CHA

I am blogging from bed as I am exhausted from walking around and demoing at the CHA convention. Tomorrow I will wearing much more appropriate footwear!


its always fun to connect with fellow artist and F+W authors: Kelly Snelling, me, Alisa Burke, Tonia Davenport and Traci Bautista (photo is courtesy Miss Bautista's Iphone)

Craft & Hobby Assocition (CHA trade show)

I will be attending CHA in Anaheim next week,

On Sunday, the 25th between 1 - 2 you will find me at the F&W Publishing

booth, Kelly and I will be signing copies of A Charming Exchange
(don't already have a copy? you can order one here)
and doing some step outs from the book!

Also on Sunday from 3 - 4, I will be doing some art quilting over at the Stampington & Company booth.

On Monday the 26th I will be at the Stampington & Company booth.
From 12 -1 then one last time between 3-4.
I hope to see some of you there!

One World One Heart Give-Away

I have been surfing the web today cheeking out all the blogs and having so much fun that I have decided that I wanted to join in with the One World One Heart Blogger Event.



Take a look at Lisa Oceandreamer Swifka OWOH site, There you will find a long list of participants whom you can visit and maybe win a prize! This is a wonderful way to discover new blogs, and find new artists.

I will be teaching how to make these lovely little poetry pinafores at ArtFiberFest June 24th - 28th 2009 in Portland Oregon.

But one lucky winner can have there very own custom made poetry dress!

(This dress is 13 inches by 14 inches)

In order to be eligible to win your own custom poetry dress much like this one,
you MUST leave a comment on
this post with A poem, word or quoit
that you would like on your dress if you happen to be the lucky winner!
(please make sure your words are between 1 to 28 words)

When posting, be sure to include your email address on the body of your comment.

My contest ends on February 11th and only one entry per person. The winner will be announced on February 12th.

Also take a look over at A Charming Exchange for a chance to win some jewelry made By myself and Kelly Snelling

Good Luck!

from my hands to yours

We are each of us angels with only one wing,
and we can only fly by embracing one another.
~Luciano de Crescenzo

Read how creating gift parcels helped me renew my creative soul.
Somerset Life Winter '09 issue!

Words bring life and light to the world.

(a small peek at part of a project in the book)

Its official! Layered, Tattered and Stitched: A Fabric Art Workshop. is now in the hands of my editor! I still have a few details that need to be work out like patterns and clip art and there are still two editing stages but these are all small things compared to the writing of the actual book!

Now I am off for some fun today with my friends! its time to celebrate!

Sing joyfully.
Eternal truth.

Happy Birthday Sarah!

She is Daddy's little helper...


and her Brothers best friend...


she created me just as much as I created her...


thank you Sarah~Jeanne for 18 amazing years!

The world is your stage!
live life large!

Book deadline

Book deadline on the 15th, originally uploaded by ruthrae.

The manuscript for:
Layered, Tattered and Stitched: A Fabric Art Workshop
is due on the 15th!

I am working on all the fine details. I tried to be organized but the major mistake that I made was writing on my laptop and my desktop!

I am ready to crumble right now I tell you! CRUMBLE! its a good thing I sew, because I will need to mend myself when this is all behind me!

my muse!

I have a small doll size dress form but I have been lusting for a full size one for the past year. I have been stalking ebay but just never found the one, part of me wanted a vintage one with all the charm but the sensible side of me wanted one that I could truly use to create clothing on. A few weeks ago I walked into a antique shop and to my delight I found her and she wanted to come and live in my studio and become my muse... and here she is!

she will get a name but for now she just makes me happy!
you can see more dress forms: here, here, and here.

And here is my fist full size creation...

I made this as a Christmas gift for Kristen
she even has a blog called: if Jane where hear
where she ponders what Jane would do.
so its no wonder that I would make for her a Jane Austin Poetry Pinafore.

most of this dress was done with free motion sewing you can read about the process here
and you can see a amazing example here.
(I will be teaching a class on this process and will post the information about it soon)

indulge your imagination in every possible flight.
~ Jane Austin

Teach us that we may feel the importance of
every day of every hour as it passes. ~ Jane Austin

Back of neck detail.

back shoulder detail:
Where so many hours have been spent in convincing myself that I am right, is there not some reason to fear I may be wrong? ~ Jane Austin

ties on the back of the Pinafore.

Side view.

I hope your all doing well in the new year!