another year

Here we are, at the end of another year. Today I am another year older and I'm wishing I was taking it better. But I have some awesome people wishing me happy birthday and taking kids for the afternoon so I could have some uninterrupted time with a forlorn UFO (that I hope to have finished for next FRIDAY). AND I'm typing this email from my new iTouch, courtesy mrlouwho!! This may just make quick posts easier! Are you so excited?

In other news, I'm over being scattered, messy and unproductive. That's all about to change.

Oh! And here's the sweet gift my mom sent me! She finagled a copy of the one she already has! I love it! Thanks mom!

another reason to love the grinch

Is he using a featherweight?  What model vintage Singer is that!?

image found here.

If you you are interested in knowing more about my history with the Grinch and the reason for my nickname you can read this post from last year.

Hope you are enjoying the holidays and that your heart has grown 3 sizes this year. xoxo

giveaway day winner!

Hey everyone!  Thank you so much for coming to my blog last week and leaving such wonderful comments about sharing the gift of sewing!   The few times I've been able to help someone gain their confidence with fabric and sewing machine has made me so happy! I read that most of you feel the same way!  It's such a great thing to be able to share and create one more happy sewer in the universe.  More on this to come...

And now.

The winner of the lovely dishmat is:

Mary Beth said...

120

super cute! I like making friends feel like they CAN do it! That they can make whatever they want, and I will help them figure out how! :) I just like to keep it fun and simple!

MARY BETH!! CONGRATULATIONS!  But I don't have an email for you!  Please get in touch with me!

sew mama sew GIVEAWAY day!

go here to read more

I love this day!  I participated in one of the first ones they did and it was so fun - I whipped up just a little something to offer up to you today.

If you have been here before you might have figured out that I have a bit of a thing for Amy Butler anything.  I got an email from my local quilt shop that they had Soul Blossoms in and it was 20% off.  I just went in to look.  I SWEAR.

To be honest I wasn't sure I was going to even like it.  I had seen it online and was intrigued but nothing really jumped out at me.  So I just wanted to go see for myself.  It's an interesting line.  Very complex.  And it doesn't have your typical mix of prints - blenders, small, large, etc.  They are ALL bold, large, vibrant and pretty amazing!  I definitely was drawn to some more than others.

 I couldn't leave empty-handed!

I decided it would be fun to use such a new print for my giveaway prize today!  I whipped up one of my favorite kitchen accessories!  A dishmat! (teapot not included - sorry!)

And after taking these pictures - I think maybe I'll start calling it a teapot rug!

I use mine all the time for my pots to drip dry on.  And when it's not covered with dishes, it just looks so pretty!

More lovely dots that I used on the reverse. I really think she makes the best dot prints. EVER.

The dishmat, teapot rug, placemat, centerpiece table topper, tray liner (use it for whatever you want!) measures about 15 x 24 inches, is lined with an terry cloth kitchen towel, has serged edges with an all over stipple quilting design.

I'm kind of sad to give it away - but I think I'm going to go buy more.  In lieu of buying this,  I have a bottle of liquid starch and some bookshelves that need some color.

I had fun making it - I hope you love it!


To enter just leave a comment telling me your favorite experience or favorite thing about teaching someone else to sew. (U.S. entries only - sorry other friends!)  

Make sure you have an email attached to your profile or leave it in your comment.  **Read this post if you are a no-reply blogger - you may not even know you are!**

Giveaway ends the night of December 17th - winner picked by random.org and announced shortly after!

sew & tell wishes you a happy holidays!

Happy Holidays from Sew & Tell!

Our next linky party will be Friday January 7!  Gear up to post about your December gift sewing and other fun things you've been working on!

Until then, enjoy the lights, hot cocoa, creating memories with family and friends!

xoxo
amylouwho

P.S. I am participating in Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day on Monday!

fresh squeezed fabrics WINNER!

I'm sorry it's taken so long to post the winner!  I ended up taking #2 into the doctor to have his ears checked and his pink eye diagnosed.  Putting eye drops in that kid's eye is torture for me, mostly because he thinks I'm putting hot pokers in there or something!  It's been a long day.  While we were there I had the doctor check out everyone else's eyes and ears to make sure we weren't going to need to go back in a few days.  We've been sick around here since a week or so before Thanksgiving. It's getting tiresome.  Just keeping it real, people.

But did you really want to know all of that?

You just want to know if you won the 35$ gift card from Fresh Squeezed Fabrics!  I get it...

We had 133 comments and 50 link-ups with a total of 183 total entries!!  I decided to add the 50 link-ups at the end to make it easier to count them all.  So if # 183 won, I know it would be the last of the link-ups. Make sense?

Thanks to Mr. Random.org:

and that turned out to be linky #2 which is Carla at Sew It Up!  Congratulations Carla!

Carla is a regular around here so I went and found the comment she left for the giveaway too:

 Carla said..

Love the skirts! Perfect for the cold weather. I totally agree with you on the serger, it's a life saver.

If I were to be so lucky to win, I would pick the Amy Butler Soul Blossoms. It' perfect!

Thanks Amy!

I think she's going to be a happy camper and I can't wait to see what she makes!

Were you wondering about that little bird up there?  It's from a tutorial on Spool that I have been wanting to try forever.  I needed a quick pick-me-up tonight and this was just the thing!  I have a plan to have a flock on my tree.

These were so quick - I think it took longer to stuff it than it did to sew it up!

sew & tell - winter skirts + a christmas present for one of you!

***Giveaway Closed - Winner to be announced later today!!***

My daughter doesn't like to wear pants. Well, it's not that exactly. She just like skirts and dresses better! But what to do for the cold weather? My friend and I had the same idea - CORDUROY with leggings! Said friend gave me some awesome hand-me-down leggings and I got some super soft corduroy 1/2 off!

I had plans to make these back in October but then a certain dress took over my life.  But I got them cut out and finished in the last couple of weeks.  Even in the midst of the attempted pink-eye coup of my home.  I won't go into it. . . You really don't want to know that all three of my kids have had it,  not at the same time, and it's going on a month of this. . . well, okay, maybe you did want to know!

So back to the skirts.  Everyone needs a black skirt for winter!  This one is just like her red and pink modified twirly skirt.   I just made it a tad bit longer.

Then I wanted to make a 3 tiered one like my friend had. So she gave me the measurements from this pattern for the strips. It's so easy I can't even tell you - side seams, gather, sew together, hem, casing, elastic, done!

I actually made two brown skirts.  One the right way, and then this one.  

Which for a mistake turned out pretty cute!  I transposed some numbers when writing down the measurements and ended up cutting one panel too small.  And then I was running out of fabric - so I added that 4th ruffle on the bottom for length.  I really like it!  I took about a 3" X width of fabric (WOF) piece and folded it in half and just used that as the hem.  Here, let me show you:

and let me tell you I love the wrong side of a serger finished garment!  I almost want her to wear this inside out!  Okay, maybe I wouldn't go that far.  How I adore that machine!!

I also top-stitched the seam allowances down and that gives it a nice finished look.  Plus it keeps those seams where they belong!

I'm not quite done with this one. It's what the pattern calls for and what the other brown one looks like. So you can see how it looks without being top-stitched. Things just aren't laying down as well.

And do you want to see what this would look like if I DIDN'T have my serger?

Oh the HORROR.

I need to get the right color thread so I can finish this one! It's such a pretty color, I'm wishing I had bought enough to make a matching skirt for me.  After all, it's the winter version of my favorite blue.

Since I finished these late at night, I haven't gotten any model shots, yet.  I'll post those soon.  I know it's more fun to see the clothes on the girl.  I'm toying with the idea of scaling the pattern down and making babylouwho some matching ones too!

*****
Now to what you have all been waiting for!
There are so many reasons I want to have a giveaway right now!

1. I love doing giveaways.
B. There are now over 600 people who think I'm interesting enough to click on that follow me thing over there (when did that happen?  you guys are nice.)
and
3. It's December!  Holidays galore! Christmas, my fave! and maybe a birthday for me!
iv. You guys are so great and supportive and deserve it.

Thanks to Randi, awesome, amazing, generous Randi of Fresh Squeezed Fabrics and fellow sew & teller has donated a prize for a giveaway today.

We were having a hard time deciding on what new line to give away.

Amy Butler's Soul Blossoms? - brand new and on it's way to her shop!!

Tula Pinks Parisville?

?

or maybe she has something else that strikes your fancy?

Well, we are going to let YOU decide! (I know what I would pick!)

The winner will receive a $35 gift certificate to 

Fresh Squeezed Fabrics!!

There are two ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment telling me what you would get from her shop if you win.

2. Link up your finish for the week, following the rules (see below).

It's that easy!

What did you finish this week?

PLEASE READ THIS POST IF YOU ARE NEW TO LINKING UP!  :)

NEW RULES FOR LINKING UP!  Please read carefully.  The delete monster will be eating non-compliant links.

1. Please write the post for sew & tell - or add a blurb mentioning sew & tell to a post written earlier in the week.  If you are linking to a post with your own tutorial, please make sure it was a finish from this week and that the completed project is shown first.

2. One linky per person. (please put multiple projects in one post.)

3. Link to your specific post.  (See here for permalink instructions - or email me.)

4. Link back here with a link or a button.

5. Comment on everyone's posts!