Recently in Blog of the Month Category
You will love this month's Blog of the Month so much: Suzy Cucumber. I stumbled upon it while doing research on some interesting knots. I found Aimee's blog because she had some knot pillows which intrigued me so I clicked. Then my jaw dropped: I was amazing by the amount and variety of projects she had done and written about. I'm talking sewing, upholstery, painting, embroidery, hand lettering and rug making and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Seriously, you will love this blog. Not only is Aimee great to get you inspired and off your butt but she will give you some great ideas for something new to get your excited to craft again.
I am really thrilled about her 2012 project in which she will do a project from each of her library of craft books (she has over 200). The variety seems to be a full spectrum of crafting from Ukrainian egg decorating (Picture above) to tabletop rugs. Here is a list of just of few of the craft book subject she has covered to get you interested:
· Paper Mache
· Book and Journal Making
· "Sew What Skirts" (I love this book!)
· Crayon Roses (GORGEOUS)
· Needle Felting
· Decoupage
I only linked a few because I want you all to really check out Aimee's blog. It is incredible and fulfilling. She is a Renaissance woman and I know you all will love this blog. If one subject is not for you, you are sure to find another that is. I applaud you, Aimee, and keep it up!
All pictures are from Suzycucumber.blogspot.com
Picture from Two on, Two off
April's Blog of the Month is Two On, Two off. When I came across Dawn's blog I thought that she was funny and had a really great sense of style. I am amazed at all the garments that she has created. The fabric and pattern combinations are inspiring for the most jaded of sewers. If you are considering giving up garment sewing because you are bored or just aren't "feeling it" any more, check out Two on, Two off and you will be back in business in no time. It is hard not to itch for some apparel fabric and a few patterns once you read this blog. My favorite is her version of Butterick 5634 Ruffled Dress. I love this dress so much I am tempted to track this blog mistress down and steal it from her closet. Dawn is great at providing tons of well-done pictures and explains all the changes she did or didn't make to each pattern. Sometimes the piece is quick and easy and lovely, sometimes it is complicated but still lovely and each time she will let you know how it really broke down! She is honest, clever and humorous.
Dawn is also sponsored by Fabric.com which I was surprised to find out after I had spent about 45 min. cruising her blog, reading many of her posts. I rarely check out the sidebars in blogs until I am committed and I want to see what else is available (categories, archives, etc). After I was sure Two on, Two off would be this month's blog of the month, I glanced over and smiled to see our logo. This means any Fabric.com links you see on her blog, she gets a little something for sharing the love with us. Among other interesting links in her sidebar are a list of her favorite tutorials, her Sewing Pattern Review contributions and her favorite blogs. I love finding blog lists on my favorite blogs; it's like finding a list of recommended books at the end of a great book (oh how I wish this really were so!). Dawn's blog roll is quite extensive but worthy of time- should you have a long lunch break, nap or slow day at work). However, if I am going to remember anything from discovering Two on, Two off it is a new appreciation of fabric. Dawn's enthusiasm is addictive!
In my research
for the Sophia Carry-all (I like to find tips, mistakes and recommendations
from other bloggers before I start a project) I of course had to check out some
weekender projects. Since I tried to make my Sophia more like the Weekender I
did some checking to see which features people really liked about the weekender
and incorporate them into my Sophia. It was on this foray into the Weekender
that I found Made on Main Street's
blog. Her weekender is gorgeous and I had to see more of her good works.
Jill (The
blog mistress) is a mom of 2 kids who works in the design/architecture
industry. It is this eye for detail that really stands out when you check out
her quilts. They are stunning and really quite different. I admire her use of
space and that each quilt is not overwhelmed by details. Her use of fabric is
equally as fun. Jill has an Etsy
shop where she sells her wonderful quilt top templates.
Reading her
blog, you can travel with Jill and sneak a peek at the exploits of her silly
kiddos as well as behold all her wonderful quilting projects. You can glean
some great inspiration for projects such as the Weekender (she added some
hidden pockets, awesome bag feet and an adjustable shoulder strap). As much as
I love her blog and the projects it holds, I would really love to get a look at
her schedule. How does she fit all those amazing quilting projects in while
working with 2 kids? Maybe a future post on that, Jill?
You can read
more about Jill and her amazing quilting skills as her blog: Made on Main Street
You can purchase your own Amy Butler Weekender Pattern here
This month we submit to you as Blog of the Month: Trueup.net. This wonderful and informative blog is basically a mainline for everything fabric. You can find the newest designers, colorways and find great pictures of new and coming-soon fabric lines. TrueUp is not just limited to new fabric alerts, you can find great project inspirations, information of exisiting fabrics, sales alerts and fabric design.
Trueup also
features a Fabric Design forum where
you can find all the info your designing heart desires on: Creating, Repeats,
Printing and Licensing. You can find others who have been successful in fabric
design and many more who are beginners looking to express themselves
creatively or to make it their career.
Trueup is a
great site to help you find certain types of fabric. They feature a Liberty of
London Source Guide as well as Linen, Wool and Vintage Fabric. You can be
sure Trueup's list is inclusive because she encourages submissions of fabric
sites that are missing from each list at the bottom of the page. It
is a great resource for hard to find linen prints and Liberty of London outside
of London.
In the Sales Alert, Trueup
encourages shop owner's to give them the head's up on sales so they can alert
you but it is important to follow the guidelines. You (the buyer) can also head
over there on Fridays to find out the newest sales on fabric, notions and
patterns.
Finally, you
can purchase a copy of the Trueup book to
fabric design which promises to provide the techniques needed to create, print
and sell your own fabric designs. It is a very thorough and well written book
that if it doesn't completely cover everything you need to know to design your
own good-looking fabric, it doesn't fall far short. The pictures are great and
then text is simple enough for a beginner to understand without being too handhold-y
to bore the more advanced.
Bottomline
is: if you love fabric then why are you a fan of Trueup.net already!
This is an exciting month for Blog of the Month because we are featuring Sew4Home.com. This site suffers a misnomer because it should more correctly be named "Sew everything for everyone/tutorials galore.com". This is a gorgeous blog full of projects that are specifically for your home but you can also find tote bags, outdoor cushions, and gift ideas. One important aspect that you will notice right away is that Sew4Home loves Minky. Many of the projects use it to add softness and great, low maintenance texture to your home. Here are some of my favorite Minky projects featured:
Minky and Satin Baby Blanket (which we featured on our blog as well)
The creators over at Sew4Home whip up project after project that combine style with ease and functionality. There are no silly projects or create for the sake of creating with no real purpose besides being pretty. Their nursery projects rival Designsponge; I especially love their Michael Miller Citron and Grey series. It is a great inspiration for both baby girls and boys and I am willing to bet it is something both moms and dads can agree on. These animal pillows are seriously fun and so easy!
You can find something on this site that is your style or easily adapted to be perfectly your style. Any pillow, linen, cushion or home décor item that you can think of, they have it and you will love it. This site is also very easy to navigate. Their drop down menus at the top allow you to search by project, find tips, offer a shopping directory and features a glossary of terms to make everything easy and understandable. Sew4Home is a great resource for the Do It Yourselfers out there and is my new favorite website! Thank You Thank You Thank You
All pictures are property of Sew4Home.com. Please visit their website to find all the featured projects and more!
Our Blog of the Month is back by popular demand but before I introduce new blogs, I would love to take you back and revisit our previous Blog of the Month winners. First up is StacySews.com. Stacy Sews is one of my favorite blogs because Stacy has sewn everything and sewn it well. But it is not just the knowledge that Stacy keeps in her sewing kit but that she freely shares her knowledge on her blog. Stacy has made Thursday popular because it is Linky Thursday. I love to discover new tutorials and products on Thursday and I am sure many bloggers covet a bump in statistics from Stacy.
If Stacy has made it then she has blogged about it and with her blogs posts come modifications and recommendations but also a cost break down including cost of pattern, notions and fabric. You can also find a reference to where Stacy purchased her fabric in case your stash is in need of some of the same. Stacy has introduced me to many new patterns and pattern companies in the several years that I have been a faithful reader. You can also find more from Stacy in popular sewing magazines such as Sew News, Sew It All, and Sewing Republic.
