Sage Advice

I've had a lifelong fascination with quotations, mantras, creative expressions - whatever you choose to call them. I've always been interested in the sage advice of people who were making a difference in their various fields of influence, because I'm passionate about learning from those that have come before me.

I've collected them from everywhere... movies, books, lectures, magazines...writing them down on napkins, programs, tickets, deposit slips... and from sources such as inventors, thought leaders, business experts, artists, creatives and also from a few folks that just might surprise you!

It's my habit to post them in various spots throughout the house so I'm constantly reminded to think positively...to focus on the big picture... and to not let myself get bogged down with life's disappointments.

So today, rather than bore you with too many of them, I thought I'd share 10 of my current favorites with you. (They're listed in no particular order, except #1 really does seem appropriate for these times.) I hope you find a few of them helpful, even inspirational...

1.   "A lot of good could be accomplished in this world if nobody cared who got the credit."  --Author Unknown

2.   "A designer knows that he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."-  Antoine de St Expurey

3.     "I will always be there in the wings saying, 'You need to be good to people. You need to take your work seriously. You need to have integrity. You need to work with what you've got." — Tim Gunn

4.   “Early to bed, early to rise, work like hell and advertise”  -Ted Turner

5.   "Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning." – Bill Gates

6.    "Nothing is really work unless you'd rather be doing something else." - JM Barrie

7.    "Don't simply retire from something; have something to retire to."  -Harry Emerson Fosdick

8.    "It's easy to fool the eye but it's hard to fool the heart." -Al Pacino

9.    "Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do."  - Voltaire

10.    "I like to dream, but I like to make things happen."  - Heidi Klum


 
Do let me know which quote or thought you found most intriguing and please feel free to share your own favorites as well in the comments section below!  (because I just might want to ad them to MY list!)

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A 'Soft & Stable' Presto Purse

I've made no secret of how much I LOVE Soft & Stable, the new handbag foundation material that gives a professional look to handmade bags. We loved it so much that we designed our newest pattern, the Baggalista, especially with Soft & Stable in mind.  But now folks are asking...

"Can we use Soft & Stable" on your other patterns"? 

"Can "Soft & Stable" be substituted for fusible fleece or interfacing in your earlier patterns"?

and 

"Are you planning to revise your older patterns so "Soft & Stable" can be substituted for fleece or interfacing"?

And the fact is we may, (with the help of some volunteers), revisit a few of our patterns to see what difference Soft & Stable makes. We could then post any recommendations here, as well as on our website.

Here's Diane's finished Presto Purse!

And then along came this "Handbag of the Month" entry from Diane Rhodes, in which she proudly described how she substituted Soft & Stable for the fusible fleece in her Presto Purse entry.

So of course I immediately contacted Diane to find out how it went. And it turns out that Diane used the Soft & Stable in EVERY area where fusible fleece was called for, the front, back & side of the purse, as well as the flip-open ID area.

Donna said she 'stitched in the ditch' between her exterior segments.
It gave a her finished bag a quilted look.

I was primarily interested if Diane struggled with the added bulkiness in the seam areas & elsewhere, since a complete substitution for the fusible fleece would not have been my initial recommendation. Diane reported that while she did notice an increase in seam thickness, it didn't really bother her too much (but she tell me that she has a GREAT sewing machine). The flip-open ID area was a different story though, because she had to place velcro at BOTH corners of the flap to get it to stay closed.  Her overall impression of Soft & Stable was... She LOVED it!

Donna said that the Soft & Stable did add quite a bit of bulkiness
to the flip-up ID section. She worked it out by
adding additional velcro to the closure area.

So ... after discussing this with Diane, here's our official recommendation for substituting Soft & Stable for fusible fleece in the Presto Purse.

- Using the 'Purse' pattern piece, cut TWO in Soft & Stable. Cut everything else as directed in the Presto Purse instructions.
- When you get to 19, place your 1st Purse in Soft & Stable on the wrong side of your Purse Exterior. Stitch it in place ~1/8" from all edges.

- And when you get to 43, place your 2nd Purse in Soft & Stable on the wrong side of your Purse Lining. Stitch it in place ~1/8" from all edges.

Now you can finish your Presto Purse as directed in the instructions. Your completed bag should maintain it's shape better and for MUCH longer, (even when fully loaded).

And where do we go from here?
Our general recommendation is to NOT routinely substitute Soft & Stable in every location where fusible fleece is called for, when using our patterns. We'll be doing some research with our older patterns as time allows, but in the meantime if you feel inclined to try this material in one of our patterns, we would love to know how it goes so we can share your findings with everyone else.  :)

And just so you know, here's the winner of the 

Hand-Dyed Fabric Giveaway from Vicki Welsh

Congratulations to  Syd O. of Franklin, Idaho

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If Cats Could Talk

Four Things I'd Like to Ask Jeter

Wouldn't it be great if our pets could talk? Even if just for one day?
I've thought about this quite a bit and if my cat Jeter could talk, I'd ask him these four questions.

Here's Jeter a few days after I brought him home.

1. Where did you come from?

Here's Jeter with his beloved green frog.

My brother-in-law found Jeter hanging around a little cardboard box out on the main road near his gravel driveway, most likely because that's where he was dumped. I didn't have a cat at the time and when I found out that the little fella was wearing a tuxedo, I said I'd take him in, sight unseen.(There's just something about a guy in a tux... isn't there?)

He looked to be about 8 weeks old and he was clean, well fed, very friendly & well-socialized, so he must've had a home before he came to ours. So if he could talk, I would also ask him..."What was your other family like?"... "Did you have brothers & sisters?" ..."Were you the only kitten they couldn't give away?"...and "Were you scared when they put you out?"

2.  What is it about that little green frog?

I've detailed in a previous post how Jeter LOVES his green frog, but I have honestly never had a pet with such a strong attachment to an inanimate object. Whenever I leave him, whether it's to go to bed for the night, or to go some where in my car, he immediately finds his baby (the green frog), so if Jeter could talk, I would ask him..."What is about that funny-looking frog that comforts you?"... and "Why do you only go and get it when you're left alone?"

The only way Jeter will tolerate Canaan
is if there is glass between them.

3. Why are you so afraid of babies?

Jeter's never really been crazy about small children, but that's really not that unusual for cats in adult-only households. The thing is though, Jeter really can't stand Canaan. When my grandson  comes to visit, Jeter basically lives under my bed until Canaan takes a nap, goes to bed for the night, or leaves altogether.  And here's the deal... Canaan is fascinated with Jeter but he's never so much as touched him, so if Jeter could talk, I  would ask him..."Why can't you just give the baby a chance?"... and "Is it REALLY necessary to spit and hiss at him?"

4. How can you POSSIBLY sleep 23 hours per day?
I know that all cats sleep a lot, but I have on many occasions seen Jeter sleep ALL day without so much as twitching a muscle. So if Jeter could talk, I would like to ask him..."If you're sleeping so soundly, how is it then, that you can hear me pouring milk on my cereal when you're DOWNSTAIRS?"... and  "How is it that you magically appear when I unwrap a piece of cheese for a sandwich?"

So how about you? 

If YOUR pets could talk, what question 

would YOU like to ask them?

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A Hand-Dyed Fabric Giveaway!

We've had SO many nice comments about the pieced flap of this Baggalista sample and I must admit, it's one of my favorites. Buy hey- how could we have gone wrong with this fabulous fabric from Vicki Welsh?

And here's the deal... Vicky was so pumped when she saw how good this Baggalista looks in her fabric, that she decided to sponsor a Blog Giveaway! That's right! All you have to do is leave your best answer to the question posed below and you may win a FREE, hand-dyed fabric kit with just the right amount of fabric (described here) for our Baggalista, in YOUR CHOICE of colors!

And even if you aren't one of the winners, you can still get your own beautiful hand-dyed fabric kit at a great discount price. (Vicki's even willing to let YOU play designer and choose the 2 main colors that you want included in your kit!) But don't delay, this terrific offer will end on September 30th, 2011! Just click HERE to get started.

And here's the question...

What is YOUR favorite way to personalize your small projects?

         (piecework, embroidery, fabric painting, beadwork or something other way?)

We'll choose 1 lucky winner from amongst the comments left below on Friday night (9/23) at 7pm, but don't forget, comments that are left anonymously cannot be considered.

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PPC4- Testing, Testing 1-2-3-4-5

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on the development of a new handbag pattern from its initial conception to it's release.)

Have I ever mentioned that I have the best pattern testers in the world? Oh I'm sure I have, but it's worth mentioning again for sure! And believe me, a tester's job is not necessarily easy. Their job is to put the bag together using a "rough" draft of the pattern instructions and templates. And by rough, I do mean rough. I have been known to do total re-writes based on the feedback of our testers, so the copy of the pattern that they receive is by no means perfected.

I REALLY appreciate the serious attention they give to their job and I think they deserve a round of applause. My job would be much harder, and unfortunately, yours might be too, if not for the their efforts.
And here's a big bonus... I just LOVE seeing what these gals create. Each has their own definitive style and they all are extremely good sewists. Here's what they came up with when testing the Baggalista for me this summer.

by Judy Graf of Tyler, TX who has been testing for us since the summer of 2008.
Her her first test bag was a Harmony Handbag.

by Connie Haack of  Imlay City, MI, who first began testing for us 

this past winter with the release of the Quattro. 

by Lori Gates of West Henrietta, NY, a tester since the fall of 2008
when she assisted us with the Boho Baguette.

by Peg Rice of Westport Island, ME. Peg has put up with my
shenanigans the longest, since the winter of 2007 and the Odyssey.

by Susan Koch of Greenwood, AR who jumped into the 'fray' this
past winter by testing the Quattro for us.

So how 'bout it? Didn't they do a great job? So here's the question I have for you today...

Which trait do you think is more important in a pattern tester? 

Patience?

Expert sewing skills?

the ability to think outside the box?

a vivid imagination?

or something else?

I would LOVE to hear your comments in the box provided below, and please feel free to leave any appreciative comments you might have about these lovely Baggalista samples!

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"Your Almost Daily Purrr"- a 2012 calendar

Our Facebook fans know that almost every day, we post a picture of one or both of our studio cats, Jeter & Joba, and we appropriately call the segment... "Your Almost Daily Purrr". Folks have really grown to love these two guys almost as much as we do! And here's the deal... over the past year, we have gotten innumerable requests for an "Almost Daily Purrr" calendar featuring some of our favorite photos, and I am pleased to finally be able to tell you,

NOW you can get one!

We have compiled our twelve favorite pictures from the past year into a beautiful Desktop calendar (5.5" X 8") and it's being printed even as we speak! Here's the calendar cover and a peek at four sample months.

We're pleased with how great it turned out and feel confident saying that having "Your Almost Daily Purrrr" calendar in your sewing room is the next best thing to having your very own studio cat!  

Since October 2011 will be the first month in our calendar collection, this will obviously be a limited time offer. We're expecting the calendars to arrive around the 20th of September and we're taking pre-orders NOW. To get more info about "Your Almost Daily Purr" calendar, just click here. 

And if YOU would like to be the recipient of an "Almost Daily Purrr" in your INBOX, you might want to 'like us' on FaceBook. Just look for us by searching for StudioKat Designs.

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'Purrfect' Handbag Notions

We've toyed with the idea of starting our own notions line for the past few years, but we hesitated, because we just didn't think we'd be bringing anything new to the table... until now that is!

I absolutely adore these invisible sew-in snaps. Not only is the finished look cleaner and more professional, but the installation couldn't be easier! The little magnets are encased in soft pliable plastic that's easy as pie to sew thru (no special needle required) & they are so flat that I don't even have to use a zipper foot as I sew them in place.
And here's the best part... no more cutting thru thick, heavy layers of fabric to install the clamp-in snaps!

Interested in trying them out in YOUR next project? Just click here for purchasing info.

And we fell in love with these black & white mini stripe zippers from the moment we saw them, and we've expanded our inventory to include 6 different sizes now.

• 7" closed bottom zipper
• 9" closed bottom zipper
• 12" closed bottom zipper
• 16" separating zipper
• 18" 'purse' zipper (2-way zipperheads w/ closed ends.)
• 22" 'purse' zipper (2-way zipperheads w/closed ends.)

 And here's the deal... we've used these distinctive, yet neutral zippers in every one of the samples we've created for our new bag pattern, (the Baggalista), and it seems as though this great little zipper blends perfectly with virtually all fabrics. Just think- no more putting up with a poor color matches and never again will you have to nix using a terrific fabric, simply because you can't find a decent zipper match. 
Ready to try 'em? You can find out more by clicking here.

And now that we're packaging our notions with distinctive display-friendly tags with UPC codes, we're hoping that you'll soon be able to find our notions in your favorite sewing or quilting store! So far, the response to our new notions has been tremendous, which leads me to today's question!

Are there other handbag notions that you're having trouble finding in your area, or that you wish we would add to our line?

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Do you know someone who's been looking for notions like this? Please feel free to re-tweet it or pass it on to others at Facebook or StumbleUpon, and feel free to  share your own thoughts in the comments section below!

September 2011 handbag of the Month Contest

Hurray! It's time for another 'Handbag of the Month Contest'! But first join me in congratulating Geraldine deBoer of Anchorage, AK, the winner of our August contest. She wins a $20 virtual gift certificate and her winning Quattro will  have a permanent place of honor on our website.

We've got a terrific lineup for you to choose from this month and if you'd like more info about any particular entry, check out our newsletter (available HERE on  8/7) So... without further ado, here they are, in reverse order from the way they are displayed in the voting center. When you've made up your mind, click this link, or use the link at the bottom of this post, to be taken to our official voting page!

Lesa's Quattro/PortaPockets Insert duo

Janet's embellished Quattro

Pannay's very 1st Quattro

Stacy's inspired Boho Baguette

Noreen's personalized DittyRoo

Helaine's embroidered Carolina CarryAll

Judy's oriental DittyRoo

And last but not least, Susie's luscious leather Lollapalooza

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So there you have it... 
Are you ready to cast a vote for your favorite?

Click here to vote.

Do you enjoy our monthly handbag contests? Please pass this post on to others at Facebook, Twitter  or StumbleUpon, & feel free to leave a little applause for these ladies in the comments section below! I'm sure it would really make their day!

Our Canadian vacation

So we just got back from our train trip thru the Canadian Rockies and I just have one thing to say... We had a BLAST! We went with 2 very dear friends and believe it or not, after 600 miles of train tracks and 5 different hotels, we're STILL friends & we came back with over 1000 pictures between us!

But guess what? We distilled ALL THOSE pictures down to the 27 best (it was tough, but we did it!) and made them into a little slideshow for you! Just click on the window below to start up the show!

Our Rocky Mountaineer Vacation (The Quick Version) Slideshow: Kathy’s trip from Mocksville, North Carolina, United States to 5 cities Vancouver, Calgary, Banff, Kamloops and Lake Louise was created by TripAdvisor. See another Canada slideshow. Create your own stunning free slideshow from your travel photos.

It really was a wonderful trip! Lake Louise has been on my bucket list for quite sometime now, and I am so pleased to be able to tell you that our stay in Lake Louise FAR exceeded my expectations. My only regret was that we couldn't have spent more than 1 night there. We had a great time and if you think you might be interested in taking a train ride thru the Canadian Rockies, we highly recommend that you consider taking a  Rocky Mountaineer trip! It was SO much fun!

So... my question to you is.... If you could visit any place on earth, and if money, health or safety issues were of no concern, where would you go?  (I can't wait to hear what you say!)

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PPC4 - The Cover Story

(This post is part of a continuing series focusing on the development of a new handbag pattern from its initial conception to it's release.)

OK folks, we're getting pretty close to the end of these Purse Pattern Chronicles and as promised, here's the bag that will be gracing the Baggalista pattern cover.

I think this print that I got from eQuilter.Com is just fabulous, but I originally intended to pair it with a classic black & white stripe. I changed my mind though, and went with this light weight denim instead, because it occurred to me that the black & white stripe contrast might just be a little too reminiscent of the Mondo-inspired Quattro cover.

Another good reason to go with the denim was to test this pattern out with a fabric that has a bit more heft than quilter's cottons.

And the verdict was.... it worked great even with the Soft & Stable, BUT... (you KNEW there would be a but, right?), the Zipper Panel & Strap attachment areas were a little bulky. My machine handled it just fine, but MY machine can handle just about anything, so we'll be recommending denim and other lighter weight home dec type fabrics, BUT with ' stipulations' that will be clearly outlined in the pattern.    :)

And here's another interesting thing....

I had all of my Baggalista samples lined up the other day and I realized something....

I made them ALL up with black & white striped zippers. That's amazing I think.

So this seems like as good a time as any to let you in on a secret!

We're launching our own line of 'purrfect' handbag notions!

To start with, we'll have these wonderful black & white striped zippers, in SIX sizes! (Just click here to see them all.)

And we would also be remiss if we didn't include a link to the invisible sew-in magnetic snaps that we've loved working with SO much.

Our new notions are available NOW on our website, and of course we would really LOVE it if you let your local fabric store know about our new product line as well! 

And before we close the book on this version of the Purse Pattern Chronicles, here's a couple of pictures of features we haven't yet shared with you.

I think I mentioned somewhere along the line that I added a short slot pocket INSIDE the Flap pocket, and here it is. It's a great place to store small items without having to dig to the bottom of that deep Flap pocket.

And speaking of the inside, we designed the Baggalista to work perfectly with the small PortaPockets Purse Insert, mainly because I am totally addicted to using a purse insert. As you can see, it fits easily.

So in conclusion, I'm happy using this bag sample on the cover of the pattern. The flap fabric is bright and interesting and the bag features are easy to notice in the complimentary denim.

This fabric is called "April Showers Bring Sunflowers" and it's from Art of Possibilities Studios for Free Spirit Fabrics.

But it occurs to me that you might not agree... so I thought it might be fun to let YOU play the designer and state for the record which of these Baggalista samples YOU would have chosen to grace the cover.

Here's your 6 choices- The Kaleida-Fun Bag

                                     The I Dream in Color Bag

                                     The Garden Diva Bag

                                     The Sunset Strips Bag

                                     The Deja Vu Bag

                                     The Catkin Bag

           or today's bag, The April Showers Bag  

The Baggalista pattern will officially released on Thursday, 9/7 in our September newsletter, so now might be a good time to sign up. Just click here.

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