News
taking a short break December 15 2022
2022 handmade holiday gift guide November 18 2022
note: the last day for guaranteed delivery by the holidays is
saturday, december 10
thank you for shopping handmade! i am working hard to fulfill orders. if you place an order after 12/10 i will work hard to ship it quickly, but i can not promise that it will arrive in time for holiday gifting.
why did i make this this holiday gift guide so early?
making things by hand takes time and the kata golda studio is smaller (yet busier) than ever.
i want to make sure that everyone receives their gifts on time.
the last day for holiday orders is december 10, 2022.
scissor slip • tiny sewing kit • pocket pal • little felt journal
bracelet • necklace • earrings
stitch the scene kit • sea star ornament kit • block printed stitching kit • plant-dyed linen amulet bag kit
stuffed companion DIY kit • snowy owl family DIY kit • pin tin DIY kit • pocket pal DIY kit
imperfect patch & little stitchings kit • plant-dyed fabric • plant-dyed sashiko thread • DIY bookbinding kit
photo album • letterpress printed & hand-stitched card • watercolor card • slim handbound journal
pocket purse • stitched handbound journal • notions pouch • DIY pocket purse kit
DIY crown kit • decorative silk ribbon • botanical stitched coaster • plant-dyed silk ribbon
stocking • DIY polar bear family • DIY animal face pin • DIY little deer garland
happy holidays!
a stitched keepsake October 22 2022
i just returned from a fiber tour in the UK with my mom.
it was a dream to be in this beautiful place together, surrounded by endless rolling hills, winding roads, wandering stone walls, and SO MANY SHEEP. while i am a huge fan of putting real photos in keepsake photo albums, i also love to make tiny densely stitched pieces as a travel memento. incorporating my favorite qualities from a landscape and capturing the essence of how it made me feel takes time. i pour through photos from my phone and sketches from my journal. i make piles of thread until the palette is just right. then, i begin the slow work of stitching. the finished piece feels intimate and special. it is a sweet snapshot of a truly wonderful adventure.
i recently wrote about this process for taproot magazine — ‘stitching the scene: a project that fits in your pocket to be worked on wherever you might find yourself.’ it can be found in issue 52::SAVOR. the article includes steps for creating your tiny drawing, tips for selecting thread colors, and instructions for assembling the stitched piece into a pocket or square that can be worn as a necklace or hung on a wall. it is always such an honor to be featured in the pages of this lovely publication.
do you feel inspired to stitch the scene?
grab a copy of the magazine for some ideas, or you can find desert, forest, and seaside stitch the scene DIY kits on my website. each kit includes detailed instructions with color photos, a piece of organic cotton/hemp stamped with the design template, a plant-dyed piece of organic cotton/hemp for the back side, cotton embroidery floss, alpaca/cotton yarn, and a sewing needle.
more free sewing inspiration can be found on my website
find halloween projects and so much more… over 40 tutorials to choose from. is it time to start stitching holiday gifts?
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade. i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
new collection: fall/winter 2022 October 08 2022
this new little collection includes refreshed fabric bundles and paddles of sashiko thread along with new DIY kits, fall-themed watercolor cards, and a 2023 desktop calendar. i continue to find endless inspiration in plant-dyed textiles, and i have refined my color palette this year to make it just right.
i REALLY love my cats, jeff and myra, who were the models for the kit.
click on any image to see what’s new at katagolda.com.
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade. i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
back to school rituals September 19 2022
i love the start of the school year.
even though it has been years since the end of my summer was marked with the flurry of procuring school supplies for my daughter, i find that i still crave the ritual. i refresh my pencil case at the start of every fall: i consider the contents, replenish as needed, and make tool changes. this year i decided to embellish my pouches with plant-dyed sashiko thread and make myself some new scissor slips (find the free tutorial below).
would you like to stitch your own zipper pouch?
find the plant-dyed sashiko thread and notions pouches on my site (some are are on sale). you can also head over to instagram for a giveaway (win a notions pouch and a full palette of plant-dyed thread).
free sewing tutorials for back to school…
starting the ‘school year’ with my tool pouch refreshed, i made some new tips for my scissors out of wool felt scraps. i like to keep the tips of my scissors protected so they don’t poke through the fabric pouch. i love how they turned out. from the free tutorial archives: a pencil holder, pen & paper holder, book cover, weekly wall hanging, and a pocket pal (since some of us might need a friend to start the new school year).
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade.
i feel so lucky to be able to do this work. enjoy the transition to fall…
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
studio update: a DIY sale and cat & dog hearts June 18 2022
i love having a portable project that i can pick up and work on wherever i end up. the heavily stitched cat & dog hearts (back sides shown below), the floral uterus pins, and the sunflowers for ukraine are just the right size for campsite stitching. all are available in the small batch collection on my website.
looking for a project? find FORTY free sewing tutorials on my website.
the latest addition is a little festive donkey wall charm.
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade. i feel so lucky to be able to do this work. happy summer!
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
a well-worn apron June 14 2022
i wear one in the garden, i wear one when i sew, i wear one in the kitchen. i like to keep all of my supplies at hand, and i rarely have enough pockets in my clothes. the ability to complete a task with everything i need at my fingertips is so satisfying. my aprons are not precious - they are well-loved and they get dirty. i cover up stains and holes with patchwork. aprons get better with time - a well-worn apron is the mark of a creative life.
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do you have a favorite apron that could use some sprucing up? plant-dyed fabrics make the most wonderful patches, which means i never mind when i get a stain or a tear. i have bundles of linen in my new color palette (limited quantities), remnant envelopes that include various weights and colors, and organic cotton/hemp in small and large squares.
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want to sew your own apron? pick up issue 50::SOW of taproot magazine for my latest pattern. it is available online and at select independent retailers and libraries. this apron features reinforced pockets (so sharp tools don’t poke through) and an optional tool loop.
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade. i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
a floral uterus fundraiser May 26 2022
i have added this pin to my collection of free sewing tutorials. take a stand and show your solidarity. make one for yourself, make one for a friend. make one for a supreme court justice.
even with everything happening in the world, i am flooded with hope in spring. i made a collection of wool felt evening primroses and frank patiently drilled holes in stones for me (while breaking all of his drill bits, oops!). i just love how they turned out. they are available as a single stem or in the drilled stone.
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade. i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
last chance for cups and planters! May 26 2022
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade. i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
raising a flower May 26 2022
i am raising a flower to those who teach and protect us,
to those who nurture and guide us.
as i stand in my favorite field, delighting in spring and all the budding and blooming, i am thinking about motherhood and all its meanings. i’d like to honor all the caretakers and nurturers who keep us rooted and help us bloom.
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explore the growing collection of 38 free sewing tutorials for inspiration for your next project. the newest is a single flower stem similar to the one pictured above, my most favorite project yet.
find made sunflower pins, DIY kits so you can make your own pins,
and a free sewing tutorial. a tiny way to show your solidarity.
100% of the proceeds benefit CARE.org’s Ukraine Crisis Fund.
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade. i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
a new little collection for spring April 09 2022
what’s new at kata golda?
i have been very intentional lately about stitching things that bring me joy.
this means i have been refining the collection (thus, my big sale), refreshing old favorites (like the pocket purse kit and the photo albums) and making treasures for my small batch collection that i LOVE.
i hope that you find something that brings you a little joy too.
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free sewing tutorials for spring stitching…
find over 36 free tutorials on my website.
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my sunflowers for ukraine fundraiser is still going strong…
find made sunflower pins, DIY kits so you can make your own pins,
and a free sewing tutorial. a tiny way to show your solidarity.
100% of the proceeds benefit CARE.org’s Ukraine Crisis Fund.
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade.
i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
spring cleaning sale... March 08 2022
i am making space in the studio for the new collection and bidding farewell to some old favorites. find deep markdowns on discontinued items, plain bags and pouches (ready for you to embellish!),
and treasures for kids of all ages.
see a small sampling below… find the full sale HERE.
my spring cleaning adventures led me on a deep dive into my 30+ year old rubber stamp collection. i decided that if i was going to keep them, i needed to find more ways to incorporate them into my daily stitching. i had so much fun playing with stamps, fabric scraps, and thread. i put some inspiration together in the
rubber stamp stitching sewing tutorial.
find that (and 33 other free sewing tutorials!) HERE.
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade. i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
imperfect, scrappy hearts January 22 2022
i love stitching imperfect, scrappy hearts.
some might think that valentine’s day is a corny holiday, and some might be quite reflective on their lives and their loves. this ‘holiday’ can stir up a lot of conflicting feelings. i think of it as a reminder to spread the love and spend time thinking about those we love.
even if it is your cats.
(i love my cats very, very much.)
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take a peek at the small batch collection of handmade hearts…
use them as inspiration (along with this tutorial) to make your own sweet gifts, or buy one for your love.
you will also find some special necklaces and little love notes.
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select jewelry is ON SALE! earrings, heart necklaces, and bracelets are 20% off through february 7.
♥️ use the code SPREADLOVE during checkout ♥️
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find everything valentine-related in the hearts & love collection
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free sewing tutorials! stitch up our own hearts, a gift bag to tuck them in, or a rat for your favorite (cat) valentine… you can find the projects (and so many more) on my website.
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade. i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
happy new year: journaling & letter writing January 20 2022
writing makes me feel less overwhelmed and more connected to myself. carving out the physical space and the time to take note is important to me. when i am writing, time disappears, and i have clarity and a sense of purpose. ideas flourish and plans fall into place. every year i promise myself that i will do more of it.
and so, once again, i start the year with this intention.
my journal is a fluid and informal chronology of my life.
i think that when we have well made, beautiful things we are more likely to use them in a meaningful way.
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as a little nudge to encourage your writing practice in the new year, i am offering 15% off all HAND-BOUND JOURNALS and WATERCOLOR & HAND-STITCHED CARDS through the month of january on katagolda.com
*use the code: TAKENOTE during checkout*
embroidered journals • simple & embroidered slim journals
extra-large patched (what i use) • indigo dipped • little felt
watercolor cards • letterpress printed & hand-stitched cards
(and so many more) on my website.
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade. i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
the (early!) handmade holiday gift guide November 15 2021
why are you receiving this holiday gift guide so early?
making things by hand takes time, there are abundant postal delays, and the kata golda studio is smaller (yet busier) than ever! i want to make sure that everyone receives their gifts on time. the last day for holiday orders is december 13, 2021.
*i will tuck in a wool felt ornament with all orders placed on katagolda.com over $100 until 12/13/21. the watercolor calendar that was available with the code mentioned in the original newsletter version of this gift guide is now sold out.
plant-dyed organic cotton/hemp fabric
as always, thank you for supporting small makers and shopping handmade.
i feel so lucky to be able to do this work.
warmly,
alison kaplan
founder/owner/maker
kata golda handmade
tools for stitchers & scrappy free sewing tutorials November 09 2021
There is no shortage of sewing notions in my studio, yet I reach for the same treasured set time and time again. I made a collection that is practical and a little extra special to keep you company while you stitch… a thoughtful gift for anyone who likes to work with a needle and thread. Scissor slips, tape measures, and pin cushions are available individually or as a set. The set comes in a muslin gift bag with a plant-dyed silk ribbon tie.
It it always an honor to be included in Taproot Magazine. In the current issue 47::SUSTAIN you will find my piece “Using Every Little Scrap.” This concept is the root of my business. I find so much inspiration in my remnant bins, and I love the challenge of making use of all my off-cuts. Here are a few free sewing tutorials (see below) with scraps in mind. These are also sweet projects for holiday gifting.
foraging buckets & free fall sewing projects October 11 2021
My hands are always overflowing with the goodness of fall on my morning walks. There is much to collect from my daily loop… madrona berries after a good wind, seedpods from all sorts of wild growing plants, and brilliant fall leaves. I notice the ground more than ever at this time of year as it is reminiscent of my midwestern childhood with colorful and bountiful leaves underfoot, painting the landscape. Although the leaves are not as prolific here in the Pacific Northwest, there are other treasures to be found, like the blanket of pine needles that illuminate the path like a red carpet. A walk down a trail in a new landscape always brings its share of inspiration. Horse chestnuts with similar but differing shapes, acorns with their sweet little caps, and pine cones of all shapes and sizes.
This is the time of year that I am literally attached at the hip to my foraging buckets. In addition to collecting, it is the time for seed saving. I am attentive to the weather as I want to collect before the rain and before a big wind. I gather marigolds, scabiosa, calendula, nigella, hollyhock, and poppy. I do love the fact that many of the seeds will fall to the ground to reseed themselves and be carried off by the birds to grow in another place. I have added a small batch of my favorite foraging buckets to my website, find them HERE.
Want to sew your own collection of foraging buckets? This pattern was first published in Taproot Issue 38::FORAGE, and it is now available for sale on my website. I use these little buckets for so much more than foraging. They hold sewing projects and organize craft supplies in the studio. My mom loves to use them for knitting, she can loop the tie around her arm and knit on the go.
And don’t forget the collection of FREE SEWING TUTORIALS available on my website. You will find fall-themed projects to keep hands of all ages busy as we transition to darker and cooler weather.
