Login with the username “guest” and the password “pattern”.

Hello, I know what I will be doing this week, just call me ‘guest’!

Their search form looks great and really gives you many options to narrow down what you are looking for. You can find free clothing, needlework, embroidery, crochet and quilting patterns!

Go to it! Let me know what you find!

UPDATED:
So the free pattern downloading started yesterday and ends on August 25th 2009.

This archive is by no means perfect. There are some broken images and finding sewing instructions to go with your pattern pieces appears to be rare. BUT STILL. It’s awesome and having the shape of the pattern pieces is one step in the right direction.

IndieSacramento May Market
May 2, 2009, 10am-3pm
Fremont Park
1515 Q Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

* FREE Admission! FREE swag bags to the first 150 patrons!
* Shop for hip, handmade goods, clothing, and accessories!
* Enjoy live entertainment!
* Appreciate local food & drink or plan a picnic lunch with the family!
* Attend IndieSacramento’s Craft University for craft classes & demos!

Online Flier is here: http://www.indiesacramento.com/promote.html

The show is May 17th 12pm-7pm at the Warsaw in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY

You can apply for the Spring Fling Craftacular Show sponsored by BUST magazine here.

BUST Magazine’s Spring Fling Craftacular is a lovely Garden Party themed shopping affair running from 12pm until 7pm at The Warsaw in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, featuring over 50 crafters, DJs, drinks, and dancing. Shoppers can sip on springy cocktails and nosh on pierogies, learn about guerilla gardening, how to grow their own food and supporting local farms. BUST Magazine will be hand-picking over 50 of the most unique and talented crafters from across the country to participate. Click here for more information about the BUST Spring Fling Craftacular.

All of her products really take her company philosophy to heart.

Established in 2004, Whimsical Walney Inc. designs products that let children play. From outdoor blankets that keep them safe from UV rays and the elements to clothing that teaches them new words and concepts, each piece is meant to foster a child’s sense of wonder and adventure.

An imagination is a terrible thing to waste therefore Whimsical Walney strives to produce pieces that support all levels of play.

Unfortunatly, CPSIA will be putting this lovely company out of business.The owner is selling her current inventory at 50% off. That’s an amazing deal for these high quality shirts! I love the long sleeve ones and the ringers!

Check out her Use Your Words series here and her Flags of the World series here.

I’m not going to get into the law that is going into effect on Feb 10th as there are many places on the internet where you can read people freaking out and desperately trying to interpret a vague and stupid law. I will say, if you don’t know, that you should at the very least write to your congresspeople.

Write to your representative: https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
write to your senator: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Those two sites are great because you can search your state, etc to find the right people to write.

I think that all the small time people should just keep selling. The federal government is not going to be knocking down your door demanding your testing info and I’m pretty sure anyone who buys your hand screen printed baby shirt isn’t going to demand a certificate either.

The Jan8th press release from the CPSIA folks has this paragraph,

“The new safety law does not require resellers to test children’s products in inventory for compliance with the lead limit before they are sold. However, resellers cannot sell children’s products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties.
…

While CPSC expects every company to comply fully with the new laws resellers should pay special attention to certain product categories. Among these are recalled children’s products, particularly cribs and play yards; children’s products that may contain lead, such as children’s jewelry and painted wooden or metal toys; flimsily made toys that are easily breakable into small parts; toys that lack the required age warnings; and dolls and stuffed toys that have buttons, eyes, noses or other small parts that are not securely fastened and could present a choking hazard for young children.”

To me that reads like an easy out for many indie businesses, use safety eyes and noses for your stuffies or switch to using yarn, double check the inks you are using, only buy fabric printed in your country of business, etc.

I understand that many of you out there are upstanding law abiding citizens and you are going to do your best to comply or, worse, actually go out of business (please don’t!).

So, I invite any indie business that has decided to go out of business to write to me and I will feature your shop’s going out of business sale.

I plan on donning a ski mask and running out to my studio to start making contraband baby blankets stuffed with drugs and choking hazards. But then, I am a REBEL.

I can’t wait for Queen Bee to start selling these! Check out these stylish bags that attach to the side of your bike. My only question would be, “how heavy are they”? Well, and also, “what do I do with them when I get to where I am going so that someone doesn’t steal them”?

I would just want one and I would want it to convert into a backpack

Well, it looks like they are selling these prototype one of kind pieces, you can contact them at:

hello@queenbee-creations.com or give them a call at 503.232.1755

Here are the specs:

- Waterproof materials: Cordura ripstop, faux leather, nylon pack cloth, and reflective polyester
- Large front pocket under flap and one patch pocket on inside back
- Adjustable velcro flap closure
- Extended side panels at top to protect contents from weather
- Snaps on sides at top to secure your load or cinch bag when carrying a lighter load
- Removable, adjustable shoulder strap included with each bag; stash it in your bag when not in use
- Rear-facing side panel entirely reflective for safety & visibility
- Hook & shock cord assembly with handle for easy on & off of rack
- Roomy inside lined with water-resistant nylon
- Cutaway at base of bag for heel clearance
- Back of bag reinforced with stiff plastic for hardware attachment & stability, and to keep bag from interfering with spokes
- Each flap detail stitched with unique & beautiful Queen Bee signature designs
- Hand made in Portland, Oregon

Queen Bee is on twitter, btw, and they seem to be giving discount codes to fellow twitters.

If you know someone who wants to start sewing these are great starter model sewing machines. They both get good performance reviews

Go here to find the printable coupon.

Here is what Janome has to say about them:

TB12 is a cast aluminum body machine that is based on a former model so popular that long-time Janome fans have been begging to see it again. So, here it is—upgraded and updated for ThreadBanger.
The TB12 has 12 actual stitches, including a number of stretch stitches, and multiple stitch functions, including length adjustment.
EZ change feet and a simple 4-step buttonhole give you endless options for creativity, and a built-in one-hand thread cutter and simple reverse lever make finishing off stitching a breeze.
It’s a hardcore, no-frills workdog–perfect for on-the-go DIY.

and the fancier TB30:

The TB30 is a little fancier. (It’s just as tough, but it’s got some frills.) It has 30 actual stitches, 6 one-step buttonholes, a built-in One-Hand Needle Threader and Stitch Width and Length adjustments. Also, there is a Stitch Elongation feature– that means you can elongate some stitches without losing any density.

Another cool feature is the Direct Stitch Selection Buttons. Push the button once, and the green light shows the left stitch pictured on the button is selected. Hit the button again and an orange light indicates the right stitch on the button is selected. The letter on each button advises you what foot to use. Such a pal!

There are three pressure adjustment levels for sewing a greater variety of fabrics, and a Needle Up/Down Button. This button allows you to select whether the needle stays down in the fabric every time you stop (allows for easy corner turning) or comes up out of the fabric each time you stop sewing. Nice, right?

Also, the Start/Stop Button allows you to sew without using the foot control!
AND, if you press it and hold it down, It. Will. Sew. Very. Slooowly, so you can be as exact as you want.

SF Bay Area

**The Crucible – Annual Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House
Saturday & Sunday, December 13th & 14th
10AM to 4PM • FREE ADMISSION

**Oakland DIY EXPO - The Stork Club Sunday 8pm (I’ll be at this one!)

**Underground Bazaar –
Sunday, Dec. 14, 12 until 5
6th & Irving, Inner Sunset in S.F

**Feria Urbana
Pizzaolio
Saturday December 13, 2008 10am -3 pm

Los Angeles

the Pehr space(craft)
In Echo Park
Saturday, December 13, from 5pm-12am

Portland. OR

Crafty Wonderland
The 2nd Sunday of Every Month
at Doug Fir Lounge, 830 E. Burnside, Portland, OR
11am-4pm * All Ages * Free Admission

Washington DC

Craft Mutiny Holiday Trunk Show
Saturday, December 13, 2008 — 10am-5pm
Design Within Reach – Georgetown
3307 Cady’s Alley N.W.
Washington, DC 20007

NEW YORK, NY

The BUST holiday craftacular
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2008
10:00 AM – 7:30 PM
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street, NYC
(please note venue and date change)

If I missed a craft show in your area please email me and I will add it!

Craftland is a ongoing holiday craft extravaganza – from December 5-24th! That’ a LONG craft fair. I so so so want to go to this! Next year maybe! People in RI need spats, eh?

Craftland is an annual retail craft show in a unique consignment store format in downcity Providence, RI. The shop has featured eclectic arts and crafts from artists near and far (Australia!). Participants are selected through a jurying process.

Your purchase benefits more than just the recipient. Craftland also donates 5% of proceeds to local arts-related non-profits to help continue in its mission to provide and enable economic opportunities for emerging and professional artists and crafters.

Craftland Blog
Directions and Parking

Get ready folks because we’ve got a bigger and better show for you this year! This year Bazaar Bizarre San Francisco will feature 115 + indie craft vendors, live music from the popular local band StitchCraft, DJ stylin’ from DJ Nick and Mark Johns of Slide and Spin Studios, hand crafted vegan cupcakes from Sugar Beat Sweets, friendly UPS volunteers serving up hot coffee, tea, snacks and yummy food to benefit Self-Help for the Elderly and a fun line up of affordable craft workshops all day long!

Sunday November 30th 2008
10:00am – 5:00pm
San Francisco County Fair Building Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
$1 at the door
*Goodie Bags for the first 300 Customers*

Take one or ALL of our affordable craft workshops including a lecture and discussion with the world famous mother of the Hand Spun Revolution Lexi Boeger of Pluckyfluff, DIY Holiday Pop Up Cards with Sugene of All This Is Mine, Wool Felt Birds with Fabric Fun of SF and Make a Wee Felt Penguin Ornament with Nancy Flynn of Get Crafty!

This show is a collaboration between PLUSH YOU and Bazaar Bizarre. This event was co-organized and meant to be a small, fun, family friendly event to kick off the Plush You SF Show, opening Friday, November 7th 2008 and excite customers for the holiday shopping extravaganza Bazaar Bizarre San Francisco on Sunday, November 30th 2008.

Local crafters and Toy and Plush designers from all over the Bay Area will be vending at this awesome show. Also to look forward to are the craft workshops!

Sunday November 2nd 2008
10:00am – 5:00pm
San Francisco County Fair Building
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

FREE ADMISSION

Check out the Vendor List!
Get directions!
Peruse You Bazaar Crafty Workshops!

They are currently auctioning off these lovely handmade plush on Ebay. Check out the listings now.