Stitched in Time: Memory Keeping Projects to Sew and Share

Yay, it's finally here! The book has officially happened! Thank you so, so, so, so much to everyone who has helped, been excited for, listened to, and shown patience with me and The Book this past year and a half. Thank you from the very bottom of my heart.

I truly hope that you will like the book, and be inspired to make things for yourself and the people special to you. At the end of the day, my dream for anyone is to find joy and peace in making things by hand.

Out of all of the things I did to make the book, out of all the frantic afternoons sewing alone in the studio, the slogs through the mall buying clothes for the models, the time the puppers pulled the unfinished strip of bias tape attached to the placemat and toppled the full cup of coffee onto the placemat thus ruining the placemat just a millisecond (thankfully) after the photo was taken (and this was the third version of the placemat, the first two having been screwed up by me), the times I thought I couldn't do it, the photo shoots with Andy where he held mobiles on the end of a jerry-rigged fishing pole and moved entire bookcases out of the way to put up Christmas decorations for stocking photos in August, the long days when Audrey was sick in her little bed under my prop table, when I worked side by side with my sweet niece coloring cupcakes and mugging for the camera ("Can you hold the doll up just a little bit, sweetie?" — she'd hoist it high above her head, grinning — "Okay, down a little bit?" — she'd drop it to the floor — "Um, okay up a little bit . . . [please please please please]"), the things I didn't know and learned too late, the quiet winter afternoons with red pens and sticky notes and the Chicago Manual of Style, out of all of those things what I will remember most is sitting at the dining-room table writing the small essays that introduce the sections, and the sidebars.

They came at the very end of working on the project, when the crafts were finished, the photos taken, the patterns explained. They were both the easiest and the hardest parts of the whole thing. The writing came out as if a faucet had been turned on, literally. I cried about each one. Then I sent them all in anyway. It became something different, then.

Writing a book makes you feel vulnerable in about a million different ways! Will people like it? Will they hate it? Will I make mistakes? Will I wish I could've done something different? You wonder why you couldn't have just been one of those people who was content to read. In the end, you can, of course, only do your very best, and then close your eyes and cross your fingers in the sincere hope that you've contributed something to the remarkable community you love. And not made an ass of yourself. Because you wish for that, too.

In the end, late at night when you can't sleep and you're thinking about it all, you think: Oh, yes — it was a privilege. To have had the opportunity, to have said it how you felt it, to have done it and finished it, to have worked with great people, to hold that real printed book in your hands. It is a privilege to have shared it with, and to have been encouraged by, all of you.

Thank you so much for that. I really mean it. Thank you.

Comments

[Kelly]

Wow... what a doll you are!!!

[Laura A.]

Alicia,
Brava! I'm off to order the book right now. And then I'm going to go look for it on the shelf and turn it face out at eye level so that more people will see it. What an accomplishment.

[beautythatmoves]

i'm so excited for you (and for me!), this book is going to be wonderful. you have such an ability to write as well as craft... i so look forward to receiving my own copy.

congratulations alicia!
xoxo

[Elizabeth]

My life changed in February of this year when I discovered you in Hallmark's Valentine issue. Your words to paper and hand to cloth showed me a way out of a very dark place. I have been on a creative journey since that moment. Your heart is a good one. The people who will buy your book will know this. Your book will become beloved. Elizabeth

[Becca B]

Congratulations and best wishes! :)

[Crystal]

Yaaaay! I ordered it today from Amazon. I thought my two lame-o bookstores would have it today but they are lame, so they don't. I can't wait till it arrives!

Congrats!

[Missy K]

Alicia, it will be very special to hold your writing in my two hands, because your blog revealed to me a whole way of doing life, the love of making little delightful things, and weaving that with sense and memory in such beauty and poignancy and humor too. I have been touched over and over by your words here, but I am a girl who loves the creak of a spine and the smoothness of real pages. Thanks in advance for the words and the colors and the spirit of this accomplishment.

Thanks for giving us all your voice.

[Stephanie]

I've ordered multiple copies already and can't wait for it to come in the mail! Thank you for the inspiration that you are to all of us!

[KellyS]

Oh, Alicia, congratulations!!

I'm so excited and happy for you -- whatta big day!

[robin]

yay!!!!!! <3

[Dyan]

Congrats on your book! I love reading your blog and listening on as you went through the whole process. Congrats again!

[Virginia]

Check out that Amazon ranking WOOOOOOO HOOOOOO!

[Verity]

Congratulations- what a fantastic achievement!

[Frances]

Congratulations, Alicia. No one deserves it more than you!

[Cheryl]

Oh Alicia, I am so excited for you (and me, can't wait to get my paws on it!)! What an amazing accomplishment. Not only are you full of wonderful talent, but you are also a sweet, sweet soul. Congratulations !!!!

[Fiona]

Well done to you and congratulations on the launch of the book. It will most definitely be on my Christmas wish list and if Santa doesn't bring it I will be buying it on December 26th! Can't wait to see it.

[Sarita]

Congratulations! That must be an amazing feeling.
I've been so enjoying winding down after work embroidering my felt Christmas decorations. I can't wait to be inspired by some more of your great projects. xx

[Lucinda]

Congrats Alicia! We all know how much love and labor you put into this. What an accomplishment!

[Candice]

Oh Alicia, there is no way, not in a million gazillion bobillion years, that you could EVER make an ass of yourself!
As I type this, a copy of your much anticipated & long-awaited labour of love is winging its way to me in South Africa...
One of the things I love most is that both dear, sweet Audrey & the adorable horse-eating-placemat-destroying Miss Clover Meadow will be part of the very soul of this book - the doggy biscuit amongst all your sewing paraphernalia brought a tear to my eye.
I can hardly wait to be holding a collection of your beautiful words & gorgeous creations in my hot little hands.
I know I will not be disappointed, of that I am most certain :o)

[Wandering Chopsticks]

Yay! I've had it pre-ordered from Amazon. I can't wait until it gets here. :)

[stephanie s]

congratulations....

[Gemma]

Alicia, I haven't commented for ages but I have been reading all along. I remember when you first told us about your book and how excited you were. I can't believe that it is finally here and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy. Audrey would be so proud of her Mummy. Hugs and congratulations sweetie. xxx

[amy]

Cool! I completely forgot about this book - I preordered it from Amazon a couple of months ago. hmmm, I wonder when I'll be getting it in the mail??? This gives me something to look forward to!

[Frogdancer]

You're living the dream....
Congratulations!

[Kelli]

My copy has been on pre-order from Amazon for some time now. I can't wait to hold it in my hands.

Alicia, I'm having such a good time working on the felt ornaments. They are so sweet.

Kelli