Winchester Lambourne Giveaway Winner

Thank you to everyone who entered to win a ten clipart pack from Winchester Lambourne.  The randomly selected winner is…

Congratulations, Alyssa!  Enjoy your clipart!

L'oiseau - High Quality Imported Fabric, Trim, and Patterns

I cannot be more excited to introduce you to the sponsor of today's post.  If you've ever wondered where you can get high-quality, imported European fabrics, trims, and patterns you need not look any further then L'Oiseau.

 L'Oiseau opened after years of research by a dedicated mom who is passionate about making bright, fun clothing for her children, but had difficulty accessing the beautiful stretchy knits, soft cottons, and whimsical prints from overseas.  Taking this challenge upon herself, Michelle has made these amazing products affordable and accessible to Canadians and crafty-minded sewists around the world who, like me, are desperate for those stunning fabrics to drape their children in!  Thank you, Michelle!!

At  L'Oiseau  you will find European products from which you can make one-of-a kind garments and accessories that will have people stopping you in the streets to ask where you bought them: gorgeous fabrics from the Netherlands, unique Farbenmix ribbons, patches and patterns from Germany, and incredible Ottobre design magazines from Finland.  And that's just to name a few.  Most of the products are OEKO-TEX certified, so you can have confidence in where your products came from and how they were made.

When my package from L'Oiseau arrived, I was in total amazement at the exceptional quality.  To be completely honest, I've never had the opportunity to even touch such luxurious fabrics and notions…EVER!  Let's start with one of the many über cute iron-on appliqués available at L'Oiseau.  The one I selected was perfect for my boy who is currently obsessed with all things outer space: the Otto Space Robot.

In just minutes, given the helpful detailed instructions, I was able to transform an ordinary previously made t-shirt into something charming and distinctive.  Needless to say, he LOVES it!

  

Next up, what I've been wanting to get my hands on for a long, long time: an Ottobre magazine and some beautiful organic interlock knit.  Each quarter, a new issue of Ottobre magazine is released containing 40 full sized patterns for children ranging from sizes 6 months to 14 years for both boys and girls.  That works out to only about .41 cents a pattern!  And the designs have unique details making them different than many of the typical patterns you see everyday.  To see more details, check out the extensive selection at L'Oiseau. 

Browsing through my Autumn 2013 issue, I noticed this cool hoodie.  I loved the patches and the interesting cross-over hood.

Then, for my fabric selection, I headed over to L'Oiseau's impressive selection of 100% organic fabrics and knowing this hoodie was for my boy, these adorable little elephants caught my eye.  The colour combination is perfect for fall and there are so many options for coordinating.  I simply can't get over the lovely the texture and superb quality of this fabric!  It has the perfect amount of stretch and thickness.

Here's the finished product for my boy...  

 

And the fun has only begun!  On Monday, I plan to show you two complete outfits I'm working on for my girl.  Think super soft Dutch fine wale corduroy, silky imported jersey knits, whimsical ribbons and velvety velour patches!  Can you tell how excited I am to share this amazing new shop with you?!  If you want to keep connected with all the new stock and happenings, 'like' L'Oiseau on Facebook.

Have a great weekend, Everyone!

*Although some of the fabrics and notions used to make the garments for this post were provided free of charge, all my enthusiastic opinions are my own.* 

Winchester Lambourne Clipart Illustration Giveaway

For all the fellow crafters out there looking for some fantastic graphics to boost your projects, here's a fantastic giveaway for you!  Winchester Lambourne creates clipart, digital papers for scrapbooking, and custom graphics (including Etsy shop banners, business cards, labels, and stickers).  The designs are amazing with endless possibilities of what you can do with them.

Wondering how to make them relatable to sewing?  Here's what I did with one of my Winchester Lambourne graphics…

Taking one of the rockets from the Space Set, I stencilled this cool print on a shirt I made awhile back.

Here's the tutorial I used to learn how to do this technique.

Here's your chance to win TEN clipart packs of your choice.  Good luck!






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Swing Skirt Pattern Tour and Giveaway

Piping, pockets, and a pleat - that's how I would describe Marte of Compagnie M's new Swing Skirt Pattern.  Like all of Marte's patterns, this skirt is unique and very much a recognizable signature of her work.  I'm honoured to be on the tour, sharing my version of this skirt.

Marte describes it the Swing Skirt as: "...an A-line skirt with a few twists. Big piped pockets & an inverted box pleat make it a sophisticated skirt with just that little extra!".  It certainly does have sophistication and gives you that opportunity to really make it your own.  I chose to keep the skirt all one colour using yellow corduroy, although, I've seen many super cute versions using contrasting fabric for the the pleat and/or pockets.  I did choose to make my own piping out of some adorable Village Green fabric I have left from this dress.  The look was just what I wanted and perfect for Fall.

Although Marte gives excellent instructions on how to sew in the invisible zipper, I chose to an elastic waistband to accommodate how quickly my girl has been growing lately.  There is also an option to add an adjustable elastic for the waistband as well.  Like I said, plenty of options to personalize with this pattern!

And one reader will be lucky enough to win a copy of the Swing Skirt pattern!  I'm sure you will enjoy this unique and versatile skirt as much I did!

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Scandinavian Style Sewing Series

It's Day 2 of the Scandinavian Style Sewing Series hosted by the wonderful Stacey from Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy crafts.  I was especially excited in participating in this series because I love this style!  The simplicity and minimalism are right up my design alley, and I couldn't wait to create my look.  My research took my to CIFF and the Scandinavian Mini Mall.  There, I found gorgeous garments ranging from bright, whimsical prints to understated modern neutrals.  Searching my stash, I found some cozy off-white faux fur I bought ages ago, and knew in an instant that it had to be a part of the outfit in the form of a reversible vest.  From there, the rest came together, from the black ribbed jersey turtleneck, to the quilted cotton skirt, and finally, up-cycled leg warmers made from socks.  

All the garments for this outfit were adapted from existing clothing or self-drafted patterns.  If you'd like to re-create part of the look, I've got a couple tutorials for you.

CLICK HERE for the Legwarmer Tutorial

CLICK HERE for the Faux Fur Vest Tutorial

Thank you Stacey for this great idea for a series and for the invitation to participate.  

Faux Fur Vest Tutorial

Olivia Top and Dress Pattern Tour and Giveaway

Have you seen the lovely newest pattern by the amazing Jessica from Craftiness is not Optional?  Well, the Olivia Top and Dress is simply adorable, and I was so excited to be a part of the tour.  Shockingly, after all the dresses I made for her last summer, Anja was actually in need of something that fits, and this one was perfect!  

Here's Jessica's description of the Olivia Top and Dress: 

"This frock features and adorable button up empire waist style bodice, with sleeves in three variations: sleeveless, short, and elbow length. The gathered skirt is comfortable and breezy, and the fit is meant to be loose and flowing-it's all about comfort!"  

I love a pattern with opportunities to personalize, and that's exactly what this one offers. I chose to lengthen the sleeves, and add bias tape to them, as well as some ties for the back and front pockets.  Other then that, I stuck to the original.

The pattern was super easy to follow (love how Jessica's fun personality shines through the instructions like she's right there with you!), and the photographs are gorgeous.  

The Olivia Top and Dress pattern is available here.

I'm so excited that one lucky reader will get to enjoy this pattern, too!
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There are still a couple days left in the tour, so keep following along, or catch up on Olivia Tops and Dresses you've missed.

*I received a complimentary pattern in exchange for this honest review.*