Italian Pattern Drafting Book - Free Download

Do you want a free download of a (bilingual) Italian pattern drafting book with gorgeous designs and published in 2004? Of course you do.

Kathleen Fasanella blogged about one last night and I've already downloaded it. It looks amazing at first glance.

If you think you might want to create/sell a line of professional clothing or patterns, you really should buy Kathleen's book and read her blog, Fashion Incubator. I have no desire to do so, but I still enjoy her blog. So much interesting info from an industry insider.

By the way, they offer a Kindle version and I downloaded it but have no idea how to get it onto a Kindle. If you know, please leave a comment!

And now, on to another pressing topic. ;)

Freedom for Patterns!

I mentioned in an earlier post that I put my Christmas tree up on the 24th and I put it on a "table." It was actually a cedar chest and clearly I wasn't thinking because all of my independent patterns are housed inside this chest. Almost immediately, I was starting to feel some separation anxiety. (I thought it would be ok!

The offending Christmas tree, draped in a skirt (I made when I was 22 and living on my own in my first apartment) that is mostly covering the cedar chest of pattern goodness.

To complicate matters, my daughters had really gotten into the holiday spirit and done a beautiful job decorating said tree and weren't in any rush to dispose of it.

Well, I finally got rid of my tree a couple nights ago and was sooooo happy to be reunited with my patterns. Within a minute of hurling the tree over the front porch, I was in the chest, stroking my patterns, and searching for one in particular. I haven't sewn all week, but at least one of these patterns will be coming up soon.

A couple of old ornaments. The one on the left is part of a whole series I made at the age of 11 or 12, using instructions from a grocery-store craft magazine, probably McCalls Crafts. I remember saving the yogurt lids from my mother's daily yogurt for this project. I cut into my treasured photos (I was always a photography buff), glued them in, and crocheted the cover using Red Heart yarn. This one features my childhood cat, Willie. My kids like these tacky ornaments much more than I do. I like the one on the right very much. :)