Kat, Author at Studio Kat Designs

PPC18: the Last Two of Four

By Kat | September 20, 2018

So… in our last post I showed you the first two little bags in what I intend to be a set of four, all with two separate zippered compartments! We showed you the long sample and the wide sample in out last post and this time we’ll be showing you the short and the tall sample! And…

PPC18: the First Two of Four

By Kat | September 17, 2018

So… in our last post I showed you the “gorilla sample” for this new design and told you what I liked and didn’t like about it. And the next sample I made was a WIDER version (see at left in blue), and here’s the deal. This sample was a total disappointment to me… well almost. I can generally…

PPC18: The Prototype

By Kat | September 7, 2018

So… in our last post I told you about the inspiration for our next design which can be used as a tech gear bag or even a cosmetic case. We also showed you the original sketches. And now… I’m ready to show you the very first prototype I made! But first… remember that this is a prototype…

PPC18: Inspiration Strikes

By Kat | August 21, 2018

So…. prior to revealing the original sketches for my next pattern, (which will actually be a “set of patterns”), I’d like to give you a little background information about where my inspiration for these new designs originated from. For the last few years I’ve been on a mission to find the perfect tech gear tote. Because…

Eight Ways to Improve your Fussy-Cutting

By Kat | August 16, 2018

So… ever since we posted the pictures of our NY Skylines bag sample, we’ve had a LOT of questions about how we go about laying out the pattern pieces for a bag like this. And the truth is… even though this is a question we’ve heard a LOT over the years, it’s probably one of the more…

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

By Kat | August 11, 2018

So… a not-so-funny thing happened a few weeks back when I was oh-so-close to being finished with the Sling Along pattern. I was clipping along on a Saturday afternoon, when all of a sudden the thread guide on my sewing machine just…. fell off. No problem, right? Well it shouldn’t have been anyway. After all,…

15 Years of StudioKat Designs: 3 Things I’m Proud About

By Kat | August 6, 2018

So… in a recent post I told you that 2018 will be our 15th year in business as an independent pattern designer and purveyor of custom zippers & hardware and since I’m grateful to be a entering this big anniversary year as a small business owner, I’ve created a three-part series about the 15-things I’ve…

15 Years of StudioKat Designs: NINE Things I’ve Learned

By Kat | July 22, 2018

So… I’m not normally a person who takes time to stop and appreciate accomplishments, whether they’re large or small, so for the past 14 years I’ve celebrated the birthday of StudioKat Designs with only nominal recognition, (“Oh, that’s right, it’s today!”), and then just plowed ahead to the next task rarely taking a moment to…

Ask Kat: Why are Some Patterns Retired?

By Kat | July 17, 2018

closeup of a Studio Kat Designs Red Sling Bag

So… do you ever wonder what criteria we use to decide if and when a pattern is retired? At times it probably seems like a random choice because even though we’ve retired fourteen of our patterns, we certainly haven’t retired them in the order in which they were published. As a matter of fact the…

PPC17: Let’s Hear it for Our Testers!

By Kat | July 7, 2018 |

So…. It’s that time again! It’s time to show you what our testers created in the process of testing our pattern instructions for the Sling Along! Many of you know that one of my favorite parts of the pattern development process is the testing round. I just LOVE seeing what our testers are inspired to create, especially…