How I Make My Simple Pattern Weights

These pattern weights, essentially small paper weights, help hold a pattern down & in place while chalking the pattern to fabric. My pattern weights coordinate with my work table organizers: pen/pencil/marker holder (left), small tool holder (front), small ruler/template holder (right), scissors holder (not pictured), and pattern weight holder (not pictured.) All of these use Fanciful Utility techniques with the round  organizers using upcycled tape cores.

Must Read them All

What are your “Must Read Them All” authors/series?

Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series drove many miles with me in the early 2000s. The stories were sweet romances with a bit of history and intrigue on a disk. Well, many disks.

“Is it here yet?” The A Discovery of Witches series turned me into an impatient child waiting for each of the first three books to come out. I am ecstatic Black Bird Oracle begins a new part of the series.

Julie Trettel’s Westin World books brought reading back into my life. While I listened to audiobooks via my local library, mostly while driving for about a decade, fiction fell out of my life for too many years. Then, in the midst of the pandemic, I stumbled into the Westin World while looking for something to keep me company while I sewed. I now wait hungrily for each new release.

I don’t think I’ve devoured any series as quickly as I have Seana Kelly’s Sam Quinn & Sea Wicche Chronicles. I can’t explain why I like it, I just do.

While most are in love with the Bridgerton series, I prefer Julia Quinn’s Rokesby series, a prequel to the Bridgertons. This generation is far more mischievous and adventurous.

Birthday Bear

This little wool Birthday Bear pattern is sentimental for me. Several times in the past years I’ve thought about sharing it, but held back for this reason or that. When I found the zip-lock bag with bear bits and hand traced pattern this past month, I decided it was time to share it. Given this is my birthday month, this seems a perfect time.

A little background—Shortly after moving to New Mexico, my crafty self wandered into the lone quilt shop: a warehouse type building packed with modern cotton quilt fabrics I had no idea what to do with. Tucked in a corner was one small turn-table with rolls of wool meant for rug hooking. This was the only material in the shop I could relate to. I bought an assortment of browns, blues, and purple. I don’t recall if the idea for these little bears came while in the shop or after. I drew up this little bear pattern to suit the small amount of wool I had. The little bears earned their name as Birthday Bears because I gave them as birthday gifts that year.

The pattern templates are left as I drew them a decade and a half ago, with the exception of the lettering for the piece names.  This would have been about the same time I wrote Fanciful Utility.  I originally made this template for me, not to share. So, bear with me on this on.