Blog

Hello everyone!  It was wonderful seeing some of you in Greenville, SC, at the classes that I taught for the Palmetto Pleaters, and at the national SAGA Convention in North Charleston, SC.  I was able to do a little sight seeing in Charleston and it was wonderful to catch up with friends at the convention.   One of the things that I love about my stitching friends is that even though we may only see each other once or twice a year, we fall right into conversations as if we had seen each other last week.

I just received an email from the Stella Lighting Company announcing their sale of the Stella Two lamp. 

Read more: Through 10/31 – Stella Two Lamp on Sale – thought I would pass this along!  »

Hello Everyone!
This summer has flown by!  I taught at the Long Beach Quilt Show, had grandkids visit for 2 weeks, taught the amazing women in the Huntsville SAGA Chapter, taught our school with Cindy Foose, visited grandkids on the Cape, and capped it off with my nephew’s wedding last weekend.  I need a rest from my vacation!!!

I am getting ready to visit the Palmetto Pleaters in Greenville, SC.  I am teaching there right before heading to Charleston for the SAGA Convention.  I am so excited – I have not yet been to Charleston, which I know is lovely. 

Read more: Ann Lowe Exhibit. New Sewing Advent Calendar and Pre-order for Convention!  »

Happy May to you all!  I can’t believe that April is over.  It has been such a busy month!  I went to Houston and was so fortunate to stay with Carol Ahles and have a lovely visit.  She and her husband are always so gracious!  After our visit, I taught for the Midnight Oil Smockers and had a wonderful time.  The members are so enthusiastic and share their love of smocking and heirloom sewing with everyone they meet.

The next week was the Stitchin’ in the Foothills Retreat,  I was fortunate to see many of you there, as well as seeing Trisha Smith and Judith Adams. 

Read more: Cindy and Vaune School Registration is Now OPEN! and Guo Pei Exhibit Recap  »

Happy Easter Everyone!
I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  We have gone a whole week without rain and the temps are getting warmer. – it looks like spring is finally on its way.  I am leaving this week to go to Houston, where I will be teaching for the Midnight Oil Smockers.  I used to live in Houston many years ago, and I am always amazed at how much things have changed and grown.  When I lived there in the early 80’s, they had just had a massive building spree.  There were so many new empty apartments,

Read more: Join Me Virtually for Button Bits – A Basic Yoke Dress with Smocking and Construction  »

Hello Everyone!
I hope this finds everyone safe and dry.  It has been a busy couple of months topped off with some much needed crazy rain here in Southern California!  Cindy Foose and I ventured to NYC in January to attend a textile show, work on our designs for our August school, and source fabrics for our projects.  We had a wonderful time and had the added bonus of going to a taping of the Stephen Colbert Show and The Late Show with Seth Meyers.  We had a blast!

Grandbaby #2 (Rocky) arrived in February, so I spent 3 weeks on the Cape,

Read more: Cindy and Vaune’s August School Registration is coming soon!  »

 

The Smocking Arts Guild of America has just announced its next Sew-Along, and I am the ‘teacher’!  The is the Perfect Petite Piping Thread Catcher – A Study of 3 Different Piping Techniques.  It is free to all SAGA members!  Click HERE to go the SAGA website, Log in, and then go to the Education Tab at the top, and select Smock Along.  You have to be signed in to access the notes.

The Supply list is posted and Lessons 1, 2, and 3 will be posted on February 14th, 21st,

Read more: New Sew-Along at Smocking Arts Guild of America!  »

 

 

Hello everyone!

I want to wish you all a Happy Holiday Season.  Here is hoping you get to see friends and family that you love and be warm while you are!  If you were here, I would cut you a slice of coffee cake! (recipe at the end).

For you DOVO aficionados, I came across some DOVO scissors, and I am sharing them with you first, before I add them to my website.  Most of you know that DOVO was sold and they are no longer making the regular sewing shears and embroidery scissors (the 4.5″

Read more: Happy Holidays and I found a few DOVO’s!  »

Hello Everyone!

It has been a busy spring!  The last few months have been busy, and summer is here!  I attended Susan Khalje’s French Jacket Class, my youngest daughter (finally) had her wedding (4 date changes, due to COVID), work done in our kitchen (can’t say enough good things about pull out drawers in the cabinets), History of Italian Fashion Class,  registration for our Traditions and Transitions Retreat that Cindy Foose and I host, and finally – the last day of school was yesterday!

Here are some of the things from the last couple of months. 

Read more: Speaking With Your Hands  »

Cindy Foose and I are continuing our Traditions and Transitions School in August, in Columbia, IL.  Due to popular demand and our increasing number of ‘alums’, we are having 2 sessions this year and we hope you can make it.  The retreat center is very peaceful, and it is wonderful to be able to spend time with old and new friends, sewing and chatting.  The class room is open late for night owls and early for early birds, so you can sew at your leisure.  The class, kit, room and board are all included in the Class Fee.

For more information and a registration form,

Read more: Registration for our August School is Open  »

Hello everyone!  I hope you are all safe and cozy (if you have been in the path of the winter storms) or safe and cool (if you are in the middle of a heat wave)!

I have been doing a lot of ironing lately.  Most of my fabric gets washed before I wrap and store it.  I usually let the fabric collect until I have a big pile (most of this is ‘collection’ fabric and not something that I need to use right away) and then iron them all at once.  I have a couple of handy helpful notions that I use when I am doing major ironing and it makes that job a lot easier.

Read more: Ironing Surfaces  »