SUMMER SWEATER KNIT ALONG || DEADLINE EXTENSION POLL

our deadline is here for the summer sweater knit along!  are you ready?

yes? no? maybe so? need another week? or 2 weeks? done but have another wip you would like to finish up? let's vote on it! you know how we love a kal extension. click on the link below to vote for your choice! 

SUMMER SWEATER KNIT ALONG EXTENSION POLL

i can't wait to see all the sweaters done! the ravelry group thread for all your finished sweaters is already filled with the most lovely projects! you guys are so amazing!

how's your SSKAL project coming along? which sweater did you make? are you close to being done?

p.s. don't miss the new Brooklyn Tweed BT Fall 2013 Collection! Stunning pieces! I'm obsessing over Oshima!

>>> JOIN IN & SIGN UP <<
- sign up for the knit along by clicking "here".
- get inspired by checking out our kal pinterest board
- take part in all the fun conversation & make new friends in our ravelry group
- find out more and find all the posts and info "here" on our kal homepage.
- remember to tag your instagram/facebook/twitter/google+ pics with #sskal.

>>> OUR AWESOME SPONSORS <<<

KNIT GIRL IN IDAHO

FREE PATTERN || EMBRACE BABY QUILT: BEGINNER QUILTING SERIES

it's time for another beginners quilting pattern!!! the embrace baby quilt pattern is here!!!! 

i whipped up this bad boy in a few hours for the lovely tanis of tanis fiber arts for her new baby boy a few months ago. it literally has taken me from then to get pics and to hand sew my binding on...lol. oh my...how's that for a "better late than never" gift right? i loved making this quilt and it was a lot of fun to whip together. the whole idea is to "embrace" your stash. embrace those leftover chunks that don't really fit for anything else. turn them into a new quilt or play mat for that special wee one in your life!

the embrace quilt is fast, fun and easy to make. it's a great introduction into quilting and and also whole cloth quilting.  i also got to go all willy nilly on my quilting which was extra fun!!! if you're looking for another great beginner's quilt pattern you can find my free Bella Collage Quilt Pattern here.

those lines aren't straight and they aren't supposed to be and i. loved. every. minute. of. it. 

so don't worry about being a perfectionist this time round. casual disarray can be fun! let go of the straight lines and get a bit wonky. let your creative side take over. you could easily quilt this in any pattern you'd like. free motion, straight lines, curved whatever floats your boat with the fabric you're using. i really liked the idea of playing with the lines and the idea of mountains and bears. so some of my lines are straight (like the horizon) and the others are curved and rounded (like the forest hills/mountain slopes). i dig it and hope tanis does too.

keep reading for some more pics of this cozy quilt and the FREE pattern!

embrace your fabric leftovers...embrace the freedom to go wild with your quilting, and embrace that cute little baby when you're all done!

EMBRACE BABY QUILT PATTERN

*Copyright 2013. All rights reserved luvinthemommyhood.com. For personal use only. 

SUPPLIES
 You will need various pieces of fabric to make your desired quilt size. I used the following:
- 1 piece of fabric 38"W x 42.25"H (this is your quilt top), this will be known as "A"
- 2 strips of fabric 38"W x 17"H (this is for your quilt backing), this will be known as "B"
- 1 strip of fabric 38"W x 9.5"H (this is for your quilt backing), this will be known as "C"

Fabrics Used: I've used Bear Hike Orange and Las Flores Mahogany from Camp Modern by Jay-Cyn for Birch Organic Fabrics, and an orange solid from my stash.

You will also need batting cut to about 3-4" bigger than your overall quilt size once sewn. My batting was 41"W x 45"H. I like to use cotton batting.

- quilting needle for your sewing machine
- basting pins (if desired)
- co-ordinating double fold bias tape to fit finished size of your quilt
- scissors
- coordinating thread
- hand quilting needle (if desired)

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP ONE: SEWING YOUR QUILT  BACKING

With right sides facing each other, sew one of your "B" pieces to the long side of your "C" piece. Press your seams toward the darker color. Repeat this step for your other "B" piece this time stitching it to the other long side of your "C" piece. This forms your quilt backing. *See diagram below.

Next your are going to do a wee bit of topstitching because you all know how much I love to topstitch..lol.  Topstitch along the the two center seams of your quilt backing close to the seam line. Press. *See diagram above.

STEP TWO: ASSEMBLING YOUR QUILT

We're now going to make your quilt sandwich so we can have some fun with quilting! Yay! You can find a great tutorial on one way to make a quilt sandwich here. Make your quilt sandwich as desired. This is a personal preference. I like to baste my quilt layers together using quilting pins. Feel free to make your quilt sandwich however you find is the most successful for you. There are many methods for doing this.

STEP THREE: QUILTING YOUR QUILT

Now it's time for the fun part - quilting your quilt! I recommend using a quilting needle for your machine. It works better. I also have a walking foot on my Pfaff Ambition 1.0 and loooove it! This really helps make machine quilting a breeze.

When quilting I always start at the center and quilt my way outwards but you can feel free to use whatever method works best for you. I simply did random lines alternating between some sort of straight to some more curved like a gentle slop per se. No precision here this time! Whatever you do - have fun with it!

STEP FOUR: BINDING YOUR QUILT

It's time to finish that quilt up and get our binding sewn on. You can choose to either make your own bias tape or you can use pre-made bias. I used pre-made. Here is a link to a "How to Sew Binding Roundup" I did all on how to sew binding. Lots of great tips and links here. Remember to trim your excess batting off and make sure your quilt edges are nice and even before sewing on your binding. My fave method is to machine sew down the first side of my bias and then hand sew the rest. It's very relaxing to curl up with your fave show on the couch with some tea, your lovely quilt and your sewing needle. It's soothing and very methodical.

STEP FIVE: WASH IT UP

This part is almost my favorite step of quilting. I love, love, love putting them in the wash.  Once they come out of the dryer it's like magic! The change is so fun and it's just the best feeling when it comes out all crinkly and soft with your stitches looking all purdy! If you're new to quilting you'll know what I mean once you do it. It's fun!

Guess what? You're done! You did it!!! Whether it's your first quilt or you're a seasoned pro I hope you had fun embracing some of your stash! This quilt is economically friendly as well! I even used up leftover batting too! Wouldn't this look great along with our free Simpatico Pillow Tutorial? Adorable!

Now I get to send this quilt off with love to a cute little boy to chew on, roll on, play on, burp up on and just generally cuddle with. Does my heart good :)

For more of our Beginner Quilting Patterns see our Free Bella Collage Quilt Pattern.

What fabrics would you use to make your Embrace Quilt from? Do you have a favorite way to quilt up your larger stash pieces? Don't forget to add your pics to our flickr group if you sew up an Embrace Baby Quilt! I'd love to see them!

p.s. a big thanks to my baby sister and nephew for letting me take over her gorgeous nursery to do my photo shoot.

SEWING || PEEKABOO PATTERN SHOP FALL TOUR: CLASSIC JUMPER

i recently got to take part in the peek-a-boo pattern shop fall 2013 tour!! 

it's been fun watching all the patterns being made and all the bloggers takes on them. when choosing the pattern i wanted to make from peek-a-boo patterns i fell for the classic jumper as soon as i spotted it.  i knew i could get a vibe of vintage/modern twist from it and was just itching to use this print from my stash -  flower bed from house & garden that cloud 9 fabrics released exclusively for joann's. i ordered some as soon as i saw it pop up for sale. i love the color palette and the fun print!

amy has such a great and wonderful collection of patterns in her shop. there is seriously something there for everyone. from undies to skinny jeans, for boys, girls and babies - you name it - she has a pattern for it. my oldest looks forward to wearing her classic jumper during these last few days of hot weather we're having but also pairing it with leggings, a tee and cute boots for the fall!

wanna see some more pics? yay! i can't help but show off the cuteness of this jumper...and the piping...i love me some piping y'all.

cute little jumper right? you can also make versions with pockets, change up where the piping is or leave it off and more in the pattern. i made a mistake when fussy cutting out my right front and had to recut it but didn't have enough to match my prints up perfectly. i'm a perfectionist so this bugs me...lol..darn fussy cutting..lol. i know most people would not even notice and my kiddo sure doesn't so it's all good. i can get over it...sort of... :) overall we're really happy with the dress and fit and i'm sure she will wear this lots and the best part is the size will fit my youngest soon as well. so it's a win win :)

|| FABRIC USED ||
- flower bed (in orange..i think it's called) from house & garden by cloud 9 fabrics for joann.com they seem to be sold out of this print :( but you can find some of this lovely line left online at joann's here.

|| PATTERN USED ||
- classic jumper by peek-a-boo pattern shop
- modifications made:
*this is a size 3T. yes, my child is small. her chest size is teeny tiny. she's 6 years old but fits a size 3T. i was aiming for a cross between tunic/dress length. it was so hot the day of our shoot though she has no leggings on :) still cute if you ask me. i love that length on girls. so retro.
* i didn't sew on any buttons. she is very sensitive to the feel of her clothing and she refused to wear it if i had buttonholes or buttons on it. (i love buttons so this was quite the battle...lol)

make sure you follow along with the rest of the tour!

there's also a great giveaway over on peek-a-boo patterns on saturday! see all the patterns used on the tour and pop on over here to enter to win some prizes!!! 

do you have a favorite peek-a-boo pattern that you love? do you dig the fussy cutting? what's your latest sewing blunder? coffee's on and it's yummy so pull up a seat and let's chat ladies!

*I am an affiliate for peekaboo patterns but my opinions are my own.

SUMMER SWEATER KNIT ALONG || WHAT'S IN YOUR KNITTING BAG?

this is fun. c'mon...admit it, you're all as nosy as i am and love to see what other knitters carry around in their knitting bags. 

i had way too much fun doing this and had to stop myself from taking copious amounts of pictures of inanimate objects that are part of my favorite thing about knitting - the notions and accessories! if we are on a yarn diet we can still buy tools..hehe..and bags...and stitch markers...and tape measures...and pretty little things...the list goes on!

wanna see more of what's in mine on a typical day?

on any given day the above are always with me in one of my knitting bags. i use the project bags you see below and the black and white zippered pouch comes with me EVERYWHERE. in fact, i need to make a bigger one. all the goodies in the first pic of this post fit in there...barely :) you can find more on my box bag here, my sock knitting project bag here (free tutorial) and my zippered pouch here.

i like to use my indie project bag or my jordana paige bag (if i have a lot bring) when i take my knitting out and i need more than what will fit in the bags below. my indie bag fits 2-3 projects, journals, my full set of needles and more so it's my go to car knitting/knit night etc bag for my on the go knitting.

so...c'mon now...i showed you mine so you show me yours...what's in your knitting bag? 

ITEMS IN MY BAG....
---> foldable scissors from knit picks
---> needle gauge from churchmouse yarns
---> retractable tape measure from knit picks and knitsocial 
---> stitch markers from sweet fiber yarns 
---> lace stitch markers, misc stitch markers from knit picks 
---> locking stitch markers &  split ring stitch markers from knit picks
---> bent tip tapestry needles 
---> cable knitting needle from knit picks
---> stitch markers from my lovely friend aja, amy and jana
---> miscellaneous journals
---> clover #336 knitting counter (kacha-kacha) (bought from urban yarns)
---> snap'n go notions case from exchanging fire

>> JOIN IN & SIGN UP <<
- sign up for the knit along by clicking "here".
- get inspired by checking out our kal pinterest board
- take part in all the fun conversation & make new friends in our ravelry group
- find out more and find all the posts and info "here" on our kal homepage.
- remember to tag your instagram/facebook/twitter/google+ pics with #sskal.

>>> OUR AWESOME SPONSORS <<<

KNIT GIRL IN IDAHO

CRUSHES || FABRIC LOVE!

yummy! fabric love! boy do the fabrics in this post make me drool!

i've been stockpiling some of my new fave fabrics over the last few weeks. i've shared sneak peeks on instagram and realized i still had to blog these pretties! i recently spent a few days cleaning out my stash and reorganizing my fabrics. it felt great to clean out a lot of older fabrics i've been holding on to for way too long and making more room for new and inspiring prints just begging to be sewn with! it feels great and i'm almost at the point where i can show off (finally!) some pics of my workspace with you all!

in the meantime though here are some of my newest babies....

TULE by leah duncan for art gallery fabrics

the above pics all show some of my favorite new lines - tule by leah duncan for art gallery fabrics. to say i have been counting down since i first saw pics of this line is an understatement. i've been stalking art gallery fabrics to get my hands on some for weeks! i also got some of their newest blenders squared to try out as well. these lovelies are going to be a new quilt for me! yay!

FORT FIREFLY by teagan white for birch fabrics

also on my drool radar is the newest line coming from birch fabrics - fort firefly by teagan white. how gorgeous are these! i'm making a sally dress with these (so cute!) and need to get more of the line. the girls were fighting over them so i think quilts may be in order or at least more clothes!

BRIAR ROSE by heather ross for windham fabrics

and just to up the cute factor even more i had to jump on the briar rose bandwagon and get some jersey to add to my cotton collection of this line by heather ross for windham fabrics.

various knits from www.girlcharlee.com

and to top it all off my knit obsession has continued. more lovelies from girlcharlee for a new sewing pattern (hopefully) and some other fun lovelies! see that grey with the little silver dots? that's for my lady skater dress by kitschy coo! i can't wait to make one! and remember, you can save 10% off at girl charlee with the coupon "LUVMOMMY"! coupon is valid for 2 more months!

i can't wait to get some serious sewing time in using these lovelies! what new fabric lines are you crushing on this month? any faves you recently splurged on? share! i'd love to hear your new fabric crushes!

SEWING || THE SALLY DRESS PATTERN IS HERE!!

THE SALLY DRESS PDF SEWING PATTERN ||  BUY NOW

The Sally Dress is here!!! Yay! I'm so gosh darn excited about this dress! I hope you will all enjoy it as much as my girls and I do! 

The Sally Dress was part of the Vintage May Series earlier this year (you can read more about it here) and was inspired by the lovely character Sally Draper of the hit tv show Mad Men. I wanted to create a dress that was vintage inspired but still modern. I love dress silhouettes that work well with fabric pairings and customization. A little trim, piping or piecing on the bodice,  fun pockets (lining and outer) and this dress can have a whole new look! Switch up your skirt and bodice prints, go with solids - you name it - The Sally Dress can roll with it. The Sally Dress is sized for 2T - 8 and is suitable for an Advanced Beginner/Intermediate level sewer.

THE SALLY DRESS PDF SEWING PATTERN ||  BUY NOW

Want to flex your sewing muscles? 

All of the The Sally Dress versions are fully lined (I love me a lined dress) and comes with sleeveless, short sleeve and elbow length sleeve options. I love it's square neckline and the fact that there are no closures!!! Say what? Yep - I said it - no closures! This is a slip on/slip off kinda dress. Fun right? If you make the Sally Dress you will see that to account for the larger sizes the bodices jump up a bit in size. This is to account for the head size and to enable a larger child to get the dress on and off without too much assistance. So please choose your sizes carefully when sewing. You  may even want to do up a muslin first to make sure the fit is good for your child. The bodice fits a tad looser than on the younger styles but is still equally as adorable if you ask me :)

THE SALLY PATTERN FEATURES:

:: sizes 2T-8

:: fully lined bodice

:: square neckline

:: no closures

:: sleeveless and 2 sleeve length options

:: clear and easy to understand step by step instructions with a professional finish

:: 24 page color PDF sewing pattern

:: size chart, fabric requirements, notions, and sewing tips/glossary to ensure a great fit

:: bright & colorful photography

:: a great sewing experience

The Sally Dress is available to purchase at the following:

MY SHOP  ||  ETSY  ||  GO TO PATTERNS || CRAFTSY (coming soon)

What's new for The Sally Dress? One of my favorite things about The Sally Dress Pattern itself is the diagrams. 

It's been a personal goal of mine to have the whole sewing pattern be in diagrams and I'm super excited to have been able to do them all myself. Illustrator and I have become quite good friends. Even though we had a few tiffs...lol, we're now in a good place. I hope to learn more and improve upon what I've already established for the next set of patterns. I hope you enjoy them and that you find it clear and easy to follow. It was a new fun and creative outlet for me. I love to draw so this kind of technical drawing really opened up a new way of thinking for me that I enjoyed.

I have to give a huge shout out to my testers for The Sally Dress. They all worked so hard and some made more than a few Sally dresses! I love you guys! Thank you for all of your support for this pattern and for all your feedback. In the next few weeks we will be showing off their hard work here on the blog. I can't wait to show you some of the versions that were sewn up! Just stunning! So stay tuned for that and also an upcoming Sally Dress Pattern Tour!!! Yay!

I also have to give a special shout out to Karen of One Girl Circus for all of her help and support during the making of the Sally Dress. Big hugs luv! Karen is so awesome she even has a great tutorial on her blog to give you guys a visual walk through of how to sew sleeves into a lined bodice today! Yay! This is a great asset to our full pattern and I recommend checking it out! I love me a bit of hand sewing. There's something so comforting about sitting down and enjoying the calm of creating some lovely finishing touches to your garment. A clean finish is priceless in my book.

and now for some more pics....I just can't resist...my littlest just looks so darn cute in her Sally Dresses. You can also find more pics in my shop here!

I hope you feel inspired and are ready to get sewing The Sally Dress! It's such a great feeling when your wee one is wearing a dress you made with love and someone approaches you and says "where did you buy her dress?"! It makes my heart swell and my girls just love it! It's one of the little things in life that I cherish. So grab some of your absolute favorite fabric and get creative and sew up a Sally Dress today! 

THE SALLY DRESS PDF SEWING PATTERN || BUY NOW

Have you made a Sally Dress? Make sure to add your pictures to our Flickr Group so we can see your versions! I can't wait! For any pattern support or questions please email me at luvinthemommyhood@yahoo.ca I hope you enjoy the dress and thank you so very much in advance for all of your support! Happy sewing! xoxoxox

||  FABRICS USED  ||

Elbow Length Sleeve Version:
- Calico Lilac from Briar Rose by Heather Ross for Windham Fabrics.
- Strawberry Lilac from Briar Rose by Heather Ross for Windham Fabrics.

Sleeveless Version:
- Floradots in Saffron by Erin McMorris for Free Spirit Fabrics.
- Bodice and pocket are lined with Hidden Treasures Gold from Indie by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics.

SUMMER SWEATER KNIT ALONG || FREE PRINTABLE YARN STASH BALL BANDS!!

my stash needs some tlc and reorganizing. you know how it goes right friends?

i recently got some new lovelies to add to my stash and when going to put them all away i realized i've let my yarn stash get slightly messy and a tad disorganized. i also realized i've been a bad, bad girl and while even though adding my stash to my ravelry stash page i have not been as diligent as i should be on keeping my ball bands with my wound skeins. oops!

now looking back there are a few i'm pondering what they actually are. so laying in bed last night staring at my stash as i was falling asleep (am i the only one who does this???) i thought why not come up with my own fun ball band that i can print out and wrap around my stash for those skeins and cakes that i have lost my ball bands for. i can then take all my deets from my ravelry stash page and write it on my ball band! yesiree! and then i thought i had to share it with all of you because i had so much gosh darn fun making it.

so print it out - cut it out and wrap those lovelies with it or curl it up and stick in in your cake. whatever floats your boat :)

i've given you 2 sizes - a regular ball band size and a larger one that may fit around a wound cake. they are lovingly called  "Oops....I lost my ball band".

click below to download your copy!

Oops...I lost my ball band - Regular Size. Free Printable!
Oops...I lost my ball band - Cake Size. Free Printable!

oh and one tip to remember....you are more than allowed to sing britney spears "oops, i did it again" while printing and cutting these out as they were my inspiration for the name :) and yes, that's how we roll around here.

how do you keep your stash organized? bins? totes? ravelry? let's chat stash love m'dears! who doesn't love hearing and seeing others people stash?!

>> JOIN IN & SIGN UP <<
- sign up for the knit along by clicking "here".
- get inspired by checking out our kal pinterest board
- take part in all the fun conversation & make new friends in our ravelry group
- find out more and find all the posts and info "here" on our kal homepage.
- remember to tag your instagram/facebook/twitter/google+ pics with #sskal.

>> OUR AWESOME SPONSORS <<

KNIT GIRL IN IDAHO

LIFESTYLE || HUSTLEMAMA HANDMADE MASON JAR LOVE!

have you all still been crushing on your mason jars as much as i have? i take mine with me EVERYWHERE.

after writing this post and hearing from shannon of "hustlemama handmade" i couldn't resist doing a post showing off some of the goodies she has to offer for all of us mason jar addicts. i mean honestly - if i can put a stylin' sleeve on my jar, add a colorful straw, a funky lid and make my smoothie/coffee/water sipping that much more fun - i'm game!

shannon sells lots of wonderful goodies in her etsy shop. from handmade mason jar sleeves, adorable re-usable straws (bpa free), cuppows & jar lids, to super cute snack and sammy bags (sandwich bags) for both boys and girls, you're sure to find something awesome in her shop!  my kids and i are super excited to try out our new goodies!  she also does sewing and custom orders with embroidery as well!

the icing on the cake? my turquoise cuppow! 

yep, i said turquoise. swoon!!!! brings a smile to my face every time i use it! perfect for sipping my grapefruit/orange/lemon detox water in! oh the little things in life right? i don't know about you guys but these things brighten my day and yes - my hubs thinks i'm nuts..lol. anyone else relate?

if you're looking to spice up your mason jar drinking or stock you and your kids lunches up in style hop on over to hustlemama handmade and say hi! and guess what! hustlemama handmade is also offering a discount for luvinthemommyhood readers! 

use coupon code "MOMMYHOOD" for 20% OFF until 08/25/2013!!!

have fun spoiling your mason jars...wink wink! you can find all things hustlemama handmade below:

shop  ||  facebook  ||  instagram

what's your fave way to style up your mason jar? what size is your fave? do you have one of the new colored cuppows? any new green smoothie or detox water recipes you want to share? come chat & sip with me!

MOMENTS IN THE MOMMYHOOD || MINI VACAY & A WINNER

we had a lovely little much needed mini vacay on the weekend to visit friends and family up island. i feel like i want to jump into the shot above from my IG feed and relive it.

it was relaxing and much needed. after being stuck in our condo it sure felt great to be in a house that is stylin' and lovely with a great backyard and lots of space. i swear i would take pics all day if i lived there the light is so amazing! we also got to spend the day at a friends house that had the best outdoor pool/backyard. i am not kidding one iota when i say i literally ran to the pool, stripped down (to my bathing suit, which is new that i adore that i got at the bay for 60% off peeps! what a steal! it even held the boobs in!), jumped in and never got back out - for. 4 1/2. hours. no lie. i wasn't even shrivelled. it was AMAZING! add on a great game of bocci ball and a bbq that i could eat! thank you so much to the leitz's for the dairy free, gluten free, nut free food! i know i'm a pain in the ars to feed and i so appreciate the lovely meal and having us all over to your lovely home for the day. and thank you to the brown's for giving us your amazing home again while you slept in the trailer! you guys are the best! it is a holiday we will remember for a long time. i had so much fun and we had a great time, as always with you all.

now we're counting down till next week when my folks are coming to town for 2 weeks and i am SO EXCITED! i get to see my parents about once a year and boy do i miss them. we're all looking forward to time with them. so bear with me if i only pop in here and there the next 2 weeks - i'll be soaking up some mommy/daddy love and i even get to see my grandparents and my omi as well! i've been missing my family oh so bad and after working so hard these last few months under a ton of stress this is much needed family time for all of us.

the pics above are all from my instagram feed. you can find more shots of my daily life and such on my instagram feed here. i'm under "luvinthemommyhood". come follow me...purdy please? lol.

i also remembered while i was away that i forgot to announce the winner of the copy of "handmade in the uk" from the other week! whoops! doh! our lucky winner is..........

commenter #5: margo from the blog "love, luck, bliss"

congratulations my friend! so excited random.org picked ya! we'll be in touch soon to let you know about your prize!

what are you all up to this weekend? what projects have you been working on? have you been sewing/knitting/crafting? fill me in! i'd love to hear about it! come chat with me :)

wishing you all a weekend filled with wonderful, slow mornings, steamy coffee, laughs, good friends, family, cuddles, late nights and fun! luv you guys and i'll see you next week! xoxoxo

GIVEAWAY || LUNDEN DESIGNS SEWING PATTERN COLLECTION!!

i just got back from a mini vacay just in time to giveaway an amazing prize from one of my favorite quilt pattern designers!!

melissa of lunden designs sewing patterns is celebrating her one year anniversary and release of her paper pattern collection in digital form! so in honor of this we decided to throw a BIG giveaway!!! melissa's patterns are modern, fun, and a joy to make! ever since i spotted her stargazer pattern on pinterest last year i have been a huge fan of melissa's designs. we bonded over our love of birch organic fabrics and i always look forward to what she's going to make next! as you can see in the picture above i looooove her patterns. that's my personal collection :)

and on top of the giveaway she's also offering a 15% discount off her etsy shop until 08/18 with the coupon code "DIGILOVE"!!! so grab your fave fabrics and make yourself a lovely new quilt!!!

so if you're looking to get inspired by a well written and exciting quilt pattern with beautiful results i highly recommend lunden designs sewing patterns!

are you ready to find out what the prize is? yay!

\\ THE PRIZE \\
- one lucky winner will the ENTIRE collection of lunden designs sewing patterns in digital form!!!

\\ HOW TO ENTER \\
- simply leave me a comment letting me know which quilt pattern is your fave of lunden designs.

\\ THE RULES \\
- you must leave a valid email address in your comment or you will be disqualified.
- giveaway is open until 08/18/2013, midnight, pst.

a big thank you to melissa of lunden designs for the super generous giveaway! thanks hun and here's to another fabulous and amazing year!!! and thank you to all of you for your entries! happy quilting!!!

website  |  blog  |  shop  |  facebook

SEWING WITH KNITS || CATE'S COWL - FREE TUTORIAL!

who's in the mood for a free tutorial? me! me! me! you're gonna love this one!

it was my bday in june and i splurged on some new workout outfits for myself and while shopping i came across a fabulous cowl that you could wear ruched or unruched - so fun!!! the cowl had channels running down either end of it allowing you to wear it in various styles. i was IN LOVE!

since then i haven't been able to stop thinking about it and with a hefty price tag i decided to just whip one up for myself. once done i realized that i had to share because i have been wearing this cowl non-stop. and i mean non stop. it's so comfy and soft and versatile and....well i could just go on and on but i'll save your from listening so you have more time to sew one up for yourself.

 

the cowl is named after my lovely and sweet friend cate who is ever so stylish and always has the best outfits/shoes on. i only wish i was her size so i could steal them all...lol. 

she was shopping with me that day and i had to get her to model it for you as well! i hope you all enjoy it as much as i do! this cowl really is the perfect accessory. xmas is just around the corner too and it sews up fast! so if  you've been scared of sewing with knits before now is the time to conquer it! this is a great project for practicing sewing with knits!

RUCHED....

 

 

NOT RUCHED...

you ready to sew with me? yahoo! let's get those knits ready!

TIPS FOR SEWING WITH KNITS
Sew with a straight stitch suitable for knits with your machine. I like to go up about 2 numbers in length for my machine. You could also use a zig zag stitch or choose to do a zig zag stitch and a straight stitch together to reinforce it. You could also use an overlock stitch on your machine if you have one. And if you have a serger just use that :) I also recommend if you are sewing with a regular machine to use a needle for knits. Trust me on that one. It helps tons. You can use any of these methods in the tutorial below.

CATE'S COWL TUTORIAL

MATERIALS
- 2 yds stretch fabric (I used a black tribal print that was a cotton jersey blend (it's sold out sorry) from www.girlcharlee.com)
- coordinating thread
- stretch needle for your machine (optional)
- long pieces of ribbon or elastic (optional)
- rotary cutter with mat or scissors

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP ONE - CUTTING OUT YOUR TIES

*NOTE: IF YOU ARE USING RIBBON OR ELASTIC PLEASE MOVE ON TO STEP TWO.

Cut 2 strips of fabric 2"W x (height of your yardage) along the entire side edge of your fabric (I used my selvages for my ties). When cutting your fabric you should have your selvages running along the left and right side of your fabric. These pieces of fabric will be your ties for your cowl. *See diagram above.

STEP TWO - SEWING YOUR COWL

Next fold your fabric in half width wise, right sides facing each other (bring your left side to meet your right side edge). Sew along this side edge with a 1/2" seam allowance. *See diagram above.

Next we are going to sew your unsewn ends together to form a cowl. These will now become the sides of your cowl. So lay your cowl out in front of you, with your center seam (the seam you just sewed) in the middle running left to right with right sides facing you. Your unsewn edges will now be on the left and right. *See diagram above.

Bring your unsewn ends together matching up the center seams on both of them together. Place a pin here. These will be RS facing each other. Now continue pinning your unsewn ends together. This will begin to form a circle. Don't worry about the rest of your cowl, just keep it out of the way for now. This process will help to keep the cowl 3 dimensional and not flat. Now stitch along where you pinned with a 1/2" seam allowance starting from where your center seams matched up, all along these unsewn edges until you can't sew anymore. This will form a circle when you are done. You will have an opening a few inches wide here that we will close up in a few steps. *See diagram above.

Now this sounds harder than it is. It's actually quite an easy step but I know a lot of people get stumped at this step. So for those of you who are visual here's a great video by the crafty gemini that you can watch to see how to sew this portion of the cowl. If you go to about 4minutes in you will see the process that I have just explained.

STEP THREE - ADDING YOUR TIES

Now keep your cowl right side out. Sew along the left side of your side seam (the one you just sewed) with a 1" seam allowance taking care not to sew the other part of your cowl. This will create half of the channel needed for your ties. Repeat for the other side of the original seam. Then top stitch on top of the seam line of your side seam while also carefully folding under a 1/2" seam allowance for your opening that you had left open shut when you get to it. This will create 2 channels. *See diagram above.

Now find the center of the other side of your cowl. Sew a line down the center. Next sew two lines spaced 1" apart on either side of the line you just stitched. You will now have 4 channels in total - 2 running down each side of your cowl. 2 on your left side and 2 on your right side.

Using your seam ripper or scissors gently and carefully cut open the ends of each of your channels ONLY.

Attach a long safety pin to one end of your fabric ties (ribbon or elastic). Starting with one end of the channel feed it up and through to the other end, then feed back in starting at the top of the channel beside the one you just came out of. Feed it down that channel and out the other end.

I kept my 2 strips really long until after feeding them through my channels. Once feeding them through you only need the strips to be as long as your cowl is fully opened (not ruched). Trim them and stitch the ends of the strips together. Repeat this for your other set of channels. Trim your seam allowances nicely and pull the ties so the sewing seam is hidden inside the channel. Now ruche to your hearts content! *See diagram above.

STEP FOUR - WEARING YOUR COWL

The options are so fun here! Wear your infinity cowl long and single looped with no ruching, or pull the ruching for a different look entirely! Or switch it up and double wrap your cowl with the ruching or no ruching as well! Cate's Cowl is soft, cozy and like your best friend - there for you every day!!! So whatcha waiting for? Go make one....heck make 3! You'll wear them...I promise!

my knit fabric was purchased from girl charlee. if you're looking for awesome knit fabrics head on over and use code "LUVMOMMY" to get 10% OFF your order! coupon is valid until end of oct!

happy sewing! i hope you enjoy the tutorial! make sure to upload pics of your projects in our flickr group so i can see your lovely cowls! xoxox

SUMMER SWEATER KNIT ALONG || TOP 5 TIPS FOR CONQUERING YOUR WIP'S

ok, let's all admit it, the majority of us has a stack of wip's just sitting there waiting for us to come and pick them back up. they sit in the corner and watch as our excitement for them gets replaced by new and fresh projects, as our attention wanes and fades, until the day, which could be weeks, months or years from now, when we finally...finally...come back and pick them back up. you know them. most of us have them.

and for those of you who never have a stack of wip's i bow down to you. the gemini in me cannot stand not having new projects on the go at all times. 

in fact i get creatively claustrophobic if i'm stuck working on the same thing and only one thing for a long period of time. it makes me cringe just typing it. so for this year's summer sweater knit along i thought to myself let's tackle those wip's and give ourselves the encouragement to quit procrastinating and get finishing them. let's cheer each other on as we struggle with sleeveitis (oh how i suffer from a bad case of never finishing sleeves), or seaming or button sewing and any other thing that keeps us from finishing those darn wip's.

when thinking about what to make myself for this years summer sweater knit along the thought of a new sweater made me nervous. i just don't have it in me to start yet another wip. so for this years sskal i'm going to "attempt"...haha...attempt being the key word to finish at least 1 of my wip's. you see, i have 3, yes 3, sweaters on the needles at the moment. i know, it's sad right? those poor, poor sweaters. one of them has been there for 2 christmases now! i really would like to wear it for this xmas but then again, i say that every year...lol.

i also started to think about how i can manage my wip's more. here's some of the things that i'm going to aim for now with my wip's.

TOP 5 TIPS FOR CONQUERING YOUR WIP'S

SET LIMITS FOR YOURSELF
i'm going to try to set limits from now own. for example i will allow myself to "try" to have say only 2-3 accessories and 1-2 garments maximum on the needles during any given time. any more than that and projects go to the wip graveyard. set your limits for what will work for you.

KEEP YOUR YARN STASH UNDER CONTROL
try buying yarn only when you have a project/design/inspiration already in mind for it. try to buy yarn for projects that are current for you to work on. not ones you will be making "maybe" in the future. and of course, this is what works for me - this one (all of you who have gorgeous & large yarn stashes) may not work for everyone :) you could also go on a yarn diet until your wip's are done. good incentive to splurge on new yarn!

USE RAVELRY TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
regularly update and organize your stash and project wip's in ravelry. i find that when i go in and actually look at the amount of projects that i have as a wip it's easier to control new projects being started and to re-inspire me to pick back up my wip's.

PLAN AHEAD
give yourself a realistic timeline to finish your projects when you start them. you can also throw some time in there to add in special projects that catch your eye so you can easily put a wip on hold and whip up a new one in between.

MAKE FINISHING UP WIP'S FUN
find a kal, or knit along that makes finishing up wip's fun. or pick a time in each year that you allow yourself to "only" work on wip's and fall back in love with them. i hope this years sskal is a fun way for you all to get some wip's finished up.

which wip's do i have on the go? here they are in all their glory!


|| THE OATMEAL PULLOVER ||

||  AUDREY  ||

|| LEVENWICK ||

here's hoping i get at least 1 of them done!  you can see all my wip's on my ravelry page here.

are you working on wip's for this years sskal? how are your projects coming along? fill me in! i'd love to know your tips on controlling and finishing wip's!

>> JOIN IN & SIGN UP <<
- sign up for the knit along by clicking "here".
- get inspired by checking out our kal pinterest board
- take part in all the fun conversation & make new friends in our ravelry group
- find out more and find all the posts and info "here" on our kal homepage.
- remember to tag your instagram/facebook/twitter/google+ pics with #sskal.

>> OUR AWESOME SPONSORS <<

KNIT GIRL IN IDAHO

SEWING || TUMBLE TEES PATTERN TOUR!

 it's time for the....tumble...tumble....tumble.....TUMBLE TEE PATTERN TOUR!

we're so excited today to be part of the tumble tee pattern tour for the lovely rachael of imagine gnats new pattern! i heart the tumble tee. seriously gals...this top/dress is sooooo fast to whip up and the kiddos just adore it! it's comfy, easy to make, versatile and i get to sew with knits! wahoo!! it's been too long since i got busy sewing with some new knits and it's sure been fun to get bit by the knits bug again.

the tumble tee pattern is easy to follow with clear instructions, pattern pieces, tips and techniques for sewing knits and ways to add your own flair to the tumble tee. we opted for the tee version to try it out because my oldest has a sensitivity to a lot of clothes. i was a tad worried she may not like too many seams so i opted to go with the easiest one so if it bugged her i could whip up a different version or one for the wee one instead.

i made mine with a finished neckline but unfinished armholes and hem. we looooove it like that. it's casual, yet still finished. it fits her great and she wore it the whole day as soon as i was done sewing it! in fact - true to her style i got it off the machine and she preceded to wear it and stain it! good thing this momma got pics before she played hard in it..lol.

oh the joys of motherhood...stains and all.

the knits i used for my tumble tee are both from our sponsor girl charlee. i bought them on a whim when choosing my knits for this project. i had other prints in mind but then spotted the floral print and swooned. i'm feeling it and so are my girls. and of course i had to throw some coral in there too! fun right!

if you want to  treat yourself to some new knits make sure to pop on over to girl charlee and use coupon code "LUVMOMMY" for 10% off your oder! 

the coupon expires at the end of october so it's just in time for some serious back to school sewing. i know i'm doing some big time planning on what i'm going to be making for my girls this fall. school is just around the corner.

i think this is a great beginner project for those looking to jump into sewing with knits and also a GREAT basic for any child's wardrobe. it's fun and fast - a win/win in my book!

>> PATTERN <<
- tumble tees pattern by rachel of imagine gnats

>> FABRIC <<
 - coral orange solid cotton jersey knit (sold out) and peach/minty floral cotton jersey blend both from girlcharlee.com

>> NOTES <<
- i sewed up the size 5 for my girlie.
- we did a finished neckline but an unfinished armhole and hem.
- we opted for the split front and a solid back.
- no modifications made.

you can buy a copy of the tumble tee pattern here and follow along with the rest of the tumble tee pattern below! yay! we can't wait to make more!

8.5 Sew Sweetness & The Crafty Kitty
8.6 One Girl Circus & luvinthemommyhood
8.7 Sew Delicious & Living with Punks
8.8 girl like the sea & Suburbia Soup
8.9 Buzzmills & Miss Matatabi
8.12 Alida Makes & Max California
8.13 Crafterhours & Kitschy Coo
8.14 La Inglesita & sew chibi
8.15 EmmylouBeeDoo & LBG Studio
8.16 Petit a Petit and Family & girl. Inspired

CRUSHES || SEWING WITH KNITS & A GIRL CHARLEE DISCOUNT!

this month i've been bit by the knits bug. nope, not knitting with yarn (though i love that too) but sewing with knits. i'm crushing big time.

i went through a phase a while ago where i got addicted to knits and now it's baaaack - with a vengeance. i blame it all on our newest sponsor girl charlee. beware my friends, beware. the knits over there will blow your mind. i went there to browse (which i've done before) but this time i went a bit cray cray and ordered more than i normally do for fabric (i'm in canada so things cost a lot to get here). i could not resist the selection and the price - even shipping was reasonable! all the knits you see in this post are from girl charlee.

 

oh the plans i have for these knits.

some of the knits shown above & below will be part of the tumble tee pattern tour coming up next week, the bateau top pattern tour in sept and see that gorgeous black and white above (that one is my fave)? that's an upcoming free tutorial!!! weeeee! i'm hoping to have that to you next week as well. i've also got plans to make a lady skater dress for moi as well. and the rest....well you'll just have to wait and see.

now, since i had soooo much fun ordering and getting my new knits i couldn't just keep it all to myself. i thought you all might have been bit by the same bug as me recently. so girl charlee has been awesome enough to offer all you lovely readers....

 10% off your order! use the code LUVMOMMY to get your discount! coupon is valid FOR 3 MONTHS!

have fun shopping! hehehe....don't say i didn't warn you!
 

you can find all lovely things girl charlee below:

website  ||  blog  ||  facebook  ||  twitter  ||  pinterest

happy fabric shopping!what's your fave knit of the moment? what do you have on your "to make" list using knits? let's chat fabric m'dears! coffee's on :)

KIDS CRAFTS || SUMMER FUN CALENDAR

since this momma has been so busy lately i decided to try something this summer to help get the kids involved in staying organized during july and august. a summer fun calendar!

it helps me to have a reminder to not just work but to also have some fun and play with my girlies. i really love calendars, day timers, journals etc and heck - any excuse to draw and color is always good in my book! so we decided to make our own summer fun jumbo calendar! i got the kiddos to draw the calendar and then write and color in all the activities they would like to do each day! they had a blast doing it and so did i.

they wake up each day and run to check what's on the calendar and we plan accordingly.

now don't get me wrong, i'm not supermom by a long shot. not every activity gets done but it's fun to try! and it's even more fun to come up with imaginative ones like on august 1st my oldest wants to open her own sewing shop!!! i mean how cute is that? she is going to set up her own pretend shop in the condo and sell her sewn wares. my heart is bursting! adorbs!

would you like to make one too? get your kiddos to follow along with the pics below and help them draw up your own jumbo SUMMER FUN CALENDAR!

STEP ONE: DRAW YOUR CALENDAR LINES

STEP TWO: WRITE IN YOUR MONTH, DAYS OF THE WEEK AND NUMBERS

STEP THREE: COLOR & WRITE IN YOUR ACTIVITIES

STEP FOUR: HAVE FUN!!!

do you  have a summer calendar or fun activity you do to help stay organized during the summer? i'd love to hear about it! pour yourself a cuppa and come chat :)

MOMENTS IN THE MOMMYHOOD || TGIF & WINNERS

hello my lovelies! i hope you've all had a wonderful week and are looking forward to the weekend as much as i am!  

life has been chaos over here this week. i have worked harder this last week or so than i ever have in my life...well except for giving birth that is. the "secret project" has a deadline right around the corner...like a week around the corner. eek! plus i've got the sally dress testing in mid swing amongst other projects so this momma is working a lot. my poor kiddos have been having to be real creative with play time (don't you just love our egg carton caterpillars? i ran out of glue so the eyes are taped on, had no pipe cleaners left so we used straws and i was too lazy to clean up paint so they used markers...how's that for a crafty mom..lmao!) and have shown great patience and understanding in regards to this weeks schedule for me.

sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do and after the next few days are over i will make it up to them in spades :) they are already excited about what i have planned...lol. have any other moms had to do this with their jobs or a big life experience where other things have just had to be put on hold? i'd love to hear your tips if you have. i could definitely use them. thankfully the hubs took a few days off this week for me to work and the kids and him had a BLAST. i was sad to miss out but grateful for the quiet time in the house which is a miracle around here.

i also wanted to pop in and announce the winners of the "sew sweetness bag pattern giveaway"!!! 


i love sara's patterns and i'm so excited to announce the winners!!!! woot woot! it was such a generous prize for her to give! you ready to know who won?

the first winner is commenter #39 - paula
the second winner is commenter #128 - mel
the third winner is commenter #220 -  becky from sewbeckyjo.com

congratulations ladies!!! we'll be in touch with you soon! and thank you to all who entered as well as to sara for the awesome giveaway! you can find all things sew sweetness here:

SHOP || BLOG || FACEBOOK || TWITTER || PINTEREST || INSTAGRAM

 what have you been up to this week? have you been knitting/sewing/crafting? what projects do you have on the go? any tips for this busy mom? let's chat...coffees on & i miss you gals!

wishing you all a wonderful and relaxing weekend filled with yummy coffee, good friends, your fave crafts, cuddles and lots of smiles! xoxoxo see you on monday!

MOMENTS IN THE MOMMYHOOD - SUMMERTIME CRAFTS

life has been busy to say the least around here.

with m home from school for the summer it's been a bit of a balancing act for this momma to keep all my work going and have 2 kidlets at home with me. the weather has been gorgeous though so we've been having fun and days have been filled with laughs, crafts & good times.

but all that aside it's not always easy. i have some BIG & exciting news to share with you all.  not yet....but soon. i've been working really, really hard in the background on a secret. it's taken up a lot of heart & soul and a lot of time. i've also been trying to keep up with all of my other creative projects and of course - the blog.

how does one do all of that without losing it? no sleep and a lot of hard work.

it's been fun though and on the up side the sally dress is also now out to testers as we speak!!! phew!  i can't wait to get it out to you all and see some awesome sally dresses online!!!! so excited! hopefully the pattern will be out at the end of the month! i'm crossing my fingers! i've got some great testers working on them right now! thank you again to all who applied. there were so many talented sewers i seriously did a first come/first serve based on size sort of thing. i honestly so appreciate all your enthusiasm! it was so sweet of all of you! thank you for your support!

what have the kiddos and i been up to? 

i'm a strong believer in creative and independent play in our house. we are in a condo so while we can't be outside all day everyday we can still be adventurous and have fun.  we've been loving the video series by my friend caroline of the fab blog "salsa pie" for pbs parents on crafting with kids! we recently made the diy water bottle boat and the kids played with it for at least an hour and a half and then took it in the bath with them that night!  we're going to work our way through the whole series.

another fun series we've been loving is "camp classic play" by the blog classic play. so many fun activities and crafts to do there as well! also be sure to check out the online mag "crafting connections". it's "a creative magazine (and more) for little ones & grown ups". i'm loving their new paper mache tea set!

in our house the glues sticks are flying, tape is being...well....taped...scissors are cutting, boxes are being recycled into fun projects and smiles are on our faces! 

i also recommend the books you can find in your local book stores on crafts that are sort of like phonics books. we have the kumon big book of crafts and really like it. i seriously almost peed my pants making the masks you see on the girls from that book. i laughed so hard. i mean really....is that not funny?

it's always good fun to see your kids look like an animal...hahaha. a raccoon and a kittycat to be exact.

we also have some fashion design, origami, jewelry and more to work our way through this summer. as well as our local library reading club that the kids are enjoying and forts galore i think so far we're holding it together pretty well this summer considering this momma has a big deadline coming up :)

and before i go we have a winner for the c. johannesen jewelry giveaway! the winner is.........

 commenter #49 - kristin of sew technicolor

congratulations kristin! we'll be in touch with you soon!

so...what have you been up to this summer? do you have any fun craft/activities that you recommend for indoor playtime? i'd love to hear about them! wishing you all a crafty, creative and sunshine & laughter filled weekend!

COLOR YOUR SUMMER - EMELIA NECK SCARF TUTORIAL!

I'm so excited about today's tutorial! I've been dying to show it to you!

I'm also thrilled to be a part of the Color Your Summer Series again this year! I adore this series & Kirsten & Delia! I always get so inspired by Color Your Summer and if you're a reader of my blog you know I love color. I was super happy to get YELLOW as my color this year. I decided to go for something bright & bold and put that lovely yellow front and center.

Recently I spotted looks from the Miu Miu Fall/Winter 2013 Fashion Show and fell head over heels for the neck scarfs the gals were all wearing (you can see pics of the show here and here). In shades of yellow and black with large bright polka dots on them - I was smitten!  So since my color is yellow I had some fun and drew my own design on some solid yellow fabric and made my own version of a fabric neck scarf. Since I think it's pretty darn awesome and a fun trend I don't mind seeing come back I thought it would be a fun tutorial to do for Color Your Summer!

 I rocked a mean neck scarf in my day ladies, and like hats - I love me a good scarf! Knit or sewn...it doesn't matter...I'll wear it!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ONE TOO? HERE'S HOW...

EMELIA NECK SCARF SEWING TUTORIAL

// MATERIALS //

- 1/2 Yard Fabric (I used quilting cotton) cut on the bias

- Matching thread
- Pins
- Scissors

- *Optional: Sharpie Fabric Marker

// INSTRUCTIONS //

CUTTING OUT YOUR NECK SCARF

 *FUN OPTION: I chose to draw my pattern design onto my solid yellow fabric using Fabric Sharpies. It's a fun and creative way to add a bit of personality to your accessory! Find them at your local craftstores (I got mine from Walmart.).

Cut 2 pieces of fabric on the bias 40"W x 4"H. Cutting it on the bias will give your neck scarf a nice stretch to it. Here's a great link on how to cut fabric on the bias from the lovely dana of the blog made.

Fold your 40"L piece of fabric in half height wise (so your height is now 2") and then match your short ends up with each other. Cut your ends on a 45 degree angle. Repeat for your other fabric piece making sure all your ends are cut the same. See diagram above.

SEWING YOUR NECK SCARF

Place both of your neck scarf pieces right sides facing each other and pin along your unsewn edges and sew along the entire scarf (including your ends) with a 1/4" seam allowance taking care to leave a 1 1/2" opening in the center long edge of your scarf to turn your scarf right side out. See diagram below.

Trim your seam allowances taking care to clip the corners of your ends & point close to your seam (be careful not to cut into your sewing). Turn the neck scarf right side out and push out your corners so they are nice and crisp. Press neatly turning under your opening.  Pin your opening closed. Hand stitch the opening closed with an invisible stitch.

That's it! You did it! Easy, quick & makes a great gift too!

WEARING YOUR NECK SCARF

With your nice long edge standing crisply around the back of your neck, tie a small knot in front (not too tight) and center on your neck.  You're good to go! For added fun you could put the knot off to the side as well!  Wear this in the summer with a cute strapless top/dress or a white tee/tank, and pair in the winter with your fave new coat! Feminine, fun and so romantic!

Thanks for reading! I hope you'll join in with Color Your Summer and embrace your inner yellow! Go wild with it or just add a dash - no matter what just make sure to enjoy it and spoil yourself with a new accessory for the summer & winter!

A big thank you again to Delia for having me over on her lovely blog. Since I first started reading Delia eons ago I've been smitten. She's sweet, talented and such an inspiring mom. Thanks for having me luv & for being such a wonderful friend..xoxox!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ONE TOO? 

head on over to delia creates to ready more color your summer fun!

what do you think? do you have a thing for all things scarves? would you rock a neck scarf? what a fun gift this would make too! what fabric would you use to make yours? let's chat ladies! coffee's on!

TECH || CASEABLE LAPTOP SLEEVE REVIEW

my laptop is a beast. there i said it. it's huge. it's heavy and i've had it for 3 years and never had a case. 

it's always bothered me that when i take my 17" laptop out of the house it's not in something fun and stylish. instead it's been in a ugly one i borrow from the hubs occasionally.  my laptop has what we lovingly refer to as the hump. it's powerful but is not a mac. it's a hp that has done me well considering what i put it through each day. it never ever fits traditional laptop cases very well. the hump always gets in the way. but she deserves something sassy to wear when i take it out as a reward for it's loyalty. she's getting old ya know....shhhh..don't tell her i said that though.

when the fabulous company caseable contacted me about there laptop cases i literally squealed with delight! customizable cases and sleeves for all your electronics? i'm in! 

you can make a case or sleeve for anything from laptops (yesss!), ipad's, kindles and more! and the selections! ahhhhmazing. honestly. i went in fully prepared to make my own laptop case from scratch. i was all ready with a design worked out but then i became smitten with all the designer templates available in their gallery! yes - you can buy cases/sleeves done by artists and even customize those too! honestly - there was a lot of fun and exciting designs. i had a great time. so much fun it actually took me a while to pick one! you'd think i was purchasing a car or something it took me so long to decide. i know this post isn't about sewing or knitting but dudes - this was fun!

then i got to customize. you know the part where you get to add a bit of your personality & flair to your case. you know...the fun part :)

i went with this rockin geometric design for my laptop case by artist bianca green (luv her stuff btw). i kept going back to it over and over again and in the end it won out. once you've chosen your design on caseable you can still customize it. i changed up the zipper & thread and the side piece that is over the start/end of the zipper too. i went from a dark grey to a bright, bold in your face yellow.

 

you know me and color - i wanted the zipper to have some zip!

you can also change up other things like  add fun text/logos or straps etc to really personalize your choice using an easy platform. of course if you went the total custom route you would design the entire thing. honestly - it was a cool project to undertake. just think of the fun you could have! i only wish i had a cool cell phone so i could do one up for that too.

img courtesy of caseable

all of caseables cases/sleeves are made from recycled materials as well - luv that. my laptop case shown above features the following:

• full bleed print on front and back of laptop 17" sleeve in photo quality
• durable thread by german company Güterman® and strong zippers and pull tabs by japanese company YKK®
• extra thick 5.0mm neoprene layer of laptop 17" case for full protection
• soft interior lining to protect your laptop 17"

i highly recommend caseable. i am beyond smitten with mine and i think my laptop likes it too. caseables customer service is also top notch!

in fact they are so awesome they are offering you all 15% off all orders from now until 07/19/2013 using the promo code "luvinthecase"!  

promo is valid in the us & canada. thank you caseable!

so go on...go have some fun and dress up your favorite tech gadget with a new customizable case or sleeve.  you can find all things caseable below:

website  ||  facebook  ||  instagram  ||  twitter  ||  blog  ||  flickr

*disclosure: my laptop case was provided by caseable and all opinion stated above our my own.

SUMMER SWEATER KNIT ALONG || COMING SOON!

summer is here and that means it's time for our annual SUMMER SWEATER KNIT ALONG!!!

it's time! the sun is shining and summer is here! but there are other things brewing besides beach dates, cool drinks and sunshine - our summer sweaters! one of our missions here on luvinthemommyhood.com is to encourage knitters to not shy away from knitting in the warmer months.

why wait until it's cold to knit up your favorite new sweater when you can make it now and cozy up in it ALL. WINTER. LONG.

the summer sweater knit along is our most popular knit along of the year! our readers excitedly await this friendly, fun & inspiring knit along! we strive to create a strong sense of community with our knit alongs. we want you to build new & thriving friendships as well as have an inviting place to come and share all of their knitting triumphs (and failures) whether it be on our blog, our lively ravelry group or on social media.

we want YOU to join in!

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

|| THE DATES ||
July 24th to September 18th (approximately)

sign ups, new info, our pinterest board, blog buttons & more info will be posted on july 24th at the start of the kal! in the meantime get picking your yarns...your patterns....and swatch (just don't cast on..lol) - fun, fun, fun!

you can share your pics, patterns, and more in our ravelry group here and also here on the blog in the comments below. you can also find out more about our knit alongs by clicking on knit alongs on the top menu bar of the blog.

we have a hashtag and we want you to use it!

use hashtag #sskal on facebook, twitter & instagram so we can all follow your projects! trust me when i say this is FUN! it was so great to check in with everyone's pics each week on instagram and now with facebook working with hashtags it's even more fun!

if you've never knit a garment before this is the time to start! what better way to learn than with a group of women eager to help you learn and show you how easy it can be! with resources, tips, technical guest posts and more we will hold your hand through the whole process...promise :) we hope you'll join us! we've got lots planned this summer and an exciting new twist as well! and the sponsors.....just wait! they are amazing!

which patterns are you drooling over? yarn you're excited to work with? are you joining in? let's chat below! happy pattern & yarn shopping..hehe....

p.s. if you have a business/are a designer or know of some that you think would be a great fit or you'd love to see for our summer sweater kal please email me at luvinthemommyhood@yahoo.ca.