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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

BIG Sale at Peek-a-Boo Patterns!

That's right!  It's the sale you've been waiting for!  It's time for the BIG sale of the year at Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop (affiliate link)!

This post contains affiliate links, but all opinions are 100% my own.


Now through midnight (MST) on November 30th, you can save 25% off one (1) pattern using code JOLLY25 or save 40% when you purchase five (5) patterns and use code JOLLY40  at checkout.

Sale codes are only valid at Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop November 27th - midnight (MST) November 30th.

I know you've got a pdf pattern wish list (don't we all?)!  Now's the time to make your wish come true!

What will you buy?  If you need some inspiration, just check out a few of the things I've made using the great Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop patterns.  Click on the picture to go to my original blog post about that pattern and click on the link above the pictures to purchase the pattern.


(both the dress and top below were made using the same pattern)




 




Have fun shopping and have fun sewing this weekend!

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Monday, November 25, 2013

Visiting at My Cuddle Corner + Giveaway!

I'm back visiting over at Shannon Fabric's My Cuddle Corner blog today with a tutorial on how to make a Cuddle Pocket Blanket!  Come see how you can a few Christmas gifts for the little ones (or the grown ups, too) in your life!



Oh, and there is a giveaway, too!  Shannon Fabrics and Robert Kaufman have agreed to give one lucky person the fabrics needed to make one Cuddle Pocket Blanket!  Be sure to enter below or on my post at My Cuddle Corner!  Giveaway open to US Residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Have fun sewing!

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Thursday, November 21, 2013

The Cottage Mama's Vintage Ruffle Pants Pattern

Several days ago, I promised to share with you more about the pants Ella is wearing with her Sewing Mama RaeAnna Bumblebee Top.  I've been sick with an awful cold and have fallen behind in my blogging! Please forgive me!

These wonderful, unique, great fitting pants were made using the Vintage Ruffle Capris pattern found in the new Cottage Mama book, Sew Classic Clothes for Girls.


When my husband asked me what I wanted for my birthday last month, Lindsay's book was at the top of my list.  I've known Lindsay for a while but finally met her in person a few months ago when she was teaching a class at the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion.  I didn't take her class, but I did get a firsthand tour of her classroom which was full of her beautiful, one-of-a-kind creations including the garments used in her new book.  Seeing these pieces in person and then having to wait weeks for the book to be available for purchase was pure torture!  There are so many things in this book that I want to make, and I was super eager to get started.

The book finally arrived at the end of October, and I wasted no time reading it from cover to cover in one sitting.  I literally read every word and learned some valuable new sewing tips along the way. The first pattern that I just had to make were the Vintage Ruffle Capris lengthened roughly 4" to make my daughter a pair of Vintage Ruffle Pants!

The details of this design transform an otherwise simple pair of excellent fitting pants into something special.  These pants aren't baggy or skinny, but they are just right!  And the ruffle detail at the bottom is so sweet!


Now on to the unique front pockets.  I've never seen a design like this.  The scalloped edge paired with the contrasting fabrics make this design stand out among others.


And that rear ruffled pocket with that same little scalloped edge!  Love it!  I'm normally not a big fan of lots of ruffles, but these Vintage Ruffle Pants paired with the Bumblebee Top just make me smile.



Now to get busy deciding what I'll make next from the Cottage Mama's book Sew Classic Clothes for Girls--maybe a coat or the Ruffle Sleeve A-Line Dress. Decisions, decisions!

Thanks for stopping by today, and have fun sewing!

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

A sewVery Simple Candy Cane Ornament Tutorial

Need a few new tree decorations or want to add a little something extra to that wrapped gift?  Then I've got the project for you!  Today, I'll show you step-by-step how to make A sewVery Simple Candy Cane Ornament.


I consider myself to be a nostalgic crafter these days.  I love finding inspiration from the craft projects that my mom and I crafted together when I was a child!  It's so fun reliving the memories of us working together when I recreate one of her amazing projects.

And you guessed it!  My sewVery Simple Candy Cane Ornament Tutorial was inspired by decorations my mom made for our tree.  If you are like me, you are just starting to decorate your home and make special holiday gifts for loved ones, friends, neighbors, and teachers.  So, I am here to help you out! My Simple Candy Cane Ornaments are so quick to make and are perfect for the tree or to attach to a wrapped present. So grab your supplies, and let's get busy!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Getaway Duffle Bag + Giveaway!

It's been a while since I've made a full-sized bag or purse, but when Virginia from Gingercake PDF Sewing Patterns invited me to be a part of her Holiday Gifts Sewing Series, I knew which pattern of hers I wanted to try--The Make Your Getaway Duffle!


During the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, our family almost always has to make at least one out-of-town road trip to visit with extended family.  Usually, I just end up packing all of Ella's things in my suitcase, but now that she is getting bigger, I thought it was time she had her own bag.

The pattern offers pattern pieces for both an adult size and a child size bag.  I chose to make the child size bag which measures 18" wide x 12 1/2" tall x 5" deep.  It's really a nice sized bag and will be perfect for packing Ella's clothes and shoes for weekend trips!


The pattern instructions are clear and easy to follow, and there are lots and lots of photos to help you work through each step of the construction.  If you've ever sewn a bag or purse before, it's a pretty straightforward design that should give you no problems, but if you are a confident beginner, I recommend going slow and reading through all the instructions before you begin.

For the exterior of the duffle, I used Ann Kelle's Bubble Gum from her This and That collection and Hot Pink chevrons from her Remix collection.  Kelle gifted this fabric to us as a thank you for allowing Ella to be a part of her Super Kid's photo shoot a few weeks ago.


For the interior of bags, I always use duck cloth or canvas.  The duck cloth is very durable and a heavy enough weight fabric that I don't have to line it with any interfacing.  It's thickness helps give the bag some shape and definition all on its own.

I did make a few additions to this bag, but that is the great thing about this Gingercake pattern.  It's a great basic duffle bag pattern that you can customize!

The first thing I did differently was to add more interfacing to the exterior of the bag.  The pattern calls for heavy weight fusible interfacing, but over the last year, I've learned that Pellon Shape Flex is what I prefer to use for bag making.  Couple Shape Flex with a layer of Pellon Fusible Fleece or as I did for my Getaway Duffle, use car headliner fabric to give the exterior fabric more support. This was my first time using headliner fabric, and I am very happy with the results. The pattern instructs you to quilt the gusset of the bag, so I continued that theme to the front and back panels as well.  I thought this added more visual interest to the bag as well as secured the headliner fabric to the cotton exterior.


In addition to the headliner fabric I used as an interfacing, I cut out two pieces of scrap fabric the size of the bottom of the bag and fused a piece of Pellon Peltex to it.  I then sewed the seam allowance of this sleeve to the seam allowance of the exterior bag.  This addition provided the bag with a stiffer bottom and a more professional feel.

For the handles, I chose to leave them wide and straight line quilt them so they would be more durable.


I also added a little pull tab to the exterior on either side of the zipper.  Luckily, I realized I needed to add these before I sewed the lining into the bag.  This little square definitely makes opening and closing the zipper much easier.


You may have noticed my matching luggage tag hanging from the handle.  It was super easy to make, and in a few days, I'll post a tutorial so you can make one, too!


Now Ella is ready for travel during the holiday season, and I am going to love having all that extra space in my suitcase since I no longer have to pack her clothes with mine!  I should have made her a Make Your Getaway Duffle bag a long time ago!  I had so much fun sewing this that I might just have to make another one to give as a gift (or to use myself)!

Ready to make your own Getaway Duffle Bag? Then enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a copy of the Getaway Duffle Bag Pattern from Gingercake PDF Sewing Patterns!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Please be sure to visit Gingercake and follow the Holiday Gifts Sewing Series for more inspiring project and gift ideas!  Have fun sewing!

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Friday, November 15, 2013

Handcrafted Holidays at Welcome to the Mouse House

Are you well on your way to being prepared for the holidays?  Today I'm visiting over at the blog Welcome to the Mouse House where I am sharing one of my favorite holiday decorations. 

Please head over today and let Hayley know your visiting from sewVery, and be sure to check out all the other wonderful handcrafted holiday goodies by some amazing crafting and sewing bloggers. You'll be glad you did!



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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Bumblebee Dress Pattern + Giveaway

My good friend, RaeAnna from Sewing Mama RaeAnna, is hosting a pattern tour to promote her new Bumblebee Dress Pattern (which is on sale for $5), and I could not miss the chance to be a part of it!


When I say good friend, I really mean my real life get together for play dates with the kids kind of friend! We met through blogging and try to meet every week (although it doesn't always happen) to let our little ones play while we chat about sewing and blogging.  I'm so blessed to know her and her family!

RaeAnna originally made her Bumblebee Dress for her daughter based on a look from Smocked Auctions. I am totally unfamiliar with Smocked Auctions, but just a few months before RaeAnna made her dress, I made a similar one for a friend based on a look from Kelly's Kids.  

It's a very popular dress, and like RaeAnna, I received lots and lots of requests for a pattern.  I never took the time to develop my pattern beyond the size 8 that I originally made, so I am so glad that RaeAnna did (and I'm proud of her for figuring out how to grade the design)!  Now I get to make my daughter a size 6 of this look, and all I have to do is the sewing!


Now RaeAnna decided to go a step further and offer two dress designs all in one pattern! Don't you just love it when a pattern offers more than one option for the money?  I know I do!  I decided to stick with the original Bumblebee Version A dress from the pattern and make Ella a top to wear with pants this fall and winter.

RaeAnna has done an outstanding job of writing the instructions and providing detailed descriptions and photographs to this pattern.  She has used everything she's learned from being a pattern tester and pattern reviewer for other designers to make her Bumblebee Dress Pattern topnotch!

I love that when she set up the pattern pieces for printing, she made the pages overlap and have match lines that are super easy to see.  I've had trouble in the past with other pdf patterns not always printing out properly, but no problems with RaeAnna's pattern!

I know you've seen this design all over the internet, and it is so adorable with a monogram on the front.  I had originally thought I would make Ella a dress in corduroy and monogram it, but I just haven't been in the mood to use my embroidery machine in quite some time.  Instead, I used this beautiful chartreuse solid and this black with teal and green flowers on it.  I only had a yard of the print, and I wanted to make a matching pair of pants, so I had to cut wisely.  I had just the right amount to make both!


On the Bumblebee Top, I added a little teal bias trim to the hem and beside the ruffles for an added pop of color.


Also, I chose to make the back a zippered closure instead of using buttons. Using a teal zipper added a little more color and interest to the back of the top. I just sewed my first zipper into a garment a couple of weeks ago, and now I want to add them to everything! They really aren't difficult to put in at all!


The matching pants were a lot of fun to make as well.  Check back here tomorrow more details on them!


Are you now convinced that you must buy the Bumblebee Dress Pattern?  If so, then you are in luck. The Bumblebee Dress Pattern is on sale for just $5 during the tour on November 4-18th!

RaeAnna has also put together a pretty sweet giveaway for the pattern tour.  If you want to win some cool prizes including a copy of the Bumblebee Dress Pattern, then be sure to enter below!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bee sure to visit all the other bloggers on the tour for more inspiring variations of the Bumblebee Dress!


Thanks for stopping by today everyone, and thanks to my good friend, RaeAnna, for inviting me to sew along.  Ella's gonna love her new outfit this winter, and I look forward to making more Bumblebee variations for the spring and summer!


See you soon, and have fun sewing!

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Sunday, November 10, 2013

My Super Girl + Giveaway Info

Back in September, Kelle of Ann Kelle designs asked me if my daughter might be interested in modeling some superhero capes and masks made using her new Super Kids fabric line sold by Robert Kaufman.  I didn't hesitate to say yes!  What little kid wouldn't want to run around and play dress up outside for the day and then get to eat delicious cupcakes and punch afterwards!?


A little later, my friend, RaeAnna from Sewing Mama RaeAnna, signed on to have her son, Christian, be a superhero, too.  Ella was so excited that her friend would be there!


Weeks went by and Kelle finally emailed me the details of the photo shoot.  I combed Ella's closet looking for the types of clothes she suggested and then sent her some quick pictures for her input. In the end, Ella wore the denim Schoolday Skirt I made her and a short sleeved raglan t-shirt from Kavio.  The socks and shoes were from Target.


The photo shoot was late in the afternoon on a beautiful, warm, sunny day at a farm with lots of cats, dogs, chickens, and even a pony.  It was the perfect outdoor setting for some fun.


Ella's first time to ever play duck-duck-goose!  She loved it!





Kelle and her assistant had a table set up in the pasture with cupcakes and all sorts of Super Kid decorations including garland made from Kelle's fabrics.  The whole setting looked like a picture from a magazine!




Although I've exchanged several emails with Kelle before, I had never met her in person until the day of the shoot.  She is the sweetest, cutest thing with such a welcoming smile and personality. She gave me and Ella a hug like she had known us for a lifetime.  I can now see how she can create such colorful, fun designs for fabrics and cards!

Guess what?  In honor of the party, Kelle is giving away a bundle of her Super Kids fabric and a $50 gift card to Tiny Prints (where you can buy her Super Kids cards and lots of other fun prints she has designed)!

Photo from Ann Kelle.com
To enter the contest and download free tutorials on how to make the Super Kid's masks and capes as well as the garland visit her blog at Ann Kelle.


Hope you have a Super day and have fun sewing!

All the terrific photos at the farm were taken by Simply M Photography.