Sweetbriar Sisters

Adorable Sewing Patterns

Learning to Digitize Embroidery

As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent last weekend at the Anita Goodesign Embroidery party.  I love to go and learn more about any type of sewing, but for this conference I had specific plans.  I've been wanting to get into designing my own digitized embroidery patterns (to be sewn out on those fancy embroidery machines) for a while now, but since it will require a great financial investment ... View Post

Anita Goodesign Machine Embroidery Party

I spent the weekend at a Anita Goodesign retreat and had a blast! Every time I go to a store and look at those super awesome embroidery machines I feel this anxiety to start my own embroidery pattern line.  It's just such a funny world.  There are these amazing, super high tech machines which are really just big sewing computers.  And then there are hundreds of embroidery patterns that are ... View Post

How to Pick the Perfect Colors for your Project

A couple months ago a friend came over for a sewing afternoon (ps- I love having 2 sewing machines so I can invite friends over for sewing parties!).  She was finishing up a quilt top and was about to add the last border when she decided she wasn't in love with her border fabric.  So we popped over to the fabric store, no big deal right?  We walked around for a second and I watched as her eyes ... View Post

Introducing Craft Design University

Design is everywhere! Your toothbrush was designed by a professional designer, so was the image on your toothpaste and the tube in came in.  Your kitchen chairs were professionally designed, and your shoes were made by a very good designer.  (fun fact: designing shoes is a very sought after job in the Industrial Design world, so only the very best designers get the gig.  If you ever meet a shoe ... View Post

This Week’s Victory

I am so excited about this!  Ever since I started designing and selling sewing patterns I've been so pleased with how well my business fits into my health needs.  When I have a good day, I work on patterns.  When I experience a flare (aka get crazy sick), I can curl up in bed while my patterns sell themselves online.  (hooray for automated PDF sales!)  I am just so pleased to have found a way to ... View Post

Learn to Read a Sewing Pattern

People are always asking me how hard my patterns are to make.  The majority of them are quite simple.  I usually tell people that if they've ever followed a sewing pattern before, they should be just fine.  The responses I get are interesting, but what I find even more fascinating is how easily the responses can be categorized.  People about age 45 and up typically nod their heads and feel ... View Post