Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Purple Hiatus


I've been taking a hiatus from sewing. Not an intentional break, but a break nontheless, ever since returning from Switzerland.

Now I want to sew again. Yea for sewing! I bought a couple pieces of fabric to make some winter skirts, and I'm excited to start sewing again.

In the meantime, I've been knitting a PURPLE sweater for 5 year old Emily. When I took this picture, I instructed her to hold the yarn carefully so as not to tangle the yarn or let the needles fall out of the unfinished sleeve. Emily replied that the yarn looked like a giant purple peanut, lol. Such a silly goose of a girl; she makes my heart smile.

happy sewing,
Ruth




Tuesday, October 12, 2010

We have a winner!

Thanks to all who commented on our Sew Tina blog post...we have a winner!

Using random.org, the winner of the Sew Tina prize pack is number 30, Leslie, who commented "I like the idea of kids clothes that are a little bit different, at least as long as the kids are little. The designs seem to be easy fit and very cute."

Thanks again to all who commented, and be sure and check out some of the other stops on the blog tour for more chances to win the book!

Jessica

Monday, October 04, 2010

Sew Tina!!

Sew Tina, 30 Cute Projects and Adorable Decor Items
Yay! Today's the day for our Sew Tina book review and giveaway.

When Lark Crafts asked me if I'd be interested in being part of the blog tour for Tina Given's new book, I was jumping with excitement! Not only do mom and I love to sew adorable clothes for our kids (and grandkids in Mom's case!), but I know that many of our readers are also sewing for little people and would love a sneak peak into Tina's new book.

Tina Givens, as many of you know, is a talented fabric designer and artist. Her energetic and free-spirited prints are perfect for kids clothes, but they still have that modern edge that make them appealing to adults as well. The projects in her book all feature her fabrics and they definitely inspire me to sew.


Let's get down to the nitty gritty. I know you want the details!

*Patterns
There are 30 projects in all, divided into projects for infants and projects for older kids. There is a good mix of clothing, decor, and fun kids items (sleeping bag, backpack, jewelry etc). There are three clothing items (excluding hats and infant booties) that are geared for the boys, one in an infant size and two in the older kids sizes.

One thing that you'll find with these patterns is that they are truly different, but in a really fun, unique way. Tina Givens style is definitely non-traditional with little twists and surprises to make you smile, and her patterns will have much appeal to the free-spirited and whimsical ones among us.

*Sizing
The clothing patterns are sized in a general S/M/L format for both the infant and kids patterns. The infant sizes range from 3 mo. to 18 mo. and the kids sizes range from a 2T to a size 7 and are purposely sized generously to allow for freedom of movement and growing room.

*Directions and Illustrations
The direction and illustrations are not fussy or perfectionistic, yet they seemed to be really forthright and clear. In the two projects I sewed up for this review, I didn't have a single snag with the directions. Tina believes that charm lies in handmade imperfection and one of the goals should be to create something that is unique, special, and uncomplicated. As a recovering perfectionist myself, I really like that.


For this review I made up the Brookies (bloomer pants) and the Bouncy Beret Hat. Below they are pictured on my spunky little Jaidyn Marie.

Both patterns went together easily came out so adorable. Marie loves the beret had and actually wore it for more then a couple of minutes!  The fabric I used is a soft, mini wale corduroy.

It's difficult to see in the picture above, but the bloomer pants have little side ruffle pleats on them. They remind me of an alligator's back, hehe! I love these on her. They cut is slightly oversized and the style a little bit funky, but it's perfect for her personality!

Note the yellow binding the used on the inside of the legs. It's just for fun!

Now for the fun part! The giveaway! Leave a comment, let us know what you think of the book, or just say hello! We'll draw a name next Monday the 11th, exactly one week from now.

Check out it! One winner will receive Tina's new book, 4 yards of fabric, 2 boxes of stationery, and 2 extra sewing patterns...

I want to be sure and give a big thank you to Tina Givens and Lark Crafts for sponsoring such a generous giveaway and for letting us be involved in the fun!

xoxo!
Jessica