Giveaway winner and a tutorial to come

It's 11:34, so it IS still May 20, and I'm skidding in to end this thing right at the deadline. 

I had to watch Grey's Anatomy.  And I'm still not sure if it was worth it.  Whatever.

The winner of the totes and scraps is Breanna, who, when I looked at her profile, introduced me to freezer cooking.  At first glance it looks like cooking once a month or so and freezing everything so that it can be thawed, dressed up or sauced, and then eaten.  This is interesting to me because I, on average, am only super motivated about once per month, so the idea that I can get all my work done on that day and then lazy around the rest of the month is pretty rad.  Thanks, Breanna!  I'll email you tomorrow for your mailing address.

AND!

I asked for details about what everyone's favorite crafty posts were, and about ninety-billion percent of you said tutorials.  Bag tutorials, to be even more precise.  I was really only asking to be nosy, but because now I feel pressured, I'm going to put together a bag tutorial.  Maybe in a week or so, because I don't want it to suck and I'll need time to think about it.

Thanks, really, all 259 (!!!) of you that stopped in to comment. 

Oh, and for Miss Crafty, that commented that I should chat about my favorite notions?  Seam ripper.  The end.  Goodnight.

Other Places: The year in fabric

Love fabric?  Cheesing over all of the new prints have come out this year?  Head over to True Up to check out what other are crushing on this year.  You can even play along yourself!

- Favorite Quilting Weight Cotton Collection: Good Folks, Anna Maria Horner


- Favorite Home Decor Weight Fabric or Collection: Deer Valley, Joel Dewberry

- Favorite Trend (Colors): Oranges, deep purples and maroons.  Together.  But especially oranges.

- Biggest Fabric World Story/News: Aside from all those lovely Quilt Market blog posts, I'm not too up on the news.  Anna Maria coming out with the voiles was pretty lively, no?

Little Folks voile

Photo credit: Westminster Fibers/Free Spirit

- Favorite Overall Designer:  Duh.  Anna Maria Horner.  Hands down.  No contest. 

Authentic

Photo credit: Moda

- Favorite New Designer:  Sweetwater.  Authentic got me very excited.

- Favorite Novelty Print:  Go Green!

- Favorite Floral Print:  I got into florals for the first time.  Kaffe Fasset had a dreamy floral that I bought as a remnant, so I can't even properly identify it, but it helped stir some new ideas.

- Favorite Organic Print or Collection: 

- Favorite Holiday Fabric or Collection:  Figgy Pudding.  It was holiday-ish, but lovely enough to admire even when it's NOT in season!

- Favorite Juvenile Print: Boys, Girls: Be A Man, Douglas Day

- Favorite Solid/Nonprinted: Kona.  Just about all of them.  Really.

I can't wait to see what we get to work play with in 2010!

Dear Santa

I like this game over at Fat Quarter Shop! 

Dear Santa,

For Christmas I would very much like anything in the whole wide world by Anna Maria Horner, because I think her fabric is just the knees of a bee.  Mostly, though, I want these two things because this here Folksy Flannels line looks super soft and super colorful and just...super.

For some odd reason, I think because between my skin and my hair I look like a pile of snot when actually wearing this color, I've been really craving mustard yellow lately.  I think that I might be able to pull it off as a scarf.  Also, I saw a purse at Marshall Field's a few weeks ago that was this color and I really fell in love but it was $96.00 so I think it's best I try and make something myself.

But, if I can't have that I for sure want some of this Fortune because not only is it one of my hands down favorite prints of all time, but, again, soft.  Wouldn't this make nice pillows for my bed, Santa?  (It would.)

Thanks, Santa.  Milk and cookies are promised.  Don't worry, I didn't make the cookies.

XOXO,
April

Giveaway Day!

It's the day we've all been waiting for!  Sew, Mama, Sew! is hosting Giveaway Day!

I've got two chances to win today, one for a finished Buttercup Bag (adapted from the design by Rae Hoekstra) in a creamy white linen/rayon blend with a simple sage green cotton print lining and band. 

Then!  Another reader will get a kit to follow my tutorial and make a complete cubed drawstring pouch.  5 charm squares (Michael Miller and... I forgot.  Cute, though), a linen/rayon blend for the lining, 16" of trim for the casings, 44" of ribbon for ties, and a scrap of decor bond to sturdy up the bottom.  You're totally covered, just add sewing machine and thread.

The Good Stuff:
1.  Comment on this post to enter.  Gain another entry by tweeting or blogging about this post, then come back and leave another comment with the link.
2.  The giveaway will close December 6, 2009, winners to be posted December 7, 2009.
3.  If your email address isn't public on your blog and/or blogger profile, please leave it in your comment.
4.  This giveaway is open to anyone is the whole wide world.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the blogs/shops participating in Giveaway Day.  I know I'll have some stiff competition for all of the neat swag out there!

Other places: True Up

If I had to take all but a handful of blogs off my overpopulated Google Reader, I'd fight like hell to keep True Up on the list. 

Quilt Market was a few weeks ago in Houston, and fabric and/or sewing bloggers have been heating up the Internets with their recaps, but True Up is making me feel like I was RIGHT THERE, MAN!  Currently I'm drooling over some of the Japanese prints they've got photos of, including some double sided fabric (whoa) with a different print on either side (whoa whoa whoa).  I'm madly in love with all of the multi prints panels out these days, but double sided linen is just blowing my mind. 

It's almost criminal that we get to see all of these smokin' hot prints, but can't buy them in stores for weeks to months, isn't it?

Giveaway! Scrap bag

Hello, Sew, Mama, Sew readers! Thanks so much for following my tutorial link.

To help celebrate Scrap Busters Month just a little bit more, I'm having a giveaway of...what else? A scrap bag!

One reader will get this purple charm square mini tote full of these fabric scraps plus a few more once I raid my bin. There will be enough to make a set of these coasters and then some! Applique, cover buttons, patchwork or, better yet, check out Sew, Mama, Sew for the rest of October for all of their scrap buster ideas.

To enter the giveaway:
Leave a comment on this post for one entry and tweet about the giveaway for another entry (leave another comment to tell me you tweeted).

Open to international readers as well, just make sure I can contact you by email.  I'll end the giveaway at midnight EST on Thursday October 22.

Straight from Japan: A pick me up!

So.  I've been in a funk.  Top shelf, wallow in misery, want to stay in bed all day and waste away moodiness over here.

Today, after 8 hours of work yuckiness (yuckyness?) I drug myself home and checked the mail.

WAAAAA-HHHHOOOOOAAAOOOOO!

I love the rulers, that polka dot is just dreamy, BUT!, that Lecien?  With the printed ads?  It was like I could feel the sky opening and the sun shining through.  It's probably one of my top ten most favorite fabrics I've ever seen in my whole entire life. 

I saved the envelope, too.  Something about coming all the way from Japan just makes it seem so much cooler than a plain ol' packing envelope.  Does anyone else save overseas packaging?

Day 4: Pressure's on

I'm particpating in Blogtoberfest and I'd feel like a total-super-mega failure if I gave up on Day 4.  Four days in and you're already throwing it in? 

Not me.

Sunday is usually a day that I would post much anyhow, plus I've had a particularly trying day, so I'll placate the Internet by posting this picture of two sets of patchworked charm squares that will eventually become part of a Christmas present.  They're all from Moda's Blossom line, which I think is by Urban Chiks, and I also think isn't in print anymore.  I've had them around for awhile.

It's kind of in an experimental stage.  Pretty soon it will tell me what it wants to become.

I'll do better on Day 5.  Maybe.

Say it with fabric

It's the big day, people. 

Even my fabric is begging us all to Go Green! 

Sure, they mean the 'save the Earth' from pollution and energy waste green, but it was the best I can do. 

Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with something crafty.  For now, I've got football to watch and beer to drink. 

Mixed bag

I had a real urge today to make something. Something that could be finished and used right away and preferrably hung on my dresser drawer knob so that I could look and feel better about having a sucky day because looking at pretty things I made usually makes me feel better.

What didn't make me feel better was the total chaos that greeted my on my sewing desk. Scraps and castoffs from most of this week's projects, as well as some other junk that keeps getting pushed around.

See the fabrics from the Lickety Split bag? And the cross body hobo? And my new tote?  Yep.  That's how I cleaned up.  By cutting three inch sqaures of everything on my table and making a patchwork bag.  There's also some other bits from past projects and a charm from a new Moda line. 

A drawstring bag is one of the easiest projects to make, patchwork is fun because you get to see your best fabrics all hanging out in one spot and who can't use more of them around the house/office/car/whatever.  Just stuff it, grab it and go.

I've also made kind of a resolution with myself to start lining more things with a print or a contrasting fabric. A nice unbleached cotton is usually my lining of choice, but I had a thrifted sheet in my stash that made for a fun lining, and I really like how it turned out. 

American Sewing Expo - Trim

Two days ago I woke up, freezing cold thanks to Michigan's fall making such a grand entrance, and jumped out of bed to take a hot shower.  And as quickly as I stood up, I hit the ground like a pile of bricks.  I'll say this to all of those who I might have not taken seriously in the past:  Back Pain Is NO JOKE.

Like the true savvy, independant chick that I am, I smiled throught the pain grabbed my phone and laid in bed until my mommy came to the rescue me and helped me hobble to the Urgent Care. 

It was all very glamourous, my day.  Now, from my sick bed, I've got the upper body strength (read: muscle relaxers) to sit up and show you the freaking sweet trim that I snagged at the American Sewing Expo. 

I had just spent last Friday browsing Etsy shops and saw this fabulous cotton trim with script from a love letter printed on it.  It was pricey, and shipped from Japan, so I admired and kept on clickin'.  Imagine my glee when I saw almost AN ENTIRE BOOTH OF COTTON AND LINEN trim the sewing expo. 

The company was Nifty Thrifty Dry Goods, and they were stocked to the rafters with some of the best trim, tape, rick rack, buttons and patches that I've ever seen.  Visit this site.  Everyday.

Nevermind that I don't know any sweet baby girls, and the only sweet baby boy I have regular contact with is no longer interested the cutesy phase this trim fits into, I'll find some reason to use these. 

I'll find some reason to use them all!  (As soon as I can manage to sit up unassisted.)

Material girl

I didn't get much sewing done this weekend, so much else was going on!

Browsing my Google Reader this afternoon and looking at everyone's wonderful creations really made me want to rush home and whip something up! 

There is a local nonprofit here in Detroit, Arts and Scraps, that uses, well, scraps, for educational craft products.  They've also got a little store full of castoffs from people and businesses and you can almost always snag something really great for a hugely discounted price.  This Saturday was the last day of a "3 Ton Fabric Sale".  I don't know if they really started off with three tons of fabric, but they still had quite a bit when I arrived at noon.  I snagged a HUGE amount of material --a full brown paper grocery sack-- for $5.

FIVE DOLLARS!

I got silk, cotton, knits, suitings, canvas, upholestry and a few mystery pieces.  It took me an hour to fold and iron them all when I got home, and I couldn't even fit the whole stack in my camera lens. 

None of the pieces are perfect squares, but plenty are big enough for bags and pouches, two pieces I've got skirt plans for, and some, like the gorgeous linen-like prints in the middle here, are begging to become pillows. 

I haven't cut into even one piece, yet.  I've been content to just look at the folded pile.

I've also but a ban on myself, that I will NOT.  BUY.  NEW.  FABRIC.  At least until the Sewing Expo in Novi, which is next weekend.  I'm a little nervous for my wallet, but I'm so excited for the Expo!