September, Part 2

Hi everyone! I hope this month is treating you well so far. I spent Labor Day weekend up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, bidding a fond farewell to summer. Fall is definitely in the air now, and I think my number one task right now is getting used to my new routine. And remember when I said this newsletter had two parts? Well, it's true. Lots of fun stuff going on. So I'm back with September, the sequel.

Videos! Pop-opens! Palm trees! Magazines!

1) I have been a part of the Creativebug family for many years now. Sometimes, when we're filming, it's almost like I'm sitting around the fireplace chatting with my pals. Minus the fire. And with bright lights and a camera in my face. But almost. Check out this mini-documentary on CBTV, Creativebug's FREE library of artist biographies, live stream recordings, and other fun glimpses into the lives of the artists.

How I use journals

3.) Speaking of Nicole and Delilah... let's talk about Craftcation 2017! I'm super excited to be teaching again, and look at what an amazing cast of presenters is already on the lineup! General registration opens on October 13th at 9AM PST, so mark your calendars. Click on the photo below for the registration info. If you've ever wanted a vacation, on the beach, with a bunch of awesome crafty people, taking crafty classes and just generally being crafty and awesome... this is your conference. Palm trees! Fish tacos! Glue guns! Need I say more?!Photo courtesy of Dear Handmade Life (me, Amy Tan, Adrienne Wiley, Kiffanie Stahle in our panel on Multiple Income Streams.)

4) Lastly-- phew!-- Can you believe that people are already thinking about holiday gifts? Yes, it's true. Well I wrote a sweet little tutorial for Modern Patchwork Gifts on how to make a set of these nesting fabric buckets with handles. I also had a revelation last week that they also make great handbags. Get a copy and make some!

See you soon!

Ashley

Summer News

Happy Summer!

School is out and the sun is out (occasionally) in San Francisco! There has been a LOT going on over here, so allow me to cut to the chase.

Attention World!

I LIVE STREAMED! Yep, I made my very first infomercial, an impromptu Facebook live video from the Patchwork Show Oakland a couple of weeks ago. Thanks to the team at the Patchwork Show, and also a special thanks to my friends Justin and Jamieson for helping, it was like sweet serendipity the way that whole thing went down.

In case you missed it and need a few chuckles, here it is:

[video width="640" height="640" mp4="http://www.alphabetsummer.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/PatchworkLivestreamJune52016.mp4"][/video]

Attention Pop-Open Coveters!

My Etsy shop has a new look. Also, I’m going to be adding this beautiful medium size to my offerings, as well!

Attention Sewists!

My latest post on the Dear Handmade Life blog is a tutorial on how to make this super easy sleep mask. I’m taking mine on an upcoming backpacking trip, since that summer sun makes it almost impossible to sleep past dawn. You should make one, too! 

Awesome photography by Isabel.

Also, my latest Creativebug class, How to Sew a Dopp Bag, is the June Bag of the Month! If you haven’t checked out the trailer to see if it’s your thing-- which I can already tell you it is-- here you go! Don't forget to use the promo code ASHLEY for a free two-week trial!

Attention Pop-Open Owners!

Are you taking yours on any trips this summer? Take a photo of your pop-open in the wild, like my friend Diali has here in the Grand Tetons! Tag me (@alphabetashley) and use the hashtag #popopensinthewild and it could be shown on my page! Also, at the end of the summer, there might be a prize involved. Just saying.

Attention Quilters!

I'm excited to be teaching at Quiltfest Oasis in Palm Springs this October 6-8th! I've never been to Palm Springs and I feel like it might officially make me Californian. I can't wait! Head over to the site to see why I'm so honored to be a part of this lineup.

Also in October, I'll be returning to the Pacific International Quilt Festival in Santa Clara! Head over here to see my class offerings and also who else will be teaching... hint: It's my mom!

Attention World, Again!

Last but certainly not least, I’m thrilled to share that an article I wrote will be appearing in issue #30 of Uppercase Magazine! More on that soon, but if you aren’t a subscriber yet, use the code “summer30” for a discount. This magazine is one of my absolute favorites, and I look forward to receiving it more than almost anything. To say I'm honored that words that I wrote will be printed in this beautiful publication is a vast understatement.

That is all, for now. Thank you for reading, and happy summer out there! I'd love to hear from you, especially if you have any ideas for more silly live videos!

More from me really soon.

Love,

Ashley

What's New

Lots of fun stuff happening over here!

First of all, this week is QuiltCon 2016 in Pasadena, CA. I'm thrilled for several reasons, one of them being the cool classes I'm taking, including my first long-arm class! I'm excited to see friends and meet new ones, hopefully. And of course, I can't wait to see the one and only Gwen Marston as the keynote speaker this year. But... it's also the first time I have a quilt hanging in the show! I'm extremely giddy to see "Pixels" hanging on the wall of a show... it will be a special moment for me, for sure. More on this soon!

Secondly, my latest class on Creativebug is out! The Perfectly Pixelated Jelly Roll Quilt is a great beginners quilt top project. It features my favorite chain-piecing technique, and explores how to use a design wall to map out your design. 

If you haven't signed up to Creativebug yet, now's your chance. They're offering a free month subscription if you use the code MSTAR. What are you waiting for? Just head over and check out their instructors and classes if you don't believe me about how amazing it is.

Thirdly, I'm so pumped to be writing a monthly post for the Dear Handmade Life blog. If you're not familiar with this website, it is one of the many glorious brain children of Nicole Stevenson and Delilah Snell, of Craftcation and the Patchwork Shows that I participate in and love. Check out my maker profile and see my first DIY post, this super sweet and simple fabric wallet.

Simple-DIY-Fabric-Wallet-from-Dear-Handmade-Life

And on the personal project side, I can finally share this baby quilt that I made for my dear friend’s new baby boy. I used these delicious constellation and moon phase prints from Moda, and love both the random chaos and occasional order that the half square triangle design created. I have an image of him, as he grows, staring at the triangles and squares and finding new patterns and different shapes each time. 

WillsGalaxyAshleyNickels

I just love this quilt, and I hope he does too.And don't forget, registration for Craftcation is open!

See you soon,

Ashley

Happy Times- A Patchwork Show Recap

Wow, that was fun.

As a two-time Craftcation attendee and steadfast devotee, I already knew that I loved Nicole and Delilah from Dear Handmade Life, who are the organizers of both events. The atmosphere that these women foster is not only one of immense inspiration and creativity, but it's one that's free of pretense or opulence. So it may not come as a huge surprise that I find myself quite at home around this crowd.

It was a busy day at Jack London Square, full of familiar faces... A friend brought her mother, another brought a group of girlfriends on the ferry, I even saw a fellow quilter who I met in Austin at QuiltCon! And that's just to name a few. It seems like almost all of my dearest peeps made it (if they weren't on their honeymoon!) and OH did they make it special. Flowers, photography, snacks, customer service, manual labor, moral support... It made all the difference.

But ultimately, you know what else made all the difference? My customers. Thank you to all of the people who stopped by, and whether you shopped or not, your feedback and enthusiasm about my bags made it all worth it. Robin the Flight Attendant, you are my hero. Also, I met so many of my amazing fellow vendors, including my neighbors on all sides, and fell in love with a local leather bag maker.

If you did not get a chance to check out my friend and photographer Isabel French's post about my booth, check it out here. And, if you ever have seven spare hours and need to hear someone gush about something they love, just ask me about Craftcation sometime.

Talk to you soon,

-Ashley

Photo courtesy of Isabel French