…ater or medicine. They don’t have enough personnel to move debris to search for survivors, or enough well-bodied people to bury their dead. It is a catastrophic situation that most of us find hard to imagine. As crafters, we want to help. Our first instinct is to make/sew something to send to people in need. This is a great instinct, but we need to use our judgement. We need devote our crafting energy towards causes where we can make the gre…

…a peek at the copyright notice in a pattern book or the small print on a McCall’s sewing pattern that you buy from the craft store. The message is the same: Surely these experienced companies must know something really important, right? I, a newbie designer, followed suit. I replied to my customers that my patterns were for personal use, only. (don’t worry… this story has a happy ending, so keep reading!) The Fear Factor Why don…

…t all of the patterns in the book are available for individual purchase as pdf downloads. At around $5 a piece, if you’d like to make a few, then $20 for the book is a great deal! Besides the discount over purchasing 21 individual patterns, though, you don’t get much additional content to the book. So, I would recommend having a peek at the included designs (which is tricky, since only the new 10 designs are listed as patterns in the b…

…donating and the Philippines. It can be difficult to find a charity that accepts stuffed animals. Because any item given to children has safety concerns, many hospitals have chosen to not accept donations. This is why Ami Club will be highlighting a few charities a year who are eager to match children up with adorable plush friends! How to find a place to donate locally You don’t have to wait for an Ami Club drive to donate! I know that our…

Do you remember when we had the awesome Crochet Dog Pattern Club? We crocheted along together for 6 months… with a new surprise dog pattern each month! It was a blast (and I’m scheming about doing something similar again!), and I have exciting news! You can now purchase the most popular pups from the collection individually! Now available: rottweiler beagle greyhound (or whippet or italian greyhound!) maltese Of course, if you prefer,…

…sive pdf pattern every month A 10% off discount of all craft eyes Advance access to new products And maybe (we’ll see if I can get the technology worked out): a rewards program, exclusive blog posts and other special discounts. It’s going to be amazing! For those of you doing the math, you’ll be getting twice as many patterns as the Kit Club, for a cheaper price! Squee! I think this is going to be great for everyone, but especial…

…ch fun! Your duo of skeins will contain two coordinating skeins, and you pick the color that links them together. For example, if you select the ‘blue’ kit, both of your skeins will contain blue. They may not be mostly blue. Each skein is: 100% wool 230 yards (that’s what the mill says, but my 2 samples measured 250) Approximately a thick fingering weight one-of-a-kind! Knit the Either Way Cowl! Grab your skeins, a knitting needle and…

…or learning, sharing crochet techniques, showing off your latest projects… and of course, having fun! Join in on crochet-a-longs, swaps and other events! Club membership includes: A new, exclusive amgurumi pattern download each month Access to exclusive video, e-book and tutorial content Membership to the FreshStitches forums 10% discount off all craft eye purchases Access to members-only products and sales What are you waiting for? Sign up…

…f information for my proposal was easier because I’ve written two (successful) books. But, even though I didn’t need to convince the publishing company that I was capable, I still needed to carefully articulate the concept behind this book and explain why it would be fabulous! Samples Sell! No matter how amazing your idea is, your proposal might get passed up if it isn’t obvious to the publisher that your idea is fabulous. It&#82…

…, as well as exclusive video tutorials and 10% off all eyes. And there are crochet-a-longs (with the pattern included, of course!) and special product offerings. That’s old news. (By the way, have you seen Miss March?) Isn’t she a cutie? And members are already sharing their adorable butterflies! Check out this one by Alyssa! Squee! Okay, anyway. I was thinking to myself, ‘what can I do to make the Ami Club even more amazing? Lik…