JOURNEY KNIT ALONG || THE GIVEAWAY!!!!

It's time for the post you have all been waiting for! The JOURNEY Knit Along Giveaway!!!!

I have absolutely LOVED seeing everyone's projects from the book. I can't even begin to explain how much fun it has been and how amazing it is to see all these gorgeous items knit up form the projects that Jane and I worked so hard on. It's so special to us and I thank you all for showing us so much love and support. It really truly means so much! Jane and I are both sick this week so it's cheered us up to see all your WIP's and FO's!

So in honor of that we are so excited to have a giveaway for you all today!  Our way of saying thank you for knitting with us and for being so gosh darn awesome!   I wish I could hug each and every one of you! And even though the KAL is over please keep posting your pics! You can use hashtag #journeyknits on all your projects so we can still see them on Instagram and social media! I really enjoy following along with you all!

Now...are you ready to hear what you could win?

// PRIZE 

One lucky winner will receive a $50 Gift Certificate from Quince and Co.!!!!!

// PRIZE

One lucky winner will receive a Skein of Bannock by Sincere Sheep in the colorway of their choice!!!

// PRIZE

- 2 lucky winners will receive the eBook of JOURNEY (this includes all the individual Pdf's as well)!

 // PRIZE

- 2 lucky winners will win 3 patterns of their choice from Very Shannon (that's me!)

// PRIZE

- 2 lucky winners will win 3 patterns of their choice from Jane Richmond

Here's how you can enter....

// PRIZES

Prize Package #1
The lucky winner will take home a $50 Gift Certificate to Quince & Co, an eBook of JOURNEY, 1 skein of Bannock from Sincere Sheep!

Prize Package #2 & #3
A copy of the eBook of JOURNEY, 3 patterns of the winners choice from Very Shannon and 3 patterns of the winners choice from Jane Richmond Designs!

// HOW TO ENTER
- You MUST be signed up for the JOURNEY KAL and you MUST have started a project during our knit along. Note: The project does not have to be completed to be eligible. We will be picking the winner randomly from the number that your entry gets allocated when you fill out the form. If you haven't filled out the entry form yet but you took part in the KAL you can sign up here:

JOURNEY KAL ENTRY FORM

// RULES
- You MUST have at least started and worked on a project during our JOURNEY knit along to be eligible to win. You do not need to have completed your project to win.
- Giveaway is open until Sunday, March 2nd, 2014.

A HUGE thank you to Quince and Co. and Sincere Sheep for their generous prize donations and for their support of JOURNEY! We so appreciate it!

Looking for all the JOURNEY KAL info? Remember you can find all of our info here on our JOURNEY Knit Along Home Page.

Crossing my fingers and toes for your win! Good luck and thanks for knitting with us!!!

SEWING || 110 CREATIONS: A SEWIST'S NOTEBOOK REVIEW

2014 is the year that I really want to focus on sewing more garments for myself.

I quickly realized though that I need to find a better way to organize my adult clothing patterns, fabrics, notes and pattern pieces. There is only so much room in my condo to fit my sewing goodies so I have to be creative when organizing my sewing things.

When I spotted the review for 110 Creations: A Sewist's Notebook by Beth Byrge over on the Sewaholic blog I bought it on the spot. Yesssss......was all I kept saying to myself. It was like the blogging world read my mind that day. I had just purchased a pattern and was thinking to myself that I needed to find a better way to store these things when I popped over to Sewaholic and read Tasia's review. It was like bells were ringing and stars were shining...lol. A bit dramatic? Nope. If you saw how I store things now you would be doing the same thing.

 

What is 110 Creations? While it's a handy coil bound notebook that you can keep track of all your sewing projects, fabric choices, measurements, notes, adjustments, wish lists and more!

Here is what 110 Creations features!

// PROJECT PAGES
You get 110 of these and they are awesome! Each has a figure for you to draw your outfit on (only con is the figure is dark ink so it will most likely show when you sketch/color on top of it) and color, as well as the following sections to fill out...

pattern / fabric / interfacing / notions / accents / planning notes / sizing & alterations 
seams & finishes / hem / notes for next time 

With lines for you to fill out and of course to name your project! So fun!!!!! This takes up the majority of the book but wait...there's more! 

// MEASUREMENT CHART

A handy page to put all your measurements on with a drawing so you can't forget the weird ones :)

// PROJECT LIST

A place for you to simply write in the names of the 110 projects you would like to make.

// PATTERN CATALOGUE

YES!!!! I love this part. Love it, love it! This section is divided into Tops, Pants, Skirts, Dresses, Outerwear, Children's, Men's  & Bags!!!! Can we see heck yeah people!!! I am always forgetting which patterns I own and then have to go dig them all out or scroll through on my computer. I love that I can document them all here. There are spaces to write in the name of the pattern, company, if you cut it or not yet and the price paid!

// WISH LIST

This section allows you to write down the lovelies you are dreaming of owning! You can add yours in the areas for fabric, patterns, notions & tools.

// NEEDLE CHANGE RECORD

Ummm...so I need this. I am a bad girl and always forget. Nuff said.

// NOTES

A 2 page lined section for writing notes. 

You can also purchase this book in a new format too! There is the larger side coil bound (which I have) and now a smaller version too! You can find them both for sale here.

Time to get myself organized and get sewing!!!! Who's with me? How do you store/organize your patterns? 

JOURNEY KNIT ALONG || MY ANTRORSE SWEATER

Can you tell I love my Antrorse sweater? I'm so happy to have one of my pattern in my own size!

When designing Antrorse it was tricky to make it for someone that was way smaller in body size than I. Throughout the whole process I was dying to make one in my size so I could try it on as I went. The sewer in me wanted to drape, alter and shape and this time I had to trust the math and the stitches. I did end up making one for myself though. And the lazy knitter in me still hasn't blocked it....don't judge...lol. I know it needs it - desperately. But the weather here is so damp and dreary I knew it was going to take forever to dry and I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it yet. So you lucky ducks get pics of me in it pre-blocking :) And those of you who know I made this in October....hangs head in shame...I promise to block it soon.

When Jane and I planned out the JOURNEY KAL we both thought it would be fun for you guys to see us wearing our JOURNEY garments. You can see Jane's over on her blog later today. One of my favorite things now that Antrorse is out in the world is seeing all the beautiful body shapes wearing it and all of them looking gorgeous in it! I love that curvy gals like myself can wear it and that we look just as cute in it as the model in our book! With no waist/hip shaping it still let's us show off our curves but with the 2" of positive ease it doesn't cling to our bits and bobs that we don't want showing (ahem...like my 2 baby post c-section tummy). The funnel neck balances out our boobs and hips while the directional arrow down the center draws your eye upward slimming your frame.

I'm happy in this sweater alright. No tugging, pulling, shifting or feeling like I have to suck in all my air to pose for a pic for a few minutes. This is me. Dancing. Happy. Goofy. Listening to my new fave album  by Noah Gundersen (Ledges is my fave - cannot stop listening to this whole album), wearing my Antrorse exactly how I would on any given day. I love pairing it with my fave tunic of the moment - my Tova (you can read more about it here), a pair of dark grey leggings and my well loved knee high boots. The layers keep me warm and I feel like I'm wearing a short skirt (that flatters my legs) but doesn't reveal anything since I really have pants on :) That little pop of color just makes me smile. And knowing that I handmade both the tunic and the sweater makes me ecstatic! I love those outfit days.

My Antrorse is made from Quince and Co. Osprey in the colorway Honey and it's my fave. I am obsessed with it. It's this gorgeous creamy yellow/green color that is just awesome. I'm currently also making a Swift hat in the same color so I can rock this tone all over! Lol! A gal can't have enough of this color in my opinion. I love it. Same with the yarn :) But then you all know how much I love Quince and Co. The texture from this yarn just makes this graphic loving gals heart swoon :P

I didn't make that many mods for my pullover. I made a size 42 and the only thing I did was make mine a tad longer. I wanted the length a bit longer so it went over my problem area (aka the tummy mentioned above). Since I knew I was going to wear this with leggings more than pants it was the way to go. I hunted and hunted for the right buttons and when I spotted these at our local yarn shop - Knotty By Nature I knew they were destined for my Antrorse! They are real wood and smell glorious! I adore them!

Now it's your turn! We want to see your projects from JOURNEY! 

Get those pics added to our Ravelry group! Post your pics on your blog and share your links here! We can't wait to see all the finished projects next week you guys! There are some truly beautiful things being made!

And remember you can find everything JOURNEY KAL on our homepage here! Thanks for knitting with us!!

Sweater: Antrorse Sweater Pattern by Shannon Cook (me!) from JOURNEY

Yarn for Sweater: Quince and Co. Osprey in colorway Honey

Tunic: Tova Tunic (from Wiksten) sewn by me (read more here).

Fabric for Tunic:  Luxe in Bloom by Sarah Watson for Art Gallery Fabrics

Leggings: Costco

Boots: Old Navy (2+ years ago)
Music I was listening to: Noah Gundersen (Can't stop listening to the whole album, but Ledges is my fave!)

CREATIVITY || SUPPORTING EACH OTHER - IMAGINE GNATS CAMPAIGN

IMG Src - IMAGINE GNATS

One of my favorite things about being a blogger are the friendships I've made.

It's a special thing to be lucky enough to  have "met" so many of you and to have made so many wonderful and truly amazing friends. People I would never have had the chance to meet in life if not for blogging.  There's such a great support system online and without it I would truly not be as happy as I am now in my 30's. It helped me found out "who" I really am and to go after my dreams.

That being said I've also been lucky to watch so many dear friends careers soar! Watching others go after their dreams and succeed is pretty much as good as doing it yourself. I truly believe that when you are a creative individual the ones that understand your quirks and nuances the best are the other creatives in your life. We all need them. You know the ones that understand why you stay up all night because you "just had to sew" or "you had to finish turning your heel" or "you had a great design idea and had to sketch it all out". Those people. The ones who know why we do the things we do to feed our soul and to fill our hearts. The ones who know the happiness of creating and making. Whether it be sewing, knitting, drawing, designing, writing etc....if you create you just understand. That network of support is invaluable to us...we need it.


So today I'm showing some support to my pal Rachael of Imagine Gnats. She's going after one of her dreams and I really want to cheer her on! It's sort of my virtual "hurray" for her. Rachael is so talented and such a sweet & funny friend. When she started her sewing pattern line I was just over the moon for her! Her designs are some of my faves and the kids and I both enjoy them. She's been doing great things and her next goal & wish is to be able to release paper versions for sale of her already popular PDF sewing patterns.

How was she going to achieve this? Well, I was interested too. This is something I hope to one day do as well so I've been following along with Rachael (nagging her with questions all the time...lol...sorry Rachael) and realized it's quite a big financial investment to get them going. So Rachael has started a Indiegogo Campaign to crowd raise funds for her new business endeavor! I love when my friends do this! I feel good knowing I can do something to help their business become a reality. Even $1, $5, $10 or whatever you can contribute can help someone reach for the stars! What better way to show our kids that you can go after your dreams?

I've contributed to 2 other friends campaigns and I tell you it feels great. And no, I'm not trying to get all preachy and sales pitch like here. I'm just sayin' it feels good to help out someone you care about. You can contribute whatever you can afford and some price levels bring you fun perks too! I strongly believe you can't reach the stars alone. It takes family, friends and community to support you. To believe in you. Having that belief and confidence in your dream makes a world of a difference. If you think and believe you can make it happen you truly can.

Here's a little bit about Rachael and her campaign....

imagine gnats started as a little etsy shop, selling small sewn items to help support my family and also to give me a creative outlet in a corporate world. it's come a long way in just five years... from a hobby to a full-time job. my love of sewing and design has grown as well, and now my own sewing patterns help and inspire others to create.

i am proud to have created patterns for garments that are easy to sew and easy to wear. imagine gnats patterns feature classic silhouettes with a modern twist that incorporate clever details and practical techniques

currently, my patterns are all offered as printable pdfs. the money raised on indiegogo will help cover the costs of an initial run of paper patterns, which means sharing my designs with even more sewists and inspiring more people.

for the cost of one pattern, you can help me reach my goal AND be one of the first to get the printed pattern of your choice. for a little bit more, you can get a full set of imagine gnats printed patterns. plus, early bird specials offer even better deals for the first contributors!

my initial print run will include 500 each of my existing five garment patterns. all of the money raised will go directly to that effort. once patterns are printed, i begin the selling and distribution phase.

i would love for you to tweet, share on facebook, email your friends and family... anything that will get the word out. every share helps and is so appreciated.

So today I'm saying "you can do it" Rachael. We're cheering you on girl! You go stand on those tippy toes and touch the stars. I can't wait to see how far you will soar!

If you would like to contribute to Rachael's campaign click HERE to read all about it. You can also visit her over on Imagine Gnats and check out her lovely pattern shop here as well.

Are you reaching for the stars as well? What is your "creative" dream? Do you have a special support system in your life that helps you be "you"? Coffee's on & I'd love to hear from you!

SEWING || BRIGITTE NEEDLES & NOTIONS ZIPPERED POUCH TUTORIAL

Do not fear the zipper. 

Do not deny yourself of a bevvy of adorable zippered pouches. Trust me on this one folks. I spent years sewing avoiding sewing zippers. Now that I conquered my fear of zips I've been having so much fun with them! They are honestly just like what everyone says - scarier than they look and wayyyy easier than you think to sew. Once you do a few you will be a pro at them! I prefer zippers over sewing buttonholes any day!!

Now like most knitters I take knitting with me most places I go. The other day I found myself needing to pack multiple needles but didn't want to lose them in my knitting bag. So I started thinking there must be an easier way to keep my spares organized, without a huge case, that's easy to access and doesn't take up much room. I then thought - can I put them in my zippered pouch? Nope, not enough room (I carry a lot in mine). Then, better yet, why can't I have a separate section for my circulars on my pouch? Yesssss! I could do that! And The Brigitte Needles & Notions Zippered Pouch was born!

When I got my hands on some of Pat Bravo's new line "Rapture" from Art Gallery Fabrics I knew they would make a lovely and pretty zippered pouch. I used the following prints for my pouch...

- Delicate Femme Apricot  - BonBons Candy  - Dreamscape Moon

The Delicate Femme Apricot is my fave from the whole collection. So gorgeous! I want to make a dress in it this year! You can read more about my review of this pretty new line here.

Now don't be scared of making this pouch. I promise it's not hard! Really. It's a basic zippered pouch with a zipper insertion that I think isn't the standard way to do them but a way that I really like. It's super duper easy and you can get right close to the zipper teeth so you get a clean finish. But feel free to put your zipper in any way you'd like to. And adding the pouch portion is a breeze. If you can sew straight lines you can make Brigitte! Trust me.

You ready? Let's get those needles and notions organized! You deserve a pretty new pouch for spring!

BRIGITTE NEEDLES & NOTIONS ZIPPERED POUCH TUTORIAL

*Copyright 2014 VeryShannon.com. All rights reserved. This tutorial is for personal use only unless prior permission has been given. Email askveryshannon@gmail.com if you have questions.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
8" W x 4.5" H (Front & Back)
6.5" W x 2.25" H (Pocket)

MATERIALS
4 @ 8.5" W x 5.25" H ( 2 for Outer Pouch and 2 for Inner Pouch)
2 @ 2.75" H x 4.5" W (Pocket Flap)
2 @ 7" H x 5.25" W (Pocket)
Interfacing - I use & love 931TD Pellon Fusible Interfacing cut to the sizes/quantity below:
2 @ 8.5" W x 5.25" H Light to Medium Weight Fusible Interfacing
1 @ 4.5" W x 2.75"H Light to Medium Weight Fusible Interfacing
1 @ 5.25" W x 7"H Light to Medium Weight Fusible Interfacing
1 9" zipper
Zipper foot for your machine
Coordinating Thread
1 Snap
Rotary Cutter w/mat or scissors
Pins

INSTRUCTIONS
*All seam allowances 1/4" unless otherwise noted.
STEP ONE: PREP POUCH FOR SEWING
Cut out all fabric and interfacing pieces as per the measurements listed in the "Materials" section. Set aside your 2 pieces that will be your "Outer Pouch" pieces, 1 of your "Pocket Flap", and 1 of your "Pocket". Iron your fusible interfacing to the wrong sides of these pieces. 

Now take your 2 Pocket Pieces and place them right sides facing each other. Sew along one of the short edges ONLY with a 1/4" seam allowance. Turn right side out and press. *See diagram above.

Next with right sides facing each other, sew 3 sides of your pocket flap, leaving one long edge unsewn. Clip your corners and turn right side out and press. *See diagram above.

STEP TWO: ASSEMBLE POCKET

Place your Pocket Piece (right side facing up) on top of the right side of one of your Outer Pouch Pieces aligning both short ends together on the right edge. Pin your pocket down and baste close to the edge along the right short edge and along the bottom edge of your Outer Pouch Piece ONLY. This will keep your pocket piece from moving around too much when we assemble the pouch. *See diagram above.

Now fold down 1/2" and press along one long edge of all of your Outer Pouch and Inner Pouch Pieces. *See image above.



Next place your Flap Piece right side facing up on top of the same Outer Pouch Piece you just sewed your pocket to (right side up) and pin it down 1/2" away from the bottom of your pouch aligned with the left hand side of the pouch. Baste along this side seam close to the edge. *See image above.

STEP THREE: ATTACH ZIPPER (Lining)
Do not be scared. I feared zippers for almost 3 years and never sewed one. I was freaked right out by them and then when I finally got the courage to sew one my whole world changed. It wasn't hard. It was just my mind thinking it was. I now loooooove sewing zippers. The girl in me who loves top stitching just goes gaga over zippers. My words of wisdom? Go slow, steady and take your time and always, always, always read the instructions more than twice. I sometimes even "pretend do the steps" before really sewing just to make sure I'm not making any boo boos. The nice thing about zippers is you can rip it out if you make a mistake. With a buttonhole...once it's cut you are down for the count. See...already less scary right?

Now this method of sewing a zipper in a pouch isn't the only way to do it. There are lots of different methods but this is a personal fave of mine. It gives such a neat finish and I find it the least scary and stressful way to attach a zipper. Please feel free to use any other method though if you would like to. If you do a search on google there are a ton of great free tutorials and instructions on this as well as just a few other free zippered pouch tutorials below showing you how to put a zipper in using a different method than what I show.

// Helpful Links

- How to Sew a Zippered Pouch on Gussy Sews

- How to Sew Zippers on Kollabora

- Zippered Pouch on Noodlehead

- Easy zippered pouch on Design Mom

- Zippered Pouch Roundup on The Sewing Loft

Attach your zipper foot to your machine. Lay your zipper (right side facing down) pull side down with the zipper pull on the left and then lay your Inner Pouch piece right side facing up on the zipper. You can choose to pin or not pin here. Sew fabric to zipper using your zipper foot sewing close to, but not on, the zipper teeth.  Remember - go slow, and take your time. *See image above.

Next take your other Inner Pouch Piece and repeat the above step maneuvering the zipper pull as needed as you sew. Press your fabric nicely.

// HINT
If you would like to put in a lovely label for your pouch now is the time!

 

STEP FOUR: ATTACH ZIPPER (Outer)

Lay your Inner Pouch right sides facing down (your zipper will be right side facing up now) and pin your Outer Pouch Pieces down along your zipper making sure your zipper pull (start) are on the left side (same side as your pocket flap). My pic shows a different angle so careful to check this before sewing. Sew along your top edge as close to the zipper teeth as possible (don't sew on the teeth). You want a nice and tidy finish. As you sew you can maneuver and move the zipper pull out of the way. That's it! You did it! You see...it wasn't so bad! Awesome job!



Next repeat the above step for your other Outer Pouch Piece. When you are done pull your zipper down a few inches. You will need the zipper open so you can pull the pouch right side out after we are done sewing it together.

STEP FIVE: SEWING POUCH
Now we are going to finish sewing up the pouch. We are going to separate the Inner Pouch from the Outer Pouch here. So match your Outer Pouch right sides facing each other and pin around (leaving the Inner Pouch pieces free. Make sure that as you pin your zipper tops are even and lined up. *See diagram below.

Sew along your 3 edges of your Outer Pouch ONLY with a 1/4" seam allowance going slowly and carefully. *See left diagram above. Now trim your corners to get rid of extra bulk. *See diagram to the right above.

Next do the same steps but this time using your Inner Pouch Pieces (again lining everything up and pinning) but leave an opening that is 4-5" wide to turn your pouch through. Trim your corners. *See diagram below.

Now pull your pouch right side out through the unsewn opening in your Inner Pouch. It is going to look weird and wonky but don't worry - all will be lovely soon. Once it's right side out put your Inner Pouch inside of your Outer Pouch and check to make sure all looks good. Check your pocket and flap to make sure it's laying nicely. If it does pull your Inner Pouch back out and either press and sew shut on your machine with a top stitch enclosing your unsewn opening or hand stitch the opening closed with an invisible stitch for a clean finish.

Put your Inner Pouch back in your Outer Pouch and press that bad boy really really well.

STEP SIX: FINISHING TOUCHES

 All we have left is to sew on your snap! Find the center of your pocket flap and draw a dot 3/4" up from the bottom of your flap. Sew the female part of your snap here (or the part of the snap that has the opening (not the prong). Now find the center and mark the corresponding spot on the top of your pocket and sew down the male part of your snap (the one with the prong).

*Copyright 2014 VeryShannon.com. All rights reserved. This tutorial is for personal use only unless prior permission has been given. Email askveryshannon@gmail.com if you have questions.

And you're done!!!! You did amazing and seriously....how cute is this pouch! I can't wait to make more! I can use these for so many things. They also make fabulous gifts! Mother's Day will be here before we know it!

What fabric would you use for your pouch? Do you carry spares with you for your knitting too? Wouldn't this be great for makeup and brushes as well? Thanks for sewing with me!

P.S. Make sure to add your projects to our Flickr Group so we can see your finished Brigitte's and link them in the comments too! I love to hear from you!

JOURNEY KAL - YARN SUBSTITUTES FOR JOURNEY

Have you been wondering what yarns you could use to make the patterns from JOURNEY?

We thought it would be fun to show you some yarn substitutes that we like for our patterns from JOURNEY for the knit along! We loooove the choices we have listed in the book but we know not everyone has access to those yarns and it's also fun to see the projects knit up in different yarns too! So I've compiled a list of some of the yarns that I would think of using (and some that others have knit the projects with)! I don't know about you but I love looking at people's FO's in different yarns! It's so fun!

I hope you enjoy the choices below and please feel free to suggest a yarn that you love too! I'd love to hear which one you'd love to use for my patterns!

// ANTRORSE - Aran Weight

- Cascade Eco Cloud
- Malabrigo Worsted (Aran Weight)
- Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted Solid (Aran Weight)
- Plucky Rustic

// ONWARD - Worsted Weight

- Tanis Fiber Arts Orange Label
- MadelineTosh Tosh Vintage
- Knit Picks Swish Worsted
- Brooklyn Tweed Shelter

// SWIFT - Sport Weight

- Madelinetosh Pashmina and/or Sport
- Blue Sky Alpacas Sport
- Nuna Mirasol Yarn

If you're taking part in the JOURNEY KAL please dont' forget to tag your posts with #journeykal on FB, twitter and Instagram (and so on) so we can keep up with all your awesome pics! I've been having so much fun reading through them at night! And pop by Jane's blog tomorrow to see her yarn substitutions.

I'm in the process of revamping my Knit Along home page (can't wait to show you all!). It's still in the works but in the meantime you can find our new JOURNEY KAL homepage! You can always find all the info for the JOURNEY KAL there - sign ups, posts, info and more! You can check it out HERE.

What yarns did you choose for your JOURNEY project? Did you make a substitute that you love? Leave me a comment - I'd love to know your choices! 

P.S. Don't forget to enter our "Eucalan & Knitter's Pride Giveaway" to win some lovely new goodies!

GIVEAWAY || KNITTERS PRIDE & EUCALAN GIVEAWAY!!!

Are you in the mood to win some fabulous knitting goodies today from Eucalan and Knitter's Pride? Yay!

I recently got to review some of the great knitting needles from Knitter's Pride! I've been enjoying playing around with all the different tips and feels as well as trying out their double pointed needles in their fun line - Karbonz! I really liked the light feel and the smooth texture of the black portion of the needles. They are lightweight and fast - which is what I want from my regular everyday needles.

I also enjoyed trying out the Bamboo tips. So fancy with their gold plated ends that matched up with cables with the same gold!  but the most interesting ones by far to try were the Nova Cubics! Wow! Now those were definitely fun to knit with! A definite conversation starter for sure! I mean they are square!! Fo'reals! Square needles! One thing I really liked about the Nova Cubics tips is that they have the size printed on them! So handy!

Now, if you know me, you know I love to knit. I also love to try new needles, notions and yarn - but one thing I keep stocked regularly at all times is Eucalan. Eucalan is one of my FAVE products to use when blocking my precious hand knits. I've been using it for years now and can't say enough about it. Last year at Vogue Knitting Live I got my hands on a sample of the scent "Wrapture" and have been hooked on it ever since! And I mean the kind of hooked where I want to block things that don't need blocking just so they smell like it. I just saw they have a Wrapture Fragrant Balm now and damn if I don't need that asap! Then I can smell just as good as my hand knits!!!

Would you like to know what you could win? Keep reading to find out the prizes!

// THE PRIZE
- A Eucalan Getaway Gang pack from Eucalan, a Comby II Sampler Interchangeable Set (Knitter's Pride), Carina Shawl Pin and Rejoice Pom Pom Maker from Knitter's Pride.

// HOW TO ENTER
- Simply leave me a comment below letting me know what scent Eucalan you love best and/or your favorite Knitter's Pride needles!
- Bonus entry: Like Eucalan and/or Knitter's Pride and/or Very Shannon on facebook and leave me separate comments letting me know you did that too.

// THE RULES
- Giveaway is open until February 16th, midnight, PST.
- You must leave a valid email address in your comment or you will be disqualified.

Ohhhhhh! I can't wait to see who wins! I vote for you knitting up a new shawl with your Knitter's Pride needles to wear your pin with and block with Eucalan. Then you could whip up our KEATON hat to pop a pom pom on!!! I swear sometimes hosting a giveaway is almost as fun as winning one! I'll be crossing my fingers for you guys!

A big thank you to Knitter's Pride and Eucalan for the fun giveaway prizes! Now you can whip up some new knits with your Knitter's Pride needles and then block them in some gorgeous Eucalan washes!!! Enjoy!!!

P.S. Be sure to check out our newest free tutorial The Brigitte Needles & Notions Zippered Pouch Tutorial! Now you can keep a few spare knitting needles alongside your notions all in one cute pouch! Works great for makeup as well! 

JOURNEY KAL || KNITTING BUTTONHOLES: A ROUNDUP

During the making of my Antrorse pattern I became obsessed with buttonholes.

I couldn't stop looking at them, analyzing them and studying them. I wanted to knit my dream buttonhole for my dream sweater. Then I came upon the One Row Buttonhole and my dreams came true. Clean. Easy. Reversible. Tidy. It made the perfectionist in me so very happy. Buttonholes never get enough of the limelight in knitting if you ask me.

So when discussing possible topics for the JOURNEY KAL Jane and I decided to do one on techniques for you guys today. She's covering the Turkish Cast On and I'm chatting all about knitting buttonholes! Wahoo! Fun right? Who doesn't love learning a new technique? I never get tired of it.

If you're knitting my Antrorse Sweater for the JOURNEY KAL you'll get to work the One Row Buttonhole first hand! It's been one of the most commented part of the sweater that I get from knitters. I'm so glad so many of you have found a new love for this buttonhole!

You ready to learn how to knit a One Row Buttonhole? Want to find out what other buttonholes there are? Here's some of my faves! 

// ONE ROW BUTTONHOLE
- Tutorial from NeoKnits
- Video from New Stitch a Day
- How to on Knitting Daily
- Video on Knitting Help

// OTHER BUTTONHOLES
- Buttonhole techniques on Vogue Knitting
- Buttonholes on Knitty
- Buttonhole techniques on TECHknitting (here, here, here, here , here, here)
- Buttons & Buttonholes on Knitpicks Blog
- Buttonhole tips from Tricksy Knitter
- Two row buttonhole on Crafty Stylish  
- Making perfect buttonholes Part 1 and Part 2
- Buttonholes on Craftsy
- Knitting on the Net's buttonholes

// TAKE A CLASS
- Button Bands & Buttonholes Class with Anne Hanson on Crafsty
- Knit the Perfect Buttonhole Class with Anna Zilboorg on Interweave

// READ A BOOK
- Finishing School: A Master Class for Knitters by Deborah Newton
- Knitting for Dummies free chapter on Knitting Buttonholes
- The Principles of Knitting by June Hemmons Hiat

Interested in learning more techniques from our knit alongs? Check out these fun posts for more tips and techniques! These are just a few we've covered during our knit alongs!

POCKETS || KITCHENER || PICKING UP STITCHES || BLOCKING || SEAMING

What project are you knitting for the JOURNEY KAL? What yarn are you using? Do you have a fave buttonhole? Let's chat! 

PS. Find all the info for our JOURNEY Knit Along here.

SEWING || SIGMA DRESS - SHADES OF ME SEWING SERIES

Let me introduce you to my new favorite dress! The Sigma Dress by Papercut Patterns.

One of my new year's resolutions this year was to sew for me more and I was so thrilled when Hayley of Welcome to the Mouse House and Celina of Petit a Petit & Family asked me to take part in their awesome Shades of Me Sewing Series! We got assigned a color and got to sew an outfit in that colorway for ourselves! I was so in!

My color was WHITE. Say what? I don't wear white unless you count some white tees, a cardi and my wedding dress...lol. But I quickly realized we were allowed to do any color mixed with white so I got my happy dance on when I realized I could sew with grey! Yes please! I have been hoarding Robert Kaufman Chambray in Pepper for months now and happily cut into it to make my chosen pattern. I even added a white zipper in there and sewed with white thread to keep the white vibe going..lol.

But before I tell you of my sincere love of Papercut Patterns I must tell you a story about the journey this series has taken me on. You see when I finally sat down to chose an awesome pattern for myself my brain went cray cray. I spent weeks and I mean weeks, poring over the internet searching for what I wanted to make. I've collected a great collection of adult sewing patterns over the last few months in anticipation of making more of a "handmade wardrobe" for myself this year but even those weren't making me excited.

I finally decided on a dress (that will remain unnamed for now) and happily went to sew it. Let me just tell you - this dress I dreamed of myself looking so good in quickly turned into the dress from hell. No word of a lie. I hate this dress so bad I am seriously going to cut it up and then run it over with my car. This dress took over my life like a demon possessing a soul. I spent all my work time and personal time all last week sewing like a crazy woman on the dress. I refused to give up. But the dress fought me back harder every time. Let me just say the fit on that dress is never going to happen. The dress is not gonna happen. I. Altered. Everything.

By the time I got to Friday night (of last week, yes, it was that long) I had changed the whole dress. New bust darts, new princess seams, added back neck darts, took in back seams, altered straps and the list goes on - still horrid! Our family sat down to dinner on Friday and I just knew I had gone over to the dark side of sewing. I hadn't done my hair in days, I was covered in thread and sewing in my bra and undies (dont' judge me, I got sick of taking my clothes off every time I altered the dress) - I'm keeping it real here folks, and snapping at any poor child or adult who dare speak to me. So when my hubby nicely said "Why don't you just make a new dress?" I went off the deep end. Doesn't he know how much I've worked on this dress? How could I let IT win? I couldn't possibly give up now when I spent so many hours fighting this dress! I loved the fabric too much to let it go!

He went out that evening and as the house grew quiet I sat down at my Pfaff and just cried. I had to let it go. I knew I couldn't win and get this post done in time. I am proud to say I kicked that damn dress across the room, shoved it in a bin and opened up the AWESOME Papercut Pattern I had so lovingly ordered weeks earlier (not thinking it would make it in time for this competition) that literally had just arrived the day before. It was a sign. The packaging - I will save that for another post but let me just say - OH MY! My happy little designer heart raced like xmas morning! I just about fainted with sheer happiness. Clear instructions, personal touches, great fit and a lovely design. Could you say it saved me from sewing insanity? Yes. It. Did.

Did I have to make any adjustments? Not a single one and it feels damn good to type that after the Hell Dress debacle above. I'm sure in hindsight I could tweak the front armhole fit a tad (it has a bit of extra fabric there above the boob) but other than that - love it. I love sewing invisible zippers, I loved the pocket detail and the front gather....swoon. I loved it so much I wore it out the next day and showed it off to all my friends. That dress will forever be cherished in my wardrobe. I will always remember how it pulled me out of a bad place and made me admit to my husband he was right (a tough thing to do in our house). I should have just started a new dress days before that and moved on with it. You live and you learn. I will never spend that much time altering the fit on a dress for myself ever again. Never.

What else did I learn? That even though I am trying hard right now to get into shape I am learning to enjoy sewing for my curves and finding the clothing to make that is flattering to me. There is nothing like wearing a garment that was made to fit your body. Speaking from a gal who has curves that finds shopping in stores a headache it's a breath of fresh air. I can't wait to make more! I have another Papercut Pattern on it's way to me as I type this and got my hair cut last night because after I saw these pics I realized the hairdresser in me could not let this horrid hairdo continue any longer. 

Have you made a Sigma Dress? Have you sewn with Papercut Patterns before? I'd love to hear about it!

Dress: Sigma Dress from Papercut Patterns
Size Made: Large for the Bodice graded up to an XL for the Skirt

Dress Fabric: Robert Kaufman Interweave Chambray in Pepper

Boots: Forever 21

Don't forget to follow along with the rest of the Shades of Me Series! So many fun bloggers joining in! And a big thank you to Celina and Hayley for having me along on the tour!

SALE || SWEETHEART DRESS VALENTINE'S DAY SALE!

Who's in the mood for a special Valentine's Day Sale?

From now until February 14th save 10% off the Sweetheart Dress Pattern in our Very Shannon Shop (only)!! Use coupon code "heart10" to save 10%!

In honor of the sale and of my littlest one growing out of her original Sweetheart Dress I couldn't resist whipping her up a new one! And even better I couldn't resist making it out of one of my new fave lines "Catnap" by Lizzy House forAndover Fabrics. Isn't this print adorable? I used Kitty Dreams in Cranberry. I love the whole line!

---

Only modifications I made for this Sweetheart was to use the full width of fabric to make the skirt from. We wanted to up the twirl factor! I also used a huge button which in hindsight isn't the best idea as the button loop had to made quite large to account for the size of the button and allows the heart to be open a tad more at the top portion which bugs me to no end...but not enough that I'll change it...lol. It's one of my favorite retro buttons from my stash and I love that extra pop of red!

Would you like to see more pics? Yay! I just can't resist showing you some more cute pics of my girly girl in her new fave dress!

---

Have you made a Sweetheart Dress before? What fabric are you dying to sew one up in?

You can find the Sweetheart Dress Pattern for sale & use the coupon "heart10" to save 10% off in my shop Very Shannonthrough till February 14th!

Happy sewing!!!!

---

Dress Pattern:

Sweetheart Dress by Shannon Cook of Very Shannon, Size 4.

Dress Fabric: Kitty Dreams in Cranberry from Catnap by Lizzy House for Andover Fabrics.

Modifications: Used full width of fabric to make an even fuller skirt!

MOMENTS || TURNING THE HEEL

I've been trying really  hard to stay on top of my goals for the blog and for myself this year and January sure gave me a run for my money.

It's been quite the test as I've been really busy behind the scenes of the blog and it could have been so easy to slip back into old ways. I have a post coming up this week that I'll explain this a bit more but I'm happy to stay I saw my old habits coming back and managed to pull myself back onto course again and stick it out. Have you been sticking to your new year's resolutions?

In the meantime I've also been enjoying some quiet moments to feed my soul and sole...hehe...sorry, couldn't resist. I've been working on some new patterns but also enjoying some great purse knitting for a new pair of socks. I'm madly in love with my self striping yarn from Caterpillar Green Yarns! This is colorway concrete and tulips and it is gorgeous!!! I highly recommend her yarns. Her stripes are amazing and she's local!

I turned my heel on the weekend (after some cray crazy math and a few oospies) and am now on the ankle portion! Yay! Can't wait to show you all the other colors I have in there now! There's a red/pink heel!!! Weeee! Fun! I also didn't miss the fact that I turned my heel on the same day I managed to work through a very stressful sewing situation (aka the dress from hell).  It felt good to make it through something bad and then end my day turning the heel on a fun new pair of socks! Silly as that sounds I slept great that night..lol.

In the craziness of my last week or so I realized that I haven't announced the winner of the Fat Quarter Shop Fabric Giveaway! Our winner is....commenter #53 - Michala.  Congratulations Michala! We'll be in contact with you soon! Happy fabric shopping!

What have you been working on this past month? Are you a sock addict? Have you been taking time for just "you"?

KNITTING || JOURNEY KNIT ALONG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

Guess what??? We're doing a JOURNEY Knit Along!!!! Woot woot!!! We're so excited! 

Jane and I wanted to wait until after the holidays to kick off the new year with a fun knit along for our newest book release - JOURNEY: A Collaboration! We are super excited to do a knit along for this book and cannot wait to see all your projects!!! What do you say? Would you like to join us? Yay!

// START DATE
- the KAL will start on February 5th (next Wednesday).

// END DATE
- the KAL will end on February 26th with a fun giveaway! There will be awesome prizes!!!

// HOW TO SIGN UP
- simply enter your info (kept private) into this form to be eligible to win the giveaway at the end of the KAL. You also must have a project in progress during the KAL to be eligible.

// RULES OF THE KAL
- HAVE FUN! For reals! That's a rule...lol! You must have fun...lol.
- You can join the KAL with a project from JOURNEY already started. We encourage people to finish up those WIP's. If you are half way though you might want to wait a week or two before joining in to make it fair :) We also encourage playing nicely.
- You can make anything from the book JOURNEY. Other projects will not qualify you for the KAL.
- You don't have to finish your project by the end of the KAL (though we encourage that) to be eligible for the prize. We just want ya to join in :)

WHERE CAN YOU FIND US ONLINE TO JOIN IN?

1. RAVELRY. Find the KAL running in the Very Shannon Ravelry Group. The thread to chat in will be up today sometime so you can all pop in and share which projects you will be making, swatches, yarn choices etc. This is the part I find the most fun! I love all the chatting, friendships, laughs and support. If you haven't joined in over there before for our KAL's you should give it a try.

2. PINTEREST. We will have a fun JOURNEY KAL Pinterest Board where you can find other people's projects pinned to see different yarns, sizes, and get inspiration. We will be adding to this pinboard as the KAL progresses throughout the month so please share your projects pics with us! We love to see them!

3. OUR BLOGS. Each week throughout the KAL, Jane and I will both be posting. It will be double the fun! You will be able to read each of our posts hopefully every Wed throughout the duration of the knit along. 

4. SOCIAL MEDIA. You can follow along with pics and more with the hashtag #journeykal. You can find Jane and I on facebook, twitter, instagram and google+. Our links to our social media pages can both be found on the top of our sidebars so follow along and join in :)

WHERE CAN YOU GET JOURNEY?

You can now buy JOURNEY in mutliple formats. You can purchase the hard copy version that also comes with the eBook and the individual pattern PDF's via Amazon, your local yarn shops, and Ravelry. Click HERE to find all the links.

You can purchase JUST the eBook (with individual pattern PDF's) via Ravelry here.

Don't want the whole book? That's cool too. You can also purchase each pattern PDF individually via Ravelry. I also have my patterns from the book available to purchase through my own shop Very Shannon and on Etsy.

We thank you for all the wonderful love & support you have shown Jane and myself since the release of JOURNEY. We are so glad you are all enjoying the book as much as we do. We so appreciate each and every one of you.

So what do you say? It's KAL time!!! Yay! What project will you be making? Yarn choices? It's raining buckets and I'm cozied up with some yummy hot coffee and there's a mug for you! Let's chat!

SEWING || PLANTAIN T-SHIRT BY DEER AND DOE

Deer and Doe recently released a free pattern called the Plantain T-shirt and boy did I fall head over heels in love with it. 

Free or not I needed this top. The fit and slight flare of the bottom portion is what I fell hard for. You see, I got a tummy ladies. Not a tiny one either and I need to hide that thing..lol. So if i can get a top that shows off my good parts (aka the girls) but hide the bad (the tummy) I'm game to sew it!

Deer and Doe patterns are clearly written with lovely diagrams/illustrations and their sizing is fabulous. I found this top an easy and quick sew! In fact I've already made 2 in under a week (watch for a post on the 2nd one soon)! That is a record for me! I am most definitely NOT a pattern repeater. But seriously, this top is such a great addition to my wardrobe. I also plan on making at least a few more. They are going to be on regular rotation in my house. Now to pick out some more fabrics!

I made the size XL and the only modification I made was the lazy man's hip...haha...or what I call grading down my seam allowance from 5/8" to 1/4" to give myself a smidge more room around the belly/hips without having to retrace/draft the pattern pieces. I started this just under the armpit and love how it worked out!

One of my current fave blogs to read - Paunnet, has recently joined the Deer and Doe team as their english language blogger (the Deer and Doe speak primarily french) and she has an awesome tutorial on how to turn your Plantain shirt into a dress! Ummmm...yes please! I will be making this STAT. You can find it here. There's also a contest going on over at Deer and Doe for the Plantain T-shirt as well! There are some lovely versions in their flickr group to check out too!

You can find the free download from Deer and Doe HERE. Make sure to check out their other patterns too! Almost all of them are on my "to make" list for this year!

Have you made a Plantain T-Shirt yet? I'd love to see it if you have!

Top: Plantain T-shirt (free pattern) from Deer and Doe, 
Top Fabric: Cotton knit c/o The Fabric Store (LA) (if you live in LA check them out!)

Jeans: American Eagle

Boots: Target (Canada)

MAKING || HANDMADE WINTER VIDEO

~ video by the talented Dave Cooper ~

Handmade Winter features over 50 craft and sewing projects, recipes, ideas for entertaining, stories, poetry and more, your winter will be full of love and connection, even after the holidays have come and gone! Comprised of works from some of the best creative lifestyle bloggers and project designers from around the web, Handmade Winter is like having all of your favorite blogs all in one place!

Christmas is over but that doesn't mean you have to stop enjoying making and living a creative lifestyle throughout the whole winter season! Read more about Handmade Winter: A Season to Gather, Make & Share & see what project I contributed in the eBook in my review here. You can also read more on the Handmade Winter website and also in our flipboard magazine here.

I hope you all enjoy a Handmade Winter as much as we did putting it together. It's such a special collaboration and I'm so excited for you all to see it!!! Find out more details and purchase your own copy of Handmade Winter here for just $15! Enjoy!!!

You can always keep track and join in with us and the other creative mamas on social media using hashtag #creativemamas and #handmadewinter on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook & more!

Have you got a copy of Handmade Winter yet? What have you made from it? What would you make first? Let's all get making together!

SEWING || PENELOPE PEPLUM BY SEE KATE SEW

I FINALLY GOT TO SEW UP A PENELOPE PEPLUM TOP!

I was so excited when my friend Kate of See Kate Sew mentioned she was releasing the Penelope Peplum Top Pattern! I had been looking to get one for eons but whenever I try one on in a store they never hit me in the right spot and instead of hiding my tummy they made me look more pregnant. I thought sewing one for myself instead would give me the flexibility to adjust it to my body and waist.

The Penelope Peplum also has an extension pattern that includes a circle skirt dress option, circle skirt peplum option and a gathered dress option so you can really make a whole bunch of versions! It's also available in child's sizes as the Pippa Peplum Pattern! I totally need to make one for both girls so we can all be matchy matchy. And yes, I would do that. And no, I don't care if it makes me look like a dork...cause it's fun and that's how I roll.

I found Kate's pattern (and always do find them) clear, easy to follow, well laid out and accompanied by awesome diagrams and instructions. 

She does a fabulous job for fit as well. My favorite part about the Penelope Peplum Top is the facing on the neckline. Looooove that clean and neat finish. I have a soft spot for that. The only modifications I made to the pattern was to add about 2" to the length of the skirt. I like my tops a tad longer to cover my tummy and I found the original length too short for me to hide it. This pattern gives you options for short sleeves (shown on me) or a cool half sleeve (which I wanted to make but didn't have enough fabric for). The pattern also comes with a cute bow that you can make to add to the top as well.

Kate also gives you an option to sew the top with either elastic thread or to gather the skirt pieces. I gathered and if I was to do it again I would use the elastic thread or sew elastic to the gathering portion (like how Delia did hers here). I think I would have preferred that for when I'm putting it on. Every time I slip it over my head I cross my fingers my boobs aren't going to rip my sewing...lmao. Seriously...big booby girl problems..lol. The elastic thread would have made me feel a bit less uneasy for wear and tear. So far though the stitching has held strong (thanks to my awesome mock coverstitch on my Pfaff Ambition 1.0).

Check out the Penelope Peplum Pattern by See Kate Sew Patterns and also the circle skirt/dress add on for it. She also has a little girl version called the Pippa Peplum (seriously so cute!). And you can see the rest of the fabulous ladies on the tour here on See Kate Sew! Thanks for having me Kate! 

Have you made a Penelope or Pippa Peplum yet? I'd love to hear about it and if you haven't, which fabric would you use?

 Top: Penelope Peplum Pattern by See Kate Sew
Top Fabric: Heather Ross - Briar Rose, Strawberry in Orange

Pants: American Eagle

Bracelet: c/o C. Johannesen Studio (custom)

CREATIVITY || GOALS & CHANGES

2014.
A new year, a fresh start.
I love when people share their goals, resolutions, dreams and thoughts from this time of the year. I like seeing that glimpse into a more personal side of them. That they are "real" and not perfect. It makes me feel better about myself not being perfect. I also find it energizing this time of year to know so many of us are working on changes, new ideas, and on making 2014 AWESOME!

I took a much needed and very lovely break over the holidays. During that time I did a lot of soul searching and thinking about life and my work/life balance. I came to a lot of hard conclusions about myself and what changes I need to make in my life for my health and for my family. Because I want to stand true to the decisions I've made I thought it would be a good idea to document it here so I can share it with all of you and we can all help each other work towards our goals for 2014.

I had a wonderful and amazing 2013 but there were a lot of months that my life was out of control. Months of unhealthy work habits. Late, late nights, high stress, pressure and feeling like I just couldn't get everything I needed to get done accomplished. It was mentally and physically exhausting. While I loved all the experiences I had in 2013 it played a huge toll on my body. I still don't feel 100% even after taking 2 weeks off. My body is slowly getting into a new rhythm. Bed before 11pm, no work after 8pm unless I have a special deadline and more sewing/knitting/designing time and less being handcuffed to the computer. It has felt amazing to take back some control. Say no when I need to and start getting healthy again.

You may also have noticed some changes on the blog. A new look, and a new name.
You will slowly see more changes over the next few months as I finish the rebranding. Luvinthemommyhood will only exist now as the url for the blog. The name that you will find me online using as of today is "Very Shannon". I'm so very excited about fully implementing this change. I've changed so much in the last 6 years of this blog and the original name just didn't work for me anymore. It was also very confusing to people and hard for me to spell and explain to people. It's also long and didn't fit well on packaging/branding. So "Very Shannon" was born in the fall and I've been slowly moving in that direction.

Today is the big day though! I'm putting in all my social media changes! So on twitter, facebook, instagram etc you will have to look for me as a new name.

TWITTER: @soveryshannon
INSTAGRAM: @soveryshannon
FACEBOOK: in process of changing name (page url is new though - www.facebook.com/veryshannon) 
PINTEREST: @soveryshannon 
RAVELRY USERNAME: @veryshannon 
RAVELRY GROUP: www.ravelry.com/groups/veryshannon

My feeds shouldn't change at all it will just be when you want to tag me online. I'm sorry for any confusion or inconvenience during the transition but I know in the end it is the right step for myself and my business.

And now my goals....you ready? Have you written yours?

CARE OF SELF/FAMILY
- go to bed earlier (no more 1-2am bedtime every night).
- spend more "present" time with my family.
- differentiate work/family time.
- more work free weekends.
- make a more realistic work schedule and follow it.
- be kinder to myself and my body.

EXERCISE & HEALTH
- continue to eat well and enjoy my green smoothie addiction.
- find the time to exercise and make it a "non stressful" thing in my life.
- swim at least once a week.
- lower work stress and have more time to relax (downtime).
- get rid of the "belly" (keeping it real here ladies).

HOME
- purge and organize home.
- tackle unfinished tasks.
- get rid of more clutter.
- have fun decorating.
- keep workspace clean and organized.

WORK
- make more time to create.
- less computer time/more creative time.
- more focused and structured work time.
- balance designing and blogging.

I'd love to know what you're thoughts are for yourself for 2014. I feel like writing them down and sharing them helps in achieving them and I can't wait to read your thoughts too. Join in the conversation. Don't be shy, coffee's on.

SEWING || STYLO MAGAZINE RELEASE!!!

That's my daughter above!!!! EEEEK!!!!

I RECENTLY GOT TO WORK ON A VERY FUN PROJECT FOR THE PREMIER ISSUE OF AN AWESOME NEW E-MAG CALLED STYLO!!!

Myself and a few other bloggers were given a print from the yummy new line called Glitz by Michael Miller Fabrics and asked to sew whatever we'd like from it. To say I had fun with this challenge is an understatement - I LOOOOVED it. As many of you know I used to be hairdresser before I had my girls. I get really excited about photo shoots/styling and when you combine that with a modern kids sewing magazine I was just plain giddy!

I knew as soon as I got the fabric in the mail that I wanted to let it do all the talking! And since it was for a magazine I knew I could have some fun with the outfit and styling. We went with an ankle length high waisted skirt (self drafted) and a knit cropped top (self drafted) paired with a simple necklace from H&M. I had some fun with my daughters hair and we opted for a sort of feminine faux hawk of sorts. We put on Roar by Katy Perry and had such a blast doing our photo shoot.  I knew I could have sewn one of my own patterns but I really just wanted to let loose and sew something strictly for sheer fun! It was so freeing and I can truly say my daughter had a say in every step of the way. She had input in the whole process and it was a great experience to work with her for STYLO!

You can see our little spread on pages 110-112 in STYLO. I highly recommend checking out the whole issue. It's filled with so many wonderful and talented people! Lots of gorgeous pics, sewing, tutorials, articles, free downloads and more! Tons of friends and their gorgeous kiddos too! So excited! I'm just thrilled that I got to be in it. I'm so proud of Celina (petit a petit and family) and Jess (The Sewing Rabbit) for putting STYLO together and bringing it to the sewing community! I cannot wait to see what's coming next!

// STYLO //

"...is the first fashion forward eMagazine centered around children’s sewing patterns and style. Our focus is on modern patterns, trends, fabrics, and clothes that your kids will love.

We have hand selected an amazing team of contributing editors to help make STYLO a smashing success, bringing their artistic visions to life in beautiful photographic spreads.  Showcasing some of our favorite sewing patterns from all around the world, indie designers to the Top 5, all in a fabulous editorial setting. As well as trend reports, interviews, tutorials, and more."

Make sure you pop over to STYLO today and check it out! Happy sewing!!!!!

DIY || AIR PLANTS & SUCCULENTS DIY ROUNDUP

I LOVE AIR PLANTS.

For christmas this year Jane gave me a terrarium she made. I seriously was so freakin' excited to get these wee succulents in the most adorable glass shaped heart. I don't want them to die (i have a habit of killing houseplants), I like to spend time picking their dried bits off and cooing at them. That's normal right? I like that when I look at them all cozied up in their new home that it makes me smile. It was something I've always wanted but have never had time to actually make for myself.

This led me to my new found love of the Air Plant or what's known as the Tillandsia. They are the coolest plant I have ever heard of. You may have seen these amazing beauties all over pinterest because they are...well...just plain cool. They don't need dirt, soil or anything. You don't plant them. Can you believe that? They live off air! They get all the nutrients they need from the light and from you giving them a bath now and then. And you can pretty much put them in anything you feel like for display? Upside down, egg shells, vases, pods, driftwood, tea cups....etc. So neat right?! The kids are so into it and I have to say I haven't been this excited about plant life since I grew my first set of veggies (we still love that too).

So when I, of course, turned to trusty ol' pinterest to find out the ins and outs of air plants and succulents I got lost in the beauty of all the DIY projects and modern aesthetic of the air plant. I became even more infatuated with them. Then my friend got some and that was it. I was done. I whipped out to the garden store the next day and painstakingly chose 3 new babies to bring home. I'm going to name them (don't judge me..lol). I gave them a lovely and luxurious bath when they got home and now they are happily awaiting their new home. I can't wait to make it for them!

So since I spent wayyyy too many hours perusing all the cool air plant and succulent DIY's I thought to myself "I can't keep all this good stuff to myself! I must create a pinboard and a roundup". Yep, that's the brain of a blogger. Never hoard the good stuff to yourself. It's way more fun to get you all in love with air plants too!!!! Then we can all name them and you can chat to me about them.

SO WHAT DO YOU SAY? WANT TO JOIN ME?
See below for some links to cool products, DIY's, holders, pods, macrame & more!

 // HIMMELI //

// Brass Prisms picture at top of post,  left and right from HRUSKAA //

- himmeli air plant holder diy from Smile and Wave.
- how to make himmeli via Martha Stewart.
- DIY modern himmeli.
- how to make your own brass himmeli on Swoon.
- DIY straw himmeli ornaments.

//  MACRAME //

// Hangers left and right from HRUSKAA //

- how to make your own macrame hanger
- easy hanging planter from refinery 29
- rope into potted hanger on elise blaha
- diy plant hanger

// PODS //

// egg plant hangers / pods / mini planters //

- make your own easy plant hanger with egg shells
- egg shell garden DIY 
- diy wall garden favors

// GLASSWARE //

// air plant globes / hanging mason jar planters //

- how to make air plant globes
- hanging mason jar planters
- DIY tinted glass beach terrarium on Henry Happened

// SUCCULENTS //

// clay pots / succulent garden / concrete planters //

- how to make clay pots
- easy succulent garden
- DIY concrete planters
- pvc pipe succulent planters
- modern upcycled planters DIY
- recycled can succulent planters
- succulent tea cup tutorial
- planting a simple cacti garden on A Beautiful Mess

// HOLDERS //

// hanging air plant containers / air plant wall hanger / hive planter / rustic reclaimed wood hanger //

- hanging air plant containers DIY from Design Sponge.
- air plant wall hanger from BHG.
- DIY contemporary indoor garden
- air plant hanger DIY
- DIY painted pots
- gold leaf DIY succulent pots
- tiny pinch pots from Classic Play

NOW COMES THE HARD PART....TRYING TO DECIDE HOW AND WHERE TO PUT MY NEW AIR PLANTS.

I hope you enjoyed the roundup and found some fun new ideas for your plants at home! Do  you have a favorite DIY for succulents and air plants? Any tips to share? Leave them in the comments below and I'll add them to the post in our Readers Faves section!

DIY eggshell planters from Le Robin's Nest

WANT SOME MORE AIR PLANT & SUCCULENT FUN?

Make sure to follow our Air Plant & Succulents Pinterest Board! I'll be pinning all the cool things I find for my new plants on there and you'll also find all the links from this post & more!!!

Happy planting & making!

GIVEAWAY || FAT QUARTER SHOP FABRIC GIVEAWAY!!

I've been on a sewing kick lately and have some new projects to show you on the blog soon! I've been having lots of fun and I thought what better way to have you join me than to giveaway some new fabric!!!!  

 Who doesn't love new fabric right? One of our awesome sponsors Fat Quarter Shop is hosting today's exciting giveaway!!!! One of you lucky readers is going to win a lovely gift certificate to get some yummy new fabric from them! Whether you're looking to make a new quilt or an outfit you can find tons of fabric at Fat Quarter Shop! They've also got patterns, tutorials and lots more fun things you can join in with on their blog as well!

One of my favorite things about Fat Quarter Shop is the way you can find fabric. I hate cutting and love buying precut bundles for my quilts. You can find all the specialty cuts bundled in all your favorite new fabric designs at Fat Quarter Shop. They also carry a wide range of solids as well. You can find fabrics sorted by designer, manufacturer, specialty cut and more! They also have great prices and good customer service! I buy from them regularly and have always had a good experience with shipping and I'm in Canada. Make sure you pop by and see all the new lovelies they just got in stock!

YOU READY TO WIN SOME NEW FABRIC?

\\ PRIZE \\
- one lucky winner will win a $50 Gift Certificate to the fabulous Fat Quarter Shop!!! Wahoo!!! Thank you Fat Quarter Shop!

\\ HOW TO ENTER \\
- simply leave me a comment letting me know what fabric line you would buy if you won!
- bonus entry: like Fat Quarter Shop and/or Very Shannon on facebook and then leave a separate comment on the blog here letting me know you did that too!

\\ RULES \\
- you must leave a valid email address with your comment or you will be disqualified.
- giveaway is open until Sunday, January 19th, midnight (PST).

You can find all things Fat Quarter Shop below:

WEBSITE || BLOG || FACEBOOK || TWITTER || PINTEREST

Good luck and a big thank you to Fat Quarter Shop for the generous and awesome prize! Happy fabric shopping!

KNITTING || STASH MAINTENANCE

I added to my stash. There. I admit it. I'm not ashamed. Ok, maybe I am a wee tad. 

I have enough yarn but sometimes a gal's gotta treat herself to some new lovelies just....well....just because. Our local LYS Beehive Wool Shop had a big boxing day sale on and I just couldn't pass on a good sale. There were too many new babies that wanted to come home with me. I am proud of myself though for not purchasing the gorgeous selection of Brooklyn Tweed they have in stock. It wasn't on sale so my weird though process meant that it wasn't ok to splurge on it but after seeing the new BT Winter 2014 Collection I'm glad I didn't buy any because now it means I can go in and get yarn for my favorite pattern from the collection. I'm all over that Channel Cardigan by Jared Flood. Dreamy! I need that on my body asap!

I also find it more fun to by yarn when you are with friends (ahem...enablers). I get a shopping high off of just watching them buy yarn. I love seeing us all go nuts over skeins and skeins of yummy yarn feeling content in the fact that I am not crazy and not the only one who can get THIS excited over yarn. We all spent a nice of chunk of time there and all came home with bags of new goodies. It was a lovely afternoon after all the xmas craziness. Yarn is good for the soul but what does that mean to our stash?



Well....I try to limit myself. I have one shelf that is just for yarn. Once it is full I'm cut off. On that shelf I have one level for yarn to just be stacked so I can see it. These are the ones I'm hoping to use in the near future and want to be inspired by. Then on 2 other levels I have 2 pretty turquoise baskets that I keep my WIP's in and other miscellaneous knitting goodies like my scale, sock blocker etc...and then on the bottom shelf I have 2 small plastic tubs. 1 tub is for all the leftover bits of yarn from projects that I want to keep (don't ask me why because I don't know yet. I just find it horribly hard to get rid of madelinetosh even if it's only a little poof of it left..haha) and the other tub is for skeins that I've had in my stash for longer that I haven't used yet. These I'm hoping to swap or maybe sell sometime so I can make room for more new stash. See how that works...lol.

I do try to remember though that I live in a condo. I don't have tons of room and my yarn is mostly in the open so I can't easily hide it from my eyes and well, I just start to get all fidgety if I have too much yarn staring at me all the time. I already don't have enough time in the day to get my work done never mind yarn making me feel guilty for not loving it enough ;) So this year I'm planning on trying to knit from the stash I now have (new babies included) and as I work through stash I can reward myself with new skeins (plus I have to save up for Vogue Knitting Live in March!!!!) Sounds like a doable plan and one I hope to stick too. Just don't ask me about my fabric....that is a whole other can of worms (hangs head in shame).

So in honor of the new year I'm going into phase "Stash Maintenance". Not a yarn diet, but maintenance. Anyone care to join me? C'mon now....you know you want to (ummm...need to). Don't make me do it alone...lmao. And after asking you so very nicely to suffer alongside me and not buy tons of new yarn till we use what we have I'm now going to show you my new lovelies....I know...twisted. But they are soooooo purdy. I had to show them all to you. It wouldn't be fair to hide them from the world in my dark bedroom.

// SWAN'S ISLAND

SWANS ISLAND 100% ORGANIC MERINO WOOL FROM THE NATURAL COLORS COLLECTION \\ COLORWAY SHALE

- Swan's Island has been on my to knit with list for ages now. I finally caved in and scooped on this gorgeous skein of 100% organic merino (light fingering) yarn in the most lovely grey/green color. It was one of my new year's resolutions to knit with this company's gorgeous yarns! I could not put this skein down and literally refused to leave the store without it. And let me tell you  - the swatch I'm working on now is sooooo delicious. Like dreamy soft and so pretty! I can't wait to knit with it!


// MADELINETOSH

MADELINETOSH DK \\ COLORWAY DR. ZHIVAGO'S SKY

- Uhhh..hello...I  never go into the beehive and leave without some Madelinetosh. It's like an addiction. I've been wanting to add this colorway into my stash for ages and am so glad I did. I'm obsessed with this color - Dr. Zhivago's Sky! It's so pretty!

// MADELINETOSH AND INDIGO DRAGONFLY

MADELINETOSH VINTAGE (LIGHT TURQUOISE) \\ COLORWAY BUTTON JAR BLUE & INDIGO DRAGONFLY SUPERWASH WORSTED \\ COLORWAY MY OTHER ORCA IS AN OTTER

-- These lovelies were gifted to me for my stash! Lucky me! The light turquoise which is Madelinetosh Vintage was a gift from my dear friend Hannah of Ummashin and the other 2 skeins from Indigo Dragonfly were from my parents :) Both are gorgeous and I'm happy to give them a new home.

// PATONS CLASSIC WOOL WORSTED

PATONS CLASSIC WOOL WORSTED \\ COLORWAY NATURAL

- remember my French Press Felted Slippers I showed on the blog on Monday? These skeins of Patons Classic Wool Worsted yarn are going to be a pair for a gift this month :)

// PATONS CLASSIC WOOL ROVING

PATONS CLASSIC WOOL ROVING \\ COLORWAYS (LEFT) DARK GREY & (RIGHT) CHERRY

- These 2 skeins of Patons Classic Wool Roving are going to be KEATON hats for the hubs and for my oldest. They were both requested at xmas time.

Here's some other helpful posts we've done in regards to stash and WIP's to stay organized! 

KEEPING THE STASH ORGANIZED

:: YARN STASH BALL BANDS PRINTABLE
:: TOP 5 TIPS FOR CONQUERING YOUR WIP'S

Now it's your turn to spill the beans! What have you added to your stash lately? What yarns are you dying to get your hands on this year? Any tips for stash maintenance? Will you join me? 

P.S. You can get a sneaky peeky at my stash here on my instagram.