It's Giveaway Time!

Not here, but over at the adorable blog, What's Up Cupcake? What must you do to enter? Be a follower! She's giving away the cute book, Blogging for Bliss. Check it out!

The Raincoat, Finally

And just in time for a forecast of rain! So sorry to have gone MIA, but life feels so complicated these days. The raincoat took about a week longer than I had wanted it to, but that must have been because I could only get up the energy to sew about 30 minutes at a time.

Flat covered buttons, denim blue topstitching. I made the large and altered the sleeves just a bit to make them bigger, and dropped the armhole. I also shortened the sleeves. More than necessary it turn out. Oh, sure, they look ok, but I wish I had made them a bit longer so I could turn them up. As it is, I like this next look for when it's warmer.

I made the hood less gigantic. I always hate when the hood is so big you can't really see where you're going. So that's good. Besides the sleeve length, I'm not in love with the pocket placement, and the belt loops are just a hair low. That's just being nitpicky though.

Finally, my friend, Denise, is hosting a fabulous giveaway over at her Blue Gardenia blog. Do you love vintage patterns? Silk? Red fingernail polish? If the answer is yes, you must check it out!

We Have Giveaway Winners!

This will be short and sweet.

Winner of the Vogue Pattern is Sophie Miriam.

Winner of the rick rack is Mrs. Chronic-Shock.
{Shameless plug here: if any of you that didn't win the rick rack are interested in a great deal, contact me through my Etsy shop Down the Street Creations with which color or colors you're interested in and I'll give you a great deal! Let's talk!}

Winner of the suede bird purse is Stevie.

Looks like I have contact info for all 3 of you, so look for an email shortly.

 

CONGRATULATIONS!! And thanks to everyone for following!

  

Some Fun Reading

Not too much sewing has been happening here, so I thought I'd share some of the fun books that I received for Christmas and my birthday. I love reading, and was really excited to get a Kindle for Christmas, but some books just must be read in book form. Books like these:

Yes, my sister is totally enabling my new knitting habit. Speaking of knitting, I've almost finished my sweater. All that's left is to weave in the yarn ends, do a little blocking and find a great button. Here's a sneak preview (in it's non finished state):

I am rambling just a bit. My body is fighting off some cold germs, and it has made me a little ditzy. Or maybe it's the strange snow day we've had making this an unscheduled long weekend. Maybe I'm confused because my hubby is making sugar cookies while we watch the Auburn-Oregon football game. And they are really GOOD!

Oops, I lied. There has been a little sewing going on here. I did make a muslin of the Amy Butler raincoat which I would really like to finish by the end of this weekend. I think I know what I need to do. It's those darn armholes and sleeves again.

So, I'll stop here, and flip through the knitting books to decide on my next project. Don't forget to enter the giveaway! I forgot to mention that I'll ship worldwide, this is open to everyone!

Another Giveaway

No, I haven't lost my mind. My giveaway is still open, and right now there's still plenty of time to comment. No, I'm talking about the giveaway over at Handmade Jane. She has a book and a bundle of fat quarters to choose from, so don't delay because her giveaway is ending soon!

The 100 Follower Giveaway!

Finally! Well, you know. I've been busy. Today I talked to a friend on the phone for an hour and a half! Yes, you read that right. And I semi-successfully gave Teddy (the black pup) a bath. They gave him a "bath" at the kennel, but he still had a lot of that good ol' Georgia clay on him. So, without further adieu...

Like I said yesterday, something for everyone. This is a 3 item giveaway, so something for everyone. Please feel free to enter for each item. One comment is plenty, just indicate which item or items you'd like to be in the running for by name or number. And there will be no jumping through hoops. Only thing I ask is that you are on my follower list. Comments will close one week from today, Thursday, January 13 at midnight EST, and I'll announce the winners (chosen with that random number generator thingie) the next day. Oh, please make sure I have a way to contact you. That's it! Here ya go:

Item #1

Vogue 8556, size BB (8-14)

originally in the running for mother of the bride dress last year, it didn't even make it out of the shopping bag. I think a short version would look adorable in a pretty cotton voile.

Item #2

30 yards of Rick Rack

I scored this bounty of rick rack when a local fabric and trim shop was going out of business. Really, what was I thinking? I've used some, but now it's perfect for giving away. This is for 5 yards of each color. The white, dark orange, and dark yellow are 1/4" wide, and the pale yellow, navy and periwinkle blue on the weird (easily removable flange) are 1/2" wide. Perfect for craft projects, kids clothes, aprons, pjs!

Item #3

Ultrasuede Coin Purse 

I originally made this for my etsy shop, but here it is in my giveaway! The ultrasuede is vintage from my mom's stash and it's lined with a batik cotton. The frame is 3-1/4" wide and it's about 4" tall.

Let the commenting begin!

Another Giveaway!

... And it still isn't mine! This one is from my friend, Denise, the Queen of the Blue Gardenia. Head on over to her blog, The Blue Gardenia. You will not be disappointed!

In raincoat news... it fits. Sort of. The sleeves are a little tight for her, so I'm going to take it home and attempt to remedy that. She can wear it as is, but fits best just over a tank top which sort of defeats the purpose of making it a cold weather raincoat. Pictures soon, as you just won't believe how cute it is. And if you want some of your own super duper raincoat fabric, it's on sale until Sunday night at Gorgeous Fabrics, and comes in chocolate brown, black and navy. (I've already bought more black for me, so go ahead and shop!)

I hope you all had a marvelous Thanksgiving (if you celebrate), and are working your way through your leftovers now!

Sewing Book Giveaway!

The Blue Gardenia is at it again! To celebrate the success of her Sewing Spaces Series, Denise is giving away The Complete Photo Guide to Sewing: 1100 Full-Color How-To Photos by Singer. Go visit her blog, The Blue Gardenia, check out all the featured sewing spaces, and leave a comment to have a chance at the giveaway. That's it! Good luck, and thanks, Denise!