January give-away winner

The winner of the January 2012 give away is:

Miranda! who said……..

What a great giveaway. Before Christmas I saw a recipe for a Rice Krispie roll on MADE, and I made them for Christmas and they were soooo yummy. I'm going to make them but cut them smaller and into heart shapes. I also like to make my own cards (because cards are getting really expensive) so I'll make a few of those. Here's the link to the Krispies.
http://www.dana-made-it.com/2011/12/day-1-chocolate-peanut-butter-rice.html
The next time I made them I'm going to leave out the peanut butter in the Krispie part.

 I will send you an email asking you for your mailing information and I'll get this package out to you ASAP.  I hope you like your goodies.  Please let me know when they arrive.

Don't forget to check back in early February for that month's give-away!!!

Denim Skirt

I have wanted a simple denim skirt for some time. I had a lovely pair of organic Mavi jeans that became too short once I washed them, and they were the perfect opportunity to give the "skirt-from-jeans" redux a try. There  are all kinds of helpful tutorials out there for you to look at, each with a slightly different take on how to make your skirt. Since I wanted something I could actually wear more places than not, I opted to try and finish all seam lines and inserts and hems. In the end I ended up with a skirt that fits well and looks good too.
This is what I did:
Take one pair of jeans

Figure out how long you wan your new skirt to be and cut off the pant legs, adding an additional inch (for finishing the hem).
Open the inner leg seams, both sides to the crotch and then back and front to the base of the zipper and to where the back no longer curves for your derrière.

Turn your jeans/almost skirt inside out and fold in the open edges and press into a "V", front and back.

Turn right sides out again and lay on a flat surface. Place pins to hold pressed seams.

Open the same seam (inside leg) on the pieces of pants leg that you cut off. Press open.

Place a cutting mat, or cutting board in the area of the "V" of the skirt and lay the (now) rectangle leg piece into the opening. Using the cutting mat as the pin stop, pin the skirt "V" opening to the pant leg material filling the opening. Pay special attention to the area around the zipper making sure the additional material is tucked neatly under.

Stitch a double row of stitches along each side of the "V".

Turn inside out and trim excess material leaving 1/2 of denim to the side of each seam.

Repeat on the back.

Trim hem line to an even edge and her you make a choice. You can either turn under the hem and again, double stitch, or you can leave the hem be and it will fray softly with repeated washings.

Enjoy your new skirt. {If you are totally confused, go check these tutorials here and here}.

You CAN teach an old dog new tricks

I got a iphone a month or so ago. I love it. I made it a soft iphone case, just in case,  (it gets cold here, where I live).

It does things I never knew I wanted "done".  I have lunch with friends and get all kinds of hints on how to "use" my phone and we share App's, (especially the free ones). We do this quietly so as not to scare away nearby diners. There are a few that have added to my "cyber" sewing experience. Allowing me to keep in touch with some of the wonderful new friends I have met this past year.
So, here are the ones I find useful in the sewing/quilting/swapping realm- I would love to know, if you have these, or if you get them, what you think…….. OR better yet, if you have ones I NEED to have too. Share!!!!
(These are all available for FREE via the App Store)
Flickr for the iphone:
Take a picture and post it to your Flickr page complete with comments, tags and other fun info. The one thing it doesn't do is let you post your photo to a group. Perhaps if enough of us complain they might add that in an update.
QuiltCalc by Robert Kaufmann:
You are just going to have to play around with this to see all the fun things it can do. Make sure you have enough time to check it out.
Jo-anns app:
Despite my love for my LQS, I do need to go here for buttons, notions, rotary blades etc, etc. Their app has mobile coupons- directly to your phone, within the app. You just show it to the check-out cashier and voila! No more forgotten coupons….. there are other features with this app but I primarily use it for the coupons.
USPS Mobile for the iphone:
I just discovered USPS Click-n-ship on my computer (right before Christmas) and couldn't believe that I could skip waiting endlessly in line at my post office and order the boxes, print the labels (with free delivery confirmation) and even have my mail man come get my packages right from my porch. And this handy iphone app lets you do the same right from your phone, including scanning bar codes and QR codes on packages. This last feature is beyond cool. First you print your labels from your computer/printer. They will have a bar code on them. The you open the USPS mobile app on your phone and scan the bar code. Then you can track your package right from your phone without having to type in all those numbers. ;-) to see if your package got to its intended destination.  You can order free boxes and schedule a pick up from your phone as well as look up zip codes, calculate shipping costs and find a post office near you (if you still want the whole "in-person" experience).

As you can see, I am easily impressed and eager to find more fun helpful things to do with my phone. I am certain there are more wonderful apps out there and as I get ones that have some connection to sewing/quilting/life I'll pass them along. Please do the same.

Resolution with added perks

I've got to clean out my little sewing space after a whirl wind end of the year sewing spree. So, for 2012, I have decided that while cleaning, I am also going to destash- big time . Once a month, on this blog, I am going to post a photo. My plan is to fill a Large, flat rate box with all kinds of sewing/knitting/crafting items (hopefully seasonal so that you can use them when you get them) and send it to the person who leaves me the best comment based on a theme for that month.
So, here goes…………

For January- (open to international and domestic (US) mailing this month- why not start out the year with a bang!

To win, please tell me: What will you be making (food/craft/sewn/knit item) as your hand-made/home-made Valentine's day treat. If you have a recipe or a link to a sewing/knitting tutorial, please include it. (It will help your chances). I will pick my favorite comment based on all entries.

Here is a photo of just some of the things you will get in the January give away.

Details for the 2012 Monthly Giveaway:

I will post a photo of the give-away each month during the first week of the month- so check back often, so you don't miss out.

You will have until the 21st of each month to leave a comment.

Leave only one comment per person.

I will pick a winner and get your package in the mail by the 25th of each month (postal holidays and weekends excepted). (Make sure you don't fall in to the no-reply blogger category- if I can't get you I'll pick someone else).

I know some of my followers are outside the USA. Because international postal rates abroad are much more expensive I will be doing international mailings only a few times during the year (these are big packages and costly to send). Please know- I haven't forgotten you and appreciate your following me- I really do. So, I will specifically post whether the monthly destash-give-away is open to international entries on any given month.

 (We're starting the year big- January is open to everyone).

Thanks for all your support and good luck in 2012! Remember 12 chances to win this year- Go for it!!!

It's a neighborly thing….

Stop on over at Lily's quilts and see what's up with your blogging and sewing neighbors. It's a nice way to begin the new year and a nice way to see what everyone is up to in 2012!

Sewing for the guys

I'm lucky to have some young men in my life that actually like home made things. I've been sewing for some of them for (shall I say it) decades years. First- dop kits and winter hats, then fleece pullovers, then PJ's, flannel pillowcases, more jammies (their moms feed them and they grow!- imagine that!!). Then, they go to college and still ask for PJ's….. makes me smile every time I think of that.

 So, this Holiday, I tried a pattern from Stitch Magazine, Fall 2011. This fleece pullover seemed like the perfect "stylish" (is that OK for young men too?), top that is both warm and comfortable. I ended up making 2 (Had this coupon for 50% off at Joann's and it's good on one cut of fabric- (are you following my train of thought???). It's a nice neutral medium grey, (like the fabric featured in the magazine). I used a grey zip on one and a black on the other.

Zip front Pullover by: Jill Cappuccio (directions in the magazine, pattern available for download on the website). I am a visual sewist, so my only complaint is while the written direction are beyond excellent, I could have used a few more pictures, especially when it came to the set in collar, which I ended up winging, and (luckily) it came out fine none the less. Had I never set in a collar before, I think this would have brought about a few choice words.  The pattern does call for some seam allowance changes, sometimes it's 1/2" others 1/4" and you have to pay attention to those. I had never ironed fleece, and this pattern does call for a stretchy type fusible interfacing to be ironed onto the fleece. I found my teflon pressing sheets vital, as I was uncertain at which temperature I would have success or utter failure. The pressing sheet and the middle temp on my iron (a Rowena) worked like a charm. Other than that, there are not many pattern pieces, and the sewing is rather straight forward. Overall, I enjoyed making them and would make others should anyone want more. I opted to make a Medium and that seems to be pretty true to size, but if your guy likes his clothing baggier, I'd go a size larger. My Joann's was low on zippers so if you want the contrast of the zipper and fabric you might have to order up the zips. My schedule didn't allow for a zipper order so I had to go with what was available.

One is for my son, 17; the other for his best friend, also 17. They don't go to the same school so I don't have to worry about any embarrassing clothes/fashion moments.  But, I forget- they are guys, even if they did go the same school and ran into each other in the hall, they likely would not even register they were wearing a similar top.

In addition, I came across this great earbuds tutorial and decided this, in the right fabric, would be a wonderful gift for another young man, who is a sophomore in college. Can you guess where he goes to school????

While I was at it, and because I miraculously got my sewing done with a few days to spare, I made a few more earbud cases for the girls in my life (there are more of them than the guys……).

I changed one thing from the tutorial. The pattern calls for a split ring (featured in bottom row of top photo and bottom photo); which I changed to a lobster type of clasp/hardware (top row, top photo). I used my Go! Baby cutter to cut all the circles for this project. (Saved TONS of time).

And because I was having boatloads of fun and because I had the Go Baby! cutter fired up, and it started to snow outside- I tried my hand at this cute tree.

Instead of a bow at the top I put a Jingle bell. I really like it, and if I find myself with a few hours to spare I may make a few more, if not, they are definitely on my list for next year!!!

I hope your Holiday sewing was successful and fun! Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy 2012. I hope that the New Year brings lots of sewing inspiration and perhaps some cool fabric in your Holiday stash. (Yup, my husband went to my LQS and got me a gift certificate for the holidays- I did hint, and print up the directions for him…….. never hurts to be prepared)

And the winner is…...

The winner of this bag, (my first ever Give-Away day give away)

is June Bug! Mr Random number picked you!!!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!

Please contact me with your address so that I may mail your bag to you. Happy Holidays! (I foresee a package arriving to your house in the near future- wink wink).

Giveaway Day is here… it's a wonderful time of the Year!!

                                                             
                                                                            Sew-Mama-Sew Giveaway Day

My first give away on Giveaway Day and I want it to be a doosey!

Amy Butler's Sweet Harmony bag, in Kona Coal with various quilters cottons. (I can never remember all their names, but perhaps you recognize some of them…..).

 Interior detail: zippered and open pockets in Alexander Henry Farmdale Apples with a snazzy red zipper.

And button details on the handle/straps.

To enter, just leave me a comment. Tell me about one place you have visited/traveled to that has left a real impression on you. (Near or far- doesn't matter).

The winner will be announced back here on December 18th, 2011. So stay tuned.

Remember I need to be able to contact you if you win (hint hint if you are a no-reply blogger). If you don't have a blog, no problem, just leave me your email in your comment. I am willing to ship Internationally if you don't mind the possibility of a bit of delay with all the Holiday shipping going on out there in postal land. Happy Holidays and Good Luck!