Kat, Author at Studio Kat Designs

Six Tips for Sewing with Pleather

By Kat | December 9, 2015 |

A closer look to a bag with black leather and circle designs

So… one of my favorite fabrics to use for a bag accent area lately… is pleather. I like the texture and excitement that it adds to a project, PLUS I find it to be remarkably resilient under all types of usage. But here’s the thing, I find that MANY people are really loathe to even…

I’m Planning On It

By Kat | December 5, 2015

So… If you’ve been following my writing for any length of time then you know that I am an affirmed “list maker“, and for as long as I can remember, I’ve been on a quest to find the “perfect planner”, (in which to keep my lists). And you know what? It’s absolutely amazing how many…

An “Encounter” at Festival

By Kat | November 27, 2015 |

So… something VERY unusual happened at Quilt Festival and it has nothing to do with the constant rain, or flooding or close encounters with runaway scooters even though all of those things DID happen and WERE unusual! This involves a very dramatic and amazing encounter with a person I met during the Quilt Festival.(And just…

Booth Evolution- 2015

By Kat | October 31, 2015

So… It’s almost time to head for Houston and the 2015 version of the International Fall Quilt Market and since this will be our 15th Market I thought it might be fun and about time to do another Booth Evolution post (especially for our newer readers). So let’s look in our rear view mirror &…

It’s almost SHOWTIME!

By Kat | October 21, 2015

So… If you’re a regular here, then you know that in recent posts we’ve been showing you our new “show-look”. First, we revealed our new booth layout which includes an all-new 6′ X 6′ grid wall for our zippers and bag hardware, and in we followed that post with a closeup look at that gridwall!…

“Grid” & Bear it!

By Kat | October 13, 2015

So… in a recent post we detailed for you the BIG change we’re making to our booth layout for the Fall Quilt Market and Festival. Our plans are to rid ourselves of our five notions carousels in favor of three 2 ft by 6 ft tall grid walls (at left), which when connected in this…

A BIG Layout Change for Houston 2015

By Kat | October 9, 2015

So… we’ve had a nice long respite from traveling. Our last show was over 4 months ago at the Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis, MN and while I’ve gotten a whole LOT done and I’ve enjoyed my time at home, its time to start thinking about our upcoming shows, in particular, the Fall Quilt Market…

Tips for Sewing with Cuddle Suede

By Kat | October 5, 2015

So… in our last post we showed you the gorgeous Triple Play handbag (at left) we created with an all-Cuddle Suede exterior! I was SO pleased with how it came out, but you also might recall that I had serious concerns about what problems I might encounter during the construction process. But here’s the deal… making that bag completely…

Introducing: A New Hire!

By Kat | September 17, 2015

So… we hired a new employee a few weeks ago. His name is Pippin and here he is. Some of you might remember that we’ve had a vacancy ever since Jeter, our senior “studiocat” passed away in November of 2013 after a brief but devastating illness. He was only 9 years old and I’m really…

Sew-in Magnet Stitching Tips

By Kat | August 13, 2015 |

closeup shot of the ongoing making of a bag

So… I tell everyone who will listen that I LOVE using our sew-in invisible magnet snaps because… They snap together first-time EVERY-time! They’re EASY to sew in place with a regular machine needle. And they’re strong enough to keep my bag firmly closed until I WANT to open it! As a matter of fact, it’s…