I am excited to announce the release of my new publication, the Motif Maker’s Zine. What is a Zine? It is a non commercial offering! It is hand drawn and illustrated, self published and focused on textile design and motif making. Each volume is 16 pages, with a full color cover and centerfold.
The Motif Maker’s Zine has three volumes so far. The first volume showcases how to make a motif, while working in various media and a change of scale. Volume 2 discusses making motifs that interact and play well with one another (unicorns, feathers, pinking sheers-oh my!). Volume 3 discusses how pattern and texture can interact with motif to elevate and enrich your design. Each of the Zines references pages from my book, Playful Fabric Printing, drawing upon and expanding the knowledge found there, while helping you build and use motifs of your own creation.
The creation of my Zine included designing several new prints, where Fleur de Lis, unicorns, feathers, and pinking sheers are featured. I have printed silk hankies using these designs, which can be found in my Etsy shop! Stuff them in your coat pocket- dab an eye when you get cold, tie one onto your purse, use them as pocket squares!
It is my sincere hope that you will join in the fun and become a Motif Maker!
Purchase your copy today!
I have been skittering down a rabbit hole of exploration into Motif Making. Its been fun. Check out my 
I am creating a Zine, an artistic, hand written and printed offering, called the Motif Maker’s Zine. These will be 16 page booklets that speak to how to make and use motif in your printed work.
And, while I do that, I am printing hankies using the motifs discussed in the Zine! I hope to get all of this into my Etsy really soon!
makes me want to wind some new hanks and dye some more thread in appropriate colors! I would love to have some browns, beiges, tans and soft, earthy colors in my thread stash!
you will find a pattern for a sewing holster. For years, I used a sewing holster, which is a finished strip of quilted fabric with pockets that could be draped around the neck. The sewing holster worked, but presented problems. If the objects stored in the pockets were not balanced, the holster would pull heavily to one side. When getting up and down, I would need to hold the holster in place. You get the idea. A few years back, I decided to work on the pattern and see if I could correct the imbalances. 
, I have come to love these buckles, they pleasingly clip and pop open. I bought many of them, because I apparently need at least 30 of these purses. But. I must say, finding a notion or solution to finishing your purse without this buckle will be a worthy adventure. I am sure we can find some interesting ways to enable you not to purchase the release clasps, if you do not want to purchase them.
. That link shows the loop turner that I use. I am not ‘married’ to this loop turner and if you know of another turner that might work better than this one, I would like to know about it. The thing that holds me back from unequivocal love is the fact that we will need upwards of 70″ of spaghetti strapping to make the straps for this purse. 70″ of bias tubing does not fit on this loop turner, so I make my loops in two pieces and join them after turning them. So post a comment if you have a better tool for the task.
(An Amazon link, I LOVE Thread Heaven as a thread ‘conditioner’), and the pattern has evolved over time. Sometimes I make them with flaps as you see in the above photos, sometimes I make them with a fold of fabric that flips over and closes the purse (this is the pattern that Quilting Arts Holiday has published). I also like to thread string through the bias straps, which strengthens them.
, print it on watercolor paper, then using the printed card as inspiration, I print using procion MX dye on cloth. All while taking notes in my inspiration journal. 
