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sewing book giveaway winners

12 May

i have winners to announce from my sew, mama, sew giveaway! thanks so much to ALL who entered.

the winner of In Stitches by Amy Butler is Annie K., who said

“In Stitches sounds like my cup of tea, thank you for a chance at it!”

:: and ::

the winner of Seams to Me by Anna Maria Horner is Alison, who said,

“Either one for me!”

i’ve emailed you both to get your mailing addresses.

i hope you’re all having a great weekend and a peaceful mother’s day, and i’ll see you back here tomorrow for the start of Vintage May!

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Categories giveaways

sew, mama, sew giveaway day! {CLOSED}

6 May

it’s giveaway day at sew, mama, sew!

i’ve decided to do a little spring cleaning and free up some space on my sewing room bookshelf, while helping to build YOUR sewing book library all at once. i’m giving away both of these beautiful sewing books:

Amy Butler’s In Stitches (see table of contents and more info here)

- OR -

Anna Maria Horner’s Seams to Me (see table of contents and more info here)

i will randomly select TWO winners. the first gets their choice of either book – leave your first choice in your giveaway comment. the second gets the other book! fun fun! both books are spiral bound with beautiful color photos and an envelope with full size pattern pieces included, and both are in like new condition.

they’re chock full of fun projects for home, gifts, self, quilts, you name it.

Giveaway details:

Giveaway is open until Friday, May 10th at 5pm PST
Winners will be chosen at random and will be contacted by email and announced on the blog.
Open to US residents only (sorry, these books are heavy!)
Void where prohibited

{GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED – WINNERS ARE ANNIE K. AND ALISON, WHO HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY EMAIL}

~~Here’s how to enter:~~

Leave a comment on this post telling me which book you’d like to win: In Stitches by Amy Butler, Seams to Me by Anna Maria Horner OR either one!

Additional entries – PLEASE LEAVE A SEPARATE COMMENT FOR EACH:

Follow my blog and leave a comment telling me you do so (Bloglovin, email, still haven’t moved from Google Reader, your pick).
Like skirt as top on Facebook and leave a comment telling me you do so.

three maximum entries

Good luck and thanks for entering!

*This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook or Bloglovin. We hereby release Facebook and Bloglovin of any liability. No purchase necessary. Prizes will ship within 7 days of the end of the giveaway. skirt as top takes no responsibility for packages lost by the postal service. Giveaway starts Monday May 6 and ends Friday, May 10 at 5pm PST. Once the giveaway ends, winners will be chosen at random and contacted within 24 hours by e-mail. This post will be updated with winners’ names. Winners will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. Giveaway is void where prohibited.*

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Categories giveaways

flip vest pattern testing and giveaway!

19 Feb

i know you all know how much i adore pattern testing – i learn something every time i do it, i feel like i’m able to help fellow bloggers out, and it’s just a neat way to see other people’s processes. so of course when dana of MADE emailed me asking if i could test her newest pattern, i jumped at the chance.

i’m pretty sure dana’s blog is the first blog i found that helped me discover the world of modern sewing 4 years ago, and it’s an absolute must-read. she covers lots of different crafty topics (in addition to sewing), has a fresh, clean aesthetic, beautiful photography, and a lighthearted attitude that makes her just so fun to follow. i admire what dana has built so much, and was so flattered she asked me to test this pattern for her! i really enjoyed the process and bouncing ideas off each other as i sewed.

the pattern is called the flip vest – a cozy little vest for babies and kids that’s perfect for layering as we head out of winter and into spring. O has gotten so much use out of his vest already – it’s been under a coat on cooler days, over a light sweater on warmer ones…it’s really a fantastic transitional piece (i’ve got plans to make one for Em to wear on the playground too!).

last Friday, we happened to have the most gorgeous day – and the little fella grabbed his “noculars” to head out for a walk. i had actually taken different photos of the vest already on a more typical overcast february day, but the sunshine definitely called for a reshoot.

the flip vest is designed to be reversible if you use velcro, though i made mine button up so i could show off the essex yarn dyed black linen which i’ve now decided is my favorite fabric of all time. inside is a dark olive green micro fleece from Joann, and the rib knit is cream (also from Joann). this pattern is a very quick sew and takes very little fabric, which i love.

one of my notes to Dana was to see if binding the armholes with a sort of bias bound method would work and she was totally open to it, so i tried that and it ended up in the final pattern as one of two armhole finishing options. you probably should use a walking foot if you do this, as the fabrics get a bit thick all together, but i think it gives you a really nice finish.

i sewed this vest in a 2/3T, and the width came out great but it’s just a tad bit long on 2-year-old O – Dana shortened the length from what you see here in the final pattern. his sweater underneath is this sailboat top made last year, which fits perfectly now!

don’t you think the vest looks sort of old timey with the linen and buttons? it’s like i’ve already got the “There Will Be Blood” film petit halfway done. ha!

okay, so how about a giveaway??

Dana has generously offered THREE flip vest patterns from her pattern shop for me to give away – that’s three different winners! you may not fully realize how much you need this pattern, but you DO. you NEED it. it comes in size 6m – 5T and i can see it becoming a wardrobe staple for both of my kids – a fun and easy gift to make for others, too (did you see Delia’s versions? adorable).

to enter the giveaway:

leave a comment, any comment. i’m feeling ready for spring these days, so if you need an idea of what to write, how about telling me your favorite flower!
giveaway is open until friday, feb 22 at 5pm PST.
make sure you leave a valid email address with your comment.
i’ll pick three winners on friday and put you in touch with Dana to receive your pattern.

good luck!

*giveaway is now closed and the three winners, Maryna, Ivana, and Stacey, have been emailed. thanks to all who entered and happy sewing!*

P.S. did you see Dana and Rae are joining forces for Celebrate the Boy again starting next week?! soooo fun. can’t wait. i’m always in need of some good boy sewing inspiration.

Comments 173 Comments
Categories giveaways, pattern testing, sewing, sewing for boys

commuter cowl review and giveaway!

4 Dec

i’m the next stop in A Very Go To Christmas blog tour! Andrea is building a pretty great shop over there at Go To Patterns, and it keeps getting better the more designers she brings on! you should definitely go check it out, and check back often because i think the first time i ever looked she had, like, 3 patterns in there and she’s now up to nearly 70! lots of basics, lots of fun stuff, lots of options.

the pattern from the shop that i chose to review is the commuter cowl, designed by shannon of luvinthemommyhood! i remember loving this pattern when it first came out but never pulled the trigger and got it. i was excited to sew it now, especially after making her sweetheart dress and having such a good time with it.

every time i saw this cowl pop up, i tried to figure out how it was made. it SEEMED super simple, but i still had no idea what was going on with the split and the twist and for the life of me couldn’t figure out how to make it myself. a pattern was needed.

even with the pattern, for some reason my brain was having trouble grasping a few basic concepts. do you have certain techniques like that, things that just trip you up no matter how well-explained they are? for me it seems to be tubes. i always sew the wrong thing closed, think something will turn right side out that won’t, all sorts of craziness. i kept having to tell myself to just follow what the pattern said and not think i knew better…especially with finishing the scarf off…and it all worked out great! i want to make another now that it finally clicked (which i should because i really love the final product and this one is destined for Christmasgiftland).

the pattern lists instructions for varying sizes of cowl depending on the fullness you want and the type of fabric you’re using. i made the 1/2 yard option with this amazing Nani Iro flannel (WITH SPARKLY POLKA DOTS) that i picked up at bolt during their sale, but it’s gone now. miss matatabi has a nice Nani Iro selection though, including flannel!

here’s the thing, too. shannon is a pacific northwesterner. even though she’s in canada and i’m in the US, we share a climate. a gal from a chilly and rainy place understands that scarves are very important to have in a wardrobe. i live in trench/rain/warm coats all fall/winter/spring, and the only chance i really have to add some personality to my outerwear is through my scarf collection. they’re cozy, too. it’s amazing how much warmer you can be when your neck is covered. frankly, i even wear them all day at the office – i can never have too many!

i think gals in warmer climates could rock a commuter cowl in voile or gauze, though, and it’d have a totally different (but gorgeous) look!

head over to the Go To Patterns shop to pick up your commuter cowl pattern NOW! it’s only $4 and you can definitely get your money’s worth if you give one of these as a gift! then go ahead and make one (or more) for yourself. you know, the old “one for them, two for me” type situaish.

oh, and thanks to my good friend erin for taking these photos! apparently i’m a bit more relaxed with a lady photographer?

AND NOW…another giveaway! two days in a row, that’s right!

Enter to win a shopping spree at GoToPatterns.com and Sew Fine Fabric!

giveaway now closed

Check out the talented blog tour:

Handmade Therapy Nov. 29th

a pretty cool life. Nov. 29th

Sew Much Ado Nov. 30th

Simple Simon and Co Dec. 1st

One Little Minute Dec. 1st

The Cottage Home Dec. 2nd

Sew country chick Dec. 2nd

Nap Time Crafters Dec. 3rd

A Little Gray Dec. 3rd

skirt as top Dec. 4th

you & mie Dec. 5th

Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! Dec. 5th

Me Sew crazy Dec. 6th

see kate sew Dec. 6th

Delia Creates Dec. 7th

i was provided with the commuter cowl pattern at no cost for this review, and i am also an affiliate of Go To Patterns. my opinions, as always, are my own.

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Categories giveaways, sewing, sewing for women

sew, mama, sew giveaway day!

3 Dec

today is giveaway day at sew, mama, sew!

sew, mama, sew may have been one of the first sewing-focused larger blogs i came across…i think it was through their bustling flickr group, maybe? it’s a site full of great ideas and i’m always finding new blogs through them. anyway, i’ve never had my act together enough to participate in one of their giveaway days before, but i have something ready this time!

my giveaway item is a foldover doily clutch, sewn by me and detailed in my tutorial here!

foldover doily clutch

this sweet little clutch has a touch of vintage style but the the gray hemp outer and the metal zipper are very modern. it’s fully lined with a fun abstract woodgrain fabric.

foldover doily clutch

it would make a great gift, but if you keep it for yourself i won’t tell. :)

want to win this foldover doily clutch?

HERE’S HOW TO ENTER:

leave me a comment! need a prompt? how about…what’s your favorite holiday song?
leave your email address with your comment so i can contact you if you win.
must be 18 or older to win.
giveaway is open to international residents.
giveaway will close december 7 at 5pm PDT. i’ll pick a winner at random and let them know by december 9. **GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED**

that’s it! if you’re visiting skirt as top for the first time, feel free to poke around a while! i sew kids clothes, adult clothes, quilts, whatever strikes my fancy. i offer a number of free tutorials, and if you like movies, my friend jessica and i run an ongoing film petit series which is a fun one to check out!

anyway…greetings! salutations! and good luck!