My HUGE News....Anna Griffin Sewing Patterns...by ME!

So It's Tuesday, two days after a very amazing and very long Spring Quilt Market weekend. I slept much of yesterday after dropping my girls off at school, yet it didn't seem like enough when it was time to pick them up. I'm still very sleep & family deprived after many months of working my tail off since attending the Craft & Hobby Convention in LA. I still haven't finished recapping that weekend - since I started working immediately for Anna Griffin, Inc.! But I will soon...really!

Did you read that?...that I worked with Anna Griffin? So here's the big news. I approached her booth at the CHA convention and spoke to her Communications Manager (love Lindsey!) and explained what I do and that I would love to work with Anna. I asked that she come to visit my Designer showcase table the next day if she had time and much to my surprise, found Anna approaching my table that very next day. She loved my work and we immediately began talking about some opportunities for the Spring Quilt Market.

Without providing all of the details - I made my proposal, and it was accepted and we went from there. I received loads of fabric and began whipping up samples and patterns as we discussed, writing all of the instructions and digitally drawing all of the illustrations for each of the patterns. So for all of you fine folks out there desperately waiting for your thumb covers while my shop was closed and then open but not shipping...this is what I was working on all those months! (thank you for your patience!)

It was a very intense and very rewarding opportunity to work with Anna Griffin and all of her wonderful people (like Lindsey and Holley)! This is just the beginning. I have more great stuff to tell you in the future - but again...it's all under wraps for now. You'll be there first to know (aside from my close family) when the cat is out of the next bag!

So here are some Anna Griffin, Inc Sewing Patterns that will be available in a quilt shop near you (designed by me) come mid to late June....The Scotty Dog with his cute little cape, The Bone Pillow, The Peony Pillow, the Sunflower Pillow and the Butterfly Pillow!

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What's even more awesome than all of this...is that when they come out - you can come back here for a chance to win a pattern for yourself! Anna has given me permission to give some to my readers! And I just might have to throw in some of her gorgeous fabric that I have remaining! So what do you think? Do you have a favorite? Please do tell! Thanks for stopping by - thanks for reading Kid Giddy and sharing in my joy and accomplishments!

Have a splendid day!

Throw-Back Thursday: Rain Man

This little man stands out in the pretend rain and calls for something. I'm not sure what he's saying. I don't know where it's from and who's it was. I don't even know if he has a name.

I found it about 20 years ago, buried deep in the sand on a beach in Long Island NY and I've kept him all this time in a little box filled with other small trinkets saved from the fun summers during my High School years!

Isn't it so strange the things we save and the things we remember about them!? And amazingly the things we forget without the physical evidence? This little guys was too cute to leave behind. I feel sorry for the little tike that most likely lost him. What have you held onto? Do you have any fun treasures sitting in a box, in a deep dark a closet waiting to be re-discovered? Share it with us!

Happy Thursday! I hope you all have a great weekend! I'll be posting my great big HUGE news next week! Keep your eyes opened and come celebrate with me!

Busy Monday: Kid Giddy Mini Tent Tutorial

Good Morning everyone! Some of you are visiting my site for the first time - welcome...and thanks for stopping in!

I've created this fun Mini Tent Pattern and WAS being featured on the SewMamaSew blog but that website is no longer active! Download the template by clicking on the image.

What You Need:

• Mini-Tent Pattern
• Tent – Fabric A: 4 Fat Quarters or approx 1 yard
• Flooring – Fabric B: 2 Fat Quarters or approx 1/2 yard
• 4 Corner Tabs – Fabric A, B, or C: your choice scraps – cut 3 1/2″ x 1 1/2″
• 16 Tent Pole Tabs – Fabric A, B, or C: your choice scraps – cut 3″ x 2 1/2″
• 1 Ribbon – 14″ piece
• 2 Poles – 3/8″ x 30″ Faucet Connector & a sharp knife or blade to shorten
• Scissors
• Sewing Machine
• Ruler Mat
• Iron

What You Do:
Pre-wash and press all of your fabric. This will be completely washable if made with cotton, and pre-washing will prevent twisting and tugging later on.
Use all 1/4″ seam allowances, except on top stitching.
Trace pattern pieces (click image above) onto your pattern paper (connect the red and blue line for the tent sides). This is the only way it would properly print on a standard 8 1/2 x 11. BE SURE TO PLACE PIECES ON THE FOLD AS DIRECTED.
Cut out all of your tab pieces (there are no pattern pieces for these). The tent pole tabs can be a combination of two fabrics, you choose, while the corner tabs are only one fabric.
Pin the pattern pieces onto your fabric and cut your fabric accordingly. The tent flooring square should be cut to 11 1/4 x 11 1/4. You can cut more doors out of the side panels if you wish, just be sure to cut additional door frames too.

Putting Your Mini Tent Together:
Step 1: With your Door panel right side up, place the door frame right side down on top of the doorway. Stitch from one side to the other.

 Step 2: Press the frame to the inside of the tent, and top stitch that same seam.

Step 3: Sew your Tent pole tabs together. Place two pieces, right sides facing together and stitch both sides (a). Turn each piece inside out and press (b). Top stitch the side seams (c). The top and bottom are open, but they will be sewn into the tent panel seams so it’s OK.

Step 4: The image just shows that you can save time by running each tab in a continuous “running stitch.” You still need to lock in your beginning and ending stitch on each so they don’t tear apart when turning.

Step 5: Sew your corner tabs together. Lay a piece right side up (a). Fold that piece from left to right and stitch the right seam (b). Center the seam (c), and fold the sides together so the center seam is tucked inside. Stitch only one end closed (d).

Step 6: Carefully turn the corner pieces inside out. Find that center seam (a) and pull it over to one side. With a little wiggling, the corner will naturally want to be tucked in and the seam is on one side, and now looks like a little hood (b).

Step 7a: On the door panel, take a tab and fold it in half so the stitched seams are on the sides. Place the raw edge of the tab, up to the raw edge of the tent panel. You will place two tabs at the 3 inch mark, and two tabs at the 8″ mark as shown in the photo.

Step 7b: Place the corner tabs with the folded side down towards the bottom of the tent, and the opening facing the top of the tent, at the 5/8″ mark (note the red “X” marks in photo 7a).
Step 7c: Repeat steps 7a and 7b on the rear panel of the tent.

Step 8: Place one plain panel right side facing down, directly on top of the door panel. Sew only the right side seam from top to bottom, leaving 1/4″ open at the top for ribbon placement.

Step 9: Open the panel pieces, and place the other plain panel right side facing down, directly on top of the door panel. Sew the left side seam from top to bottom, leaving 1/4″ open at the top for ribbon placement. (You may notice in this picture that I forgot to put my corner tabs in… They magically appear in the next photo.)

Step 10: Place the read panel right side facing up and place the three-piece panel from Step 9, right side facing down. Line up one side and sew from top to bottom. You do not need to leave a 1/4″ open here. Repeat this step on the final edge of your tent and the top should now be complete, excluding the ribbon.

Step 11: Place the flooring right side facing up on your table and pin the top of the tent to the flooring. Carefully line up the corners and don’t pull or stretch your fabric.

Step 12: Take the other flooring piece and place it right side facing down directly on top of the whole tent. Place two pins near your tent door opening, to allow for turning it inside out. Pin the flooring in place around the entire tent, making sure to keep the corner tabs out of the way.

Step 13: Starting at one corner of the tent door opening, sew along the edge of the tent, all the way around to the other side of the tent door opening. Again, be sure your corner tabs have not been sewn into the seam!

Step 14: Turn your tent inside out through the opening. Press the opening if necessary, and top stitch this opening closed.

Step 15. Turn the tent inside out and place a piece of ribbon folded in half, up into the tip of the tent. The ends should be hanging out of the top, while the folded edge is on the inside, stitch this seam to secure the ribbon.

Step 16: CAREFULLY (adults only), trim your poles to size with a pocket knife or small blade (be sure to trim the end with the extra piece on it). One pole should be trimmed to 28″ and the other should be slightly shorter, about 27 1/2″. (One pole will sit under the other). You can cover up any printing on the poles or match them to your fabric by using duct tape. I used brown to make them look like twigs. Start at one end and twist the pole while holding the tape, and gently work your way up. Do not over wrap or the pole will not fit in through the tabs.

Step 17: Place both poles in through their tabs.

Step 18: Place two ends into their corner tabs. Then gently bend the poles to insert the opposite ends into their corner tabs.

Step 19: (not pictured) Tie the ribbon up around the two poles and you are finished.

I have some more REALLY exciting news coming in the next couple of weeks - but until then, I've got some thumb cover orders to sew up and ship out to customers that have been patiently waiting while I worked on the previously mentioned exciting news!

If you are new to my blog, stay a while, have a look around and enjoy! I hope you find something yummy to whip up or fun to make for yourselves! And I hope you'll click the follow button for even more exciting things to come later this year!

If you are not so new to my blog - welcome back and thanks again for stopping in! Talk to you all soon! Feel free to share info below and also on Instagram by tagging me @kidgiddy. This pattern is copyright protected and should not be copied as your own for your own website, esp without due credit.