Giveaway Day Winners...

Congrats to all the winners from SMS's awesome Giveaway Day! There were soooo many fantastic giveaways on those lists, I hope everyone who tried (like me) wins a little something.  Anyway, I had to think about a more practical way to select my winners since come to think of it, I was actually running 6 different drawings. So this is what I did: I printed out the long list of comments, cut them into strips, and then put each strip into one of six bowls based on which pattern the commenter wanted to win.

Since many of you mentioned more than one pattern and I couldn't enter you into more than one drawing (let's be fair, now) I just put you in the bowl with the pattern that you mentioned first. A couple commenters didn't mention any single pattern (just that they would like them all) so these people just got tossed into a random bowl by me.

So, (drumroll please) the winners are:

Sunny Day Frock - Anonymous Commenter (but she left her email)

Little Ruffle Skirt - Julie

Button Up Bolero - Living in La La Land :)

PJ Bottoms and Shorts - Carla

The Pretty Pinafore - Michelle

Cadie's Wrap Around Dress or Top - Jenilyn






Check your inboxes, girls cause there's a pattern waiting! As always, I love to see pictures of little creations made with my patterns and if you have any questions at all, don't hesitate to email me.

Caroline

Yay! It's Giveaway Day!

Hey all you super-stitchers! I'm really excited about SMS's Giveaway Day today and you know I'll be blog-hopping to see what kind of great loot I can score. This is also your chance to win one of my one-pattern-piece tutorials to see how fast and easy sewing can really be. Maybe you'll pick the Sunny Day Frock...

I love this one because it's reversible.

Or maybe you'll want to make the Little Ruffle Skirt...

Yes, this one is also just one pattern piece unless you choose to add little bloomers or shorts underneath (which adds only one more pattern piece)!

Or you may pick the Button Up Bolero...

This one doesn't require a sewing machine at all.

Or there's my newest pattern for PJ Bottoms or Shorts...

Nothing fancy, just basic pants that can be stitched up in a jiffy.

Or of course, the Pretty Pinafore.

I had a lot of fun making a little one minute movie about this.

Lastly, Cadie's Wrap Around Dress...

Don't you love how you can make this look however you want?

And all of these patterns have only one pattern piece.  So, dear readers, I will be giving away one of each pattern. Just pick the one you want, and tell me in the comments. But one catch... please follow my blog! It really needs followers.

On May 25th (about 10 pm), I will use random.org to select numbers based on the number of comments and keep going until I have given away one of each pattern. Leave your email address in your comment too if you don't think I have it already. Thanks, and see you 'round!

UPDATE: I've closed comments on this post. Watch for me to announce the winners soon!

May 23rd is Giveaway Day!

Come back on Monday for your chance to win whichever carolina fair pattern you want most! And visit sewmamasew.com to see the hundreds of giveaways happening that day!  See you then!

"Present" Blanket

I needed a quick graduation present for a good friend who invited our family to a graduation party at the very last minute....(the morning of:) I was determined not to go anywhere or spend any $...I had to use only what was on hand. So...I used the leftover upholstery I has recovered my dining room chairs in 3 years ago and cut it to make a lap-blanket the size of my last scrap of quilt batting:) I arranged some satin ribbon on both sides of the blanket to make it look like a wrapped present and then sewed a bow in the middle. I layed both sides with right-sides facing and then layered the batting on the out-side. I sewed a 1 inch seam allowance all the way around, save one 10 inch opening to turn it right side out. (Like a pillow case) Once it was turned, I pinned the 10 inch opening and sewed it right on the edge continuing all the way around the blanket, giving it a nice finished edge. This "Present" Blanket works great for any occasion...I'm going to do a baby one next....:)

Eye-Patch

My 5 year old daughter was told by the eye doctor that she needed to wear a patch over her left eye 3-4 hours a day to help strengthen the right eye. Dad went and bought her a big black pirate's patch, which her little brothers all thought was cool and wanted to borrow, but my little color coordinated princess cried and refused to wear it. Here are the simple, easy, homemade alternatives Mom came up with:)

PJ Bottoms tester photos

Yesterday I received feedback and photos from two of my testers for the PJ Bottoms and Shorts pattern. They turned out soooo adorable. Check out these two little guys:

I must admit I absolutely love that long hair. When my boys' hair starts getting shaggy it bothers me so much I cut it.. but maybe I should just let it keep growing. These were sewn by my talented friend Theresa, and you can click here to see her etsy shop.

The other tester to send me photos yesterday was Angie. 

Look at this outfit she whipped up in just one day!

Then she took the shorts pattern and customized it by adding a ruffle. So sweet!!! You can check out her awesome blog by clicking here.

I'm making the last final edits and this pattern will be "on the shelves" (on the website and etsy) soon.

As for my next one, I'm already more than halfway done with the ruffle shrug pattern. 

And of course, it only takes one pattern piece!

Easy pants.

I've been so obsessed with simplifying all my sewing down to one pattern piece projects, that I decided to change the name of this blog. I have been working on pants lately, just because it's what my kids needed. Loose fitting, casual pants and shorts need only one pattern piece. Why isn't that common knowledge? Sure, they're not tailored or fancy but we don't need that! Both of these designs use only one pattern piece and a couple extra strips cut by measurement:

p.j. pants

leggings

I think the patterns will be ready for testing soon. Question is, will school letting out give me more time or less?