Feature on Sew Mama Sew and giveaway!

I am very excited today for 2 reasons, firstly my book is charting in the US.  Not particularly high yet, number 79 in reference books on Amazon.com but I'm still excited nonetheless I wasn't sure whether it would make any kind of splash over there or not.  It only went on sale in the US and Canada yesterday so I'm hoping it's going to build over time.

The second reason is that an article I wrote for Sew Mama Sew has been published!  You can read it here, they are also giving away 5 copies of my book too.   I wrote about the sense of isolation you can experience when working from home alone, something I'm sure many of you can relate to.

As well as all that excitement I have also had a really busy few days shooting photos for a whole set of new tutorials for the site, techniques guides.  There will be guides to different hem and seam techniques, pressing tips, sewing tips from an expert stitcher, a guide to hand stitching stitches, a guide to machine stitches and some alterations tutorials. 

I'm going to be busy editing photos and uploading the tutorials for the next couple of weeks and then I'm going to put the live 1 per week over the next 3 months. 

I'd love to know what sewing techniques you'd like to see featured in the future, please do comment below and let me know and I'll see if I can get them into the next lot I do.

Year of Handmade Gifts

Hello everyone, welcome to 2015!  I realised at the end of last year that as with every year I planned to make several people handmade gifts, even bought the fabric ready and then never got around to it so I decided this year I will aim to make 1 handmade gift a month and share my progress through my blog.

I'd love to have you sew a long with me, making your own handmade gifts too so please do either post links to what you have been making in the comments section each month or come and join the Facebook group I've set up.  I thought we could share our pictures, links to useful projects, ideas and inspiration in the Facebook group.  Do feel free to nab the image above to use on your blog and link back to this post for anyone who wants to join in.

I've decided I'm not going to be too strict with myself so will aim for 12 handmade gifts in the year, but not necessarily 1 made each month.  I'm sure there will be some months I might manage 2-3 and other months where I don't manage any.  So as long as it averages out to 1 per month I'll be happy.

This is the last handmade gift I made, a pin cushion and needle book set for a secret santa I held at my sewing group.  I'm sad to say that is the only handmade gift I managed last Christmas and even then it was a last minute rush! I was so busy with book promotion I didn't have chance to make anything else.

I'm going to star the year off by making a baby quilt for my best friend who is due to have her first baby in March, a little girl.  My friend is obsessed with pink so I'm sure the baby's room will be very pink!  So I'm planing to use the fabrics above, the new V & A collection - Bhandari, to make the quilt as the purples will go well with pink plus it has pink in the prints.

I'll probably mix in some pink and purple Kona solids, any will probably leave out the turquoise print as it doesn't quite fit the colour scheme.  The fabrics aren't in the shops yet but will be on sale shortly. I am going to try and write a tutorial for the site whilst I make the quilt, just deciding on the design.  It will be pretty simple, either squares or I was considering bricks like a brick wall kind of look.

Then after the quilt I need to start thinking of something for mother's day.  I made these gifts for my mother in law a couple years ago and she loved them.  I'm considering personalised notebook covers for this year maybe.

So will you be taking the handmade gift pledge in 2015?   If so do comment below and let me know what you plan to start with or come join the conversation in the Facebook group.