Bari J.

I told ya' I'd get it done! For your stitching pleasure, the PDF pattern for "Sister Friend" embroidery is now available in my shop!

 

This sure has become the land of give-aways lately. It's madness. But I promise you, you are going to want to stick around for this one.

It's time to give away a one of my Paris Apartment design cards for Slice Fabrique!

Of course, you do know that they're available from Strawberry Patches if per chance you don't win. I hear they are really popular at her store. Speaking of which, Susanne, we are passing through in July and I intend to halt the Ackerman-Mobile for a stop there. Hub and the kids will be *thrilled*, I'm sure. But Pam Kitty Morning tells me that it is a must do. And I always listen to Pam. Right, Pam? I always listen.

Wow... I digressed. Where was I?

How about a Slice Fabrique Machine to go with that card? You don't want a card without a machine, do you? That doesn't make much of a giveaway. Luckily, Making Memories has generously offered a machine as well. (No, Mom, Ilisa and Lara, you can not enter this giveaway.)

This little mint green sweetie makes the cutting fast and easy, and of course it is super accurate. As a bonus, I love the sound it makes as it's cutting. It's this low "I'm working and doing my thang" sound. I don't know. It just makes me happy. I also like to look under that clear plastic window and see the mechanism moving. (crazy town? I don't think so. I betcha' you'll do the same thing.)

 

Below are some projects I have already made. I think my next endeavor will be the dress form. I have a slight penchant for them. I should show you my little dress form collection one day.

You'll probably note that though I've machine appliqued each project I can't help myself but add little embroidered details. I think you should too. It seems only right that when machines are doing most of the other work that you should pitch in a teeny little bit.

This pillow was made for my booth at quilt market. I love that it fills up an entire 16" pillow.

Heather from House of A La Mode likes it a lot. I was watching her like a hawk 'cause I thought it might, you know, walk away. Heather loves pillows.

This is another version I did for the card's packaging. As a side note, Making Memories took this photo. I've been wondering whose bed this is because I think it needs a pretty quilt. I'm just saying. It's a nice photo and all, but I'd like to see some Paris Apartment fabric on that bed.

This tea towel comes as free project with full instructions with the card. Indeed, I have been wondering who's kitchen it is in. I'm liking the granite a lot. And I totally want to know what the cups say on the inside. I'll have to ask them about these things, huh?

I'm planning on incorporating this piece into a quilt possibly. You can embroider any message onto the banner that you'd like. This just says, "Paris". Apparently this little birdie has never been and would like to go. (That's a hint, Super Husband... read: I am the little birdie. I want to go to Paris.)

So, have I convinced you yet that this is a little device you simply can't live without? The bottom line is, the thing is too fun to pass up. The possibilities are endless. 

To enter to win... 

Leave a comment saying which applique you'll do first and what you'll put it on.

A winner will be picked on Friday the 24th using random.org.

Please visit the Slice Fabrique Blog

and the Slice Fabrique Facebook page for more information about the products.

 

And the winner is... #166, SoCalGal!

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED, A WINNER HAS BEEN PICKED. Thank you too all who participated for your wonderful comments!!!

 

Summer has started, and I'm happily stitching away here in Bari-land... Last night I made this little cutie. I like little patterns you can do in an evening. Especially when my attention span is grossly compromised, like it has been lately. I also like to stitch in the evenings because otherwise I'd be rifling through the fridge looking for something to chow down on. Busy hands = no time to pop chocolate in my mouth.

This is the second Paris Apartment Stitchery Pattern... Fabric Junkie. It features the dress form from my fabric line. I know some of you were worried about doing some of the stitches. So I stayed away from the more difficult stuff. This one would be considered a beginner pattern. It's stitches are back stitch, French knots (limited doses) and a lazy daisy. 

You can get the pattern on my website (scroll to bottom) or on patternspot.com.

Secretly... ok not so secretly... my goal is to get everyone embroidering this summer. I'm telling you. It's easy. 

I can make it even easier on you: If you'd like to see a demonstration video on the stitches, click here to see my mini-class in C&T publishing's digital lounge.

Grab a hoop, grab some floss and get stitching, people. You're gonna love it. 

 

 

The original of this piece was made for an auction in SIsters, OR this summer where I'm teaching at The Quilter's Affair. So if you're going to be there come and bid high for a good cause!

But if not... I wouldn't want to leave you out. I've made it into a PDF pattern. And, not to leave you hanging if you don't already know the the stitches... there are 7 embroidery stitches included with detailed instructions and illustrations. Never you mind you'll only use five of them in this pattern. Two are just for fun! 

This pattern is based on my Paris Apartment fabric line, and will be one in a series of patterns.

You can get this pattern, here, on PatternSpot.com OR on my website (scroll to bottom).

Happy stitching!

 

My mommy is in town for a visit. And she found the unfinished version of this pillow which I made in July for a class sample. It's a project in Inspired to Sew and this one is an UFO I'd entirely forgotten about. Mom wanted it and that was just the excuse I needed to divert my attention from what I was doing and make it into a pillow for her. Glad it's finished and has a new owner.

I did manage to finished up two of the Slice Fabrique projects and sent them off to Utah for photographs before I got distracted. Of course I took a few of my own before they left.

And in other news, my studio appears in the newest edition of Studios magazine with the one an only Ty Pennington on the cover!

And look! We're BFF's in the table of contents... Yup. That's my studio pictured right beneath his. 

Ty Pennington. Bari J. Ackerman. BFFs. 

I'll be getting a few copies in stock soon if anyone wants one. 

 

 

This was going to be another zippy pouch. But then I spent an inordinate amount of time on the embroidery.

Cause I love hand stitchery.

The purple and red are all hand done and the stitching on the seams is by machine. Maybe now it wants to be a pillow?

Or add blocks and make a big quilt? Maybe a bigger handbag. What do you think?

BTW, it occurs to me... if you are interested in these stitches, I'll be teaching them in a free online class... You can check my sidebar for details. I promise it to be lots of fun. 

For those of you who are curious, the roses on the roofline are bullion stitch mixed with some french knots and lazy daisy stitches.

On the side of the house lavender is growing. Also made with bullion stitches. And on the ballerina's dress I added a little yellow rose made from bullion stitches.

And this is the piece prior to hand embroidery.

Any ideas? What should this be?

My mom was always big on Valentines day with her kids. There are four of us. And for each of us she always put something special in our rooms on Valentines Day morning. It made me feel really important to her, and it's something I always remember. I've made a point of doing the same for my kids. I little piece of jewelry, candy and other goodies has been our tradition. This year I'm also going to hang treats on their door knobs for an extra surprise. These are so simple to make and can be used throughout the year for all sorts of gifting purposes. This free pattern includes instructions for a rolled felt rose and for the the blanket stitch. Enjoy!

Download Vintagevalentine

 

 

 

I. Am. So. Excited. About this quilt.

It has everything I love: embroidery, applique and collage... with instructions for all of it. You'll learn French knots, backstitch, stem stitch, free-motion quilting and freezer paper applique. And it features all the good things in life: petit fours, cake, flowers, cute shoes and presents... Really, what more could you ask for? 

 
 

 

 

 

The trim is the pre-made crochet that I love which will be available from Above All Fabric. 
      

 Pre-orders for retailers and distributors are available by emailing me at (Bari at BariJonline dot com.) TBD: Oct 20.

 

I love Stampington Publications. I really, really do. Hope you get a chance to pick up the Winter 2010 issue of Sew Somerset. And not just because my Sew Scrappy Cuffs and easy buttonhole tutorial are in there... it's really a great magazine! There's info this time on bobbin stitching which I'm dying to learn. So, if my 13 year old doesn't steal it first (she found a minimum of four projects she wants to do), I'll be working on that this weekend.  

  

There's nothing like a beautiful package to brighten up your day. This package from Norway was just what I needed yesterday. I've been in love with Emily's (of Ravenhill fame) work forever. So these dolls in my Full Bloom fabric (mixed with some Heather Bailey fabric, I think) are gifts I will treasure always! Thank you so much, Emily.

 

(Go ahead, admit it, you're jealous!)
 

 

I now have actual strike-offs for Art Journal rather than the digital prints, and I can't wait to show you the difference! The COLOR! So much richer. Boy am I thrilled to see it! I'm especially in love with the blues.

 

 

Here's an example of the original prints so you can see the difference. Wow. Look at that brown compared to the strike-off brown above! Cool. 

Store owners: you can now see (and order) the whole line! Click here!

Well, back to book-deadline-land. Getting there! Pinch me. I'm having so much fun!

I've been wanting to do this forever! 

What I don't know (is under there) won't hurt me.

Oh, you guys! Did I ever have fun. I Tweeted and photographed and socialized my way through quilt market. And I have so much to report back to you! It's going to take me days to report it all. Day one: just a few of the WONDERFUL sewing patterns that were at this market! You are going to loooove it! Links to all the websites are below.

LINKS:

Favorite Things

Sue Spargo

Indygo Junction

Oh, she is baby! Too cool. Much cooler than I ever was. Anna made these yesterday by cutting out motifs and glueing them on with permanent fabric glue. The back is just written in sharpie. Easy-peasy... and you gotta' appreciate her composition. I like her "Anna-tude" (until she uses it on me, that is)! 

I just got my apron that was featured in "Apron*ology" from Stampington back. It was also featured in one of their original ads soliciting submissions. I'd forgotten all about it. So, I'm giving it away. Just leave a comment on this post and you will be entered to win it. I'll randomly pick a winner on Friday, March 13 (since 13 is my favorite number) by using this website.

I swear, does anything make you happier than giving stuff away?

 

I am a total freak. Just ask my 11 and "almost 13" year old girls. They'll tell you. I need to get a grip. 

Of course there are many reasons why they think this. But I think I may have added icing to their cake last week. 

They were with me when I visited my UPS box as we do a couple times a week. This time a package from Windham arrived. I dragged it back out to the car where the girls were patiently waiting for me to take them to their various activities.

I knew what was in the package. A couple copies of my color cards. I opened the box and pulled them out. And to the utter dismay of my very, very hip and cool pre-teen girls, I start crying. "Oh my gosh, girls! Look! It's real! Your mom did it! I did it! Oh my goodness. I can't believe it!" and on and on just like that.

Until I started laughing... And saying the same sorts of things. The girls are now frantically looking around to make sure no one can see them in the car with their mother, the freak, now crying and laughing because she got a box with some stuff in it that totally did not relate to them. Emily is crouched down low in the back seat.

Finally Anna yells, "Mom! Pull yourself together!". 

This sort of shocked me out of it. Pull myself together? I'm not apart. Don't you two get it? I did it! 

Well, no they didn't get it. Still don't get it. 

Or maybe they sort of get it, because about five minutes later, Anna pipes up again, "When I grow up, I'm not going to have to get a job for real because I'll take over the Bari J. empire.". 

I try to hide my new round of tears (uh, and laughter). The "almost 13" year old Anna responds with a sharp crossing of the arms and rolling of the eyes. "Thank goodness we're not sitting in that parking lot where everyone can see us.", I can hear them thinking.

I did pull myself together in time to drop them off, and before they got out of the car, they quickly looked around to see if anyone could see them, hugged me and said, "Love you."

"Love you too. And, btw, work hard because you're going to have to get a job 'for real' when you grow up." 

Of course, if the "Bari J. empire" is what Anna so graciously (and a little bit frighteningly) thinks it will be, I'd be happy to have her hang around.

But don't anyone breathe a word to her about that until she finishes college. 

Wanted: Harley Kitty.

His Crime: Leaving Fur on New Bag

Harley Kitty has been on the lam somewhere in Janis's home after leaving his tracks on her new bag.

The punishment...

Aww. Who could punish a guy this cute???