Craft Book Month :: Sew Serendipity

Welcome to the second week of Craft Book month, organized by Craft Buds!  While I own a lot of craft books, I've only made two projects from them so far {embarrassing, I know!}.  Today I'm sharing about my second, from the book Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt.

I actually received this book for Christmas in 2010, but a pregnancy and baby delayed my making anything from it until now.   It is an excellent, well written book with plenty of illustrations and photographs!  There is also a detailed chapter on adjusting garments so they actually fit, which was very helpful too.

Even though I have sewed a bit of clothes in the past, I think the directions were straight forward enough for even beginner garment makers.

I made the tunic, plain and simple, but there are several options to modify it and create different looks, it can also be made dress length.  I made the size small, which seemed true to size for regular store bought clothes.

The book contains full-size, tissue paper patterns.  I will confess that I actually hate cutting out patterns and took full advantage when my mom offered to do it for me.  I used Sandi Henderson's Henna Garden for my blouse, and the quilting weight cotton is perfect for spring and fall.

Since I'm petite, I modified the top by scooping the front and back neckline lower, so that when I put in the gathers and elastic, the top was pulled up higher.  I think when I make it again {which I will!}, I'll scoop the neckline a little lower so the shoulders are a little less gathered.  The construction of this blouse makes it incredibly easy to adjust for petites, which was exciting to me because I have a difficult time finding blouses that fit properly.

Next time I will also leave out the invisible zipper.  While the detailed directions and photographs made it super easy to install, I didn't make the blouse so snug that I need to unzip it to get it off.  Were I making the dress or a more fitted blouse, then I might want it.

I am excited to make another blouse or two from this book, and maybe tackle a skirt or jacket too.  If you're contemplating making clothes, this is a great book to get started with!

This post is part of the Craft Book Month blog hop at Craft Buds.

Blog Hop

Week One
Sunday 9/2: Hopeful Threads / The Jolly Jabber
Monday 9/3: Stitchery Dickory Dock / Me Sew Crazy
Tuesday 9/4: Olive & Ollie / Sew Sweetness
Wednesday 9/5: Fabric Seeds / The Busy Bean
Thursday 9/6: CraftFoxes / Stitched In Color
Friday 9/7: Katie's Korner / A Prairie Sunrise

Week Two
Sunday 9/9: Sweet Diesel Designs / missknitta's studio
Monday 9/10: Sew Tara / Clover and Violet <--That's me!
Tuesday 9/11: Sew Fantastic / amylouwho
Wednesday 9/12: Projektownia Jednoiglec / Two More Seconds
Thursday 9/13: Ellison Lane Quilts / Don't Call Me Betsy
Friday 9/14: Live a Colorful Life / LRstitched

Week Three
Sunday 9/16: Fairy Face Designs / Canoe Ridge Creations
Monday 9/17: Inspire Me Grey / Freshly Pieced
Tuesday 9/18: Lindsay Sews / The Cute Life
Wednesday 9/19: The Littlest Thistle / Sew Crafty Jess
Thursday 9/20: Urban Stitches / imagine gnats
Friday 9/21: Sew Bittersweet Designs / The Plaid Scottie

Week Four

Link up your craft book project at Craft Buds from Sept 23-30 from your blog or Flickr account, and enter to win prizes. Winners will be announced on Monday, October, 1!




To participate in the month-long contest, just link up any project you've made from a pattern in a craft book. That easy! One entry per person, and all craft book projects must have been completed in 2012. Just create a new blog post or Flickr photo (dated September 1, 2012 or later) and link back to Craft Buds in your post or photo description.

No time to create a project? This month, just follow Craft Buds and comment to win some new craft books and lots of giveaways!

Get Out the Craft Books

It's been a long time coming, but I finally finished a project I've been working on for several months {note: it didn't take several months to complete...just sat around that long!}.  And I finished it just in time for Craft Book Month at Craft Buds.  I seriously love craft books, even if I don't make anything from most of them, I love pouring over the pages and imagining what I'm going to make!  So, continue reading for all the details of the month long craft book celebration {read carefully...there are some amazing prizes involved!}.

Back-to-school season means its time to hit the books. Craft books, that is! We love craft books for their inspiration, stunning photography and crisp, glossy pages. Hard covers or soft, we just love craft books, and we know you do, too!

All month long in September, our friends at Craft Buds will celebrate sewing, quilting and all kinds of craft books by shining the spotlight on new releases, interviewing authors and editors who make the magic happen and giving you a chance to win.

Blog Hop

Week One

Sunday 9/2: Hopeful Threads / The Jolly Jabber
Monday 9/3: Stitchery Dickory Dock / Me Sew Crazy
Tuesday 9/4: Olive & Ollie / Sew Sweetness
Wednesday 9/5: Fabric Seeds / The Busy Bean
Thursday 9/6: CraftFoxes / Stitched In Color
Friday 9/7: Katie's Korner / A Prairie Sunrise

Week Two
Sunday 9/9: Sweet Diesel Designs / missknitta's studio
Monday 9/10: Sew Tara / Clover and Violet <--That's me!
Tuesday 9/11: Sew Fantastic / amylouwho
Wednesday 9/12: Projektownia Jednoiglec / Two More Seconds
Thursday 9/13: Ellison Lane Quilts / Don't Call Me Betsy
Friday 9/14: Live a Colorful Life / LRstitched

Week Three
Sunday 9/16: Fairy Face Designs / Canoe Ridge Creations
Monday 9/17: Inspire Me Grey / Freshly Pieced
Tuesday 9/18: Lindsay Sews / The Cute Life
Wednesday 9/19: The Littlest Thistle / Sew Crafty Jess
Thursday 9/20: Urban Stitches / imagine gnats
Friday 9/21: Sew Bittersweet Designs / The Plaid Scottie

Week Four

Link up your craft book project at Craft Buds from Sept 23-30 from your blog or Flickr account, and enter to win prizes. Winners will be announced on Monday, October, 1!

To participate in the month-long contest, just link up any project you've made from a pattern in a craft book. That easy! You'll tell us a little about the book, the project, how you personalized it, etc.

Rules:

1) One entry per person.

2) Your craft book project must have been completed in 2012.

3) Create a new blog post or Flickr photo (dated September 1, 2012 or later) and link back to Craft Buds/Craft Book Month in your post or photo description.

No time to create a project? This month, just follow Craft Buds and comment to win some new craft books and lots of giveaways! We'll also have expert Q-and-As to show you what it takes to write a craft book, from the initial idea to the layout, photography and the actual printed product.

To help kick off the Craft Book Month contest in style, Fat Quarter Shop is helping us celebrate with a big giveaway! One winner will take home a $100 gift certificate to shop for some new fabric, craft books and notions.

Ten winners will get a new craft book to help work out that creativity! This is the perfect excuse to make that project you've had your eye one, but haven't carved out the time for.

Fat Quarter Shop is giving away 1 copy each of Quilts from the House of Tula Pink by Tula Pink, Sewing ModKid Style by Patty Young, Skip the Borders by Julie Herman, Stop Go Quilt Sew by Angela Yosten and Sunday Morning Quilts by Amanda Jean Nyberg and Cheryl Arkison.

Craft Buds is giving away 1 copy each of Modern Basics by Amy Ellis, Reinvention by Maya Donenfeld, We Make Dolls! by Jenny Doh, New Dimensions in Bead and Wire Jewelry by Margot Potter and More Teach Yourself VISUALLY Jewelry Making by Chris Franchetti Michaels.

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for your chance to win! The kickoff giveaway ends Wednesday, 9/5 at 11:59 ET, when we'll randomly choose 11 winners. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Winterkist {Gift Basket}

Welcome to the Winterkist Blog Hop!  I have to admit, I puzzled about what to make with my fabrics far longer than I should have, but eventually settled on a gift basket!

I used the large basket from my Bedside Trio, since it is very generously sized {I also filled it with some of my favorite things!}, and then appliqued a Gnoma Claus on the front.  For the binding I used Kona Coal...appropriate, don't you think?!

In actuality, I think I might send this basket to my sister.  You see, my family is short, you probably cannot tell from photos, but I am only 5'2", and that's on a good day!  My sister, Rachel, didn't even reach the 5-feet-tall mark...and at 4' 11", she's the shortest one in our family.  Why am I telling you this?  Well, we happen to have a long running family joke that she is actually a garden gnome.  In fact, her first Christmas away from home, we gave her this {and it has moved with her for the past 7 years!}:

So, it only seems fitting that she also receive the Gnoma Claus basket!  Especially since, while it is wintery fabric, the colors allow it to be easily used year round.

Are you dreaming of getting your hands on a little Winterkist now {see here and here for more inspiration!}? Perfect!  Every weekday for the next three weeks follow the hop and comment on the participating blogs for your chance to win big! Each Friday evening, Katie will draw a name from the comments on all 5 of that week's blog hop posts. The winner gets their choice of fat quarter bundles from the very generous Fat Quarter Shop!

You could even choose a Winterkist bundle!

Here's the schedule of the hop for continued Winterkist inspiration:

Aug 6  Katie at There & Back
Aug 7  Rachael at imagine gnats
Aug 8  Jennie at Clover & Violet <--You are here!
Aug 9  Courtney at mon petit lyons
Aug 10  Sara at Sew Sweetness

Aug 13  Bianca at Sweet Diesel Designs
Aug 14 Chelsea at Pins & Bobbins
Aug 15  Rebecca at Sew Festive Handmade
Aug 16  Diane at from blank pages
Aug 17  Allegory at {sew} Allegorical

Aug 20  Kim at My Go-Go Life
Aug 21 Di at Random Thoughts...do or "di"
Aug 22 Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts
Aug 23 Jenelle at Echinops & Aster
Aug 24  Katie at There & Back

Winterkist Blog Hop

Maybe you've heard that there's a Winterkist blog hop starting next week at There & Back.  If you're not familiar with Winterkist, hop over to Monica Solorio-Snow's blog {The Happy Zombie} to learn a little bit more about her latest fabric collection featuring Gnoma Claus, snowflakes, and some bright colors to celebrate winter and the holidays!  So fun!  And a big thank you to Lecien USA for sending Katie this adorable fabric, which she somehow managed to cut up and share with us!

But wait...there's more.  This blog hop will feature three fantastic giveaways too.  And, you don't have to jump through any hoops to win either!  Just leave a comment on the posts and you're automatically entered.  You have five chances per week {one per post} to comment, and each week one winner will be drawn to win a fat quarter bundle of their choice from the very generous Fat Quarter Shop!  If you're like me, you've probably spent quite a bit of time dreaming about fat quarter bundles, so this is a great opportunity to win one!  What would you choose?

The blog hop starts on Monday, August 6th, and is full of Gnoma Claus inspirational goodness, here's the schedule:

Aug 6  Katie at There & Back
Aug 7  Rachael at imagine gnats
Aug 8  Jennie at Clover & Violet {That's me!}
Aug 9  Courtney at mon petit lyons
Aug 10  Sara at Sew Sweetness

Aug 13  Bianca at Sweet Diesel Designs
Aug 14 Chelsea at Pins & Bobbins
Aug 15  Rebecca at Sew Festive Handmade
Aug 16  Diane at from blank pages
Aug 17  Allegory at {sew} Allegorical

Aug 20  Kim at My Go-Go Life
Aug 21 Di at Random Thoughts...do or "di"
Aug 22 Jennifer at Ellison Lane Quilts
Aug 23 Jenelle at Echinops & Aster
Aug 24  Katie at There & Back

And here's a little look at what I've been working on!

Summertime Adventures :: Easy Peasy Drawstring Bag

Today I'd like to welcome Kat of Diary of a Flutter.Kat with her drawstring bag tutorial, designed to be quick and easy...and a project you could make with your kids before heading out on an adventure!

And, an extra thanks to Kat for joining this summertime series...since Australia is heading into winter!  And remember, there will be a linky on Monday for your out and about sewing projects {with a TBD giveaway!}!  Happy sewing!

Summertime Adventures :: Travel Embroidery Case Tutorial

Today is the first day of our Summertime Adventures Tutorial Series & Blog Hop!  So, hop on over to Sew Sweetness for the tutorial for this adorable travel embroidery case:

And then, hop over to Imagine Gnats for the cute embroidery girl, and she's available as a free download too!

Thank you Sara & Rachael for such an fun, cute project!  It will be perfect for embroidering on the go {maybe for working on some of those Garden Steps blocks too!}!