Momo "It's A Hoot" Quilt

I finished my quasi-quilt (there's no batting/quilting through the laters) last night. I'm really happy with it, it's so cute! I used a quarter yard bundle of the Momo "It's a Hoot" collection. I used everything in the bundle except for a couple light checkered fabrics, and three of the red fabrics because I thought they clashed with the rest of the prints. I also had an extra yard of two of the prints (Stripe in Flight in raspberry and Owls in turquoise). The squares were all 8.5" before sewing, and the quilt is 12 blocks by 12 blocks. The back is a raised minky dot in pink. It's very beautiful. Instead of quilting it, I just sewed, turned, then topstitched the edges.

I had a really good time making this. For my first quilt I pressed the edges to one side, but this time, after reading Elizabeth Hartman's book, I tried pressing the seams open. I'm not sure if there is a lot of difference in the finished product, but honestly I think I liked pressing them open better. I realize that it takes longer to do, but there's something in the process of pressing them open that I enjoyed.

On to the next project! If you're interested, be sure to check out the Heather Ross Quilt Along! I can't wait, I am slowly assembling fabrics and getting really excited about it!

Heather Ross Quilt Along

My friend, Kim's, Munki Munki stash

So we are getting more and more excited about the Heather Ross Quilt Along starting in February. My friends Kim and Amy are participating, as well as several others. We liked the same basic design for the quilt, but some are doing the symmetrical quilt blocks and some the wonky. Here's the two different designs:

Wonky squares quilt from Freckled Whimsy

Robert Kaufman Ambrosia quilt

I created a Facebook Group because we've been chatting about the quilt along...extensively. If you are interested in joining, please feel free! I can't wait for us all to chart our progress and get some beautiful quilts made!

I got some Kona solids to frame my cute Heather Ross prints with...I wanted something very bold and hopefully this will do the trick! I'm going to do the wonky quilt. So very excited!!

101 One Yard Wonders

I received 101 One Yard Wonders by Rebecca Yaker and Patricia Hoskins for Christmas. This book had been on my Amazon wishlist (currently on Amazon for $14), so I was excited to receive it. As the title notes, there are 101 sewing projects in this book. Although you could probably find some of these projects as free tutorials, it is certainly nice to have so many ideas and photos in one place. It is also nice to see a majority of them sewn with our favorite designer fabrics, like Heather Ross and Amy Butler.

There is a folder at the front of the book for pattern pieces, but it looks like a lot of the projects can be done by measuring fabric with your ruler.

I would eventually like to get to many of the projects, such as the garden apron, organized bed pocket, car trash bag, laptop sleeve, child's convertible craft apron, the dog bed, and the dog coat.

Some of the projects are extremely simplistic, but I still want to make them anyway. For example, there is a lined bookcase and decorative bathroom towels that look really cute.

I didn't see anything attractive in the women's clothing chapter (and I'm sorry, but...spats?!). The handbags in the book were okay, but if you have other bag sewing patterns like I do, you may not get to them. There's a chapter on plushies that might be useful if I need a cute baby or child gift.

I did enjoy this book, but here and there I noticed that the projects could have stood out more if they were photographed better or executed better. There were a couple pictures that were slightly blurry, and a few projects that looked a bit sloppy, at least compared to other sewing pictures that I have seen out there.

All-in-all, this is a great book to have many, many projects in one place. If you need ideas for a gift to make for someone, this would be the place to look as there is just about everything in it. I can't imagine having to come up with 101 sewing patterns, so my hat is off to these two authors.

Heather Ross Quilt Along

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you had a great Christmas Eve. I know I should be in bed waiting for Santa, but I'm thinking about fabric and I can't go to sleep yet.

I got a few Heather Ross fabrics for Christmas, and as I was talking about making a quilt on Facebook, a couple of my friends wanted to do a quilt along. We thought it would be fun to use this free quilt pattern from Robert Kaufman and designed by Amanda Murphy.

So...anyone else interested? The quilt would be great for all skill levels, and even if you've never made a quilt before, what a great way to get started! The center squares are all 5", so you could use a charm pack (if you don't have or don't want to make a Heather Ross quilt), or cut the squares from fabric you already have. The pattern is for a 43" x 51" quilt, but of course you could make it smaller or larger. Or you could even make a pillow.

I just think a Quilt Along would be a great idea because I know it would keep me motivated!

I tentatively plan on using my Heather Ross fabrics for the inner squares and using bright Kona solids for the strips on the outside of each block.

February is going to be the start date. Anyone else in for some fun? :-)

Somebody Loves Me

I came home tonight with my kids, and found that something had come in the mail for me. My friend, Kim, sent me a package of 1/2 yard cuts of fabric, and when I saw what it was...I just started crying. If you are familiar with fabrics, you know that these Heather Ross fabrics are pretty much priceless. I've never met Kim, but we've been internet and sewing friends for several years. I met her on a cloth diapering website.

When she told me that she was sending me something for Christmas, I could never have imagined that she would send me THIS. I mean...this gift is just beyond words. I can't even imagine thinking of a project good enough to use these fabrics in...but if you think of something, let me know!

Wow, I feel so very special and loved. :-)

Handbag Extravaganza Winners!

Wow! Thanks so much for all the comments and participation in my handbag sewing pattern giveaways! I really enjoyed seeing what you all had to say, and the bags that were posted on the linky party were beautiful!

The random winner of prize #1, the Mabel bag .pdf sewing pattern from Jenna Lou Designs, was #47 Michelle. I have contacted you for your information, congratulations!!

Prize #2 was a little trickier. There were 20 entries. I had two of my sewing friends, Kim and Karrie, and my mom, judge this one. All three of them sew, but none of them blog, so I felt this was the best way to reach an unbiased decision. I asked each of them to pick their top 3 bags. Coincidentally, nobody picked any of the same bags except for #7. Kim and my mom both placed #7 somewhere in their top 3, so congratulations Teresa, you are the winner of 3 .pdf handbag sewing patterns from Ali Foster Patterns!

I'm sorry I couldn't make all of you winners. But never fear!  

If you still want to get the patterns, all the bag patterns at Ali Foster Patterns are on sale for $3.99 each. And, through December 23rd, you can get 15% off sewing patterns at Jenna Lou Designs by using coupon code SEWSWEETNESS15 at checkout!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

New Look 6931 Kid's Robe

Two weeks before Christmas, my husband decided it would be a great idea to make the kids each a fleece robe for Christmas morning. Thankfully I am reasonably quick with projects otherwise I might have strangled him. So we took the kids to Joann Fabrics and let them each pick out their fleece fabric. After much deliberation, my son chose Batman (of course) and my daughter chose a purple fabric with green frogs on it.

Fabric - The pattern called for about 2 yards of fabric, depending on the size you are using (it is size 3-8, my approximation after finishing the project is that size 3 is for around 4T/5T). I made size 4, which I know is going to be big on both my kids, but I'd like them to be able to wear the robes for several years. I got away with using 1-1/2 yards for the size 4. I think fleece is the easiest choice because you don't need to finish your seams as the fleece doesn't fray.

Pattern Pieces - There were 7 pattern pieces to cut out for the robe pattern. There is a pocket on each side of the front of the robe, which I really like.

Illustrations/Instructions - Normally commercial sewing patterns like this confuse me, but this one is a no-brainer. There are very few steps to sewing this, and I'm not sure if it could be any easier. Which is a good thing 2 weeks before Christmas.

The back of the pattern also calls for seam binding. I had never used seam binding before, so I Googled it to see what exactly it was and what you did with it. Basically, in stretchy fabrics, where the front and back panels meet at the top of the shoulders, you use this binding in order to keep the fabric at the neck/shoulder from stretching. Makes sense. However, when I was researching this, I noticed that several people mentioned that they just made their own binding. So all I did was cut 1/2" strip of the fleece fabric the length of the seam where you sew the front and back panels together at the shoulder (about 5"), and when I sewed the shoulder seam together, I just replaced the seam binding with my little fleece strip. So as I sewed, the back panel was on the bottom, the front panel was the middle layer, and the fleece strip was the top layer. Since I had never done this before, I checked the shoulder area, and yep...it doesn't stretch at all. So my homemade seam binding worked out perfectly (however, if you're making something more elaborate than a robe, you'll probably want to actually made binding as opposed to one straight strip like I did).

Conclusion - A beginner could definitely sew up this robe. There are no special skills required. If you can sew a straight line, you can do this. The only other thing you would need to do is have a turning tool to turn the belt right side out after you've sewn it. Very easy, and it turned out great! I can't wait to see my kids wearing their new robes on Christmas morning!

Quilt Ideas

Don't forget to enter my big handbag giveaway!

So I've been thinking about several ideas for quilts. I found this beautiful fat quarter custom bundle on Fabric Worm that I would like to get. I'm thinking I would love to use those fabrics in this quilt pattern that I found on Fabrics N Quilts that they are featuring on a giveaway this week on their blog (along with some yummy fabrics). Wouldn't it look pretty?

I also want to get this Momo Wonderland layer cake. I think it would look awesome with the Sugar Pop quilt pattern, or any other pattern that would feature the colors and prints well. Is there another quilt pattern that you could suggest for me?

And I also have some fabrics for a quilt pre-washed and ready to piece after the holidays. I got a fat quarter bundle of Momo It's a Hoot on Black Friday. I'm planning on cutting 8.5" squares and making a queen-sized quilt. But I'm not going to use batting. Instead, I want to back it with a pink raised dot minky that I bought, with no quilting; I want to just sew the edges to make a light summer sheet. It's going to be beautiful and soft and I can't wait!

Well, those are my quilting plans for the beginning of 2011; what do you have on the idea block? :-)

Handbag Pattern Giveaway Extravaganza

Before I get all carried away with the awesome prizes and such, I would like to give a plug for my bloggy friend Bree, who is hosting a Sew Along for Amy Butler's Style Stitches book. The Sew Along is starting in January, which gives you plenty of time to get the book if you don't already have it! There are 12 bags in the book, so one bag per month with a linky party at the end of each month to share your bag and win some prizes! Just click on the button for more information.






Alright, who wants to win some sewing patterns?! I started giving away one handbag sewing pattern a week, starting before Halloween. I've already given 9 patterns away; everything from Amy Butler to Sweet Pea Totes! If you've won previously, you CAN enter these last 2 giveaways! This is my last giveaway of the year and I wanted it to go out with a bang!

Prize #1

Pdf sewing pattern for the Mabel Bag from Jenna Lou Designs

The first prize is a .pdf sewing pattern for the Mabel Bag from Jenna Lou designs. The pattern will be e-mailed to the winner. I have made *nine* of these bags this year, for myself and for friends. It's a fun and easy pattern that I wrote a review for here. Jenna Lou Designs is a great shop on Etsy that sells sewing patterns, custom made bags and accessories, and handbag supplies. Jenna Lou also has a blog and a Facebook page, which you can follow and receive exclusive discounts.

How you can enter:
1. Leave me a comment and show me some love!
I noticed there are several people who are "no reply" (meaning, you don't receive replies when you post on someone's blog). That's fine, but please make sure you also put your e-mail in your comment otherwise I have no way to contact you!

2. "Follow" my blog (if you're already a follower, super!). Then, just leave a second, SEPARATE comment saying that you follow me.

You can have up to 2 entries. I will randomly choose a winner, who will receive the Mabel Bag sewing pattern via e-mail! The drawing will close on Thursday, December 23rd at 12:01am CT (just after midnight on Wednesday).

Jenna Lou's patterns are really amazing...here are some of the other sewing patterns available from Jenna Lou Designs:

Frame Clutch

Wristlet

Ella Handbag

Amy Tote

A Girl's Best Friend Wallet

Jenna Lou Designs is offering you all a 15% discount on sewing pattern from her shop when you enter coupon code SEWSWEETNESS15 at checkout, December 17th through December 23rd.


Prize #2

The second prize is THREE .pdf sewing patterns of your choice from Ali Foster Patterns! There is a huge selection of bags to choose from, and they are all available via instant download! Ali Foster also has a blog where you can see more of her designs and inspirations. I bought the Round Satchel Bag and these are excellent sewing patterns...there are tons of clear pictures, the instructions are easy to follow, and the pattern pieces are computer drawn.

How you can enter:

The entry for the Ali Foster patterns will be a little different. All you have to do is link up ONE bag that you have sewn yourself in the past. Your favorite one. That's it. It can be linked from your blog or from your Flickr account, but it must be sewn by you. I will have a small team of judges (my sewing friends) choose the winner! The contest will close on Thursday, December 23rd at 12:01am CT (just after midnight on Wednesday - this is the correct time, I think the time on the linky might be a little off as it was my first time making one).





I am definitely planning on purchasing some of the Ali Foster patterns...and right now they are on sale for only $3.99 each right here! There are 22 to choose from, but here are some of my favorites.

Round Satchel

Boho Bag

Laptop Sleeve

Thanks so much for checking out my blog and my giveaways! Good luck!

In Crowd Curvy Clutch

I made this clutch as a Christmas present for my friend, Jessica, who is an aspiring actress. I got really frustrated because I couldn't find a good fabric for her clutch. Nothing jumped out at me. Then I remembered that I used to own this particular fabric, Alexander Henry's In Crowd. I look at this fabric and just want to pick out all the famous faces. I didn't have any left and its been discontinued, but I found a small piece on ebay that I was able to turn into this cutie. I am mad, however, that I made yet another thing that I want to keep for myself.

I used Keyka Lou's Curvy Clutch .pdf sewing pattern, which I've used once before. For my full review of this pattern, check here.

Merry Christmas Baby! Giveaway

I HAVE *TWO* SEPARATE GIVEAWAYS! PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO VISIT THE SECOND ONE IN MY NEXT POST!

Welcome your new bundle of joy (or the beloved little one of a friend or family member) with this 3-pack of beautiful, handmade burp cloths. The back of each burp cloth is soft, cuddly minky swirl fabric, and the front of the burp cloth is a fun cotton print. The winner will have their choice of any THREE burp cloths from what is pictured above!

Be sure to check out my previous post for a sewing pattern giveaway!


How you can enter:
1. Leave me a comment and show me some love!

2. "Follow" my blog (if you're already a follower, super!). Then, just leave a second, SEPARATE comment saying that you follow me.

You can have up to 2 entries. I will randomly choose a winner, who will receive the 3 burp cloths of their choice! The drawing will close on Friday, December 17th at 9pm CT.

Update: Congratulations to the winner of my giveaway!! I've contacted you privately.

Sewing Pattern Giveaway #8

I've decided to spread the handbag pattern love and give away a new, unused handbag sewing pattern every Friday until Christmas. That's right. One every week.

This week's pattern giveaway is going to be the Tammy Tadd Motherload bag!


How you can enter:
1. Leave me a comment and show me some love!

2. "Follow" my blog (if you're already a follower, super!). Then, just leave a second, SEPARATE comment saying that you follow me.

You can have up to 2 entries. Internationals welcome! I will randomly choose a winner, who will be the new owner of this shiny new pattern! The drawing will close on Friday, December 17th at 9pm CT.

Come back on Friday, December 17th for my last handbag giveaway (#9!). I'm working on something special so it should be a good one!

The winner of last week's giveaway, the 3 Just Desserts patterns, was Marilyn W.! Congratulations, please e-mail me your snail mail address at sewsweetness@yahoo.com!

Update: Congratulations to the winner of this giveaway, #4 Liesbeth Wessels! I have contacted you privately.