Perfect for Spring--the FHS Perfect Petal Purse Pattern by FABulous Home Sewn

Spring has finally sprung!!  Not really, but that's how it has felt around here for a few days. ;)
Earlier this week Fenna of FABulous Home Sewn patterns was looking for a few people to sew up the FHS Perfect Petal Purse.
I couldn't resist the chance to make a little something for SPRING!! Clicking here (http://swhettybettie.blogspot.com/2016/03/easter-sewing-perfect-petal-purse.html) takes you to Fenna's post of fabulousness!
The minute I saw the pattern, I knew the PERFECT young lady for this Perfect Petal Purse!  Miss "R" loves all things "animal" so even though I had just used this cute fabric for another project, I pulled it out and dug through my scrap bins for some bright and cheerful petals.

Was this an easy sew?  Yes!
Was this a quick sew?  Yes!
Is this fat quarter-friendly? Yes!  In fact, all you need is about nine inches for the bag and scraps for the petals.
Does she LOVE her new "nature bag?"  Yes, absolutely!  Look at that smiling face!  Of course, she could just be happy to be playing outside. ;) ;)

 Do I want one for myself?  Maybe, lol! 

 The strap length is perfect for my little friend, but I think I would like to try one with no strap to toss in my bag as I head out the door.  It's the perfect size for cash/driver's license and a few necessities.

Do you want one for yourself?  Sure you do!  Maybe you know a little girl that would love to have a cute flower bag to match her Easter dress...
Entering  EASTER2016 will get you 30% off in the Etsy shop, expiring March 12, 2016.  https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/FABulousHomeSewn
There is also a Rafflecopter giveaway (link below) for a copy of the FHS Perfect Petal Purse Pattern!     Good luck!  Who do you know that would love this bag?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

One Thimble, Issue 10 review and a giveaway!

It's here!!  Another issue of  One Thimble (http://www.onethimble.com.au/) was just released!! I was lucky enough to get to read through the whole magazine (e-zine?) and stitch up two of the featured patterns! :) I am absolutely in love with all of the patterns and plan to review at least two more soon.

This issue is packed full of adventure-themed patterns that will be sure to delight the children in your life.

Not only that there are TONS of articles to help you get creative, offer sewing tips and advice, and point you in the right direction if you are business minded. (Even if you aren't, these were great reads!)  And projects!  In addition to all of the fabulous patterns included (that you can also buy separately at  www.onethimble.com.au) there are also some great free projects that are only in the e-zine!!

My first pattern is The Adventure Case by Emkie Designs.  This is a super cute pattern for a lunch bag, but I decided to skip the insulating and vinyl layers and have it be for holding treasures. ;) 

This pattern is very well written and easy to follow. I think it took me a couple of hours to finish (after cutting), but if I had not turned on Netflix, it would have been much quicker, lol!   

       The only change I made to this pattern was to leave off the "Tongue Locks"  and use Velcro instead. I want to make sure my little nephew can open/close everything by himself when his big sisters aren't around to help! 

 

Next on my list was the Treasure Map Embroidery Pattern by Hugs are Fun.  This is a new-to-me designer and I was very pleased!

This was the perfect project for on-the-go.  I slipped everything I needed in a zip-top bag and kept it in my tote/bag of the day.  I pulled it out several times over the last few weeks, most notably during my son's weekly violin lesson. It really helped the hour pass quickly.  I need to find something else to work on this week!

After stitching the treasure map, I couldn't decide what I wanted to do with it.  Should I stick a backing on it and let it be a map they can carry around or make it a pillow to put in their play room or frame it to hang on the wall???  Oh, sometimes it's agonizing (ha!) to make decisions!  I think I'll make a pillow, framing the map with the fabrics from the Adventure Case.  I'll be sure to edit this post when I do to include a picture of the pillow. 
Leave me a comment letting me know how you would use your treasure map. ;)
 

Not only was I super excited and honored to get to review the whole issue and sew up a couple of items, I have been blown away by what everyone else is making.  Be sure you check out everyone's posts for this blog tour!! Don't forget to enter the giveaway-link below the schedule. Good luck!! :)

I\

Tour Schedule
2/12 Pattern Revolution, Rebel and Malice, Happy Okapi, Sew Happily Ever After  
2/13 Beri Bee Designs, Stitches by Laura 
2/14 Bee Quilted, Pearberry Lane 
2/15 LuLu and Celeste, Once Upon a Sewing Machine 
2/16 Horris and Deedle, Baby Hobbes Design 
2/17 Call Ajaire, Made by Sara, Sprouting Jube Jube
2/18 Snickerdoodle Stew,  Made by Meli, Create 3.5

                                            
                                             Enter giveaway here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for reading. Until next time, "Happy sewing!" 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you see my crunchy winter grass?  I'm SO ready for Spring/Adventuring weather!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Thimble, Issue 9

iiiit's back-One Thimble e-zine that is! Jam packed with tons of cute (circus themed) patterns and articles for every sewist! I was lucky enough to review three of them and find myself wishing for ALL of them, lol!
(I apologize for the many raindrops-can't control Mother Nature!)

First up, an adorable free motion applique pattern from Ric-Rac and Retro.  I chose to put "Vincent the Victor" on a small cross-over bag.  I thought about putting him on a pillow for my nephew, then decided to be a little selfish and make something for myself! ;) 
If you have never done FMA before, the instructions are very clear and there are helpful tips throughout.
I'm sure I'll be making another for my nephew soon, he's so cute!!

 

Next up is "Cheeky Monkey" by Jody's Crafty Creations. This little guy is made with fleece and is very beginner friendly.  If you haven't ever made a "softie," this is actually a great one to begin with. There is a fair amount of hand stitching, but don't let that scare you---he comes together quite easily.  I'm sure my nephews and nieces will love him, especially if I make a few friends for him to hang out with. ;)












I was excited when I found the "Good Fortune Head Wrap" by Rosie Petal was in this issue. 

 

This pattern comes in tons of sizes, covering everything from Premie to Adult Large. Even with the optional hand sewing, I think it took less than 20 minutes to whip this beauty up!

I know, I know, it's a head-wrap, not a headband. I wanted to show that it works great for a headband as well.  When the temperature drops a little more, I will definitely be covering my ears, lol!

I have a few more cut out and ready to sew as soon as I can get them monogramed.  These will be great Christmas gifts this year, both personalized and plain. :)

 

 

As a bonus, I want to show you this "Statement Clutch" that I tested for Two Pretty Poppets, also in this fabulous issue of One Thimble.  As always, Lisa's instructions are spot on and clear for all sewing levels.  I made the medium sized clutch, modified to use a snap instead of a turn lock. 

I made this for my mom to keep her tablet in and it's the perfect size!  (Mom, if you're reading this, please act surprised when you open your gifts! ;) )









There are so many more great patterns inside this issue of One Thimble, and some wonderful review of the entire issue. Be sure to follow along with these tour stops and don't forget about the giveaway!!

11/12 Pattern Revolution, Blue Wren Handmade, Snickerdoodle Stew

11/13 Lady and the Gents, Lulu and Celeste

11/14 That's Sew Kari, Finn's Door, Stitches by Laura

11/15  Create 3.5, Call Ajaire

11/16 Made by Sara, BeriBee Designs

11/17 Handcrafted by Red

11/18 Blue Wren Handmade, Baby Hobbes Design

11/19 Rebel and Malice, Bee Quilted


Here's the link to enter to win a free copy of this issue. Good Luck and Happy Sewing!!
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oasis Quilt Pattern--One Thimble, Issue 8

One Thimble is an online magazine full of great sewing patterns.  The current issue (Available here: http://www.onethimble.com.au/product/one-thimble-issue-8/) includes a sweet quilt pattern by Sew Today, Clean Tomorrow (https://www.facebook.com/sewtodaycleantomorrow or http://sewtodaycleantomorrow.blogspot.com/) that I have been lucky enough to sew up. 

It's a fairly small quilt, about 38" x 52."  Perfect size for a baby quilt!  AND, I just so happen to have a new baby coming into my family early next year.  My niece hasn't found out what she's having, so I tried to stay fairly neutral with my color choices...I think I picked some good ones! :)

After a quick trip to my favorite fabric store (Marshall Dry Goods has amazing selections!), I got to work.  Almost 9 1/2 hours later, I sat back, pleased to have trimmed my last thread, phew!!




Notice the cool argyle pattern?

 This pattern is recommended for confident beginners.
You are advised to starch your fabrics before cutting, always a good idea when using fabrics that have been cut on the bias.  I didn't and had to sew very carefully to make sure I didn't stretch any cut edges!!
It is very important to pay attention to the markings you put on your strips (for matching each row).  I was distracted (okay, careless) and had to sew the same strips together 3 times!!  This could have something to do with my production time, lol!
I love the argyle pattern formed by the diamonds when using four different colors!  All of those straight lines guided me to make little squiggly lines with my quilting!  I am actually quite pleased with the way it turned out.

 

I can't wait to see my newest "Great" cuddled up in this quilt next year!! :)

 

It's the last day of the tour, so all of these links should be active.  Be sure and swing by all of the blogs for some major inspiration!

 

 

8/13 Pattern Revolution, Call Ajaire, Happy Okapi

8/14 Rebel and Malice, Handcrafted by Red, Lily Shine Boutique

8/15 Lady and the Gents, Horris and Deedle,  Bee Quilted Blog

8/16 Create 3.5, Lulu and Celeste, 

8/17 Beri Bee Designs, Finn's Door

8/18 Hibbadoray, HattieLu Handmade

8/19 Made by Sara, Snickerdoodle Stew

8/20 Stitches By Laura, That's Sew Kari

                           Enter here for a free copy of this issue: 
                                                               a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, I'm off to work on another quilt!!  :)

Canadian designers tour

In case you haven't heard, there is an inspiring blog tour of Canadian pattern designers and I was lucky enough to be chosen to participate!  Here is a line up of all the dates/blogs:

June 1 - 3Gracious Threads - InterviewCreative Bug - The Wholesome Mama - stitched by crystalJune 4 - 6Jalie – InterviewShaffer Sisters – Call Ajaire – hibbadorayJune 8 – 10Thread Theory – InterviewHandmade Boy – Rebel & Malice – Sew Out of ControlJune 11 - 13Audrey & Tiffany – InterviewAll Things Katy! – Not Sew Fast – Conversas de HermanaJune 15 – 17E+M Patterns – InterviewFrom-a-Box – Made by Sara – Climbing the WillowJune 17 - 19Victory Patterns – InterviewSwoodson Says – Thread Riding Hood – Sprouting JubeJubeJune 18 – 20FABulous Home Sewn – InterviewCreate3.5 – Calm and Carrion – Stitches by LauraJune 22 – 24Filles a Maman – InterviewPattern Revolution – PhatQuarters – sewstarly – House of EstrelaJune 24 – 26Closet Case Files – Interviewgloria june – Rebel & Malice – Sew Far NorthJune 25 – 27Elegance & Elephants – InterviewSprouting JubeJube – AmandaRose – Mae & KJune 29 - 30Lulu & Celeste: new makes and a round up postJuly 1stLast day to enter Giveaways and Final Round up Post!


Of course, there is a FABulous giveaway!

Click this link to get your entries in!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
           
Okay!  On to my FABulous experience!  I got to make these cute all-purpose bags.  The pattern is the Zippy Keeper by FABulous Home Sewn. (http://www.fabuloushomesewn.blogspot.ca/)  This is a very straight forward pattern with several different variations.  
These will make great back to school teacher bags.  I would reccommend making them a little bit wider if you want to put pencils inside.  We tried and it was a tight squeeze for new pencils, lol! I can see them being perfect for so many other things, everything from money to paper clips--the sky's the limit!

 

I made the larger size and it is a FABulous size for so many non-adult things!

Don't boys LOVE to collect things: legos, cars, balls, cards, game pieces, video games... In fact, perfectly fits one of my son's portable video games!



Wouldn't this be great filled with mini figures?

Figurines from a video game system.

 

 

I found some great uses for these bags in my sewing room as well...

I have the hardest time keeping those clippy things together, but now they can be corralled in one of my Zippy Keeper bags!  And I have a lot more pairs of little scissors than I realized.  This would be the perfect spot to keep up with them!

Scissors and sewing clips.

 

What would you keep in your Zippy Keeper bag?

Want to learn more about the FABulous pattern designer Fenna?

Interview here:  http://wp.me/p5jJXv-kl


OH!  She is so FABulous, she is offering up a discount code, but oh rats! Today is the last day for that, hurry to her pattern shop!

 

Coupon code: Coupon code is ocanada for 15% off in the etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/FABulousHomeSewn?ref=shop_sugg

Prices will be automatically reduced in the craftsy shop: http://www.craftsy.com/user/641854/pattern-store?_ct=fqjjuhd-ijehu&_ctp=137299,641854

Coupon will be valid from June 17th midnight until the 20th.

 

 

  Thanks for stopping by!! :)

(yes, I received a copy of this pattern in exchange for this post)

Project Quilting, Season Six

My finished "Family Tree" pillow cover

 What do you do when you stumble upon a Facebook post about a quilting challenge a mere 3 days before it's due? 
I did some quick thinking, asked my niece about a million questions, and jumped right in!
I headed over to Persimon Dreams (http://persimondreams.blogspot.com)  to check the deadline...Sunday at noon? I can handle that!

Lindsay decided that she is most fond of the tree of life, so I came up with a fairly comical rendition, lol. (My free-handing is always childlike or cartoonish at best.)

 I split the tree at the bottom and added their family name. 

Very faint heart with R + L, meant to look like it had been carved long ago.
 

I separated some of the branches to add a place for each kiddo. (Even my great-nephew who will be making an appearance later this month. <3 p="">

You may wonder why each name is a different color...
I tried to find thread that was a close match to each child's birthstone and then "wrote" their names on the quilt between the branches.  Yes, it looks like I have very bad penmanship.  I do, but not quite THAT bad, lol! It's very hard to write with a sewing machine!  Next time I may use my embroidery machine for this part, but I think it is much more sentimental just how it is.

I really like the pop of color that the leaves add!  Again, I tried to match their birthstones using fabric I already had on hand.

Sooo, I got it all quilted and appliqued.  I squared it up and trimmed it down to size.  I finished sewing it into a pillow cover Saturday afternoon, plenty of time to link up by the deadline. Right?  If you know me at all, you know that I need reminders about deadlines...I didn't make myself a note and didn't get ready to link up until about 20 minutes PAST the deadline!!  I will admit to being a little sad that I missed out on some great prizes, but I did enjoy the creative process and that's what it's all about. That and the joy I will be gifting to some of my favorite people! :)

Add caption

Don't you hate it when you miss a deadline?
Would you care to share a time when you were late with something, but can look back on with a smile now?

Until next time,
Laura
XOXO

Perfect Pattern Parcel #7

You're almost out of time to get your hands on the Perfect Pattern Parcel #7.  (Ends Friday.) This one is all about handbags!! :)  Even though bags are one of my favorite things to make, I had such a hard time choosing one to make this time around!  Finally, I decided that I should make a bag for one of my nieces.  Here's a (not so great, lol) picture of Lily.

 

As you can see, she is a HUGE fan of Hello Kitty! ;)

 

After much deliberation, I picked the Barcelona Bag by Pat Bravo.

I switched things up a little and used one solid piece of fabric for the bag instead of piecing the front.  Yes, it made construction much quicker, but the real reason is that I couldn't find my larger Hello Kitty scraps.   May be time to sort my fabrics again, lol! ;)

 

Normally I would say that this bag is much too big for a 4 year old, but it actually may be the perfect size to carry pjs and a blankie to Aunt Laura's house.  It will also prove to be great for storing all of the treasures she is sure to accumulate this week. HA!

 

No smiles this time. :)

 

 

How Pattern Parcel Works:

Here at Perfect Pattern Parcel, we believe in supporting independent pattern designers. It’s our opinion that indie patterns are just, well, better than big box patterns, and we’re pretty sure our customers think so too. So, we allow customers to show their support in naming their own price for each Parcel.  We also encourage customers to allocate part of their Parcel price to the charity Donorschoose.org in order to help classrooms in need. Pattern Parcel donates all profits after expenses from Parcel sales to the charity as well. Its our goal to raise over $20,000 for Donors Choose this year.

 

 

Parcel #7 includes:
Barcelona Bag and Wallet by Pat Bravo

Butterfly Sling Purse by Emmaline Patterns

Evelyn Hangbag by ChrisW Designs

Midtown Messenger Bag by Betz White

Betty Bowler by Swoon Sewing Patterns

BONUS PATTERN: Daphne Bag by Clover & Violet 

 

 

 

Bonus Pattern:

Choose a price of $32 or greater for Parcel #7 and you will automatically also be sent the Bonus Pattern! That's just over $5 a pattern. The Bonus Pattern for this Parcel is the brand new Daphne Bag pattern from Clover & Violet. The Daphne is a slouchy satchel that can be worn cross body or as a shoulder bag. The zip top keeps your gear secure and the internal pockets keep your accessories where you need them. This is a brand new, never been seen before pattern and is an exclusive opportunity for Parcel #7 customers!

Don't delay, head on over and choose YOUR perfect pattern parcel today!

 

Want to see the great bags created by other bloggers??

Friday, November 7 Stitched || Sew Exhausted

Saturday, November 8 Made by Sara ||Oliver's Fancy || Strawberry Patch Ramblings

Sunday, November 9 from a box || Mia's Creations || MOMENTS

Monday, November 10 owen's olivia || While she was sleeping

Tuesday, November 11 Nutta || Radiant Home Studio || La Pantigana

Wednesday, November 12 Sew Fishsticks || Stacy Sews || Stitching Insane || GnomeAngel

Thursday, November 13 Needle and Ted || Patchouli Moon Studio || Sprouting JubeJube || The Crazy Tailor

Friday, November 14 Casa Crafty || A Jennuine Life || 'So, Zo... What do you know?'

Saturday, November 15 Rebekah Sews || Serger Pepper

Sunday, November 16 Blogs Like A Mother || Vicky Myers creations || Blossom Heart Quilts

Monday, November 17 Shanni Loves || So Sew Easy || GYCT Designs || Tiger In A Tornado

Tuesday, November 18 The Nosy Pepper || Keep Calm and Carrion || There & Back || Sewing Sober

Wednesday, November 19 Sew Like My Mom || Knot Sew Normal || Stacy Sews || sewVery

Thursday, November 20 Mimi's Mom || Our Family Four || shades of BOLD || Modern Handcraft

Friday, November 21 Shawnta Sews || Lulu & Celeste || Amanda Rose || Robin's Fabric Nest || House of Pinheiro