They're Here!

My next, long awaited for, new collection of beadmats has hit the website! I have to say, there are some real favorites here. But I'll let you decide....here's a tickle of what you'll find at www.judipatuti.com.



Emergence...great color palette!




Rolling Hills....reminiscent of growing corn
visited by bees and butterflies!


and...Sweet Nothings! The name says it all!


Be sure and visit the
website to see all the rest!

Leo Has Friends!

A few weeks ago three brave sewers ventured into the land of sewing curves and creating manes to make Leo the Lion a few new friends at The Grove! Although they didn't quite have their "stuffing" yet, the fabrics and color choices made Leo "Roar with Pleasure"!

Kendal, Michelle and Olivia promised to bring Leo's friends back to play once their button eyes are sewn on and their tails have just the right amount of yarn for "swishing"!

Kendal's Lion - love the split colored mane!



Michelle's son hand picked his lion's "coat" and will soon be hugging and loving him!

Pink mane with teal blue eye's were
Olivia's pick for her lion!

In no time at all the three will have "custom" Lions
Purrfect for Purring!

It's All About the Timing!

When I'm not sewing or doing a jillion other things I knit...I really don't make a conscious choice whether it's cold weather, sizziling hot weather or perfect weather...there's almost always something on my needles.

The problem with not paying attention to the season (if you can say San Diego has seasons) is that I usually finish something and then can't wear it or my giftee has to put it away for a while cuz it's just too warm or too cold.

Such is the case with my most recent "FO" finished object! Friend Marcia deCoster turned me on to an adorable swing coat/jacket by Lisa Chemery. It's a great pattern, knitted top down and can be finished in a short period of time. I used Spud & Cloe's beautiful pure white yarn and made it for my newest granddaughter, Braelyn.



Of course, it's now 80-90 degrees and this isn't really what she wanted to wear...but was a real trooper for her Moma and I as we got her to pose (rather quickly) for a picture.

Actually it's really good the weather is warm, by the time it cools off it may actually fit!

He's a Pussycat!

Pattern designer Valori Wells calls this sewing card pattern "Leonardo the Lion"...but he's really a sweet, lovable pussycat! Here he's sewn in Alice Kennedy's "Sunny Daze" fabric with yarns from my personal collection from The Grove.

He was easy as pie to make and quick too! While the pattern calls for stitched eyes, I decided this would be for an older child and used button's as eyes instead.

After he was done....I carried him around to show him off and flashed back to Jr. High when we all (or your Mom, Grandma) had fabric "wiener" dogs that our friends wrote on. A predecessor to the High School and College Annuals and now to Facebook's Wall. I guess sending messages to friends never ends...so here's my message to you.

If you're in San Diego, join me at The Grove in July when I teach how to sew
your own little pussycat!

It's Paper!

On my trek through the Mall the other day, I was stopped short by the display in Papyrus's window. The dress was entirely made from invitations and other printed stationary!

My college, Fashion Careers College, does the same thing for the draping class, using trashbags, magazine pages, newspapers, tissue paper and Trader Joe's paper bags among other things. The results are always inventive and amazing!

To do the same thing, the only thing you need is a pinable dress form and fabric to end up with your own "wearable" original!

Classes! Classes!

The last two classes I had at The Grove set the record for starting and completing a project in 2 hours! Hard to believe, but the Maggie Purse (sized for a cell phone) was done in record time. Fabrics, ribbon and buttons were chosen, pattern cut out and it was sewn and ready for use! The fabrics, the girls decided on was "June Bug", a great colorful choice for spring! And June is almost here!



The girls in the project board class all had a different visions for their boards. From a strong abstract Asian print (made for office use) to a soft floral for a new grand daughter's pictures! And to think Crate and Barrel was selling these for a lot of money, but here each got to choose their own personal color with their individual decor in mind!

Pretty amazing what a little fabric and a little time can do!

Thread/Thread Everywhere!

I love fabrics! Mostly the naturals - cottons, wools, linens, silks, but I specialize in contemporary cotton prints that I offer to customers at The Grove.

On a daily basis, I walk out of the house, since I price my fabrics at home before taking them to the store, picking threads off my clothes as I rush to the car. Since I usually wear black, it's pretty noticeable. Last week I found threads on one of my front yard bushes...had to laugh!

But today...after I had driven to work, driven to lunch and was getting in the car to go home again I saw this bright pink thread, from one of my latest fabrics, stuck to my tire! Now that's one determined piece of thread!

I think I'll get a license plate that says "Fabric Lover"!