WINNERS!!

Hey Everyone!

Thanks so much for participating in the bag question giveaway. So many of you had some great questions, but there were two that I thought were outstanding. I particularly like the way that one of them was phrased, so I picked it, even though many of you asked a version of the same question.

Here are the lucky winners:

Erin Stewart Hill said:

I love creating bags and cannot wait to buy your book!

I have 2 questions:

1. What is the best interfacing formula for a bag? Do you prefer to use a stiffer interfacing such as Decor Bond, or do you prefer to use multiple layers of a lighter weight interfacing?

2. When creating a bag with more body, what is the best way to decrease bulk in the seams?

November 15, 2010 1:34 PM

I love how Erin asked about a "stabilizer formula"...there is one I actually use and will happily share it with you. Many of you asked this very same question, so it is certainly one that many people need an answer for.

Alexandra said:

I'd love to see suggestions for customizing the interior. I usually find that I love a bag exterior but the inside is lacking. How do I add pockets, or a divider, or maybe a zipper compartment, a place for my keys? Or can I transform this bag easily into a laptop bag? Or with a few changes can it become a diaper bag?

November 16, 2010 11:47 AM

This is a great question, and one that is often asked. While adding a zippered pocket may take a little more time, it is definitely doable. Other types of pockets are a snap to add to a lining and I will answer this one when I compile all the questions and formulate my answers in the next week or two.

Congrats, ladies! Please contact me with your mailing address so I can get your Media Frenzy book out to you as soon as possible.

As for all of the questions asked, you all certainly gave me some food for thought as I finish up the new book's manuscript. I plan on addressing many of the things you asked there, but wait....you won't have to wait until next year when that book comes out, as I plan on grouping like questions together and answering them here on the blog as a sort of "Bags 101" for your reference! It will take me a week or two to accomplish this, so hang with me on that.

WINNERS!! and the NEXT GIVEAWAY!!

Hey Everyone,

Thanks so much for the lovely comments! We did have fun at market and all of the new stuff went over very well. There is a lot of eye candy at market...so to those of you who have never been, I hope you get the opportunity to go sometime. It is a great show filled with inspiration!

We have a couple of winners here for the first giveaway, courtesy of random.org. They are:

#9: Sarah

It looks like so much fun!!! I'd love a chance to win! thanks :)

Submitted November 10, 2010 3:27 PM

#67: Sarah and Jane

You are one creative, savvy designer whom my daughter and I adore. We just love your designs!!! So far, we are enjoying sewing from your Sew Serendipity book, but look forward to trying our sewing efforts with your new adorable tunics. Thanks.

Submitted November 11, 2010 7:51 AM

#9 Sarah, I have your email address, so I will be contacting you. #67 Sarah and Jane....Just use this link with your mailing information and I will get your patterns out to you as soon as possible.

Wow! I guess random.org really likes "Sarahs" this time. Congratulations, winners!

NOW, stay tuned. If you did not win here, you have another opportunity, starting today!

This giveaway is going to be a little different. I am currently in the final stages of submitting the manuscript for my NEXT hard cover book, which will be all about BAGS!! I am looking to gather questions (really good ones) from customers regarding making bags. If you have had a burning question (or questions), now is the time to ask. I will use these submissions as a way to build my tips and techniques throughout the book. I thought this would be a great way to get your feedback.

What do you get out of the deal? Well, the BEST TWO questions (my judgment here) submitted will win a copy of my newest self-published bag book, called Media Frenzy! It is a soft cover 28 page book that is dedicated to bags for digital devices such as eReaders, iPads, cameras, and GPS navigators. There is also a pattern for a snappy wallet and camera strap. It is packed with great photos and illustrations in addition to detailed instructions.

Remember, you have to submit a question (or questions) SPECIFIC to bags......The giveaway starts today and will run until Thursday evening at 11:59 PM CST.

Winners will be announced next weekend.....thanks for participating and Happy Sewing!

UPDATE (11/19/2010): It will be a few more days before I can work on the Q&A so keep the questions coming. As long as you get them in before I post the results, your questions will be considered for the giveaway.

Fall Market Post and GIVEAWAY!!

Hey Everyone!

I can hardly believe it has been a month since my last post! The last few weeks have been packed full of activity, of which I hope to share with you partly in this post and the next one as well. We had a great market showing off the new stuff and getting together with friends that we only get to see twice a year. We had some added fun this year due to market being over Halloween and I just love to wear costumes! I never really get to so anytime the opportunity presents itself, I seize it. Since I was signing copies of the book in our booth as well as several other places during market (Checker, F+W, and Moda), I decided to dress as a queen for Halloween. No queen should be without her throne, so I had one made especially for this market by the fabulous j.caroline! Check this thing out....she did a fantastic job. A huge shout-out to my friend Caroline and thanks again for making this so much fun!

Here we are together on the last day of market.

And what queen would want to be without her king? Okay, he wouldn't actually dress up as a king, but he is one anyway (in my heart!). He is such a tremendous help at market and it isn't any secret that he is a way better salesman than me.....I don't feel the least bit jealous about that, either! Here we are...notice that I did coordinate his clothing to go with mine....I HAD to do something....he draws the line on silly costumes!

Here are some shots of the booth for your enjoyment from various days of the market, along with what I wore for each day:

On day 1, I wore a skirt from the new Fashion Formula Skirts mini-book (remember, no pattern pieces required on that one) paired with a variation on the Catherine Coat (made from Japanese linen border print by Echino).

The second day of market was Halloween, so those photos are above. Here are some shots of day 3 at market. I had a great opportunity to shoot a video with my good friends from QuiltHome.com. We talked about the new designs and had a lot of fun in the process. Just ignore those bare feet....I always seem to choose shoes that are not the best for walking around at market, but they always look good (when I am actually wearing them.....) I am wearing the new Priscilla Tunic in these shots.

We received some great news over market. I learned from my publisher (F+W Media) that my book is now in its second printing! Yipee!! We have just a few left and when we run out, we won't have any more until January. If you are thinking about ordering a signed copy (first edition) as a Christmas gift, don't delay!

AND NOW FOR THE GIVEAWAY.....Starting right now and going through 11:59pm CST on Friday, November 12th, I will be giving away one copy each of the Fashion Formula Skirts mini book and the Priscilla Tunic pattern to TWO lucky winners. Please submit only one comment per person. I am saving copies of Media Frenzy for the NEXT giveaway which will take place shortly after this one closes.

Hope you all are doing well and getting ready for the holidays....hard to believe they are just around the corner!

Happy Sewing!!

I'm on TV!

Just wanted to let you all know that my segments with Nancy Zieman on Sewing with Nancy are now beginning to air. Check your local PBS station's schedule for when these episodes will be shown in your area (#2407 & #2408). Here is a teaser trailer for the segments:



You can also purchase the DVD from Nancy's Notions as well, if you are interested. Enjoy!

Fall Preview, Part 2

Hey Everyone!

It is time for the final fall reveal and the project that took a TON of my time this summer, but I think it was definitely worth it....see what you think! I have written a 28 page soft cover book called Media Frenzy for all those fabulous media devices in your life. Now you can tote them around with some real attitude, "Serendipity Style"! There are instructions for 4 different bags in this book, along with a simple wallet and scrappy camera strap.

The madness for this book began when I purchased a digital SLR camera this summer...a Canon T1i. It was way overdue as we have been using a tiny camera for pattern covers and other shots. It is fantastic to have a camera with so many capabilities. Once I had the camera in my possession, I realized that I needed a camera bag, and not just ANY camera bag, but one that would suit my needs as well as look darn good. I began doing a bit of research to see what was available and then decided I would design my own. With a lot of thought and planning (and a lot of math!) I designed not one bag, but two! One is called the Essential Camera Bag and is for those of you (like me) who have the camera, a charger, and a few other things, but don't really need the HUGE bag to lug around. It features a comfortable adjustable strap that is designed to be worn either over the shoulder or cross body to keep both arms free without danger of dropping your precious cargo. The other is the Ultimate Camera Bag and has a ton of room for the photog who has it ALL and wants to lug it all around! Both bags are designed for the camera to rest face down inside with movable partitions to customize the interior to your liking.

Empty:



Filled with camera stuff:

The next bag is the Digital Messenger, designed specifically for an iPad or eReader. I made the interior permanently divided and padded so you can slide your digital devices in and out without worry, plus you still have the other half of the interior for your other essentials. With a divided bag, there are no worries about scratching the screen and the bag is designed with an adjustable strap to be worn cross-body....comfortable and practical, but still great looking! Everyone will want your bag!!

The last bag in the book is the GPS Destination bag. Ever get annoyed at the fact that most of these devices don't come with a bag to carry all the stuff they come with? Well, we did...so I designed a great little bag that is simple to make for carrying it around. There is even a little felt sleeve to slip the screen into so there is no danger of scratches. The best part is that you can choose your favorite fabric and make this bag a statement of style rather than just simply for utility.

To round out the book, I added a Simple Wallet and Scrappy Camera Strap. These accessories complete the bags and give you everything you could possibly need for staying organized while carrying any one of these bags....no need for a purse, just one bag and you are done! (Dig our "vintage" Pentax camera in the photo below....glad I don't have to use that one! The megapixels are seriously compromised... )

Again, this book will be available in mid to late October (as soon as it arrives from the printer). Enjoy, and happy fall everyone!

Fall Preview

Well, it is finally THAT time! I have been deep in the "design cave" and now I think I am beginning to see some light creeping in. It must be time to share some of this stuff that I have been laboring over. This sort of work is mind-numbing at times, so it has a way of making me scarce on the blog front. That seems to happen to a lot of designers. We tend to hunker down when there is a lot to do (it almost involves putting on blinders!).

As you can see from the new header, my machine has been humming. I decided to refresh the Catherine Coat a bit, so she will have a new cover. One of the variations that I decided to highlight was one that I wore with a lovely drawstring at the back waist as well as a number of buttons down the center front bodice. You might remember seeing it.....the fabric is from the first French General line with Moda. Along with the updated cover, I will be providing the instructions for the drawstring and wool roses.

The gray one in the header is probably my favorite one to date from this pattern. It is a new Moda wool and I just adore how the little wool roses turned out. It is feminine without being too over the top....reminds me of Anthropologie (LOVE their stuff!). I also decided to have a little more fun and make one from a bright coral twill (coming out in Moda's new line called It's a Hoot!). Look for it in stores soon.





Enough about Catherine.....let's talk skirts! I am releasing a new mini-book for fall called Fashion
Formula Skirts. There are NO PATTERN pieces, people! These lovelies are based totally on mathematical formulas that I have worked out FOR you so you can concentrate on playing with fabric, then looking fabulous in your new creation. I think you are going to love these. There are three basic constructions and lots of different looks (wouldn't you be disappointed if I hadn't exhausted all of those options??). I think you will be pleasantly surprised by all the wonderfulness of these varieties. I sort of surprised myself on a few of them...just sayin'!

Last on the clothing front but certainly not least is a new tunic. This is Priscilla....featuring princess seams, and large bell sleeves that can be three different lengths. I designed this beauty to wear with leggings or at knee length with fun tights, boots, or heels (or a great combo of these....do it up to the max!). This is a wonderful way to showcase the fun new prints out there. And don't worry about cotton clinging to your tights or leggings....remember something called a slip? Just buy one of those on the cheap and slip it on underneath...that cotton will hang beautifully and swing with your every step.

Feast your eyes upon these and know that they will be available in early October. I know...it seems like a long time, but it will be here before you know it. They have to do their time at the printer before they come to you!

Stay tuned...there are bag previews to come, and I must say...they are fabulous! Can't wait to share....

Happy Sewing!

Sewing Challenge!

Fiskars is doing a sewing challenge for this month, which is National Sewing Month. You can read all about the rules here on their official Facebook page (so you have to belong to FB to participate!). You have all month and you could possibly win a new pair of scissors or a $50 gift card to Walmart!

Be sure to read all about Rebecca's jacket, pictured below. She made the Mod Jacket from my book as one of the inspiration projects for the challenge. She actually stayed under budget to make the jacket and I think the fabric is fabulous!

That's about it for now. My sewing machine has been REALLY BUSY since my last post. My fingers have been also, as I have been busy writing instructions for new stuff on the computer. I am hopeful that I will have more to share with you soon...maybe some teaser photos of the new designs.

I hope you have had a bit of time to yourself to do what you enjoy (hopefully a stitch here or there....)

Happy Sewing!