musings and inspiration from the studio of Red Thread Design
Too much stuff!
Something usual happened to me this week, perhaps even cathartic. I live in a rather chaotic environment of my own creation, with three young children and a home-based business. There...
Much Ado about Colour
Last night my sister came to me with a mission: she’s taking a quilting class and wanted to select nine harmonious fabrics to use in her first quilt. Because I...
Stereotyping our children from birth?
Toronto couple Kathy Witterick and David Stocker became international news a few weeks ago when they made public their decision to raise their third child, now four months old, without...
Do you know how your clothing was made?
This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, the worst industrial disaster in New York City's history. Unable to escape, 146 garment workers died, most of...
Fabric Gymnastics 101
When I first made the transition from sewing for the love of it to starting a business, I had a lot to learn about production sewing: planning for the best...
Welcoming Fall with Open Arms
For as long as I can remember, I’ve cared very little for fashion (and yes, designing clothing for a living I am well aware of the irony). Living in Toronto...
Anatomy of a summer craft show
You drive toward a big park on a hot summer day, anticipating a great afternoon. The first thing you spot is a sea of white tents, the identical peaked roofs...
What is success?
The other day I was having a chat with a relative about Red Thread from a business perspective. I was expressing my excitement about reaching some new milestones – my...
If a 6-year-old could design her own clothing, what would it look like?
A few weeks ago I mentioned to my sewing students in my youngest group (6-7 year olds) that I was planning to design a special dress for Valentine's Day. My...
From the mouths of babes
Who really knows what children think their parents do all day? Do they understand what our jobs are? Wonder if we enjoy working? Just before going back to school this...
On sewing and kids
During 2009, I tried something new – teaching classes in sewing and quilting for kids (and a few very enthusiastic adults). Since January I’ve taught more than 50 classes, and...
Pink vs. Blue
As the mother of three young girls and a designer of clothing for girls, I spend a huge part of my day immersed in the childhood world of girls. So...