Happy end of November! Did you have a gratitude-filled holiday weekend? Mine was good and hearty and on the quiet side. It’s my personal tradition to work on K’s advent calendar around this time of year, and I’m almost done. Because I know that K has zero interest in my blog, it’s safe to share some images here. As per usual, I wanted to use what I have on hand. Remember my Swedish tracing paper flower advent calendar? This one is a similar concept, though far less complicated. I am in ... Read more
Wait, is it already Halloween?
October. Oh, how this month felt like it was kidnapped by pirates, torn asunder and swept away into roiling, thundercloud-studded seas. Okay, that's a bit dramatic. Basically, I have no idea where the time went. And these pirates that I drew and made into a repeat pattern seem awfully adorable and incapable of any kidnapping. Year after year, October continues to be the busiest month full of deadlines for me. How's your October been? I'm currently smack in the middle of preparing for the ... Read more
Sumo Colors + Sumo Shapes!
Banzai, banzai!! More darling sumos in the house — or in sumo parlance: more sumos in the heya! “Heya” or “beya” means “room” in Japanese and also refers to the sumo stable, which is sort of like a team. SUMO COLORS and SUMO SHAPES have officially flown from the printer’s coop and are flapping about in the world. I am deeply, deeply in love with these books (okay, I say that about every one of my books, but it’s always true). I’m thrilled that School Library Journal gave the latest ... Read more
Encouragers + Sewing Love Launch Day Giveaway! {CLOSED}
UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed and I will be contacting the winner directly. Congrats Laura! "Books are a bad idea. You aren't making any money. You should get a real job." That's what my husband told me when I published my first book and has repeated a variation of these words over the years as I diligently worked on building a career as an author and illustrator, fueled by copious amounts of hope and coffee. I've wanted to make books since I was a wee girl. I used to inhale Japanese ... Read more
Sweet Sixteen
Styling: Rachel Grunig Photo: Manuela Insixiengmay Happy almost August, everyone! So many big events are happening, the biggest of which is that K is turning sixteen this weekend. The image above is an outtake from my book Sewing Love, launching on August 23rd. Look how grown-up and beautiful she is! K's been in every one of my sewing books, and it's quite emotional for me to see the progression. I adore this image from Sewing Happiness, when she was a darling seven-year-old: ... Read more