The red and blue fabric is for sale!

Update: Guess, what? Birdies on Chairs (the version with the green birdies) won Spoonflower's Fabric of the Week contest! Thanks to everyone for voting for me!

And I'm working on a quilt that features all the green and blue designs and hope to get it wrapped up this week. I'll post pics as soon as it's done.

The reds turned out exactly like I wanted them to! So excited. I just uploaded a few fat quarters onto the store. Hope everyone is having a great holiday season!



And Lucinda at Septemberbird had this great pic on her site of her kitty helping with her sewing up some of the blue and green birdies. I can't wait to see what she makes!

Vote for Birdies on Chairs...please?

My "Birdies on Chairs" fabric design was chosen by Spoonflower to be part of their Fabric of the Week contest! If the design wins, you can buy the fabric direct from them in their Etsy shop for 1 week at their pricing.

So...click on over there and vote if you have a sec.

New colors

I've gotten quite a few requests for the fabric in red (like my blog header), so I've got some on order. When I had the reds printed in the past they didn't turn out quite as I had wanted so I never put that fabric up for sale. But I think we've got the red nailed down! So if you're interested in the fabric in red, let me know and I'll set some aside for you.

Here's some jpgs of the designs and I will post the pictures of the printed fabric when it arrives!

New embroidery kits from Curlin Reed Sullivan

My friend Curlin designed some new embroidery kits (swoon!) and I was lucky enough to be the guinea pig who got to do the embroidery on some of the samples. I picked out these colors to match the bedroom and I think they turned out so pretty! I love my flowery hat girl and boy and wowzee do they look cute in the house (as opposed to Curlin's flower bed as pictured below...!)

And the kits (with pics of my pillows) were featured on Craftzine yesterday! Thanks to sweet Rachel Hobson for the call out!

Curlin's having a sale on her site on the kits, so scamper on over there and get yours before they are all gone. :)

I'm totally overwhelmed...And a winner!

Wow. You guys are amazing. All of the really wonderful and supportive (and very funny!) comments have really touched me. I can't believe there were 329 comments posted! Thank you a million times over for visiting and taking a look at what I do!!! Getting off the corporate hamster wheel and following this creative path has been such a wonderful process. I'm just tickled pink that you like my fabrics.

And now without further sloppy gushing, the winner is....

Congratulations to Ly+Alan. I hope you'll send a picture of what you make with the Birdies on Chairs fabric!

To Gina F, I laughed really hard at your story of accidentally running over your daughter's book bag. Thanks for a great giggle.

And to Lisa from Musings from the Mama Bear, your special needs Bud Bird...that featherless torso! So glad he has you and your family to love him. I had a cat that used to pull all of his fur out and my friend called him Cat Jerky since he was so skinny and ratty looking. But I loved him anyway!!

Thanks again everyone! What a super fun day reading all your comments. And I've got some really fun stuff in the works, so if you'd like to be added to my mailing list, just post a comment with your address and you'll be the first to see the new kits! (tease, tease, tease....)

And I also got a wonderful surprise tonight! I won some vintage fabric scraps during Giveaway Day from the delightful Dallas from For the Journey! You must go see her photography! The sunflower photos are so beautiful they literally made me gasp.

It's Giveaway Day!

UPDATE: There are so many blogs doing giveaways and to make sure everyone has a chance to see as many people as possible, I'm extending my giveaway until midnight (Central Time) TONIGHT, Thurs. 12/4.

As a big thank you for everyone's support and nice words on my new design venture, I'm giving away a FREE fat quarter of my Birdies on Chairs fabric!

Tomorrow morning (12/4) I'll draw one lucky winner! Here's how it works:

-Before midnight tonight, leave a comment on this post below telling me how you'd like to use the fabric. (And make sure there's a way for me to contact you if you win!)
-Using a random number generator, I'll select the winner and ship out your fabric lickety split
-And yes, I'm happy to ship internationally!

Hope everyone's gearing up for a wonderful holiday season and thanks for visiting! There are lots and lots of sites doing giveaways today, so make sure you visit Sew Mama Sew's blog for a list of participating sites!

Let me know if you'd like to be added to my mailing list so you can keep up with all the new things I'm stitching up!

Scarlet Fig Giveaway - Starts tomorrow!

Be sure to check back tomorrow...I’ll be participating in the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day and will be giving away some of my original Birdies on Chairs fabric!

And my fabulous friend Curlin, is giving away one of her adorable embroidery kits. So make sure you visit her blog tomorrow too!

Indie Giveaway on Scoutie Girl - Scarlet Fig pillow

Go spend some time and take a look at the Scoutie Girl December Indie Giveaway. There's a Birdies on Chairs pillow cover that's part of the loot!

The giveaway features a bunch of great artists and some really lovely things. Not only could you win all those pretty goodies, every entry is generating cash for a charity of your chosing.

Go enter today!

Texas Chair Project

Dad is here for Thanksgiving (yeah Dad!) and we went to the Austin Museum of Art today. Such a nice little museum. Great exhibit called the Texas Chair project. Couldn't find many good images of the chairs, but the premise is really cool.
Two years ago, Austin artist Damian Priour made 100 little limestone-and-glass chairs and then sent requests to a bunch of artists asking that they each make a miniature chair using any materials. The materials ranged from metal to wood to plastic and they were all really unique. Such a great thing to see how people interpret an every day item as a work of art. Wish I could find more images online...

My two favorites were a chair that was made out of a pile of sawdust (chair was 'drawn' flat on the ground out of loose sawdust) and a chair that was made of rusty nails bent into a really beautiful shape.

This piece was really sweet. And I found an image!




Chair by EM Studio Glass

The fabric is officially for sale!

Finally got photos of the fabric that I'm happy with. So, the fabric is officially for sale. :)

Here's the links to the fabrics on Etsy:

Oh So Fancy Armchair

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17596496

So Comfy Sofa

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17596403

Birdies on Chairs

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17596300

Itty Bitty Chairs

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=17596153

Things you've done

I saw this on Red Fish Circle's blog. It's quite entertaining. And very cool to think back on some amazing things I've gotten to do. But of course, there are still so many things I'd like to do!

Just cut and paste and bold the things you have done.


A few I would add to their list...
-Visit Bhutan during one of the beautiful festivals
-Learn to scuba dive
-Learn to sail and then head to the Greek Islands!
-Have a family
-Learn another language (I know Spanish and a tiny, tiny bit of French)

And on this list I still want to visit ALL the travel related spots.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped (Off of a bridge in New Zealand. Super scary but super fun.)
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (For Alison: Hello Madam!)
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (Does stalking George Clooney and Brad Pitt in Burn After Reading count?)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies (But I have eaten quite a few!)
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Visitors from all over the world

I'm still amazed when I look at the blog stats to see how many people are coming to see what I'm up to. And you're coming from everywhere! I just love the world of blogs...

Well folks, it's been exactly 4 months since my last day of work in advertising! (Happy dance!)

A week after resigning from my job, I packed up the apartment, dragged the dog and the cat across the country and arrived here in Austin. It's been so wonderful to have this opportunity to explore my creativity and start this business. And I'm so glad I gave myself the huge gift of being able to do it.

But there are days that I really miss Brooklyn and my friends on the east coast! Go take a stroll on the promenade for me. And eat a huge piece of lasagna at Noodle Pudding. (I swear he puts crack or something in that lasagna. I am still craving it on a near daily basis.) Lasagna withdrawl aside, it does feel really great to be back here in Austin with my mom, my old friends and so many new ones. So I guess that's my long winded way of saying thanks again to everyone for your ongoing support!

Stay tuned, I've got some really exciting stuff in the wings...

Long overdue post

Sorry I've been so long without a post. I've been super busy so here's a quick update.

NEW Spoonflower fabric! What do you think? I am finally going to get all 3 of the fabrics up on Etsy for sale this weekend. FINALLY! Not sure what has been taking me so long on that...hmmm....

Have also been busy sewing pockets for the kitchen aprons. Friends of mine will probably recognize this style from your holiday gifts a few years ago!...Don't you just love the pom poms? They tie around the waist and are knee length. Like barista aprons but with sass. I've been calling them the Saute, Bake and Play aprons. ;)

This was the enormous pile of fabric for the fabric covered books. I nearly sold out of them at the last 2 shows so had to replentish the supply. Finally got to the bottom of the piletoday and finished them! 50 books ready to go to new homes now! Yahoo! I think I will take a break from book sewing for a while. I think that's called "book burnout".

AND I just mailed off my submission application to have one of my quilts (made it a few years ago) included in a book (about quilts surprisingly enough...) Here's two quick pics. I just love this one. I should get pictures of my other quilts up on the blog too...

I'm ridiculously happy and so glad to have made the leap and gotten off the corporate hamster wheel. I'm the poorest I've been in a long time, but also the happiest. Whoo hoo happiness!

Yes we can

Happy. Happy. Happy.

How cool is this?

I got a note from the folks over at Spoonflower and they have included a picture of one of my pillows on their newly redesigned home page. How cool is that? Those are my chair pillows there on the left...



I owe you an update on the show but am pooped and am off to bed. Just wanted to share the cool news!

First show day after tomorrow - yikes!

Well, I think I'm officially ready for Scarlet Fig's 1st show. I've been a sewing fool and have figured out how to display everything. Lots and lots and lots of stuff in my tiny apartment these days...Display racks, spinners, signs...oh my!

I'm a bit nervous about the show but crazy excited. I hope I can figure out my new fangled wireless credit card machine! Everyone wish me luck and I'll post pics of the booth and let you know how it's all received. Whoo hoo!

And if you're in Austin, please come out to River Place Country Club on Wed night 4-9 or Thursday 11-6 and visit!

Long live Spoonflower

I have the most ridiculous grin on my face. The divine Kim of Spoonflower wrote the nicest post about Scarlet Fig today. It's so nice to hear such sweet words about my work!

Spoonflower is the wonderful, amazing and cannot live without it print of demand company that printed the two fabrics I designed with the chairs. They are all such nice, nice people and am so thankful that they've started the service. Visions of little chairs on my fabric are reality and are now sewn into pillows! Thanks again Spoonflower and I can't wait to get you the next batch of designs.

A really great Saturday.

I had the greatest day today!

Slept in a bit, walked the dog and lazed around this morning. Headed over to my new dear, dear friend Curlin's (of Pippingtooth fame) house to shoot photos of my new stuff. She has the most amazing home and she was so kind to let me camp out (literally) all day shooting on her porch. What a divine way to spend a Saturday. And the photos turned out great. The best ones are in a new photoset on Flikr, but here's a few of the ones that I just love. The pillows with the chair designs are from the fabric I designed and printed through Spoonflower. My first show is week after next and I'm so excited!

Maker Faire winner!

Thanks to everyone for visiting and for participating in the giveaway. Using random.org, the winner is...number 16. Congratulations Deirdre! I hope you have a blast at Makers Faire. Please email me at ...... and let me know where I should mail your tickets and I'll drop them in the mail on Saturday. And if you can't use all 4 of them, you have to promise to pay it forward and give away the tickets you can't use. Have fun!!

Ticket giveaway to Maker Faire

At last week's Austin Babes in Business meeting, I was chatting with the lovely Rachel of Average Jane Crafter and she offered up some free tickets to Austin's Maker Faire for me to giveaway on my blog. Thanks Rachel! So here's the deal...

I have 4 tickets to giveaway: 2 adult, 1 student, 1 youth. The event is Saturday 10/18 and 10/19 at the Travis County Event Center and Fairground.


To participate in the giveaway, just submit a comment to this post using the comments section below. This Friday, 10/3, I will randomly select a winner who will get all 4 tickets, valued at $75! I'll post the winner's name on Saturday and you can email me your address so I can mail you the tickets.

What is Maker Faire?
Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It's for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things. From the event website: "In a nutshell, Maker Faire is a two-day, public gathering of tech DIY enthusiasts, teachers, students, tinkerers, hobbyists, inventors, science clubs, authors, manufacturers and retailers, print and broadcast media all coming together to share their projects. There will be scheduled performances, demonstrations, and an abundance of hands-on activities, all designed for an amazing and thrilling experience for those who attend!"

For more information on the event (maps, faqs etc...), visit their website.

Lots of new stuff

I have been sewing to my hearts content to get ready for the upcoming holiday shows. Here's a few quick pics of what I've been working on. My first show will be 10/22 and 10/23 at Riverplace so can't wait to see how that goes. Pretty nervous but really excited!

Look at my new labels! I ordered them from Hong Kong via ebay and I love, love them!

I hand dyed this linen, and silkscreened this chair I designed. I appliqued the lamp and sticthed the upholstry pattern onto the chair. I'm hoping to have at least a dozen of them done this week.
Covered composition books. The ribbons on the front are pen pockets.
The first printing of my fabric! I'll be selling (hopefully!) some small quantities.

My new favorite thing to make. I love these fabric collages! Still trying to figure out if I'm going to frame them or stretch them over canvas.



House ornaments. They are hanging off of every door knob in my house. So cheery!
I'll keep you posted!

Amazing surface design class

I had the great opportunity to take a cool surface design class last week. It was really amazing. Five whole days of learning new techniques with dyeing fabric, resist, silkscreen. It was a little slice of nirvana. And I got to meet some really great new people. What a talented bunch of ladies and I'm so glad that I got to share the class with them. Kat, our instructor was amazing. So inspirational and patient. Not to mention incredibly talented. If anyone is in Austin, I highly recommend taking one of her classes at Studio 1408.

Rachel of Average Jane Crafter was one of the crafty crew and she documented the whole journey on her blog. Here are a few of the pics she took and a great series of posts talking about what we got to do. Thanks Rachel! You rock sister!

Photo by Average Jane Crafter

For more pics surface design class photos, take a peek at Rachel's photostream on flikr.