Weekend Wishes

yahoo!  today is a wonderful, amazing and oh so special day for our family! one we have been waiting on for almost 5 years!!!  we found out at 7am this morning that my hubby passed the big exam he has been working towards! a few more things he has to do and he will be a chartered accountant. so proud of you my love!

he has worked so very hard for our little family and i couldn't think of a better thing to happen to such a special man.  he's my best friend and i'm so proud of his huge accomplishment.  so instead of my normal weekend wishes i'm just wishing to enjoy this moment and savor every second of it.  i'll never forget waking up to seeing him say "i passed, i passed"!  it was so special and seeing as they make the poor students wait for months to find out (torture) we were so relieved to finally know the outcome of all of his hard work.  he has worked full time and studied since we had mackenzie and it hasn't always been easy, in fact it has been very hard on him and us but it has been so worth it.

so congratulations hun!!!!! i love you so much and the girls and i are so very proud of you.  we never doubted you for a second. thank you for doing all that you do for us. we can't wait to celebrate with you.

wishing you all a very happy and oh so special weekend.  see ya on monday :)

what are your weekend plans?  do you have a hubby or partner who is working/studying tons?  how do you cope with it?  what have you been crafting this week?  let's chat! i'm so excited!!!

Maternity Sewing Tutorial Roundup 2012!!!!!

phew! it's finally here! i couldn't bear to let 2012 go by without our annual "maternity sewing tutorial roundup"!!!  and no, before you ask i'm not preggers. i just like being excited for all you lovely pregnant, glowing mommas out there and give you lots of inspiration for making your own maternity clothes during your pregnancy.

so have some fun! pin your faves, check out all these talented ladies tutorials and show your luv! and most of all...pass it around.  there are a ton of ladies out there who i know don't even know you can refashion or sew your own maternity clothes and are suffering..lol.  i know i did with my first baby, i didn't even know how to sew yet but would have learned a heckuva lot sooner had i known i could make my own stylish maternity clothes without spending a fortune! congrats to all of you who are expecting or who are planning to be and happy sewing!!!!

maternity dress by cotton and curls

make a wrap dress by a beautiful mess

make a sundress from a beautiful mess

1.side tulip hemline tunic 2. maxi tank dress 3. maxi dress

oceanside knit dress by happy together

diy make a lace top from a beautiful mess

1. men's tee to striped top 2. men's loose tee to gathered top 3. top with elastic waistband

diy make a tunic from a beautiful mess

1. summer tunic 2. tied maternity top 3. ruched top 4. my favorite top 5.ruffle shoulder top

||  EXTRA LINKS  ||
- turn a men's polo top into reversible maternity top from cotton & curls
- shirred maternity tunic top refashion

stretchy pocket maternity pants from see kate sew

1. maternity jeans 2. maternity pants 3. diy maternity jeans 4. maternity jeans

diy prepster maternity skirt from growing home

1. very gathered maternity skirt 2. empire skirt

maxi skirt from elle apparel

1. super comfy stretchy maternity pencil skirt 2. comfy diy maternity skirts

||  EXTRA LINKS  ||
- maternity jean skirt from mens shorts 

diy maternity swimsuit sewing tutorial from cotton & curls

1. maternity bow belt 2. the bow belt 3. diy ruffled belly band

diy belly band from a beautiful mess

||  EXTRA LINKS  ||
- stretch lace belt
- mad mim's sewing tutorials
- maternity swimsuit pattern alteration and maternity swimsuit sewing
- 5 new maternity patterns from burda style
- sew fearless's "sewing with a plan: a semi handmade maternity wardrobe"
- www.diymaternity.com - awesome resource!!

megan neilsen maternity survival pack

- any and all of megan neilsen's wonderful maternity sewing patterns.

and our previous years maternity sewing tutorials roundups!!! yay!!! lots of goodies to be found in these giant roundups as well.

 

do you have a favorite maternity sewing tutorial that we haven't included in any of our roundups? let me know and i'll add your faves in the roundup above! i love this part! it's so fun to find new things! i hunted the web for my faves but that doesn't mean i won't love yours!  so grab a hot bevvie and come share!

Bella Collage Quilt Tutorial!!

i'm so excited to tell you all that we finally had some gorgeous weather here and i got the "bella collage quilt" photographed!! yay!!!! i heart this quilt.  it was such a fun one to whip up.  it's all about the fabrics on this one. i'm a huge fan of lotta jansdotter's work and fell head over heels for her new line bella.  i wanted something that was a great beginner quilt for all you fellow newbies but also something that let you have some wild fun with quilting if you were more experienced.  you know me...i'm all about a bit of wild fun :P

one of my main goals for designing the bella collage quilt was to enable the sewer to use 6 yards of fabric fully with minimal cutting.  i'm always looking for a way to use full yardage (i gotta thing for it) and i'll admit it...i suck at cutting.  so if i can't get a pre-cut bundle i tend to lean towards yardage and fun quilting to add some flair.  the finished size of this quilt is perfect for one adult. i'm all for that. i believe in selfish sewing these days and heck if my toes are warm and i'm all cozy and snuggled i'm happy.  when the hubs is out and i need a warm me up i go straight to bella now.  she keeps me nice and toasty.

i had the most fun with the layout of the quilting pattern for bella.  from far away she looks unquilted but if you look close - bam....tetris baby!  i wanted to highlight the outline of the blocks in the quilt front but also play up the 2 pieces on the back by splitting the pattern in half so to speak.  it enables a new quilter to jump in and make something that looks complicated but is fairly straightforward.  all straight lines (no curves). if you can sew straight lines you can make the bella collage quilt.

being a blogger i make collages a lot...and i mean a lot.  so the idea came to me when i was trying to figure out how to preserve as much of my yardage as possible to just make a collage.  i lurve it and it is going to be well loved by this momma in our little apartment.  i've been snuggling up with it non stop since i finished hand sewing the binding on and it really brightens up my sofa (which is definitely not as nice, or clean, as my friends whose is pictured above).

the bella collage quilt tutorial features:

: : 4 page full color pdf pattern complete with clear & easy to understand step by step instructions with bright photos and digitally drafted diagrams

: : instructions for a finished quilt including the tetris style quilting pattern.

: : fabric requirements, notions needed

: : a fun quilting/sewing experience :)

the bella collage quilt tutorial is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD here:

BELLA COLLAGE QUILT TUTORIAL

we had a blast photographing the bella collage quilt.  this is one of my fave places in victoria.  a beautiful lookout bluff that has 3 bright colored anorak chairs perched atop it.  when you sit there you feel as if you're floating in the air above the ocean.  it's one of my fave places to go and just breathe.  it reminds me how amazing this place is and how to not sweat the small stuff.  i can tell you that i needed it that day.  it ain't easy photographing quilts peeps. i freely admit i stressed with this one.  i wanted some shots that i could look back at and enjoy that weren't just for tutorial purposes.  something to document that moment and our little family.  i'm thankful the hubs & even the kidlets helped me out!  i adore the pics and i get relaxed and calm just looking at them.  i think one of these bad boys is going in a frame cause i need all the help i can get these days to just remember "to breathe".

so come, grab your fave quilt and a thermos of coffee and join me on the bluff...let's chat...and dream away an hour or two atop the ocean......

i hope you all enjoy this quick and easy quilt as much as i did. sometimes it feels good to whip something up that makes you feel fabulous that you adore that doesn't take months and months to make.  it was refreshing to just let my mind go and have some fun and just make what i felt like making and not worrying about how tricky or "new" it was.  i just enjoyed the whole process and i hope you will too.  so if you've been scared to try quilting now's the time to jump in.  i promise i'll hold your hand if you need it and i'll be here cheering you on!  you can do it...i know you can!

happy sewing from my home to yours!  xoxoxo  oh, and if you make one please upload some pics to our flickr group so we can all see your lovely quilts!  i can't wait!

what do you think? do you think you'll make one? what fabric line are you crushing on that you would use? i can't wait to hear your thoughts!

Book Review || Pacific Knits

1. mukluks 2. campfire

i'm so excited to review one of my fave new knitting books out called "pacific knits" by alexa ludeman and emily wessel of tin can knits.  this wonderful book captures so many lovely snippets of this gorgeous area we live and the 18 patterns in this book are awesome.  with sizes ranging from newborn to 4xl there is sure to be something for everyone.  alexa and emily were "inspired by the landscape, lifestyle and people of canada’s pacific coast".

tofino surfer

the patterns range from hats, cowls and slippers to sweaters and shawls.  there are projects that are suitable for both male and females and again so many size variations! this book is just overwhelming with goodness.  a perfect gift for that special knitter in your life or for whipping something up for someone near and dear.

1. sitka spruce 2. north shore

antler cardigan

pacific knits features patterns that alexa and emily have designed that are sorted by three different handy logos throughout the book - city, mountains and water.  i think this is my favorite part of the book.  i love seeing the inspiration behind it and think it's a very creative way to showcase all the wonderful amenities that our beautiful coast has to offer.

1. lowtide cardigan 2. urban hiker 3. torrent

pacific knits is 92 pages of knitting goodness filled with bright photographs, clear instructions and well written patterns and charts.  the book has sections on techniques and also an in depth section on sweater knitting and sizing that is very handy to have.  there are cables, lace and colorwork, plus designs for all sizes that are rustic and pretty.  having lived in british columbia my whole life, and vancouver for many, many years before relocating to vancouver island it was so fun to see images of my old stomping grounds as well as shots from some of my fave places to visit such as where i got married - tofino, bc. 

i adore the book and the ladies of pacific knits too.  i've been lucky enough to have gotten to meet alexa and also some of the models in the book (whom are their family and friends) and they are all sweet and oh, so lovely people.  so if you're looking to spoil yourself or treat another knitter in your life pick up a copy of pacific knits for the holidays.

i think pacific knits is a wonderful addition to any knitters collection.  you can purchase the print version of pacific knits, the e-collection or purchase any of the 18 patterns as an individual pattern as well here on their website or by visiting their pacific knits ravelry page.

and while you're over at tin can knits make sure you check out their new holiday collection called "great white north".  a lovely e-book filled with scrumptious knits just in time for the holidays!  sweaters, hats, cowls, and even ornaments - it's a great set of 8 patterns perfect for christmas.

thanks so much alexa and emily! you ladies rock!  you can find more tin can knits here:

website  |  blog  |  ravelry  |  facebook 

weekend wishes

Source: marcjohns.com via Shannon on Pinterest

happy thanksgiving weekend to all of my american readers! i hope you are all enjoying a lovely few days with family, friends and yummy food. oh, and let's not forget all the shopping sales to be had this weekend! i even took the day off yesterday and attempted....ahem...attempted being the operative word, to take advantage of a black friday sale but failed miserably getting my date wrong. can we say loooooossser! yep. silly momma. i'm still ill and i'm blaming it on this long lingering virus that is affecting my normally wide awake and alert brain...hahaha...yeah right! not. (is that word still cool to say - "not"? oh well, i'm saying it anyways..lol). needless to say i enjoyed a wee bit of rest this week and am keeping this week's weekend wishes short and sweet too.

i love the drawing above. maybe it's because it hits home for me and also because the artist is from my neck of the woods here in british columbia. we've got a thing for trees. i've also got a thing for greys, blacks and neutrals at the moment. could be all the rain we're having lately and the grey skies but i've got 2 upcoming knitting patterns due to come out and both are knit up in tones of grey. purdy greys. i can't wait to show you them!

i'm hoping to get working on some xmas decorations for our apartment and tree this year. i always make something new each year to add to our repertoire so i've slowly been pinning some new faves that just might end up being made. i'm trying to relish in this time before things get super duper busy around here. i've also got some xmas shopping to do. i'm about 3/4 of the way done - yay me, and hope to get my shopping done early this year so i can focus on other things in december and working towards my goal for this holiday - RELAXING. yep, that's right. our wee family has had a very long year and all we want for christmas is some down time to spend with each other. here's to making it happen.

what are you wishing for this xmas? are you doing any special shopping this weekend? what sales are you excited about? share the shopping luv ladies. i want to know about the deals to be had! are you crushing on a color at the moment? wishing you all a wonderful, turkey, shopping, coffee, napping and crafting filled weekend

Sweetheart, Delaney & Albatross Dresses - Birch Fabrics Booth Quilt Market

sweetheart dress

our holiday crafting support group post has been postponed :( this momma is still under the weather and has now lost her voice. torture i tell you. if you know me i hardly ever shut up never mind not be able to talk at all!  good thing i'm a good whisper talker...lol.  but it is hard to yell at the kids now and yes, they are taking full advantage of it. smart little whippets.  so i'm taking tomorrow off and taking it easy. this bug is taking forever to get over and every time i think i'm on the mend it hits me again with a different symptom.

sweetheart dress

i realized that i haven't had a chance to show you all the dresses i was so lucky to have on display at the birch fabrics booth at quilt market this fall.  i so love all the fabrics that cynthia's fabulous company comes out with and the fact that they are all organic is icing on the cake.  it was so fun to make 3 dresses - the sweetheart dress, the delaney dress & a new one - the albatross dress.  i love each one of these little dresses for their modern yet retro vibes and feel like they pair up great with birch fabrics prints.  i managed to grab some shots of the dresses before they went off to their new home :)

first off i squeezed my tiny 5 year old into both of these dresses which are a size 3!  yep, that's how small she is.  they were a tad tight but hey, what else do you do when your 2 year old is being stubborn and won't let you take one pic of her no matter what you do. i did get a few but they were about as good as it got. i tried everything. i even had a temper tantrum of my own (embarassing), i bribed, i begged...didn't matter.

 

 

in the end we gave up.  i decided to move on and use the eldest kid who in that particular moment felt sorry for me and agreed to be photographed so please ignore the fact that the armholes are way too small for her little body (shown below).

the albatross dress (shown above and below) is a new dress i designed with the birch fabrics prints as my inspiration.  i love these two prints together and couldn't resist doing something very flowy and feminine.  both of my girls loved it.  it's got a zippered back, faux belt and an adorable cut out with a feminine hand sewn bow detail on the neckline.  this dress will hopefully be available as a tutorial for you all in the next month or so.  i'm working on doing the dress with a lined bodice because my girls like it better and also because i'm really picky about finishing details inside and outside the dress and i think it will just add that extra nice finish to it.

what do you think? would you like to see a tutorial and a free pattern in one size for this dress?  or would you rather buy this dress as a full pattern with sizes from 2-10yrs?  i'd love to hear your thoughts :)

i also can't forget about our delaney dress.  this dress is still a fave to wear in our house.  harper is finally growing out of it...sob sob.  it's a great beginner dress and a good way to practice sewing that bias tape.  isn't that fox print adorbs?

here's some shots of the birch fabrics booth at quilt market.  lindsay (from the cottage mama) and i got to be booth buddies again with some of her clothing on display as well! so fun!!! thanks again linds for taking pics for me! she was at quilt market so it was fun to watch her post pics of our little outfits.  a big thank you again to cynthia for letting me make a few of my dreams come true!

i'm wishing you all a wonderful thanksgiving weekend and in honor of your holiday i'm having my first sale!!! woot woot!!!!! gobble gobble!  use the code "THANKSGIVING" in my etsy shop for a 10% discount off your purchase through till nov.26th!  have a fabulous day tomorrow!

have you made any of the dresses above?  would you like to see an albatross dress pattern or tutorial?  what have you been busy sewing lately?  let's chat :) i can't talk but i can still type <3

||  FABRICS USED  ||
SWEETHEART DRESS
outer dress -  bear orange from camp modern by birch fabrics
lining - bobbers from camp sur by birch fabrics
DELANEY DRESS
outer dress - sly fox from camp sur by birch fabrics
bias trim - bobbers from camp sur by birch fabrics
ALBATROSS DRESS
bodice - flight mahogany from camp modern by birch fabrics
skirt -  las flores mahogany from camp modern by birch fabrics

The Blair Bag - K.I.D. Series on Me Sew Crazy

i'm so excited to be guest posting over on my good friend jessica's blog - "me sew crazy" (and the awesome sewset) today for her K.I.D. series!  i love the whole idea of this awesome series.  we all got to get our kidlets to draw and design a project that we had to make. my oldest came up with a fun bag she called "the blair bag". 

the blair bag features a fun bow tie closure so she can practice tying her bows/knots (something she is working on at the moment) and is fully lined, interfaced and features another pocket inside and an extra wide strap for comfort.

come pop on over to me sew crazy to see more pics and read about our K.I.D.S. experience and also to check out all the other guest posts in this series! 

do you involve your wee ones in the design and sewing process?  what things have they designed that they have made? do you let them choose their fabrics and colors?  let's chat. it's monday and i'm slowly coming out of my cold coma & the coffee's on <3

weekend wishes

to break my pyrex dry spell...

Source: flickr.com via Shannon on Pinterest

to show you all my new quilt next week!!...

image luvinthemommyhood

to teach my kidlets this...

Source: room-for-emptiness.com via Shannon on Pinterest

and that we all get over the evil cold/virus that has hit our house yet again :(

Source: creativeguerrillamarketing.com via Laura on Pinterest

ok ladies.  my new quilt is done.  but now comes the hard part....photographing it.  taking images of quilts has proven to be trickier than i thought.  i am new to this and boy is it tough to capture a full quilt and also the small details.  anyone have any tips they can share with me or resources that they learned from?  i'm hoping to get it photographed this weekend so i can have the tutorial up next week for you all.

i'm also going to be busy sewing and finishing up my project for KIDS over on me sew crazy on monday! i can't wait to show you all mackenzie's project.  if you haven't checked out the other fab guests in this series you should. there is a lot of fun stuff!

we also just got back this past monday from a long weekend out of town visiting family and before we left our oldest got a bad virus/sinus thingie that had her knocked down for days and she's still under the weather.  now i have it and the wee one is fighting it off with just a bit of a stuffy nose. can i say i am sick of being sick? we've had a rough go of it since mack started kindergarten in the fall.  she's had 3 colds now!  that's a lot!  jeez louiz!  i already have a very low immune system due to my health problems so anything she brings home i catch for sure.  such is life.  i keep pumping them up with vitamins etc but it would help if they ate the food they get made...lol.  i am stuck with 2 picky eaters and a mom who dislikes cooking...haha.  not a good combo. thankfully the hubs keeps us all alive..haha.

anyhoo this weekend is going to be busy but i'm hoping to carve out some time to take care of myself and get some extra rest.  for sure some reading and knitting is on the agenda as well.  can't have a weekend without knitting :P

what are your plans?  do you have any quilt photography tips?  what have you been working on this week?  fill me in! it's friday! wishing you all a cold free, sunshiney fall day, vintage finds, cozy blankets & snuggle filled kinda weekend. 

p.s. don't forget to enter to win a fab gift certificate to honeybegood!  you can never have enough fabric peeps!

Shoplocket Review & a $100 Michaels Gift Card Giveaway!!

ohhhhh do i have something fun to show you today.  i know there are a ton of you ladies out there who have been pondering selling their patterns, handmade lovelies and more online but have hesitated due to all the work that is involved with setting up an etsy shop etc.  it takes a lot of work and not all of us have time for it.  but guess what?  worry no more m'dears!  check out the new site shoplocket!!!  it takes all guesswork out of selling online and what makes it so unique is that you create your listings FOR FREE and it gives you a sleek, modern listing that you simply embed on your blog, facebook page etc that you can share all over social media to sell whatever it is you want to sell!! and before you ask...it's so easy.  trust me...it took me less than 5 minutes to set up my listing and the fact that i can set it up to sell directly on my blog and have the pdf pattern go instantly to my customer makes me a very happy designer.

i thought i would show you all a bit about shoplocket and what it has to offer...you know....the inside scoop.  i can't wait to see how many of you are going to go "aha, this is exactly what i've been waiting for" and get those awesome patterns up for sale.  have a cute dress you want to sell - boom...list it on shoplocket and you're done.  flash that lovely listing anywhere you please.

want to know more about shoplocket?  there's even a fun video you can watch plus you can enter to win a $100 gift card to michael's! say what? yep, you heard me...lol.  $100 buckaroos people.  click here to get the deets on our review blog & enter to win.

you can find all things shoplocket here:

website  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  blog

Find my post disclosure here.

Christmas Tree Skirt Roundup - Holiday Crafting Support Group

my poor christmas tree has been ahem....naked shall we say for the last 5 christmases.  i've been shamefully using an old white receiving blanket draped around the bottom of the tree.  it's a sad boring excuse of a tree skirt and i admit i hate putting it there every year.  so this year i've decided to "try" to get one made.  no pressure...just adding it to my would love to have done this holiday season list.

after reading a comment on last week's holiday crafting support group post requesting a christmas tree skirt roundup i thought "aha...now that's exactly what i need to roundup".  so here you go!  i got out my lasso and rounded up what i think are some spiffy and purdy christmas tree skirts.  you've got quilted, pieced, felt, no sewing, knitted and crocheted tree skirts.  have fun & most of all i hope you get inspired!  also, if you  know of an awesome tutorial of your own or one you love please leave a link to it in the comments below and i'll add it to the "your faves" section of this post! alrighty...go pour yourself a nice big glass of (spiked) egg nog and let's get crafty!

 ||  SEWING TUTORIALS  ||

1. vintage embroidered tree skirt 2. sewing 101 tree skirt on design sponge

1. rockin' retro christmas tree skirt 2. spiderweb christmas tree skirt 3. christmas tree skirt in july

no sew ruffled christmas tree skirt

1. striped tree skirt 2. ruffled tree skirt 3. ruffled tree skirt 4. scalloped felt tree skirt

simply quilted patchwork tree skirt from sew 4 home

1. cloud9 christmas tree skirt 2. festive christmas tree skirt 3. buddy the elf tree skirt 4. fur trimmed tree skirt 5. diy ruched tree skirt

diy felt flower tree skirt

1. quilted tree skirt 2. christmas tree skirt

christmas tree skirt tutorial from simple simon & co

1. poinsetta tree skirt tutorial 2. heirloom wool tree skirt

||  KNITTING & CROCHET TUTORIALS  ||

granny tree skirt

1. silent night tree skirt 2. snowball tree skirt

retro ripples skirt

hemlock ring blanket

||  MORE LINKS & YOUR FAVES  ||

- stars all around the tree skirt pattern from simplicity
- hexagon tree skirt tutorial by jaceycraft
- esch house quilts north pole tree skirt tutorial
- bird in hand quilts christmas tree skirt
- fruitcake under my tree tutorial 
- christmas tree skirt from pauls block party
- silent night tree skirt
- round ripple tree skirt
- star tree skirt
- granny tree skirt
- diy no sew rufffle christmas tree skirt tutorial
- christmas tree skirt

you can find all the holiday crafting support group posts here.

link up, join in, comment below, add pics to our flickr group and take part in our conversations on ravelry too! we want to see what you're making, planning on making and what you've got planned for the holiday season.  if you've posted about holiday crafting add your link in the comments below as well.  it's way more fun if you all join in (if enough people comment i may just start a wee linky party for us to use). i loved seeing all of your holiday gift lists last week! i added about another gazillion projects to my faves :)

what's your favorite christmas tree skirt?  knit, crocheted, sewn or crafted?  do you have a fave pattern?  have you made your own christmas tree skirt before?  fill us in!  show off your handiwork!  let us know how your gift making & decorating has been going :)

Organic Fabric Giveaway from Honeybegood!!!

prints all from havana from monaluna

who wants to win some new fabric? i do, i do!  i loooooovvvee when we get a fun fabric giveaway and i love it even more when it's organic!!!!

our fabulous sponsor honeybegood has a wonderful fabric prize for us today!  honeybegood is run by the lovely karen who makes buying organic and environmentally friendly fabrics a lot easier for all of us.  her shop "specializes in organic cotton, hemp blends, and sustainable fabric for quilting, art and life".  honeybegood carries "designer organic quilting fabric from amy butler, daisy janie, monaluna, clothworks, robert kaufman and many more". you can also pick up "eco-friendly batting and organic cotton thread in a range of colors"!  hello!  how awesome is that!!!

top row: geocentric canvas by cloud 9 fabrics  bottom row: alchemy organic by amy butler

karen also has a handy section on her blog that explains all the different certifications that organic products can have.  it's worth a quick read and makes it easier to understand when you are shopping for something that is truly organic.  you can find that listing here. i also enjoyed this section on honeybgood that is called the "top 9 reasons i love organic".  it's a great way to find out a bit more about shopping organic and why to do it.  shopping organic can be easy and affordable if you're shopping from wonderful stores like honeybegood.

robert kaufman pure organic solids

for all of november karen will be donating 3% of all sales proceeds go to the American Red Cross for sandy relief efforts and there is also free shipping on all US orders over $50. i personally love stocking up on solids and i love the whole line of pure organic solids by robert kaufman.  i can never have enough solids and to have my solids stash be organic is something i'm trying to slowly achieve.

amy butler organic soul gift box

you can shop on honeybegood by designer/manufacturer, categories, kits and even bundles/precuts.  honeybegood also carries organic felt from eco-fi as well.  i also adore that karen sells gorgeous boxed sets of some of their loveliest fabrics!  what an awesome xmas gift that would make for the fabric lover in your life!  she even has free shipping on any "gift" purchased.  entire order must be shipped to one address to qualify.  enter code "giftship" at checkout.

you fab ladies ready to find out what you could win?
||  THE PRIZE  ||
- one lucky winner is going to get a $30 Gift Certificate to HoneyBeGood!!!!

||  HOW TO ENTER  ||
- simply enter a comment below letting me know what you would use your $30 gift certificate for at HoneyBeGood.
*bonus entry - like honeybegood and/or luvinthemommyhood on facebook and then come back and leave another comment letting me know you did that too.

||  THE RULES  ||
- you must include a valid email in your comment or you will be disqualified.
- giveaway is open until november 19th, 2012, midnight PST.

good luck and happy fabric shoping!  a big thank you to karen for the lovely prize and for such a wonderful fabric shop!

you can find all things honey be good below:

website  |  blog  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  pinterest

thanks for all of your entries!

weekend wishes

Einstein Mini-Notebook from Happy Dappy Bits

don't you just love the feel of a sharpened pencil or a brand new pen?  pair it with a new fave journal or notebook and i'm one happy lady.  this time of year always has me feeling so inspired and also has me sketching & taking lots of notes.  this week's weekend wishes is a short one because of that.  i've got some projects on the go that i really want to indulge in today :)

i thought it would be fun to hear what you all plan on indulging in this weekend? is their a project or activity that you plan on doing just for yourself this weekend?  what special thing are you making or creating that you can't stop doing?  it's like when you find that special book that you just can't put down....i get like that with the projects i'm loving too.  i just don't want to put them down.  they are always on my mind calling out to me.  you know....the ones that we stay up till late in the wee hours for....the ones that we will rip out or tink back over and over till they are as perfect as we can make them....the ones we will bore anyone who will listens with all the details because we can't contain our excitement...the ones that cause our eyes to light up and our hands to get twitchy to make....the ones that fill our souls with that moment of bliss when you stand back and go "yessssss....i made that"...ohhhh that feeling of fulfillment and joy, its so addictive and indulgent and i love every single amazing second of it. 

this weekend i'm hoping to indulge.  i'm going to hopefully get more sleep than normal, knit happily away on some new upcoming patterns (yay), and get my newest quilt bound. i'm a 1/4 of the way there and i'm so in love with it. i hope that by next week i'll have pics and a tutorial to share. so excited!

so spill the beans ladies.....whatcha up to?  what have you got on the mind that you're wishing you were doing instead of chores/work/diaper changes/school pickup etc......i'd love to hear about it!  wishing you all a wonderfully indulgent and gorgeous fall weekend! monday is remembrance day here in canada and it's a holiday so i'll most likely be back on tuesday. xoxoxo

 

moments in the daddyhood - foggy fall

the hubs was at it again.  my fave moments in our home are sometimes the ones i'm not a part of that i find later on the camera and now our ipad.  cracks me up every time to see how their little adventures play out.  here's some shots of the latest installment of them on a foggy fall day....

 

victoria is always filled with the most gorgeous and inspiring leaves at this time of year and i could probably easily fill this blog up with just leaf pictures alone...lol.  it's heavenly.  as long as it's not monsoon raining i'm a very happy lady during this lovely vancouver island weather.

do you find unexpected pics on your camera? what happens when your partner takes your kiddos out with you?  are you relishing in the fall weather where you are?  it's a blustery one here today and it's  filled with blue sky, leaves crisp and blowing and warm fresh coffee - want some?

Winners!!!!!!!!

simply color ombres by v and co.

we have some winners to announce today!  let's get celebrating!

the winner of the simply color by v and co. fabric giveaway from fat quarter shop is.....

Commenter #182 - Alexis

yay!!! this line is so lovely! congrats on your win!!!

1. whitney's ruffle neck romper 2. natalie's ruffle butt romper 3. elena's double layer peasant dress 4. helen's maxi dress

and the winner of our create kids couture giveaway is......

Commenter #30 - Alexis!

congrats! these patterns are so adorable! have fun sewing!

thanks to all of you who voted!  and a big thank you to our awesome sponsors....

you can find all things fat quarter shop here:

website  |  blog  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  pinterest

and

you can find all things create kids couture here:

website  |  blog  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  pinterest  | 

holiday crafting support group!!

i finally allowed myself to realize that it's november.  halloween is over and that means christmas stuff is everywhere.  tv, radio, stores, online...you can't get away from it.  this also means for us lovers of making that we usually are at this point getting either over zealous or a wee bit stressed with our holiday crafting plans.

if you're anything like me you've probably experienced both the highs and the lows of holidays crafting.  you start out super excited, almost a crafters high of sorts, writing lists, planning out your supplies and choosing gifts for everyone from your child's teacher to your loved ones.  you get all revved up and pump yourself full of "i can do this", "i'm going to save so much money doing this", "i don't need sleep", "i can live off coffee for a month" and so on....until you a) give up half way through and buy gift cards b) have a crafters breakdown c) burn out or d) end up grumpy/stressed and severely sleep deprived on xmas that you don't even enjoy yourself.

what's the point in pointing this out to you? well....i don't want that to happen to any of us anymore.  so how do we solve it? i'm not 100% sure what the answer is but what i do know is that i have some tips that i have learned and so do a lot of you.  we all love making gifts for our loved ones and we all just love to "make" so how can we, as a group, inspire, support and cheer each other on to make a  "reasonable"  (and i mean human, not robot) amount of gifts and home decorations.

throughout november and december i'll be writing posts on most wednedsays to open up discussions, project sharing, friendships to be made, shoulders to cry and lean on, and overall just a place you can come each week to keep focused, stay on track and try to make it through the holidays making but also smiling.

||  FOR THE SEWERS & CRAFTERS ||

- this is new for me so i'm going to try out a few things along the way. depending on interest from you fab ladies i'm thinking of starting a linky party on this day where you can link up your posts for crafts/projects you are making for the holidays and their progress or other posts inspired by the theme "holiday crafting support group".
- add your pics to our flickr group to show off your handiwork. we love to see what you're making.
- comment, chat, start discussions, join in the convo. i promise this is all more fun if you get involved :)

||  FOR THE KNITTERS  ||

- there will be a topic in our luvinthemommyhood ravelry group called "holidays crafting support group" where you can all chat away, share your project line ups, link to what you're making and also show off those pics!!! i love this part!!!
- feel free to also join in with the rest of us here on my blog post each week, link up your posts on all the knitted lovelies you're posting on your blogs as well.

i want this space to be somewhere you can come during this mostly joyful but also sometimes stressful time of year each week to feel like you have people to talk to who understand you, are making things right along side you, cheering you on, and just plain want to hear about all the fun stuff you have planned for the holidays.  feel free to show off all your handiwork and crafting skills!  it helps to keep us all motivated and feeling inspired.

i love christmas and plan on making this one as relaxing and as enjoyable as possible for my family this year and i hope you will all join me in this wee journey.  so join in! i can't wait to see what you will all be whipping up this year!

to get you started here are some of my fave roundups from previous years for holiday goodies:

||  GARLAND ROUNDUP  ||

image source

||  WREATH TUTORIAL ROUNDUP  ||

image source

||  CHRISTMAS STOCKING ROUNDUP  ||

would you all like to see some new roundups on these topics this year? anything else you'd like for me to round up for the holidays?  let me know below and i'll get my lasso out and get rounding em'posts up.  have you started your holiday crafting list yet?  what & how many projects are you planning on making this year?

quilting 911 - creative bliss

i have a confession.  i've been cheating on my vintage sheet inspired quilt with a new one.  i know, i feel guilty.  i try to work on only one quilt at a time but this time i've cheated.  i blame it completely on lotta jansdotter.  yep, it's all her fault.  why did she have to come out with such a lovely line that i just could not absolutely resist making a new quilt for myself out of?  it lured me over to the dark side.  i quickly bundled up my other quilt and put it aside to jump head first into the frenzy of lotta sewing.  the line - bella.  the result?  can't show you yet...hehe.  but i loooooove it.  i think it's my fave quilt to date.  why?  because it was completely spur of the moment and i just winged it. 

sometimes my most favorite projects are the ones that are totally unexpected and not on my schedule or list at all whatsoever.  it feels wild and freeing to do this once in a while.  i'll just drop everything and immerse myself completely in something new and unplanned.  i just lose myself in it and boy is it fun.  even though i feel guilty for dropping my other quilt faster than a hot potato i feel that it's worth it to have this new baby to snuggle up under.

how to sew binding roundup

want to know what the best part is?  it's going to be my first quilting tutorial!!!! yes!  i'm so excited!  it definitely is something i wanted to share and it's the perfect quilt for all you fellow newbie quilters like me to sink your teeth into.  so watch this space....it's coming soon.  i spent all my kid free time yesterday quilting my brains out on this bad boy so that today i can start putting the binding on. i had tons of work to do but i just. couldn't. stop. quilting.  speaking of binding....don't forget about our how to sew binding roundup! this is a great resource of tips and techniques for binding your quilts.  i refer to it all the time.

1. rocky shore in schooner 2. scattered sand in seaspray  3. seaside stripe in seaspray 4. seaside stripe in warm grey 5. rocky shore in sunspray 6. woven in schooner all from bella by lotta jansdotter

want to know what prints i used for my new quilt?  i used the lovelies shown above & even had to add some color palette boxes below the prints just for fun! aren't they purdy?  i don't want to reveal too much and all i can say is i'm digging it.  yep. i even snuggled under it for a few minutes after i was done quilting it.  i feel like that is the moment of true quilting love for me. i love the quilting part the best out of the whole process.  it's so exciting and fun for me.  this time was tricky though.  this was a much bigger quilt than i'm used too and it was a good workout trying to fit it in my machine.  it was tricky and time consuming but i managed to push through and i'm happy with the outcome. it ain't perfect but heck...who is right?  it's all a learning process for me.

i simply love the feeling of getting lost in a quilt and watching the time fly by while i'm having a heckuva lot of fun. there is something so soothing and relaxing about quilting that i just can't put my finger on it but man is it good for the soul and oh so rewarding when you are done. i even have to admit that this is the first time i'm actually looking forward to the binding process.  i usually detest it but have started to grow a fondness for hand sewing my binding.  i sew the first side by machine and hand sew the binding down.  this works great for me and i love snuggling up under the quilt with my trusty thimble.  it's starting to become fun for me and i'm so looking forward to this evening.  that is exactly what i'm going to be doing tonight. i can't wait to show you all the finished product and share the tutorial.

what quilt are you working on right now?  do you love or detest the binding process? which part of quilting is your favorite?  do you find yourself getting lost in creative bliss while quilting too?  let's chat m'dears!  it's monday and it's finally not raining here! yay!!!

weekend wishes

to get working on all the projects that the new taylor swift album (i'm obsessed) has inspired...

taylor swift - red

to get myself some fun tights for the winter (these ones have foxes on them! cute!)...

Source: anthropologie.com via Shannon on Pinterest

to hang this in my house...

Coffee Tea Print

or this one...lol...

Coffee Tea print by Noodlehug

to get crafting with pinecones...you know i love me a good pinecone...

Source: flexinredning.blogspot.com via Shannon on Pinterest

to make some of these for the tree, for my keychain, for gifts, for.....lol..the list goes on...

Source: knitpicks.com via Shannon on Pinterest

and that santa brings me these coffee stitch markers for my needles :)

java jive handmade stitch markers from lady danio

i know...coffee on the brain today right! lol! i can't help myself. i'm all jacked up due to my first eggnog latte of the season. the red cups do me in every year. it accelerates my coffee addiction from somewhat excessive to mental...lol.  i just get coffee on the brain all day when the holiday crafting season starts.  i'm gonna control myself this year...or attempt to. not going overboard on handmade gifts and may just spoil myself silly with making lovely goodies for myself..lol.  too many wip's in my knitting baskets that i need to finish.  same with my sewing table. too many washi's and tova's that need to get sewn for this momma.  it's ok right?  if i make myself some indulgences and buy lovely goodies for my loved ones instead?  right?  please tell me it's ok...lol.

i've also be crazily addicted to the new taylor swift album. #4 is my fave. can't stop playing it. i'm a wee bit obsessed with some riffs/beats in it and find myself strangely inspired by the whole album and in particularly that song. some good stuff is gonna come out of it...i can feel it in my fingers...lol. besides being inspired i am a big fan of hers and love that my girlies love her music as much as i do.  we all blast it in the car and sing at the top of our lungs.  it feels good and it's one of my fave things to do with my kidlets.

what are you all up to this weekend?  anyone else changing up how and who they are making handmade gifts for this year?  the hubs is in an all day course on sat so i'm going to attempt to work/sew with the kiddos home a bit (cross your fingers for me) and we're also going to be doing some cleaning and purging. we're behind on our pre-holiday organizing and desperately  need to get moving on decluttering and cleaning out our wee condo.  fun right? not. i hate cleaning. hate. dislike. don't ever want to do. funny thing is i dont like it when it's messy or cluttered in my place and it always is. so maybe i should clean more? but then that means i can't sew or knit or chat with you all as much...boo urns.  i think i need to work more so i can hire a maid. that would work right? lol. dear santa....please bring me a maid for christmas...purdy please?

wishing you all a maid, tons of coffee, laughs, fave song singing, crafty filled, self indulgent kinda weekend. you deserve it! luvs!  

ps. don't forget to enter to win the "simply color v and co. fabric giveaway from fat quarter shop"! you don't want to miss this line! those ombre solids kill me! love! enter here.

moments in the mommyhood - pumpkin boobies

and yes, these do look like my boobies...muahaha...lmao!

i heart fall.  i don't heart the endless rain and miserable grey misty cold but i heart the glimmers of goodness about fall.  pumpkins, leaves, trees, fresh air, warm knits, and the calm before christmas.  one of our fave things to do in the fall is head out to the local pumpkin farm to pick our pumpkins.  we had a good time even though our youngest refused to look at the camera.  not even once...poor little thing.  she had just woken up from a nap and no matter what i did she wouldn't lift her head up to smile or even scowl...haha.  i'm sure you can all relate to those moments when we really, really want to get pics of our kiddos and they just won't pose.  oh well....such is life..haha.

here's some of our faves from the last few weeks....(i love getting pics of feet...can you tell?)

we did get some other great pics and i couldn't resist sharing them all today.  it's back to the misty, grey rain today but we were lucky to have a break of no rain for trick or treating last night.  i hope you all had a safe and fun halloween and before you ask - no, i didn't make any costumes for halloween and never have.  one day i will though :)  we had a great night and it was soooo fun to see harper have her first halloween that she will remember and to see the 2 girls together trick or treating so fun!

my fave moment - there is a house in our neighbourhood that goes all out for halloween every year and i mean all out.  scary...like adult freaky scary.  it's not for little ones.  it's frightening and each year it's my favorite house to go to. i slowly creep up and wait to get scared. last year someone grabbed and pulled me across the yard....awesome.  now this house happens to use santa as one of it's freaky compenents..and yes, i said santa.  i told you...not for kids..lol.  we were almost at the house and all of a sudden santa came running out of the yard and literally chased 3 kids about a block and a half scaring the wits out of them (these were teens) and i almost peed myself. the screams were so fun!!! honestly...loved it.  that may be twisted of me but it was a riot.

how was your halloween? how has your fall been? do you pick your your pumpkins or have other fall rituals you do?  hope you're having a wonderful week!  let's chat....i've got tea and coffee...want some?

ISLAND Pre-Order Book Release!!!

A collection of handknits designed by Jane Richmond and inspired by life on Vancouver Island. This book was a special artistic journey to bring Jane's patterns to life with photography by Nicholas Kupiak, modeling by Kylee Shaw, and graphic design/layout  & conception by Shannon Cook & Jane Richmond.

More than just a knitting book, ISLAND is a visual and creative experience showcasing the majestic beauty of Vancouver Island. Filled with designs & fibers that are true to Jane's classic and modern aesthetic, ISLAND not only makes you want to knit, it also inspires you to lose yourself in an adventure of your own.

Be inspired, get lost in the journey, set your imagination free, and ESCAPE to the ISLAND.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR PRE-ORDER
 I S L A N D - $20
Includes:
Print Copy  |  Digital Version  |  Printable PDF

we are soooooo excited to announce that ISLAND is available for pre-order starting today and running for one week only!  books will ship november 30th!!!! woot woot!!!!  we've been really busy working on the sidelines to get copies available to you as quickly as possible and we hope you will all love the book and collection as much as we do.

included in your pre-order is the print copy of the book as well as the digital copy!!!  so you can get knitting before your book even gets here! bring on the holiday knitting!

you can also now view all the projects contained in the book on ravlery.  visit our ISLAND ravelry store page here for more info or to purchase the digital copy of the book ONLY.  for those of you who already have the book (yay!) please feel free to add your projects to the rav pages! we cannot wait to see them!  we will also be adding a new thread in the jane richmond ravelry group for you all to chat and share your ISLAND projects! fun!

and just cause we looooooovvvve the ISLAND video so much i'm posting it in here one more time...hehe.  can't get enough of it.  makes me well up every time. i'm so happy that you all enjoyed the video as much as i did. it was so fun to put together for you all!

ISLAND: A Collection from luvinthemommyhood on Vimeo.

thank you all sooooo much for all of your support and for such a lovely and warm response to the book!  it means the world to us! we can't wait to see all of your wonderful and inspiring projects and stay tuned...we'll both be blogging about the whole "self publishing" a book process soon! <3

Simply Color by V and Co. - Fat Quarter Shop Fabric Giveaway!

simply color ombres by v and co. for moda

you guys in the mood to win some yummy fabric today? sounds good because i'm in the mood to give some away!  the lovely and oh so adorable bloggy pal of mine vanessa of v and co. fame has her first fabric line out this year called "simply color".  i loooooooove it.  i'm so feeling those ombre prints (shown above) and since i'm pretty excited about this line i knew you all would be too!

simply color by v and co. for moda

the awesome "fat quarter shop" is sponsoring our giveaway today and one of you lucky ladies is going to get a chance to win them some simply color! simply color is perfect for anything ranging from quilting, clothing, accessories...the list goes on.  there are a ton of awesome patterns on fat quarter shop as well as the v and co. website (and her book) so there is definitely no shortage of projects to use simply color for.  all the solids and ombres are my faves. i love the colors that vanessa chose and can't wait to get my hands on some. 

simply color by v and co. for moda

fat quarter shop always has a great selection of all of your favorite prints and all the yummy moda pre-cut selections. dare i say christmas is just around the corner and it's never too early to get perusing the fabric...right? or at least that's what i've been telling myself this month..haha.

simply color by v and co. for moda (image via v and co.)

the weather has been horrendous all over and i feel like simply color is just what we need to lift upour spirits.  it feels so bright and fresh to me...sort of like that perfect day right in between spring and summer when the air is fresh and full of promise but it's not too hot out yet.  where all seems right in the world and you feel creative and energized.

you ready to enter?  yay!!!

||  THE PRIZE  ||

- one lucky winner will receive a jelly roll of simply color by v and co. from fat quarter shop.

||  HOW TO ENTER  ||

- simply leave me a comment letting me know what you would make with your jelly roll.
*bonus entry: follow fat quarter shop on pinterest and then come back and leave me a comment telling me you did that too.

||  THE RULES  ||

- you must leave a valid email address in your comment or you will be disqualified.
- giveaway is open until monday, november 5, 2012, midnight (PST).

good luck everyone and thank you for all your entries! i can't wait to see who is going to win!  and a big thank you to fat quarter shop as well for the awesome prize!!!

you can find all things fat quarter shop here:

website  |  blog  |  facebook  |  twitter  |  pinterest

ps. to all of you facing sandy this week please stay safe... you're all in our thoughts.