PPC31: Paisley in Purple

A purple and green purse with a floral design.

So… at this point, this design is set, the pattern pieces are set, the testing packages are in the hands of our very able & competent testers & even the NAME for this design has been set… So why are we still making samples? First of all… I’m going to try something new with my…

Read More

PPC31: Flowering Stripes

A colorful floral bag with black and white striped strap.

So… when I came across this fabric on the Checker Distributor site, I felt an almost visceral attraction to it. I loved it immediately and also knew right away that I would be pairing it with a black & white striped fabric! It wasn’t until it arrived from UPS and was sitting on my cutting…

Read More

the July’24 Eye Candy Showcase

A collage of pictures with the words " the july 2 4 eye candy showcase ".

You know what? As you probably know… we post several times each month on this site, but there’s no other post I enjoy more than our monthly “Eye Candy Showcase! What fun it is seeing how our customers tailor our patterns to reflect their own fashion sensibility! This month we have eight fabulous bags to…

Read More

Pattern Development- the Templates

A group of paper cut outs with blue stickers on them.

So… it occurred to me recently, that I’ve never written about some of the really important, behind-the-scenes details that go into the making of a successful and profitable pattern… and here’s the deal… there’s nothing else that impacts the profitability of a pattern more, than the pattern templates. Let me show you how this can…

Read More

PPC31: Checks & Balances

A close up of a bag on the chair

So… I saw this fabric online and nearly swooned! And here’s the thing… it was by a designer I’d never heard of (Carla Reed), and distributed by a vendor I’ve never heard of (Sykel Enterprises, an evidently obscure division of Fabrique Innovations)! And what makes this find even BETTER, is that I liked MANY of…

Read More

PPC31: Butterflies are Free

A black purse with a butterfly on it

So… it’s been quite a few weeks since I’ve shown you anything new in the development of our next new pattern. First I was away for a week in Paducah, KY for the AQS Show. Then, no sooner than I got back, it was time for our annual getaway, but I’m back now, totally refreshed,…

Read More

the June’24 Eye Candy Showcase

A collage of different bags with text that reads " eye candy showcase for june 2 4 ".

You know what? This is always one of my favorite times of the month… getting to show off some of the bags our brilliant customers have made with our patterns! And this month is certainly no exception! So what ‘cha say? Let’s get started! Sue Evans just finished her Gateway and calls it to be…

Read More

the May’24 Eye Candy Showcase

A collage of different bags with the words " may 2 4 eye candy showcase ".

You know what? This is always one of my favorite times of the month… getting to show off some of the bags our brilliant customers have made with our patterns! And this month is certainly no exception! So what ‘cha say? Let’s get started! Monica Perkins used foam for stability in her Odyssey & quilted…

Read More

PPC31: Laurel Burch Forever

A black purse with green and yellow flowers on it.

So… in our last post I gave you a tour of our prototype sample for what will soon be our next new pattern! And as you might recall… I was fairly happy with that Gorilla sample I made, but there were some notable problems that I deemed necessary to improve upon in this round. So……

Read More

PPC31: All About the Gorilla

A blue backpack with yellow accents on the strap.

So… I was pleased enough with our prototype sample (which I showed to you in our last post), that I felt confident going forward by making the gorilla sample… the sample I’ll carry for a while just to see if I like it?… and is the size good?… and does it hold all the stuff…

Read More