton Village Quilt Works. My quilting career really started back in 6th grade (long ago) in Home Economics. I made a patchwork pillow, which I still have, but that was the extent of the quilting. At that time, I loved to make clothing. But no longer do, because I totally and passionately love quilting.

I got back into quilting about 17 years ago, just before our first child was born. I began to make baby clothes and my hubby suggested that I try something different. Well, his exact words were... “Since you are going to be a stay at home mom, you should really get a hobby to keep you busy.” Well, a big question mark appeared above my head, “Gee won’t the baby keep me busy????”

Anyway, I did go and take my first quilting class and did not immediately fall in love. But after the second one I was hooked. Eventually, when both kids were in school full time,  I started my long arm quilting business in the year 2000. So, wow, 10 years ago! Hubby being skeptical and thinking that myself and his sister were the only ones in the universe who quilted, wondered out loud, “how long will this business last”. I think now my husband has been enlightened.

In the fall of 2008, at Quilt Market, I invested in the AccuQuilt Studio Cutter.  It has helped me tremendously in becoming more efficient. More recently, it has allowed me to sell accurately die cut fabric to my customers.  I first started to sell my die cuts through Etsy and was successful at doing so.  When I went to quilt market in the fall of 2009, the plan was to invest in fabric to sell yardage and die cuts. I then opened a full-fledged online quilting shop!!

I stock Westminster Fabrics (Kaffe, Brandon, Philip, and Martha), Robert Kaufman (Kona Cottons, and Essex Linen/Cotton Blends), Marcus Brothers (Aunt Grace Repros), Izzy and Ivy Designs Patterns, and Die Cuts, Pre-cuts, and Bundles, and Quilt Kits.  This has been a wonderful addition to my long arm quilting business. I continue to quilt customers quilt tops and offer edge to edge quilting, semi custom, and custom quilting. I love doing this and will never give this up. My customers are a constant source of inspiration. I wanted to give back to my customers and now have a Frequent Quilter Club Card which they use to receive discounts on Edge To Edge Quilting.

I want to thank Amy for offering me this opportunity for you to get to know me a little better. And to thank all of you who come to visit me on my blog and listen to my ramblings.

So onto a wonderful giveaway!
Here is what you need to do:
1.  Comment on Amy’s post here.
2.  Visit my blog and become a follower, then let Amy know in another comment that you did so. If you are already a follower, just let her know in a separate comment.
3. Go to my blog and sign up for e-mailings for Special Discounts and Happenings At Our Online Fabric Shop. Then come back and tell Amy.
4.  Visit my online shop and come back and tell Amy which is your favorite product.
This will give you 4 chances to win!!

The prizes:
*    Kaffe Fassett 1.5 Inch Rainbow Roll
*    Aunt Grace Authentics 1930s Charm Pack
*    Kona Cotton - Green Pastures Fat Quarter Bundle
*    Izzy and Ivy Designs Sassy Connie Bag Pattern
When you stop by my blog, don’t forget to say Hi!! And thanks for joining in the fun!
Jackie

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Amy again :)  I love each of the prizes myself!  That stack of green is so springy!

I've added numbers to the comments and rely on them to find the corresponding winner from the random number generator, please be sure to add a comment for each of your entries to have it counted!

I will select winners on Monday, February 22 ~ Good Luck!
Amy
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SewConnected

SewConnected has been the such a great experience!  I love swapping blocks with other quilters, and pushing my creativity.  December was our final month, I'm just a month and a half late!  Thankfully Audrey is not in a hurry, and she loves the block :)

I've stepped back from swaps for now, waiting to see how life settles after writing this book.  I'm thinking I will have to find a new "normal"  after my deadline.  Speaking of which --

My work space!  The ironing board has come in handy lately, when not ironing it has become my return to spread out on!  And yes those headphones are for sound reduction - my kids distract me all the time.

Check back tomorrow for another chance to win some fabric!
Amy
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Fat Quarter Shop - Winners!

I've had so much fun reading all of your comments, thank you for sharing!   Thanks to Kimberly and her team for giving fantastic bundles - making this giveaway a huge success!! 

I used the random number generator to select -

281-

Melanie said... 81

When my husband and I were dating, he made me homemade lasagna and had sparkling cider for our first Valentines Day. I was so impressed, I married him ;)

February 10, 2010 5:07 PM

418- Please email me!!

jenashford said... 18

We were married 5/31/03 & for Valentine's Day that year, I went out to my car & there were 2 Vermont teddy bears - a bride & a groom. :)

February 11, 2010 8:10 PM

35-

Cas said... 35

This years gift was pretty nice..he gave to me a little early. I finally found a local sewing class. He surprised me with a tool case and all kinds of stuff to go with it...a seam ripper 2 pairs of scissors, needles for my machine tape measure thread and a new rotary cutter with a big cutting mat. I am probably missing something the tool box was packed full....he said no one helped him he looked in a book at the craft place and got all the start up supplies. I loved it..

February 10, 2010 8:30 AM

I have emailed the ladies with emails attached but need to hear from jenashford.  If you need info on adding your email to your blogger profile, check out this post.  Thanks again for sharing your stories everyone :) 

Anyone needing to add Chirp! to their stash can find it here- yes, I'm an enabler!

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I meant to mention last week that I have reorganized my sidebars into tabs at the top of my blog, and I will be working on a tutorial (or two) in the next couple of weeks!

Joe and I had a nice dinner out last night, and then browsed computers (yay!) and phones, and had a late coffee just as Starbucks was closing.   Fun night out together!
Blessings ~
Amy
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Happy Valentine's!

I know that not everyone celebrates Valentine's day, so to those that do - Happy Valentine's!  I hope that all of you are loved and blessed!

 Joe surprised me with these flowers on Thursday - he wanted to get them before they were out :)  I am so very thankful and blessed to share my life with him.  We are aiming for dinner and a movie later this evening!

Amy
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Featuring Peg - - A Blogger's Quilt Festival Quilter!

Peg of Ivy Arts is our featured blogger today!  I hope you enjoy getting to know Peg --

1. When did you begin quilting?

I began quilting about nine years ago. I was a painter at the time and went into my local quilt shop to buy thread to sew on a button. I was dazzled by the colors and designs of the fabric. I really wanted to play with it. I realize that I am generally impatient (and sometimes sloppy) so I never thought I had the chops to tackle quilting. I started with a few simple strip quilts for babies and it's been love ever since. An addictive, can't-get-enough kind of love, beginners beware.

2. Why do you quilt?

I quilt because I've found that sewing fulfills my creative side almost more so than painting and it's much easier to manage with the hectic schedule of youngsters. Since my kids have been born I haven't painted at all and I don't miss it. Lucky me! I also love the tactile reward of a cozy quilt on the bed or couch. I enjoy making quilts for others and sharing that coziness.

3. What is your favorite quilting tip?

There are so many great tricks and short cuts that it's hard to pick just one. The latest trick I learned is pulling the bobbin thread to the top of the quilt when machine quilting. That way you can tie both threads and bury the knot in one easy step. When starting to quilt, drop one stitch by hand and pull needle up until the bobbin thread shows on top. Pull the top thread until the bobbin end is visible and pull out. You will now have both top and bottom threads pulled to the top. Knot them almost to the fabric and use a needle to bury the knot. It's a flawless finish.

4. What was your inspiration for your Quilt Festival quilt?

My inspiration for the QF quilt was a quilt I saw on Flickr. It was one of the first scrappy quilts that caught my eye and I had to try for myself. I have a hard time throwing away even the smallest scraps of fabric so I had lots to work with. I started the blocks and then that sat in the UFO pile for almost a year. When I took them out again, my scrap collection was very different and I thought the old ones were so ugly. The great thing about scrap quilts is that even the ugly ones end up looking great. The scrap quilt is like a trip down memory lane, thinking about where all the fabrics came from. 

5. Do you sew other things?

I've sews some bags and household items like placemats and tablerunners. I've recently begun to sew some art quilts. It's sort of a mix of the painter and quilter in me. I'm really excited about the process. I've learned a lot of new techniques and am eager to devote more time to this arena. Don't we all need more time? :)

6. Anything else you would like us to know about you? 

Many of us dream of making it our job to play with fabric and I'm no exception. I'm co-creator of Sew Fresh Fabrics, an online fabric shop on Etsy with my friend and business partner Becca. We're looking forward to having a brick and mortar store in the coming days when our family schedules relax somewhat. The online venue is allowing us learn the business while the larger plans get developed. It's a very exciting prospect and we're thrilled to have the opportunity to make a living doing something we love.

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Wow Peg!  Keep dreaming and making those plans!  I love your quilts, the colors in your scrap quilt are beautiful!  

 I hope you all have a great weekend ~
Amy

If you would like to nominate a quilter, to be featured, see this post for details.
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Seven Items On My Mind

I am always amazed how everyone comes out of the woodwork when fabric is up for grabs!   Glad to know I can get your attention - LOL :)  Thank you for all your comments, quite  a few of you have brought tears to my eyes, and reminded me of special moments.

--> I have a poll up in my sidebar still - it looks like the 1/4" seam tutorial has just pulled ahead of the straight line quilting tute, 2 more days to let me know which would be more helpful to you.

-->I found this rug while browsing earlier, I see a quilt.  Don't you?  The best part would be customizing the colors!

 I really like this one too, but for a rug :)

--> I wanted to tell you that my friend Vicki is doing a Simple Squares Quilt Along, just in case you don't have a current project or need a good starting point in quilting.

-->And have you seen Sew What! - It's a fun blog loaded with links to tutorials around blogland!  I've just added to my to do list - for later :)

--> I wanted to mention the Craft Hope shop once again, they have raised over $30K for Doctors Without Borders!  Amazing!  There are still many items for sale if you are looking for a way to help out.

--> After all your book suggestions, I had been waiting for my copy of The Time Traveler's Wife via paperbackswap and now have it waiting on my shelf!  I have forbidden myself any extra reading until after I'm done writing - I tend to get caught up in a book and can't put it down.  Not conducive to getting stuff done!  But I'm so looking forward to spending a few days on the couch with it :)

Blessings to you~
Amy

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Fat Quarter Shop - Giveaway!

Here's your chance to win some fabric!  Three readers have a chance to win Chirp fat quarter bundles, from the lovely ladies at Fat Quarter Shop!

 I'm loving those squares and little birds!

And the hearts are adorable too!

To win one of these three bundles -

Share your best gift ever given or received for Valentine's Day, or any gift if you don't love the holiday!

For me -- I received a beautiful pink sapphire bracelet, from Joe a few years back!  I don't get to wear it often, but I love to wear it when I have the chance :)

Winners will be selected on Monday, February 15th - Good luck!!
Amy
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Meet Rita, & Mochi Studios!

I asked Rita a few questions to get to know her and her business better!  I hope you love Rita's creations as much as I do!

About Mochi Studios:

Mochi Studios is a place of hand made wonders and cute creations stitched with love by Rita. Her passion for hand made delights carries throughout all her creations from the tiniest mushroom to the cuddly plush toys that all keep you smiling. Her projects are born from spur of the moment inspiration with a style that is vibrantly playful and full of kick-you-in-the-face detailing. Her favorite times to work are late at night when angry neighbors start to complain of her sewing machine rumbling their ceiling, during long drawn out phone conferences, and on nice sun filled evenings just before twilight with a cup of boba milk tea as her fuel. Her creations will charm you with their looks and defeat you with their cuteness.

Q: What inspired you to start crafting?

When I was young, my parents never let me buy anything, so I would make things instead. Much credit and gratitude goes to my elementary school art teacher who taught me to sew, weave, paint, sculpt, and above all, love to create. Also, my grandmother taught me to crochet and knit when I would spend summers living with her. Since then, I've always enjoyed creating handmade gifts for friends and family and teaching myself new crafts. 

My creations have lived in my imagination since the first time I picked up a needle. I didn’t have toys growing up so I would enjoy sewing or crocheting toys to play with to pass the time. As I grew older, I delighted in making and giving handmade presents to my friends and loved ones. About two years ago, I went to my first Maker Faire in San Mateo and fell in love with the DIY scene and was determined to participate in its craft fair called Bazaar Bizarre the next year! So the following spring, I applied with my collection of plush toys, bags, and pillows but sadly was rejected which broke my heart. Driven to pursue my dream, I spent the following six months refining my technique and focusing on developing a line of plush toys and Mochi Studios was born. Pleased with my initial success of launching MochiStudios.com and selling my plush toys through my website, I was still determined to break into the craft fair world. I applied to the SF Holiday Bazaar Bizarre and was thrilled when I got accepted! That was really the turning point for me and Mochi Studios became a full time part of my life.

Q: How did you come up with the Rice Babies and Ninja Beans?
The first Rice Baby I've ever made was a bunny one for my friend who loves all things bunnies. I made it as a good luck charm for her SATs so she could squeeze it in her pocket and smile. Then I started making Rice Babies in other animal shapes for my other friends' favorite animals. Back then, I actually filled the Rice Babies with rice since it was something that I always had lots of in the pantry and it gives them a nice weight too, hence the name, Rice Babies!
Like most of my newer creations, the first Ninja Bean I made was a gift for my boyfriend Lam for our anniversary in June. My Ninja Beans have since evolved since then. I made the first one out of black and white fleece and now I sew Ninja Beans from patterned quilting cottons and add a lot more embroidered and painted embellishments. I've had lots of request for customizing Ninja Beans for a special someone which is always a joy to make!

Q: Who are your favorite crafters?

Eleen is a local Bay Area artist who I first met at the SF Renegade Craft Fair two summers ago and who has really inspired me to start and grow my business. Her beautiful bags are made with gorgeous designer fabrics and are wonderfully handmade!
I also really admire the fabric dying and quilting work of Malka. Her work is always so vibrant and colorful and urges me to play with unexpected color palettes, combinations, and designs.
Also, Christine makes the most adorable plush creations with all different types of fabrics. Each of her plushies are so carefully made with so many loving details. My favorite part is the embroidered patch on the back of her larger plushies.

Q: What do you prefer - crochet, sewing, embroidery, knitting or something else?

I can't say that I prefer one art over another because I love them all! In everything that I make, I like to combine techniques. My mushrooms, for example, are embroidered and sewn by hand with crocheted gills on the bottom. If I had to choose, I'd say I probably enjoy embroidery the most because I can embroider embellishments and details to anything to turn something boring into something fabulous.

Q: What has been your experience with craft fairs?

I was nervous about my first craft fair but all my meticulous planning and preparation really paid off.  I made a checklist of my goals of everything I wanted to make to sell at the fair and set weekly deadlines so that I would meet my goals. I also researched other people’s experiences and advice about craft fairs which was really helpful in preparing me for my first craft fair. Here are some helpful links:

Candied Fabrics

Steno Pad Q&A

Chicago Craft Mania - your first craft fair

Indie Craft Shows - Beginners guide

At the fairs themselves, I’m always really happy with my over-preparedness and really enjoyed seeing face light up and smile when they see and squish my plush toys and making friends with fellow vendors and swapping goods. Overall, it was a lot of really hard work and sleepless nights to sew enough plush toys to sell at the craft fairs and a lot of stress to figure out all the little details. I was so exhausted after two weekend holiday craft fairs that I sadly didn’t have enough time and energy to make Christmas presents for my friends and family. What I gained the most from vending at the craft fairs was the friendships I made with the vendors and customers, the exposure for Mochi Studios, and the satisfaction of doing what I love and making people smile (which I don’t get from my 8-6 job). I probably won’t do two craft shows back to back again but I do look forward to applying and vending in future craft shows! Here I am again, working on my application for the Maker Faire Bazaar Bizarre right now. Wish me luck!

See something you like? Feel free to email Rita for a special custom plush toy!

Thank you so much, Amy, for interviewing Mochi Studios!

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Thank you for sharing Rita!  I hope you all go subscribe to Rita's blog so you can keep up with her and her exciting creations :)

Amy
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