How do you fancy winning an Amy Butler pattern?  Since many of you have said that this year you want to sew more, we thought of giving you some help and giving away one pattern.

The frency bag pattern is timeless and a favourite that we have to keep re-stocking.

What do you need to do? Well just let us know which ones are the 3 fabrics that you will use to make it (from the ones we have in stock).

If I was allowed to enter I will probably go for any of the Echo designs, but this new collection could also make a great bag, and then we have the solids! :) oh! decisions, decisions!

Anyway, leave a comment mentioning your 3 fabrics, next week on Wednesday 8th February we will mention the winner.

Good luck!!

If you have never bought Riley Blake fabrics I must warn you, they are highly addictive.

These are a few images of some of the fabrics that are in stock, but if you want to see all come on over and check them out.  There will be more fabrics arriving soon, we will keep you updated, don’t  you worry.

The pattern is very simple, and I thought that the flowers of the fabric pattern will be the start of the show.  I got red leather handles that look like they were made for this fabric.

For the lining I used Linen to keep it simple, but I used the main fabric for the inside pocket.  I also add a string for keys, it was not on the original pattern but those little things are very simple to add and are extremely useful.

These are not the best photos I have taken but the light was not on my side.  I must say I am very proud of this bag.  It was a joy working with this fabric and the handles make it look so professional, don’t you think?

I hope it turns out to be a good and useful present.  This is the sort of bag that I drag everywhere with me, big enough that you can carry even a small project with you, and all your necessities.

If you still have a bit of shopping to do, of if you just want to reward yourself because you have been so good and organised, we want to help you out and offer you 15% off from all orders from now until the 15th December!  All you need to do is choose pretty fabrics, add it to your cart and enter code XMAS15.  No minimum purchase necessary, valid to all orders.  Pretty good eh?

I close for now because something tells me you have got a lot of shopping to do ;)

Kitchy kitchen fabrics

Betz White new fabric collection if full of colour and it is so different from whatever is out there that it is just so easy to like it.  I am sure you already know about Betz and maybe even have one of her books but if you want to browse a bit more about her and get good ideas of what you can do with her fabric look around her page.

So back to the Sunday Stash offer…. 6 charming fabrics, 6 fat quarters, one bundle, 20% off from regular price from now until Wednesday 7th December.

Stitch Bundle

With so many new fabrics in stock I knew I had to make it before I even started dreaming on new projects.  So I knew I had to act quick, and I am so glad I did finally got off my bottom and did the Grocery bag by Keyka Lou.  The pattern itself is very easy and quick to make.  The bag is small enough to carry with you everywhere, just in case you need it, but big enough to load it up with your shopping.

I used Winged Flight in Leaf by Momo for the exterior (on sale!) and Eggplant Kona for the lining and handles.  It was very tempting to make this bag with any of the fabrics from the Echo collection, but I wanted to stick to my original idea.

I didn’t change much the pattern, I just added a few stitches here and there just because I wanted.  I used triple straight stitch on the bottom seam  and to hold the handles just to reinforce the seams.  The pattern suggest to double stitch, so I used the triple stitch on the first one and single on the second on.  I don’t know if I needed it,  but I had never used that stitch so I went for it.

I also stitched along the corners on the exterior fabric just to keep them neat.  I did it so you can’t see the stitches from above just under the bag.

This is a great pattern for beginners and it is very quick to make.  It could also be a great present, so if you are making your holiday gifts I highly recommend this one.

Now to get organized with the rest of my holiday making!

Pretty cover but prettier things inside

Like the overwhelming majority who already have this pretty book in their hands, I too must say that this is just such a beautiful book.  Quadrille, the Liberty team and every person that collaborated in the creation of this book managed to encapsulate the very essence of Liberty within it.

Rose corsage

If you have been to Liberty, the shop, you will probably agree with me that is full of beautiful things, some might not be to your taste but you cannot deny that many of the designs are amazing, beautiful textures, luxury smells, the place is full of so many shinny things.  But what are all those things?  Well, they are normal, everyday things, like slippers, bags, scarves, fabrics, buttons, plates, diaries; they are just beautifully designed, amazingly pretty and well, sometimes the price is a bit steep.

Book Covers

Well, The Liberty Book of Home Sewing is full of patterns for many “normal” things like shopping bags, a flower brooch, book covers, quilts, pincushions; however when they are made with very pretty and ultra traditional Liberty prints, they become something special, almost decadent.

Sugar-bag doorstop

The entire book itself screams Liberty, the quality of the paper and the lush photos just makes you forget that you probably already have more than one or two patterns for an apron, but the pinny in this book is the one that you need to have ;)

Frilly pinny with potholder

I have already marked two projects from this book that I will make myself, which will become very nice Christmas presents , I will keep you posted about these, and as always if you have made anything from this book already share it with us, we would love to see it!

Lampshade

I did view C of the pattern but with a few changes, I didn’t make a belt and didn’t include the tie belts and I used an invisible zipper because, believe it or not, I find it much easier than the other zip with the flap and well it looks tidier.

I made a skirt a few sizes smaller than I should have if I had followed the sizing in the back of the pattern, and I took in a bit on the sides just to have a better fit.

Simplicity 2226 view C front

I used this ultra soft corduroy, even with all the care that you need to take when sewing with fabrics with nap it was a real pleasure working with it.  It is thick enough to use in the winter months but still thin to use in the cooler days and nights during spring and autumn, so I am quite sure that I will get a lot of use out of this skirt.

What I like about this skirt so much, is that it is simple enough to make in a day, but because it has a yoke and pockets, you end up with a skirt that looks a bit more complicated that it actually is, and the sense of achievement is incredible.

Will I make it again? That is for sure!  I have already put aside some fabric for the next one!

Simplicity 2226 view C back

But then again, I have had this book for quite some time and I haven’t managed to write a review :S  what I have been doing is going through the pages and choosing projects and fabrics to make it.

I like the book for many reasons, it has a very fresh and realistic approach.  It even has a chapter on Making Time!  The answers are not difficult or out of this world, so it won’t ask you to leave your day job, or to avoid going out with your friends, all the opposite it suggest to make friends with similar creative ideas and get together and make something.  Not difficult eh?

Carrie has organized the projects by the time it takes to make them, so you will find pincushions and needle cases in the 30min chapter; Christmas decorations, aprons and phone covers, etc in the One hour or less chapter, and more elaborate cushions, a pouffe and even a skirt made out of a duvet cover in the Four hours or less chapter.

In between projects and chapters you will find a bit more of information about blogging, going shopping and meeting makers.  This book is a truly XXI century approach on sewing.

Now, one very clever thing that the author has done in this book is to break down projects in “chunks”.  What is that? Well, in her own words “the projects have been organized into manageable little blocks of sewing activity”.  You might not have 4hrs to make the embroidered bag, but you might have 30min spare every day and in a few days you will have a brand new bag sewn by you!  Once you get the hand of it, you will probably see every project in “chunks” and you will be able to make anything you want to, regardless of how busy your agenda is.

The busy girl’s guide to sewingby Carrie Maclennan is published by David and Charles.

Patch it, from the New London collection, is a layout of 5” squares that give you lots of creative options.  Click on this link to find out how you can make the perfect pinwheel or speed up on making that quilt before Christmas.

Patch it by Faye Burgos

So if you like neutrals, pastels and soft tones, this is the fabric to go for, and with a 15%discount until November 16th it is going to be hard to resist.

Soft neutrals and pastel tones.

I close for now, I have a skirt to finish ;)

Happy shopping!