Book Blog Bonanza 10/01/10

I saw this book at the store the other day and almost bought it! Hopefully I'll be able to win it instead!

This sounds like a great book to make things for my family! Sorry, no storage solutions, just using lots of bins and containers in my small area. Blessings.

My son started preschool and I wanted to make him a pillow by myself for once. I got the bug to start crafting things again so I went out and decided to treat myself to a brand new experience with a new sewing machine! I put it together and bam! nothing. It didn't work. defective. after a few minutes of cursing and pouting I decided the only way to win this was to take charge with a better attitude. So I returned the machine and decided to stitch the pillow by hand. I was incredibly proud of myself.

oooo - pretty skirt! i want this book!

I love to read as much as I love to sew, so books about sewing are HEAVEN!

Looks like a book I could really use. Tried to make a few things from Japanese patterns but the women here are tiny tiny and nothing fits. lol

I don't really have an insights except that I've figured out if I let my toddler play with my scrap bin, I get a lot more accomplished than constantly telling her not to touch things! She knows she's allowed to do whatever with anything in the big blue box, and she even helps clean it all up when she's done!

While sewing instead of watching tv, listen to audiobooks. You can usually download them free from the library. You are more productive because your attention isn't drawn to look at the tv.

I don't get to sew as often as I would like and I am hoping that this book will inspire me.

I don't have any great sewing tales. I'm a novice sewer and I'm always getting in way over my head.

I love the skirt on this book cover. I've made four skirts for myself this summer and can't imagine buying one ever again! And my new passion is mod podging fabric onto cards and note books. It's a great way to get to use a variety of fabrics.

What a great cover shot for this book. Loving the skirt. As far as storage, I am not as organized as I would like to be. I don't have any real space to sew and call my own so I keep photos of latest purchases on my computer instead. If I am feeling creative I can refer to the photos and not have to dig through my large bin in the basement. With 3 young boys, you can't leave anything out for long.

Wow, just saw I won the previous book so thank you very much.

I really like the skirt pictured on the front of the book, so I'm very excited to enter this giveaway!

As far an ingenious storage ideas go, I'm hoping some commenters here will enlighten me! Haha!

Heather

This book looks fabulous and very inspirational!

I wish I was more organized, but I am getting there. All my fabric is on a huge bookshelf or in plastic bins. My books and magazines are stored on top of my bookshelf.

I am so excited about the home site (I cannot seam to stop ordering Fabric!!) and I am so excited to subscribe to the blog now. As a sewing novice I am so excited to branch out beyond curtains and pillows! If noting else I am excited to read new reviews for reference materials that could help me on my sewing journey.

I LOVE the mommy's idea for the big blue bin of scraps. I am totally borrowing it to entertain my 3 little boys.

I also LOVE that skirt. I would love to have this book.

When my kids were small and money was very tight I would haunt the White Elephant Sales...and thrift shops for garments to re-purpose into...well just about anything. I would take a man's large sweat shirt and make a pair of PJ's for my son. I would use the full skirt of cotton dress for curtains, table cloths became dish towels, or shirts, scraps for quilts, pot holders you name it and I could stitch it up on my ancient Singer. Always sewing has meant freedom. I may not have money to buy it, but give me scraps and I can make it. Money is not so tight now, [although a bargain is always welcome] and the kids have grown kids of their own but still sewing is freedom and a refuge, it is the work of my hands and mind and becomes the gift of my heart.

Organization? Of sewing things? Is it possible??? :)
I do the best I can with clear totes for fabric and boxes for my patterns. And I set up a tower of drawers next to my sewing table for all those wonderful notions, trims, buttons, etc. that I use for every project. I keep a small wire basket on one corner of my sewing table for my new patterns so I don't forget about them. I also make a list of the projects I plan for each season along with notes, sketches, etc. in a notebook. I can see at the end of the season what I have accomplished and what I didn't get to that needs to be moved forward to the next season. I also keep all my pressing tools in a basket at the side of my ironing board which is set up at a right angle to the left of my sewing table and is lowered so that I can just roll my chair over to do the pressing as I sew. My sewing books are located in my sewing closet on some shelves that are built in behind the closet door. I surely would love to add this one to my collection!

ooh I forgot to answer the questions ( I got too excited, I promise that I am not a spaz).

Currently I organize . . . if you can call it that with rubbermaid tubs that go under the bed and the triple drawer sterilite towers that come out during "back to school" time. I really am on the look out during this time because we live in a very small apartment with often random storage opportunities (much like a dorm room).

I find those storages solutions to be perfect for my space even though I may not get to "visit" with my fabric often, on the upsiDe it makes every new pattern or crafting idea like a trip to the fabric store (or a box from fabric.com)!

I saw this book at JoAnn's last week and ALMOST bought it. But i'm still learning so until i get a pattern down for clothing i decided to pass. I'd love to see what it can teach me though so keep in today's drawing! Thanks!

In my sewing room I have some old storage units and this is the story I was given: the two round cylinder shaped barrels,which have cardboard sides and metal tops and bottoms,were (I've been told) shipping containers from when my grandmother and her two daughters moved back to the states from Pearl Harbor after it was bombed on December 7, 1941. My grandfather stayed behind, and didn't meet up with his family until a few years later. I can remember the barrels being up in the attic of my gran's house in Alexandria, Virginia, from when I was a little child, and they were filled with fabric scraps then, too. I thought it was the coolest thing that she had plain fabric in there, that looked exactly the same as some of the outfits I wore!

I'm not terribly organized, but one thing that helps are those extra-big Ziplock-type storage bags. I use them to hold my projects. I put everything I need for one project (fabrics, pattern, thread, etc.) in the bag and then I have it all in one spot. Unfortunately, I have enough projects to last me until about forever! But, I keep planning more!

Sewing insights and unique storage tips...hmmm. I have been sewing for 40 years, so I should have something profound to say, shouldn't I? :) My husband renovated a bedroom into my sewing studio, and I must say one of the nicest things is the built in ironing board. It is so nice to be able to push the board up into the wall and regain the extra space. We also recently bought a fold up camp table that I have requisitioned for sewing...makes a fabulous portable cutting table either at home or camping (Yes, I have a sewing machine that goes camping!)

Ah ha! I tried to comment yesterday but for some reason couldn't create a movable type account. I found the confirmation in my spam folder today.

Okay, so storage in my sewing/craft area. I have one wall lined entirely with shelves. I bought those tracks that are used for closet organization and then a sheet of mdf (medium density fiberboard) and had it cut to the side of shelves I want. Any cut of fabric up to 1.5 yards gets folded in a square and lined up in a basket. Larger cuts are stacked in a bookshelf. Other shelves are for iron/iron supplies/wonder under/large scraps/a scrap bin. Patterns are in a portable file box in hanging folders.

I hardly ever get to sew for myself so this book may give me the motivation that I need. For storing my fabric I bought large see through plastic bins. I fold my fabric on comic book boards and store them side by side in the bin.

Ooh, I want that skirt on the cover! Love it! My favorite storage item is my Pampered Chef tool caddy- It's meant for kitchen implements, but I keep my shears, rotary cutters, markers, pens, rulers, turners... all kinds of things! Doesn't take up much space and everything is right at hand.

I have all of my fabric stored in clear plastic bins and sorted by color. That way even if I can't see a particular pink fabric I'm looking for, if I can see any pink fabric from the outside of the bin I know which one it's in. I really need to cut down on my stash though!

Nothing groundbreaking, but I've got a closet with a great shelving system for fabric and other items so everything has a place. I've had my eye on this book for a while! Looks like there are lots of fun ideas in it.

I have a problem with starting projects and then getting too busy to finish them. So, once a month my grandma has a craft day where we all bring our half-finished projects and work on them together while enjoying lunch at her house.
Excited about this book! Thanks!

I am new to sewing and I know this advice is not new, but since I have learned it the hard way, I would like to share it. Wash, iron and measure everything twice! I have ruined a beautiful cordoruy 6 gore skirt because I failed to check the measurements at the waist twice. Anyways, I would love to have Kay Whitt's book.

Looks like a great book!
I like to use canvas bags to store different things in my sewing room and hang them on hooks on the wall for easy access.

Books like this are so inspiring!

I really like this skirt. The book would be nice to have.

This looks like a wonderful book. I love that cover skirt.

My dream is to have a sewing room but that would mean moving the treadmill out and that's not going to happen so for now my sewing room is our loft. Many rubbermaid bins to stash my remnants because, as we all know, we can't throw anything away. I would love to win this book I have pretty much been sewing for the grandchildren but now the Mommies are interested. They would love some of these skirts.

Would love to add this book to my collection, I can always use new inspiration!

That book looks lovely! I want to win it! Not sure that it counts as ingenious but I recently found a small but pretty desk and dresser set on Craigslist that I'm using as my crafting area. The extra storage from the dresser really helps. They were originally from a kid's room so they're a bit on the small side but just right for my crafting corner.

My sewing insight is from my Grandmother. She always said measure 3 times and cut once and cut slow!! Thanks Grams!!!

Nothing new or brainy here... but I just use shelving on the walls and have my fabric in stacks by colors. I do have to think of a good way to get my ribbon all corralled!

I have a very small house with limited storage. I have shelving in my family room for my fabric with bamboo shades hung from the ceiling to hide the fabric and also to keep it clean and protect it from the sunlight coming through my windows. It's stacked according to color and season. I bought a box of 9x12 clasp envelopes at Costco for my patterns. I glue the front of the pattern on the front of the envelope and the back is glued on the back...it's so much easier to put the pattern pieces into a big envelope than trying to stuff back into the original one. They're stored in a four drawer filing cabinet.

This book looks like is has wonderful suggestions for the collection of the remnants I have amassed. My storage solution for them - old hard side suitcases that I've gotten at the thrift stores for next to nothing. When I also participate in craft shows,I also use them to transport the items and for display as well. It has a definite street vendor feel to it, but it also seems to satisfy that need to dig for a bargain that a lot of folks have.

I have found the best way to store spools of ribbon is on a pants hangar! Keeps them all together and I can hang up and cut just what I need! This new book looks great!

When I found out I was having twin girls a couple of years ago, I quickly lost my sewing room and had no choice but to re-organize. We converted a barn style storage building into my new sewing area, and in the process of moving all of my fabric stash into it, discovered that I could store more fabrics if I rolled them up like newspapers. I rubberband them in the middle and stack them on shelves in a locked cabinet (so little hands can't get into them). Makes it easier to see all of the "stash", and if I need a particular one from the bottom, it pulls right on out. Strangely, the others do not fall out.

I found a great storage item for little pieces like buttons, beads, and snaps. I had a revolving spice holder with little bottles that I didn't use anymore. So, I filled each one with the tiny sewing accessories and I can easily see what's in each one. Plus, it revolves making the location even easier.

I bought a used set of furniture with side tables with drawers and a clothing wardrobe for storing my fabric and projects. The shelves are great to organize my fabric on and the little hangers are useful for haning up half finished projects. when I'm done all i do is close the doors and it looks like a sitting room again.

I stole my daughters toy bin system to lay my fabric on. It has the wooden dowels that normally hold colored tubs, but I only use a few of the tubs and fold my bigger pieces of fabric and put them directly on the dowels.

This book looks wonderful, great ideas, and skirts are soo much fun to wear. I use clear totes of different sizes and the ones with drawers and wheels--they are great, I have several. My husband used two bottom cabinet bases and put a large piece of counter top across the two with opening in center--desk style--and this is a wonderful area to sew, paint and do all kinds of neat ideas. Best part is projects can be left out for the next available minute I have to work on them and not packed away when using the kitchen table. I love staying busy and this allows me to use my time more wisely.

I don't have any great storage ideas, I wish I did my fabric is in bins and I have to go searching through bins when looking for a particular fabric. My goal is to get orgainized and my office/spare room converted into a proper sewing room.

Oooo -- I love, love, love the skirt on the front of this book. The perfect shape to fit my shape!!! :)

Yay! Clothes patterns for me!

I use my honeys empty cigar boxes, the wooden ones with latches, which are greyt for small tools, bobbins, buttons and such. I love adding to my library, ya never know when you might come across some new idea or easier way of doing things.

Great book! Hope I win it!

I too have been looking at this book. I recently taught a couple of my nieces to sew - they are in their early 20's. I was amazed at how quickly they picked it up & started with hard projects not like we had to back in home ec class. My storage tip: I bought a CD/DVD (furniture style) cabinet and added additional shelves to store thread. It holds a lot & the doors shut so it is kept out of the light. I have 6 large windows in my sewing room so it is important to store thread & fabric out of the light.

Probably not ingenious, but I use a table that my grandfather made, took a flat sheet that I liked to use as a table cloth. This hides, the box of material that's under the table. I also made a wedding cake out of boxes for my wedding. It's a nice accent on the table, and also hides more things!

This looks like a fantastic book to add to my sewing library! Would love to do some "grown up" projects! Lots of ziploc bags helps to keep patterns, ribbon scraps, button, etc sorted and together.

I love, love, love the skirt on the front! I'm new at the sewing so I don't have any ingenious storage solutions, but my plan for my house and daughter is instead of buying fabric storage boxes, plastic bins or baskets is to make them myself, that way I can save money, but also make them with a cute fabric that is sure to coordinate with whatever room they belong in. I also use empty cigarillo boxes that I get from work, they are great for small stuff like bobbins, or my daughters headbands, and when I have a chance I can cover them in fabric also so that nobody will no that they are cigar boxes.

If I would spend as much time sewing and crafting as I do reading my books and magazines I would have a wealth of things. I just recently retired from teaching and now it is time. However, I find myself still sorting magazines, ideas and now have about 20 plus projects in the works. In various states of completion. I am a list maker and start every day with a list of things with an estimated time allotted. (Which never works as there are too many interruptions). Of course I lose track of time and that is also reason many things are not completed. Last days of summer/fall and 80 degree temps in Oregon make for good time to spend out of doors. Picture taking, gardening and yard work. Sewing is done after 8:oo at night when hubby is in bed and I have time all too myself. I just started receiving your newsletter and love it.......

That book looks great!Nothing too insightful about my sewing room. Most of my storage comes from our old kitchen cabinets I repurposed for my sewing room when we put in a new kitchen.Shoe boxed and tins hold my notions. I did reuse a picnic set that was for holding siverwear, for my scissors and rotary cutters.

I'm always looking for new books to add to my sewing library. I do a lot of sewing for my 29-year-old daughter and will also be sewing for my 15-year-old granddaughter who is coming to live with me. New techniques and information is extremely important to me. I wish someone would come up with a storage system. I cannot seem to keep my sewing room neat.

I like the idea of using multiple coordinating fabric on a garment, purse, pillow, etc. This book appears to be what I need for inspiration. Beautiful fall sunny days make it more difficult to go to my basement sewing room. Another reason that I want to add color and brightness there. Another project! Making halloween pillows for my front porch today. Ready to make a purse using pink for breast cancer awareness next.

I finally have my own craft space in our finished basement and because I'm WAY too pregnant, I have not come up with ingenious ideas as of yet. I am thinking of sewing my own storage totes for sewing notions and the rest, like sewing threads, will be stored in the plastic bins, because they are so handy. I still need to give some TLC to my craft space... but probably not until the baby is born! I would love to have this book and get great inspiration ideas :)

I am on a mission to organize life, house and sewing and crafting supplies. Somedays it is easier said than done. Clear totes are littering my closets, they are full of my supplies. I am in the process of clearing out 2 dressers and I am going to use them for storage of current projects and for things that don't fit into clear totes.

I keep every scrap I have left over from projects, yes, I even keep the littlest scraps. I store them in a tote and when that tote gets filled to the point I can't close it I take out all the scraps and have a cutting day, I usually cut out as many squares as I can and store those, soemday there will be enough for a fun scrappy quilt. I still dont throw away the scraps...I save the leftovers to use on a "confetti" type block or wall hanging.

The outfit on the front of that book is just fabulous I can see making matching dresses for me and my daughter to wear when we go out.. that would be so much fun.

Organization? That is a hard one for me. I am trying to STAY organized. I usually do a great job of cleaning up, but STAY organized with everything where it belongs is my problem. Right now I have two boxes of "stuff" that need a home... I have lots of plastic buckets/boxes, etc of various sizes... I love the clear ones best as you can see what is in them -even when labelled its nice to LOOK inside before opening.

Love this book! I store my patterns in covered see through plastic boxes. If I have a planned project, I try to organize everything I plan to use w/ it in a container (fabric, notions, pattern, etc). Need to better organize my growing stash of fabric 'tho!

I keep all my patterns that I have traced in clear document sleeves that fit in a binder. That way I can organize them easily, they don't take up much space and I can just flip through the binder to quickly find what I'm looking for.

I started sewing when my mom had a treddle machine..made a doll dress for a doll I got when I was about 6 years old. I still have the doll, and the dress I made her. I cannot find a pattern now for her. I still sew..I just retired, and hope to add quilting, and sewing for grandkids to my list of things to do. I have made myself, cousins, kids, friends, relatives anything from clothes custom fit, to coats for myself, suits, work clothes..office career types. My mom made custom drapery, and I assisted her when my kids were in school, and I hadn't returned to work. I, too, have those fantastic plastic drawer units that stack, clear-viewing, and so much easier to find things than the old shoe box system of old! I have my own pattern and fabric store in my house, now to 'get-r-done' and create the things planned long ago! (I have worked 2 jobs for the past 11 of the 20 years I worked...kinda hard to do fun stuff, but now down to just 1 job, WHEW..and now the fun stuff can begin!)

I love sewing books, they are probably almost as addicting as fabric! My best sewing tips is to store fabric in clear bins by type and those plastic school pencil boxes make great storage containers for needles, sewing tools, threads, etc.

I haven't seen the inside of this book, but I love the adorable skirt on the cover. I would LOVE to win a copy. Thanks for the nice giveaway!

Oh, I LOVE books about sewing. One thing I try to do is intersperse my huge projects with quick easy ones... that way I always have a sense of satisfaction that comes from producing something fabulous in an hour or two, as well as the glory of huge projects and the awesomeness of getting them done. It just keeps me going. Also, I ALWAYS cut out my next project as part of my cleanup from my last project. That way when I start in on it I'm starting at the fun sew together part instead of the annoying cut out part. I hope so very much that I win this book! It looks amazing!

No tips either - just a wish. I wish that someone could invent a STEALTH mode for sewing rooms - so we didn't see all the fabric lying around, the books spread out, the rulers out of place, the empty bobbins stacked up, etc. Oops - my secret is out LOL!

I have fabric stored in huge plastic tubs, and I try to keep them organized: stripes and solids in one, just flannel in another, etc. I made a hanging pocket organizer where I keep rulers/measuring tapes in one pocket, scissors in another, etc. Being organized doesn't last long because I always have stuff in process... I need more books for my library, though! =)

I buy small rectangular totes from walmart for $1 each and then keep individual projects or scraps in each one. They stack easy and make keeping all the UFPs (unfinished projects) easy to get to!

I'd love to win one of these books! Thank you for offering them!

-Abby

Well, I'm a newbie to sewing, so I don't have any great organizational tips. I do find that the clear plastic containers are great for storing my fabric stash; it's easy to see what's in there.

I love the the metal stacking baskets from Ikea!

Wow, this looks like a fun book!

I don't have any sewing insights except make what is fun for you and try to go project by project so you don't end up with a bunch of half finished projects!!

I been quilting for a few years and I like to start making some of my own clothes, this book looks like a good place to start.

Beautiful book! Wish I had an ingenious storage idea. My fabric is usually stashed in recycled cardboard boxes.

This book has been on my wishlist since it came out!

My fabric is folded nearly into square organizer boxes that I stack under a desk. My supplies are all sorted into stacking baskets.

I've done sorted all of my PDF and boutique patterns into magazine holders, using clear page protectors for each one. They get keeping all crumpled or i'd lose pattern pieces when they were just paper clipped together, so this works really well. I also took the labels off of all the mason jars i've gotten at the farmer's market over the summer and use them to store hair clips, d-rings, buttons, etc.

Really could use a lot of good storage ideas; when I start one I'm sure it will work - and it does until I acquire too much more stuff!

What a wonderful book. Thanks so much for the opportunity to win such a great book. I really enjoy your blog. Sewing and knitting is a passion of mine and I love getting tips and inspiration from your blog. Thanks again.

Oh! I'd love to have that book. I am lucky enough to have a spare room that I could use for sewing, however, I sew on my dining room table. I store my machine and supplies in clear bins in the spare room and pull them out when needed. I'm not a fan of doing this because once I pack my stuff away, I tend to lose interest in whatever I was working on.

I don't think my storage is ingenious but I rely on tubs and dressers for my supplies. They fit under my sewing table (wonderfully 8'x4') and I don't have to worry about the kids getting into them plus I can see some of what is in the clear tubs, less rummaging for that piece of fabric that I need! Thanks for the chance to win this book.

I bought an embroidery machine several years ago, and one of the first things I embroidered was a tote bag. I was still learning about the machine sounds when stitching and what changes in the stitching sounds may mean. I noticed the machine started sounding different when I started the second color of the design, but didn't worry about it because the stitching in the design looked good and the machine kept moving .... it was only after getting ready to start the third color that I realized I had accidentally stitched one handle of the tote bag into the design (on the wrong side, it had gotten caught underneath as the hoop was moving around)! Luckily, only a short piece of the handle was stitched, and I could cut on either side of it. Ended up piecing a section of fabric into the handle - and everyone thinks I planned the bag that way when they see it. Was able to hide the 'mistake' with something that looks like I meant to do all along!

I use bookshelves for my fabric! It's worked wonders for me. I've tried tubs and hanging it up in the closet and drawers.
With the bookshelves, I have plenty of room, it looks pretty, and I can see everything I have!