I finally got around to turning one of my bags into a backpack. You know sometimes you want to do something and other things just keep getting in the way.

I was in the process of finishing up the backpack when my daughter walked into the room and quickly laid claim to my new blue Lizzy backpack.

She could hardly wait for me to finish things.

This is her trying to run away from me with the bag before I can make the final adjustments.

when you sit down to create or are you neat all thru the process?

This is where I started yesterday, making a nice neat pile on a chair beside my work table. This does pile does not last long. I really have no energy to worry about how big a mess I am making when I am creating.

This is where I ended up! Piles everywhere, scraps everywhere! Cleanup is a job in itself. But I dont think about that until I am done. I can’t even imagine being neat all thru the process that would so interrupt my zone of creativity with the reality of what was to come at clean up time.

Some might think that having a big mess and huge piles of fabric and supplies everywhere indicates that  somehow  we dont know what we are doing. You feel indecisive, not sure of yourself and the mess proves it.

Not so! I think it means I have a big palette and I am not afraid to use it.

I work in the zone, my creative zone, I fill it up with all the things I might use and I begin to think, try different colors, differnt fabrics, changing this and changing that until my eye finds just what works for this project.  And most of all I enjoy the process without thinking of the aftermath.

How do you create? What sets you free, where do you find yourself when in the zone? I find myself in the middle of a big mess having loads of fun, playing with everything on my palette!

I have had quite a few people inquiring about the Cat Sack Class. This has resulted in a mid winter Sew away the blues February Special Sale!

I will be running a one time only Special Winter Cat Sack Class! If you are interested in this class you can purchase it here

Sign up to make your Cat Sack and receive a 30% discount on the class fee.

Regular price $60 winter special sew away the blues price $42

That means you will get the 6 lessons covering

• fabric selection
• Cutting out and designing your cat sack
• stitching your cat sack
• constructing the head
• sewing the lining
• assembling the bag
• adding the tail/handle
• you will have access to all 6 lessons at once so you can work at your own pace
• my full support should you need help with anything.

This special will run for 2 weeks from today Feb 26, 2008 to March 10, 2008.

If you sign up during that time you will receive the Cat Sack Online Class for 42.00 for this fun bag!

If you are interested in this class you can purchase it here

There are many classes available out there and each one is presented differently depending on the designer offering the class. Some live up to our expectations and some don’t. Some teaching methods fit our needs and others don’t. It depends on your learning style.

And it can be difficult to know just which one is which on the internet. So I have created this post to share with you what you can expect from a Studio-259 E-Pattern or Online Class. We have a high standard, we want you to have fun, be happy with your experience and most of all want to try another one of our projects.

We also understand that some of the projects may seem to be a bit more than you think you can do and you might not be sure if you get through it. We want to assure you that you will have personal support at your fingertips. We are just an email away. If you ever have a question we will help you through.

We also have a forum and a yahoo group where you can also go to chat, those are just opening and so still new. But we specialize in on one email support because we have found many times that it can be intimidating to ask questions in front of others some of us are still new in our sewing confidence. Whatever it takes to help you through I will be there for you. Customer service is my number 1.

What will you get with our classes and patterns

• the first lesson of every class and pattern always covers fabric choices, what fabrics you can use for specific projects, clear pictures of the fabrics I would choose for this project, why those fabrics work for that project, other fabric choices that might work as well.
• I dont usually use any hard to find supplies, I like to use whats on hand, that makes it easy for me and you.
• you can also send me photos of your fabrics choices and ask me questions about your fabrics and I will work with you until it works for you. So you will have total fabric picking support.
• extensive instructions, where I walk you through each step no matter how simple .
• lots of clear close-up photos that also show you just what to do for every step so you can see it as well as read it.
• the ability to pay for the class and get all the lessons all at once and work at your own pace.
• you can also make payments on a class to make it more affordable
• full support, I am personally available to you through email to answer any questions you might have about any part of the pattern. I want you to be successful. I am here for you.
• lots of clear photos and detailed instructions on how to do all of the quilting stitches that I use in each project. If necessary I will even make a small video of the stitching so you can see it being done.
• step by step photos and instruction on bag assembly.
• I use Presencia cotton and Rayon Threads in almost all of my projects ( no specialty threads that you have to find and buy to make my projects, just plain cotton and rayon)
• I can also send the files on CD if you would rather have it that way. Just ask!
• most of all you get total encouragement and support every step of the way.
• if you have a question about any pattern or class before you take it please email me so I can answer any questions you might have.

I don’t want you to miss an opportunity to make something you would love to have because you have a concern about something.

My door is open, I will gladly take the time to respond to each of your concerns. I want you to have a great experience with my designs. I want to share what I love and most of all I want you to have fun and be successful!

In order to do that I take the extra step and offer you all of the above. I feel it makes me a better teacher and you more successful.

I put more into my patterns and classes than some other classes out there, I do that because it matters to me whether you have a good experience in my class. It matters to me whether you get it and come out with a great finished project. It matters to me that you have fun.

I offer my designs as E-classes and E -patterns because this allows me to take up as many pages as it takes to put in as many photos as I can to show and tell you every thing I possible can to make your journey through my projects as pleasant as I possibly can. This assures me that I have given you plenty of info to make your project a success. It’s everything I can do short of sitting right there with you and helping you.

If you would like to know what others have said about my patterns and classes then take a moment to check out the happy customer page, here I list the many comments I have received from students, so you can hear from others what it was like taking a Studio-259 class.

I have some questions and I would like to ask all of you for your opinion.

I am trying to think ahead as to the kinds of classes and patterns I want to develop and I would like input from everyone. You can either respond to me on this blog or email me privately at info@studio-259.com, but i would love to hear from as many people as possible if I can.

Here are some questions and any thoughts you have would be helpful to me.

• Would you take one of my bag classes, if not what stops you beside the cost?
• Do you feel you cant make one of these bags because they seem to difficult, or take too much time?
• Is the fact that there is a lot of quilting to these designs something that scares you?
• What kinds of things would you like to see in the way of fun bags that might be different than my current funky designs?
• Are you looking for things along the same lines that are simpler?
• If I offered the pattern or class with a simpler version (with less of the free motion quilting) and an advanced version (with all the textural quilting) would that appeal to you ?
• If I were to offer a free class to make a funky bag where I walked you thru all the steps, showed you how to do all the textural stitching with pictures , instructions and short videos where necessary, would you take this FREE class?
• Would taking this class make you want to try other Studio-259 bag designs.

I love to sew and I love to share what i know. When I started my business I wanted to offer something different and I also wanted to present it in such a way that people who have never done this type of quilting before would have fun trying new things. ANd I want to encourage people to play outside the box. That was my inspiration.

I also make up my patterns and classes with extensive information, more so than most patterns out there because I want to inspire people to take that extra step and I want to give them all the info and tools to do it. I want you to be successful. If I could come to your house and walk you thru it I would.

With that thought in mind I am considering putting together a new free class to inspire people and help them expand their sewing and quilting boundaries.   I am interested in any feedback you give, it would be helpful in determining how it all comes together.

Please I do want your opinions, so let me have it!!!

two winners to be exact.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by, browsed the site and left a comment. I look forward to hearing from you all, seeing your projects, maybe signing up for a class so you can make your own funky bags. There is so much in store from Studio-259 this year. Its going to be a fun year.

And be sure to come back, bookmark this blog, and watch for the

MONTHLY GIVEAWAYS

you never know what it might be

• a great quilting book
• sewing notions
• cool fabric
• free patterns
• and even somewhere down the line you could have the chance to win one of my handmade bags

You never know what we will be giving away. So visit us often, take some classes, try a pattern, talk to us on the blog, let us know what you think, show us your creations (we have a flickr gallery so please share you favorite projects) and even request a design or pattern. We love to hear from you.

And now for the winners!!!

toss the names into a bowl, sorry dont have a hat!!!

mix them all up!!!

dip my hand in!!!

pull one out!!!

are you ready??

DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!

We have Jan and Betsy

Congratulations girls! I hope you enjoy these books.

I will be contacting you by email to wind up the deal. Enjoy and thanks everyone for stopping by.

I have quilt books to give away to some lucky people.

Here is what you have to do to win.

There will be 2 winners of 5 books each. You can do any one of the following

• make a comment on this blog
• if you have a blog, make a post about Studio-259 and link to a bag post in this blog,let us know where to find the link
• you will get one entry for every post you make on this blog,
• and one entry for each link back to this blog you make from your own blog,

• On Monday February 18th I will pick two winners and post the names here on this blog.

Sorry US only due to shipping costs.

Hi,
I have been busy with new designs and getting classes ready and just wanted to post a note that online classes will soon be starting. You can now sign up for any of the classes below.

A little bit of sewing, a little bit of quilting and a lot of embellishements and I am happy to introduce

Sally the Embellished Snail  my newest bag creation. A snail and a bag full of lots of fun embellishements.

I guess you could say that Sally is an eclectic kind of snail, on her sure but slow travels she collects things, whatever catches her eye and she adds them to her home. And since she carries her home on her back she decorates her shell with fun embellsihemnts.

I will be offering Sally the Snail as an  online class on Joggles  along with other bag designs like

Lizzie the Lizzard  and my

Ladybug Garden Tote. (this class will run on Studio-259)

come have some fun and make a funky bag with us!! All classes come with one on one support to help you every step of the way.

Michelle
Studio-259.com

(This is a little night stand I painted for a friend who had a baby and a pooh theme.)

I have been in love with sewing for as long as I can remember. It never mattered much what I was sewing, clothes, curtains, costumes or quilts, it all made me smile. I love the simple act of taking fabric, cutting it up and making something. Sewing kept me going for many years until the yearn to paint took over.

I also love painting. Something it took me most of my life to get around to doing, but I finally got to it. I had a business of selling hand painted furniture. I would go out to Amish country and buy the wonderful shaker furniture, paint it up and sell it. I also spent several years scouring the flea markets for old metal objects that I could paint and sell. It was a great time of hunting for good junk that I could re-purpose!

Like this old stove. After you clean them up and paint them you can wire them with a small light fixture that was in the lid. When you turned it on the light would glow through all the vent holes, what a beautiful night light it made.

Or these old canning tubs, they were always a great find. I love painting on these. Just about any design would work. And the Americana theme was a big seller back then. You could paint in on almost anything.

I painted furniture for many years. You could find me on any given day in the UPS office with some pretty big packages. Some odd shaped ones too!

Like this butterchurn, what a job this was to ship!!!
But then I got tired of painting and I wanted more! I wasn’t quite sure what that was at the time, but I knew it would take me back to my original love, SEWING! It couldnt be the same old sewing though, it also had to be so much more.

Then one night while I was surfing the internet for some inspiration to guide me, I came across this quilt Wedding Dreams by Maria Elkins ,and it captured me. For the first time I saw the ability to take the two things I loved most and put them together. Quilting and Painting!!!

Upon finding the Quiltart Mail List I came across a great group of people who create some of the most amazing art with fabric that I have ever seen. If you would like to browse through the sites of some of these amazing artists, then I keep a link list on my art website here. It’s a fantastic way to spend some time surfing.

Well needless to say a new era for me had begun. I was smitten of the idea of painting with fabric. It took me several years of trials to figure out who I was in this new medium and every bit of it was a fun journey.

see my art quilts

No matter what I was I was full of color. The above quilt is called Essence! My Essence which is RED! Or its direct opposite in blue which is called Ice-O-Lation. Hot and cold more or less.

Or the happenings of a bustling city from my point of view, thru color. Most times you will notice that I loved working in solid color fabrics. It was the challenge of painting with fabric, the pure essence of color that inspired me to create art using solid fabrics.

Then I have my more serious side, deep in thought, this quilt is called Into The Woodwork, for those times in life when that is just where you wish you could be part of the surrounding scenery. (those times are now past for me in my life)

Or my need to make a statement, which I did thru this quilt, know what the subject was?? Our societys obsession with boobs!!!!

And my more tender moments, being a mother! One of life’s biggest accomplishments!

And that all led to my very first Cat Sack Handbag, a combination of all the things I love. It was a long journey but it all evolved to this. I took my love of sewing, painting, art quilting and transformed it into something funky, fun and functional. Functional being the key word here.

For me there is something special about being able to take all of those passions and create something artful and functional.

That is how Studio-259 handbag designs came about. I love to have art I can carry with me, something fun, unusual, wild etc. After all it’s not like I can go around with an armful of quilts to show people.

So bags, art bags were the next best thing. What a great canvas a bag makes. Why have just a traditional bag with preprinted fabrics when you can go the extra step. And it’s art you can carry anywhere!

You can see some of my designs below.

And I just can’t settle for the ordinary bag, what fun would that be! Going to the next level is part of the fun.

So the next step along my journey is sharing these fun designs with you thru my online classes and patterns. I want you to have fun sewing and how better to do that than with some fun bags. Learn some new techniques, make a fun bag, play with color and design and create your own unique piece of art. Play outside the box, break free of those traditional boundaries and have some fun with something funky!

And being able to show you way close up how to create fun things like my bags, is fantastic. That is why all my patterns and classes are in PDf format. It allows me to show you more than traditional printed patterns. It is almost like being right there with you and showing you what I do!

I also take great pleasure in seeing what you create with my patterns, I love to see your creativity at work. It’s so much fun to let loose and play!!! I hope you will join me in some of my upcoming classes and come and make a fun funky bag with Studio-259!!

Studio-259 is happy to announce another Sew Simple Series Pattern. We have just put up our Reversible Headband and Head-Band_dana pattern.

A two for one, two patterns for the price of one, 2 headbands instead of one. This pattern features a printable paper pattern for a headband in 2 sizes, our 2 inch and 3 inch wide headband. With complete detailed instructions and lots of photos to show you what to do. Even if you have never sewed before you can learn to sew with confidence with our new patterns. We provide you with close up photos so you can see just what to do, even the simplest parts have photos. We feel this helps people learn better, if you can see it you can do it.

Also included is our new Head-band-dana design. Do you like bandanas, dont you hate when the slip and have to be readjusted all day long. Well not with our new design, you can whip one up with less than 1/4 yard of fabric and in about 30 minutes. A printable paper pattern for this will make it easier for you to make your new bandana collection, and what can be better than making them in your own fun fabrics.

This is a great beginner pattern and also good for kids who want to learn to sew (with adult supervision of course) IF you would like more info on this pattern or are interested in purchasing it then click here.

We want to teach you to sew and we want you to sew fun things. If there is something you would like to see a pattern for, something you would like to learn to make let us know, we love to design things you want. Just email us.