READING || BOOKS ON THE TABLE

I've got some fun new books to show you all today! You ready to get making?

I love books and I love adding new ones to my collection. I also enjoy sharing them here and reviewing some of my faves for you all! I've decided it would be fun to keep a new series running on the blog called "books on the table". I've done a few now and have enjoyed them as I hope you all do too.

Today I've got some good ones! Not all sewing either which I think is fun! The current books on my table are:

MAKE YOUR MARK by Lark Books

NEVER BEEN STITCHED by Amanda Carestio

SEW QUICK SEW CUTE by Fiona Goble

FABRIC BLOOMS by Megan Hunt

For the reviews & to see more pics keep reading!

Make Your Mark: Creative Ideas using Markers, Paint Pens, Bleach Pens & More is so fun! Seriously! I adore this book! And it comes with a pen!!!! The projects in it are all great fun! My favorite ones are the modern and geometric ones for dishware and more! I can't wait to try this out! It's right up my alley and something I've been wanting to try for a long time!

The book has clear pictures, great instructions and includes 50+ templates as well! If this is something you've been wanting to try I highly recommend Make Your Mark!

Next up is Never Been Stitched: 45 No-Sew & Lo-Sew Projects by Amanda Carestio! This book is filled with projects that are easy to make, involve little or no sewing and range from accessories to clothing & toys! If you are new to sewing or looking to try your hand at it you may find some fun projects in Never Been Stitched!

Sew Quick Sew Cute by Fiona Goble is filled with projects just perfect for any project you're craving! They are all quick sews and like the book says - cute! I really love the wide range of projects included in this book and can see myself sewing up more than a few of them! How cute are those underwear drawer sachets below! Adorable!

Also, don't forget to check out Fabric Blooms: 42 Flowers to Make, Wear & Adorn Your Life by Megan Hunt! A pretty book filled with instructions on how to make blooms with lovely fabrics, felt and using stitched embellishments.

Which books are you currently reading? Do you have any new faves you added to your collection? I'd love to hear about them!

GIVEAWAY || FAT QUARTER SHOP LOTTA JANSDOTTER - SYLVIA FABRIC GIVEAWAY!!!

Who wants to win some fabric? I love having a fabric giveaway and today's Fat Quarter Shop one doesn't dissapoint! 

You all know one of my favorite fabric designers is Lotta Jandotter so I'm super excited to show you one of my latest finished projects using her gorgeous new line "Sylvia"! I am absolutely head over heels in love with this black and white palette. In fact, I'm so much in love with it that I'm now going to bed on it every night. That's right - I made new pillow covers!

What better fabric to rest my head on each night than some Lotta Jansdotter? Hehe. I know. I need help but hey, what can I say - I love these prints and they just happened to be just the thing I needed to go with my new duvet and blanket!

Now I happened to have bought myself a half yard bundle of Sylvia and I decided to use 4 of my prints to make the pillow cases. I got to use my nifty new serger (review coming soon) that I also am smitten with so whipping up these pillow cases was a breeze! I sewed them up the other night while the hubby was working tax season overtime and then slept on them that night!

I used the following prints from the line Sylvia by Lotta Jansdotter for Windham Fabrics for my pillow cases:

// Black Tav  // White Tav // Black Suvi  // White Suvi

Aren't they pretty? I seriously wanted to lay in that spot all day. The sun was out, my bed was cozy, my pillows were soft and the newest issue of Uppercase Magazine (all on textile design) just seemed so fitting to keep in the shot since I've been indulging in it the last week or two. If you happen to read the issue I have a wee mention/pic in it of my Sweetheart Dress!Squeee!

But moving on back to my pillows...ahhhh, the pillows. Don't you all just love new pillowcases? I love anything new for my bed (which I plan on buying this year too), our mattress is currently on the floor thus why my bed side tables look sooooo high. And yes, I'm 36 and my mattress is on the floor...haha. Our bed broke. What can I say? Low on the priority list. I'm saving up for a King sized. Once you have more than one kid you need a King.

I used this tutorial from my pal Dana over on MADE as a rough guideline for sizing etc to make my pillow cases. Since I was using half yard pieces I made a way wider side accent for mine.

What am I going to do with the rest of my half yard bundle - make throw pillows for my grey couch :) Yep. They will go with my Lotta Jandotter quilt and match my bed pillow covers...lol. The house of Lotta happening over here...lol.

Want to see some more pics and find out what you could win? Keep reading for more!

THE PRIZE
- One lucky winner will win a Fat Quarter Bundle of Sylvia by Lotta Jansdotter from our awesome sponsor Fat Quarter Shop.

HOW TO ENTER
- Simply visit this page featuring Sylvia over at Fat Quarter Shop and then come back and tell me which print is your favorite!
- Bonus Entry: Like Fat Quarter Shop and/or Very Shannon on facebook and then come back and leave me ANOTHER comment letting me know you did that too.

THE RULES
- You must leave a valid email in your comment or have a valid email associated with your profile or you will be disqualified.
- Giveaway is open until Sunday, May 4th, 2014, midnight, PST.

A big thank you to Fat Quarter Shop for the awesome prize! You can find all things Fat Quarter Shop below:

WEBSITE  //  BLOG //  FACEBOOK  //  TWITTER  //  INSTAGRAM  //  PINTEREST

Good luck and happy sewing!!!!! I can't wait to see who wins!

KNITTING || TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG ANNOUNCEMENT

I know you have all been waiting so patiently for this announcement so I'm happy to finally be able to announce the dates for our annual Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along!!!

It's been a super busy April so this year we are going to try out May for the KAL. I'm also going to try out us only having 1 month for this KAL vs a longer duration like we usually do. I find you gals are usually on your 2nd projects by the time the end rolls near so if we run the TTTKAL shorter it allows a bit more of a break in between this and the Summer Sweater Knit Along. So mark your calendars and get ready to join in!!! You can always find our Knit Along Directory here.

Our TTTKAL is simply knitting a top, tank or tee to join in!  You can make it out of any weight of yarn, any style you'd like - it just can't have full sleeves or be considered a full sweater!  It can be really summery or it can be warm and cozy with short sleeves. We want you to be free to knit what you'd love to be wearing this spring & summer! There are so many wonderful patterns out since last year's KAL I know you won't have a hard time finding one to knit or crochet! Fun right? But to make it easier you can follow and get inspiration on our Tops, Tanks & Tees Pinterest Board! Make sure to use our hashtag #tttkal on social media and on pinterest!

Togue Pond by Pam Allen

Plus you get to knit along with our great group of gals online!  We're lots of fun and the ravelry group is very active and chatty during our kal's. Think of it as sitting each week with hundreds of ladies knitting/crocheting alongside you cheering you on every step of the way!  Trust me - it's fun! We will also have a handy Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along Homepage on my website! You will always be able to find all of the posts and relevant info on that page!

Our knit alongs are suitable for any level of knitter! If this is your first garment - don't be scared to join in!  We've got a great group of ladies in our ravelry group and we are all always game to help and answer any questions!  During our knit alongs there is always great technical posts with lots of info, tips & tutorials to help you get through your projects.  We also have a new Tips & Techniques page that you can always go check out that houses all of our helpful posts.

If you you haven't done a knit along with us before you don't want to miss the end rewards! When we are all done we celebrate with me showing off some of your finished projects on the blog here with our starring you post and then I host a giant giveaway with awesome prizes from our KAL sponsors!!!! All you have to do is sign up (link & info below) and have started or complected your project to be eligible. 

So what do you say? You ready to join in for our Tops, Tanks & Tees Knit Along? Yay! You can find all the info and details below!

WHAT ARE THE DATES?

Start: May 7th
End: May 28th with a fun giveaway!

WHAT ARE THE DETAILS & RULES?

- You can KNIT OR CROCHET ANY PATTERN OF YOUR LIKING that fits under the category of a top, tank or tee.  This can be either for an adult or a child.  Your project cannot have full length sleeves.  any weight of yarn can be used.

- You don't need to finish your project (though we love it if you do) to be eligible for the giveaway but you do need to start.  We really want to encourage people to knit together and form a sense of community and online friendships.

- There will be a topic thread in our ravelry group that you can chat away about your projects, share patterns, cheer each other on and more.  Have fun with it!

- Have fun! For reals! That's a rule..lol! You must have fun!

- If you're not on ravelry feel free to share your pics and chat in the comments. We love when you guys comment on the blog and it's also a fun place to have convos and share your blog posts as well.

HOW DO YOU SIGN UP?

Enter your info into this private form to be eligible for the prizes for the giveaway! You must have a project in progress during the KAL to be eligible. Projects already begun before the KAL started are allowed to be joined into the KAL. You can also double up KAL's if you are in an existing KAL with that project.

You can sign up by clicking on the link below.  
*Note: you must be signed up to be eligible to win the giveaway prizes at the end of the knit along.

TOPS, TANKS & TEES KNIT ALONG SIGN UP FORM

WHERE CAN YOU FIND US 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 Tops, Tanks & Tees Pinterest Board where you can find other  projects pinned to see different yarns & patterns and to 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. BLOGS. Each week throughout the KAL, I will both be posting here on the blog along with some special guests. You will be able to read the posts hopefully every Wed throughout the duration of the knit along. Please feel free to join in and post on Wed as well and share your links in the comments so we can read your posts too!

4. SOCIAL MEDIA. You can follow along with pics and more with the hashtag #tttkal. You can find me on facebook, twitter, instagram and google+.

5. HOME PAGE. You can always keep up to date with all the posts, sponsors, details & more for the TTTKAL on our Tops, Tanks & Tees KAL Homepage!

Do you have a pattern in mind? What yarn are you planning on using? Pour a cup of coffee and let's chat TTTKAL!

GIVEAWAY || CATERPILLAR GREEN YARNS GIVEAWAY!

I will admit I have now become an avid sock knitter. An addicted one at that. I have embraced the sock knitting.

I have knit since I was a young girl but only started knitting socks last year. After crossing it off my list of "to learn how to's" I quickly realized what a silly git I'd been. I mean seriously, I feared the sock. I feared the heel. I feared everything about sock knitting. The base fear though was that I detest wearing socks. I only wear them when I really need to. They bug my feet and always have. I used to pay my little sister to put my socks on my feet for I couldn't even stand that out of the dryer sock feel and I'm still the same way.

So when I slipped my feet into a pair of lovely handmade slippers gifted to me from my friend Buffy (thanks again Buffy) I started to realize...hmmmmm...if I can control what the fiber content is going next to my skin maybe I would actually wear socks? And the rest is history.

I gave it a shot and let me tell you, there are not a lot of things that compare to that moment when you turn a heel and you want to shout out in glee "it's a sock, a real sock, a real, real, real sock, with a heel and everything"! No matter how many socks I make I still get an adrenaline rush from the toe and the heel. They make me so gosh darn happy. It's pretty hard to explain in words but trust me in that it's fun and I now see 100% why it's so darn addicting! The yarn for socks is a plenty and there are tons of amazing ones to choose from! It doesn't break the bank to knit a pair of socks and the best part - you can bring them with you everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I don't leave home without a pair of socks in my bag anymore. Thus leading me to my love of the "vanilla sock". That lovely plain sock that you can mindlessly knit and make out of any fave yarn you come across.

My current yarn obsession - Caterpillar Green Yarns. Seriously. Obsessed. Self striping. Awesome colors. Soft as butter. Did I say self striping? Yep. 'Nuff said. And the icing on the cake - she lives in my city! Heck yeah people! Can you hear the yarn angels singing! Hehe. The dyer behind Caterpillar Green Yarns is the lovely Catherine who has mad skills. Like serious skills. She makes yarn that makes you scratch your head and go "how the heck did she do this?". It's gorgeous. I love that I can just drive by her place and beg her for more yarn...j/k...sort of...lol. Don't worry Catherine...I promise not to stalk you :)

I met & fell head over heels for Catherine's yarns last summer at Fibrations here in town. She quickly became the hot commodity and we all left home with some of her pretty sock yarns. I cast on this fall and have become smitten. I now have acquired a few more skeins. You can purchase her MCN Fingering in 2 different sizes - 115g and 170g!! Both are more than enough to make a pair of socks! Plus you can add on yummy accent skeins for your toe and/or heel! Love! I've also been waiting patiently for something new she's been cooking up as well - self striping shawl yarn! Can you hear me squealing with delight? I can't wait to see it when it's ready!

Ready to see some more pictures? What's the fun in having yummy yarn if you can't share it with others who equally love yummy yarn? I've been dying to show you all my current socks on the needles! 

Aren't they so purdy!!!. And guess what? You can enter to win some today!!!! Yahoo!!! I'm dancing around the house in my one sock right now out of excitement for y'all! 

// THE PRIZE
- One lucky winner will get to choose a 115 g skein plus accent skein (click here to read more about the awesomeness of her accent skeins) of their choice from Caterpillar Green Yarns!!!! Thanks Catherine!

// HOW TO ENTER
- Simply visit Caterpillar Green Yarns and check out all the lovely yarns, then come back here and tell me which 115g skein/colorway of yarn you'd choose if you won!

// THE RULES
- You must leave a valid email address in your comment or you will be disqualified.
- Giveaway is open until Sunday, April, 27th, 2014, midnight, PST.

You can find all things Caterpillar Green Yarns below:

SHOP ||  RAVELRY  ||  INSTAGRAM  ||  BLOG

And don't worry, I didn't forget all the nitty gritty details of my socks! 

And yes, I know my stripes on the 2nd pair don't match At. All. I decided to go a little wild and just wing it and break the sock knitting rules. They make me smile that they don't match. I think it's the gemini in me wanting them different. It's like knitting a brand new sock! And that coral heel on the first pair - my fave thing ever!

Yarn: Caterpillar Green Yarns, MCN Fingering, Colorway: Concrete & Tulips
Needle: 2.75mm/US 2 Addi Turbo Sock Rocket, 32" circular (for magic loop)
Pattern: Gusset Heel Basic Socks from the book Socks from the Toe Up by Wendy D. Johnson
Follow along with it & get more details on my ravelry project page.

Additional Yarns Shown:
1) MCN Fingering, Colorway: Ocean Sunset (170g with accent skein)
2) MCN Fingering, Colorway: Skyline (115g)

Alrighty....who's ready to win themselves some new yarn? Yay! Good luck and HAPPY KNITTING!

READING || HAPPY HOMEMADE SEW CHIC & SEW CHIC FOR KIDS BOOK REVIEW!

I have a serious crush on Japanese sewing & knitting books. An "I will pore over every image and diagram a gazillion times" sort of crush. 

The aesthetic, the vibe, the layout - I love it all. I'm heavily influenced by the clean lines and the fresh feel of Japanese books. They just get me all creatively inspired and, of course, dying to make everything in the books!

I was so excited to get my hands on two of the popular Happy Homemade series "Sew Chic" by Yoshiko Tsukiori and "Sew Chic for Kids", by the talented Ruriko Yamadaboth, translated and published in English by Tuttle Publishing.  And yes, you read that right - they are in English! I have to say that when they started releasing this line in English I was over the moon. I'm a visual and a technical learner. I like to read and see the instructions so I love that I can now read the instructions as well as see them. Their diagrams are gorgeous and very well done but I longed to read the words in the book as well.

Keep reading below to see my review & more pics!

// SEW CHIC FOR KIDS

The best thing about Sew Chic for Kids is that I love pretty much every pattern in it.  

Ohhhh....the clothes, such lovely clothes...and for both boys and girls!!!! Can I hear a yay?!The book is filled with 20 wonderful essentials for any child's wardrobe. Plus they are the type of clothes that are the ones that you enjoy sewing as much as your children love to wear! The book includes patterns in the back, and lots of gorgeous images in the front. Instructions are given in written and diagram form. The pattern pieces are in the back of the book and head's up - they don't include seam allowances. But don't fret - the book has a section showing you how to add them, how to sew, and more tips, techniques and instructions.

The pattern pieces are included in the back of the book and there are 2 double sided pattern sheets, giving you a total of 4 pattern sheets. Pieces are spread out throughout the pattern sheets so I highly recommend you check the contents list on each sheet to make sure you aren't missing any pieces for the garment you are making before you start sewing. It sounds harder than it is. Once you start using them you'll see what I mean.

I definitely recommend Sew Chic for Kids and can't wait to sew something up for my girlies and my nephew. But first I have to choose my favorite one to start! This is proving to be much harder than I thought! I love them all!

// SEW CHIC

Sew Chic just oozes relaxation. The pictures depict the kind of girl I so wish I could be. The clothes are comfortable, effortlessly chic and so lovely. 

Now I've got me some curves so I can't pull off all of the looks but there are definitely some I could wear! The book includes 20 patterns ranging from tunics, pants, skirts, dresses and more! My fave piece to try is that lovely jacket shown in the middle shot below. It's something missing from my closet and think it would be a flattering piece for many body shapes. Just like Sew Chic for Kids, Sew Chic has inspiring and clean images in the front, patterns in the back. Patterns contain written instructions as well as diagrams. No seam allowances on the pattern pieces but instructions written in the book on how to add them making it not seem so overwhelming.

The pattern pieces are included in the back of the book and there are 2 double sided pattern sheets, giving you a total of 4 pattern sheets. Pieces are spread out throughout the pattern sheets so I highly recommend you check the contents list on each sheet to make sure you aren't missing any pieces for the garment you are making before you start sewing. It sounds harder than it is. Once you start using them you'll see what I mean. 

It also includes a section on tips for sewing, how to make bias strips & v-neckline facing, attach facing & binding and how to sew pockets. As well as how to trace patterns onto paper, add seam allowances, straighten fabric, pattern placement and how to take your measurements. It's all done so tidy and neat all of that literally only takes a few pages!

Women with curves take note though - the book does only go up to a certain size level and I know a majority of us are bigger than their largest size. If you have some alteration experience I'm sure you could grade up a bit to make them work but I wanted to include this in my review as I'm someone who has a hard time myself finding patterns that are mainstream that fit my curvy shape. The largest bust size is 40 1/4" and the largest hip size is 43 3/4". This isn't a direct con to this book though. Most Japanese sewing books have sizes in the smaller ranges so it's to be expected when you purchase them.

I still love Sew Chic. I still hope to sew some things from it and even aside from that, I just love looking at it! As someone who has published 2 books I get a real joy out of seeing how these are put together and I know they will be a well loved addition to my book library.

Both Sew Chic and Sew Chic for Kids are published by Tuttle Publishing and can be found at your local bookshop, sewing store and on Amazon. If you have a love for Japanese sewing patterns and books I highly recommend giving the English publications a try. The Happy Homemade series is amazing and always drool worthy. They make a lovely set of books to add to your sewing pattern collection.

Do you love Japanese sewing patterns and books?  Which book is your favorite? Have you made any of the patterns from Sew Chic and Sew Chic Kids?

P.s. Have a wonderful long holiday weekend! My oldest is turning 7 on Easter! Can you believe it! It feels like only yesterday that she was a baby! See you all on Tuesday! 

MOMENTS || CHECKING IN & A WINNER

Just popping in today to quickly say a hello and draw a winner!!!

My folks just left this morning and after having them here for 2 weeks I'm already missing them. I'm a blubbering baby who spent last night crying. I only get to see them once or twice a year and we are very close so it's hard to say our goodbyes or "see you soon's" as I like to say. I got to take a much needed mini-break from work and spend some time with them and my family with some amazing weather these past 2 weeks knitting and drinking coffee in the sunshine. The sun has been out and it's been soooooo warm!!! It's been wonderful.

I hope you all have had a great week as well! I'm excited to hear what you have all been up to. I also have some fun new posts to share with you in the upcoming weeks as well!

And now I know you're all waiting to find out who won the awesome Tanis Fiber Arts Giveaway we hosted last week! The yarn, the patterns....ohhhhh...such a lovely prize!

The lucky winner is.....

Commenter #157 - Brittani!!!! 

Congratulations Brittani! We'll be in touch soon about your prize!

A big thank you to all who entered and to Tanis for the generous prize!

What have you been up to this past week or so? Any new projects on the needles? What have you been working on? Making? Fill me in! I've missed ya!

p.s. yes, that yarn in the pic above is Tanis Fiber Arts yarn...isn't it gorgeous? It's Orange Label and I am so smitten with it!

GIVEAWAY || LUCKY PENNY BABY COLLECTION FROM TANIS FIBER ARTS!!

Who's in the mood for a fun giveaway? Me, me, me, me! 

I was sooooo excited when my lovely friend Tanis of the amazing Tanis Fiber Arts wrote me to say she had released a new collection all for baby boys entitled the "Lucky Penny Baby"!!!! Seriously....adorable. And even though I have girls I would make every single thing in here. Plus there is definitely not enough go to patterns for boys in the knitting world so it's great to see her filling that void with stylish and cute patterns!

In the "Lucky Penny Baby Collection" you get 4 stylish patterns! 

// SCHOOLBOY VEST

// R&R HOODIE

// KEYFIT BABY BLANKET

// FROSTED ALPINE HAT (sizes infant to adult!)

The patterns feature Tanis's beautiful and scrumptious yarns and showcase her signature style and use of color! I can't wait to cast on the Frosted Alpine Hat and R&R Hoodie! I've got a few little men in my life who could most definitely use these!

Tanis also offers great size ranges for the collection as well! The Frosted Alpine Hat goes all the way up to adult from infant!!! Love that! I also love all the thoughtful details she's placed into each pattern. Any of these patterns would be a great shower present or something special for that little man (or girl) in your life!

Would you like to know what you could win? Click below to keep reading & to see more pics!

Aren't they all adorable? Ready to find out what you could win? Yay!

// THE PRIZE
- One lucky winner will win the following:

- A copy of the "Lucky Penny Baby Collection" 

- 3 skeins of Green Label Aran weight from Tanis Fiber Arts in 3 coordinating colours!!!! Wowsa! Tanis will surprise the winner with the colour of the yarn and the winner can put them towards a Schoolboy Vest or a Frosted Alpine Hat (or both if they knit the small sizes!).

// HOW TO ENTER
- Simply leave me a comment letting us know which project from the Lucky Penny Baby Collection you would make first!
- Bonus Entry: like Tanis Fiber Arts and/or Very Shannon on facebook and leave us a separate comment letting us know you did that too.

// THE RULES
- You MUST leave a valid email address with your comment or you will be disqualified.
- Giveaway is open until Sunday, April 13th, 2014, midnight, PST.

A big thank you to Tanis for her talent, inspiration, this awesome giveaway and for being such a special friend! I can't wait to see who wins this special prize! You can find all things Tanis Fiber Arts below:

WEBSITE || BLOG || FACEBOOK || TWITTER || INSTAGRAM || RAVELRY 

Happy knitting and enjoy!

CREATIVITY || STAYING ON TRACK

I love cherry blossoms. 

It means spring is here with it's blue skies to bask in, sunshine to soak in and new projects to dive into. Where I live the streets become lined in cherry blossoms. Tree after tree, row after row, the pink blossoms fill the sky. As islanders we know to soak it in and relish in it for the rain could just be right around the corner. I've always loved cherry blossoms and the experience of watching my little girl laugh and experience joy in what we call the "snow blossoms" as they fly through the afternoon breeze and flutter across our heads, faces, twirling and dancing in the sky, was one of those moments I'll remember for always.

I always say when the blossoms are blowing and line the sidewalks it's like walking on heaven. A heaven of puffy pink petals. It's bliss. I think we stood there for at least 5 minutes today in one spot just laughing in the blowing blossoms. Thankfully I am not the only loony toon who does this. I'm happy to have passed down my weirdness to my children. Poor things.

Aside from cherry blossoms, though I could talk about those purdy things for a few more paragraphs but I digress, I must admit I missed February. Yep. Didn't get my "Creativity" post in. It was a nutso month and I think I may have fallen a bit off track if I do say so myself. I tried my darn hardest to stay true to my January resolution post (read it here) but life does like to put me up for a challenge. It likes to say "hey Shannon, wanna play?" and then take me for a life ride.

I want to try to write this post at the start of each month to keep myself on track for the year. I like that I can write in this post honestly and openly and that you can all see that I'm a normal gal just like the rest of you. I need more sleep, I need to exercise more, balance my time better, remember to slow down and enjoy the little things and so on...you get my drift. I'm not perfect. I work too much. I lose my temper. My house is a mess. I take on more than I can handle - daily. But each night I know my little family and I are getting by and that most hours are spent happy. It's those hours that I feel like things are out of whack that I need to work on. The ones when everyone seems to need me for something and I just don't have it in me to do it all. The ones where you just want to curl up in bed and drown out the "to do list" that keeps you up at night. I hear ya. I'm right there with ya. I know you all can relate.

So this past month I didn't do so hot. I finally got up the courage these past weeks to start eating gluten/wheat again since my doctor gave me the requisition back in May of 2013 to get the tests done for Celiac Disease. Truth be told it scared me so bad to eat it again that it took me going to Seattle the other weekend to do it. We ended up cheating on our eating plans and I figured since I had already cheated I might as well finally get the scary thing done. So I've been eating the enemy and feeling horrible. Like an alien version of myself. It has not been fun. It has been hard. I have cried. I have felt sick every day but today is my first day back on my plan again. Goodbye wheat. See you never. I can't wait to fill my body with green smoothies, salads and whole foods and get back onto my exercise plan.

Besides working on JOURNEY events and travel for that I've been busy behind the scenes on a new sewing pattern - yay! Watch for the call for testers this month (fingers crossed)! I'm so excited to show you all! I can't stop making versions of it because I find it such a fun sew. I've also got a few knitterly things up my sleeves too...you know me - never without my needles and a sketchpad. You can also read a fun interview about me and more funny things here on Nora Meets the Maker! I was so excited to be asked by Kollabora to be interviewed by Nora! It was a great time! I heart Kollabora and if you aren't already a member I strongly urge you to join. It's so fun! You can also purchase some of my patterns on there as well! Come follow me!

So what's next for this month? Family. My folks are in town for 2 weeks. They get here tomorrow which means things may be sporadic and slow around here till they leave. I only get to see them once or twice a year and I love them to bits and pieces and I promised this time that I would not be a nutso working freak when they are here. Normally I am a stress case...lol. So this year I plan to take the time to enjoy their company without fretting over deadlines and work. I cannot wait to see them! I miss them so! It will be a good test of my January post to see if I can balance everything this month.

We are also in the middle of tax season. And if there are any other "tax widows" out there, and those of you who are know what I mean, you know April is hell. It's my most dreaded month of the year. Except for the 20th. That's my wee ones bday so I can't hate that day ;) And hello....how did my first baby get to be turning 7? Wahhhhh! I cry every time I think of it. But yeah, April is not fun at all. I go into survival mode and we all just try to keep our heads above water until it's over and we can breathe again. I love hearing from other gals who live with accountants. We all need to support each other during this crazy time.

Even though April is usually insane for us I'm going to attempt to do my darnedest to make it better. I'm going to slow down a tad and find the wee bit of balance I had for January and February again. I miss it. March kicked my butt and I don't intend April to do the same. I'm going to try my best to stay on track and I hope you'll join me. I love knowing that I have these posts to answer to and that I can share my creative journey with all of you and hear about yours too.

So who's with me? Anyone else a bit off kilter with their balance this last month? Who else is starting a new eating/fitness plan? Anyone else feeling the need to slow down a tad and rejuvenate their creative energy? Please chat. I so love to hear from you my friends :)

// PS - the winner of our Very Shannon Fat Quarter Fabric Bundle from Fabric Spark is.....commenter #193 - Marti Taylor! Congrats! I'll be in touch soon!

MOMENTS || OUR TRIP TO TOLT YARN & WOOL AND VOGUE KNITTING LIVE!

I've been so excited to show you all pics of our recent trip to Seattle for Vogue Knitting Live and our visit to the popular new yarn shop - Tolt Yarn and Wool!

It took me a bit to get back into the groove of things after being away. Having one kiddo home for spring break sure put a damper into my work plans too. But now we're getting back into the routine of things again and I knew if I didn't post these soon I wouldn't get a chance to.

Jane and I had so much fun here I honestly begged the lovely owner Anna to let me be a virtual employee! It's yarn heaven in there and I came home with a nice loot! I cannot say enough about this shop. I was there for a few hours and still didn't get to see everything. It honestly is amazingly curated and filled with treasures! The decor is to die for and Anna has put the most special touches and style into this huge and airy store! I'm not joking when I say it's like walking into yarn heaven. It's that awesome. There is a fireplace to sit around and knit, a lovely back table area with stylish chairs and table lamps to knit and converse with friends plus an upstairs area for classes and more! It's bright, warm, friendly and oh so inviting! My fave purchase from Tolt was the AWESOME Tolt mug!!!! I have been using mine everyday! I got the white one! I also got one of the rockin' baskets you see all over the shop. It's so lovely and my yarn now has a happy home in it!!!

Thank you soooo much to Anna (for everything and for being so kind) and to all her lovely staff for making it such a special event for Jane and I. And thank you to everyone who drove out to attend - it was such a great group of women and we had so much fun the time flew by way too fast. And I can't forget to give a special thank you to Veronika from Yarn on the House for her lovely pressie! She's such a doll! And she has a new line of yarns just out called YOTH Yarns and let me tell you - she is one to watch! This yarn is STUNNING! I highly recommend you guys! I can't wait to wind mine up and start knitting with it! You can see it in the collage below. Her yarns can be purchased at Tolt right now and you can see her trunk show there as well!

So sit back, sip a coffee/tea and step inside Tolt Yarn and Wool with Jane and I! For more pics and to hear about the rest of my trip see below!

See that pic of me above? That's what happens when you are around too many yarn fumes! I was like a crazy kid in a candy store!

And one of my fave things to do when I get home is to make you all an instagram collage of our trip!

Here's some of my fave shots from our weekend! We honestly had such a great time that we hardly have any pics! It's hard to take photos when you're having such a great time and getting to chat with so many awesome people! Vogue Knitting Live was great (I didn't buy much as we were so busy shopping was tricky) as was our stay at the Marriot Courtyard in Bellevue. Love that hotel. We honestly camped out in the lobby there on the last night till very late eating, drinking and of course knitting with all of our gals! It was one of the highlights of the trip for me! We always have fun in Bellevue and Seattle and it's so fun to get over to visit from Canada.



Jane and I like to travel to Seattle via the Coho ferry from Victoria and then we drive from Port Angeles to Bainbridge Island (home of Churchmouse Yarn and Teas!!!) and again, for the 2nd year in a row we were unable to go to this amazing shop due to our ferry transfer time! I swear we were almost in tears!!! All of the women from Churchmouse are so beyond lovely (they had a booth at VKL) and I even found out the owner is a long time family friend! What are the odds right! Such a fun experience! We were so happy to have gotten at least to chat with them during VKL. I could have hung out at their booth all day. And I don't have a picture, but Jared Flood (of Brooklyn Tweed) was there and I got to chat with him and of course, fawn and get flustered. He is such a huge inspiration to me that I honestly become speechless around him! Me - speechless! I know right! It's a miracle of epic proportions! I still have the ball bands he signed last year hanging on my inspiration board near my desk.

I also had another surreal experience meeting one of my favorite long time bloggers - Dottie Angel (aka Tif)! You can see a pic of her and I together in the bottom row, center of the collage above. Seriously, it was as her and I like to call a "serendipitous meeting". I heard she was working at Tolt Yarn and Wool Shop so when Jane and I arrived for our trunk show I was pretty much stalking the shop looking for her! I was beyond excited to get to meet her. But our paths were not meant to cross that night. But on Saturday at VKL while we did our signing at Stash Local I looked up and there she was!!! It was such a special and touching moment for me to be able to say in words to her how much her blog and writing meant to me. She was one of the reasons I even started blogging and I have been a loyal fan of hers ever since. She was so kind and like a kindred spirit! I could have chatted with her all day! It truly was so amazing to meet her! Thanks again Tif!

Another huge highlight for me was getting to finally meet Susan B. Anderson! Let me tell you - she is the sweetest woman ever! I just wanted to keep hugging her she is so patient, kind and nice. It was so fun to get to meet her and we were all looking forward to it! It definitely was a big highlight for our whole group to get to chat and meet her!  She is such a huge inspiration and I'm a big fan of her work! Thanks for being so sweet Susan! I hope we can meet again!

I also got to meet Karen Templar from Fringe Association. If you see the pics above of my loot the bag with the yarn quote is Karen's and I also got a print of hers with the same quote to put in my office space. I'm a big fan of her blog and shop. She has a great eye and her aesthetic and taste is amazing! If you haven't visited her shop before go now! You won't be disappointed :) I could have spent all my moula at her booth but had to control myself...lol.

Our book signing at Stash Local was so fun and we got to meet so many wonderful people! We thank Sonia again for having us!!! We so appreciated the support Sonia!!! It was a blast and your booth was so lovely!!! She had so many gorgeous yarns on display I just kept stopping what I was doing and petting all the Hazel Knits yarn! We were also lucky enough to have the booth be right near Sincere Sheep (the yarn for Jane's Spate mitts from JOURNEY), Chicken Boots and Fringe Association! It was great fun to be around so many lovely ladies! I also got to pick up a gorgeous skein of yarn from Neighbourhood Fiber Co.! I've been wanting to try their yarns and their booth was amazing! It was very hard to just choose one!

Of course before we left Bellevue we had to hit up the mall and visit Anthropologie (my first time!!!), the Disney and Lego stores (for the kids) and eat a yummy lunch at the Cheesecake Factory! We then raced to Trader Joe's (we all LOVE Trader Joe's) to stock up on all of our faves and then raced to get over the border to catch our ferry. It was a long night home but we made it :) It's always so fun to go on these road trips but I'm also always happy to get home to my girlies and the hubs!

// Don't forget - if you would like to get to see Jane and I and visit our trunk show for JOURNEY and get your copy of JOURNEY signed make sure to pop by the lovely Beehive Wool Shop this weekend on Saturday from 12-4! We're officially launching JOURNEY in our home city! We can't wait and we hope to see  you all there! 

Have you gotten to meet a fave blogger of yours? Who's yarn are you currently coveting? Have you been to Tolt Yarn and Wool yet? Let's chat! 

SEWING || FREE BONNIE DRAWSTRING PROJECT BAG TUTORIAL!

If you're like me, you always need as many project bags as possible. One is never enough. There are always more projects and I love it that way!

While I already have tutorials for our fun Reversible Sock Knitting Project Bag, Indie Project Bag, as well as our fun Brigitte Needles & Notions Zippered Pouch, I figured it was about time to whip one up for some of you beginner sewers that's a classic! A lot of my knitting readers are just getting into sewing and I thought that the Bonnie Drawstring Project Bag would make a great intro to sewing project for them that isn't boring, is fun to make but that also makes a great gift too! And more experienced sewers can play with fabric choices, add personal touches and customize to their hearts content!

You all know my personal motto is to get knitters sewing and sewers knitting! I live by that! So why not tempt the knitters to the dark side by getting them to make their own project bags that they all love? I know how much my friends and I adore our project bags and no matter how many I have I always add more. It's fun...what can I say!

When I spotted the new line "Sweet as Honey" from the uber talented Bonnie Christine a few months ago I was instantly in love. The colors, the patterns, the mixtures of designs - they were truly reflective of the style we love from Bonnie on her fab blog "Going Home to Roost"! I loved that she stayed true to her addicting aesthetic! The fabrics are as lovely as all of her work. And to top it off her line is available from Art Gallery Fabrics - one of my fave fabric lines. Their pima cotton is to die for soft and drapes beautifully!

When Bonnie asked me to join in on her Sweet as Honey Blog Tour I was thrilled! The only problem I had was deciding which fat quarters to use!!! I had already gotten my hands on some of the fat quarters so I luckily was able to mix and match for my project today! I highly recommend the prints in this line. They are so cheerful and beautiful and I find myself so drawn to them during the rainy season we are just putting behind us here.

Would you like to learn how to make our Bonnie Drawstring Project Bag? Let's get sewing! Read below to find out how!

BONNIE DRAWSTRING PROJECT BAG TUTORIAL

*Copyright 2014 VeryShannon.com. All rights reserved.  Email askveryshannon@gmail.com if you have questions.

MATERIALS

*NOTE: I made my project bag using 2 fat quarters that measured 19 x 22". The main portion of the bag is a 12.5"W fat quarter folded in half height wise. I have given instructions/dimensions for the fat quarter pieces below but will also list below the dimensions if you would like to use a different piece of fabric.

1 Fat quarter of main fabric cut to 12.5"W (19"H)
1 Fat quarter of accent fabric cut to 2 pieces 12.5"W x 6"H
OR
1 piece at 12.5"W x 19"H of main fabric (or 2 pieces at 9.75"H sewn together with a 1/4 SA with edges finished)
2 pieces at 12.5"W x 6"H of accent fabric
2 pieces of 1/2" twill tape at 32" - 35"L (or drawstring material of your choice..ex ribbon, fabric)
Removable fabric marker
Coordinating thread
Scissors or rotary cutter w/mat

INSTRUCTIONS

*ALL SEAM ALLOWANCES ARE 1/4" UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

STEP ONE: PIECING TOGETHER YOUR BAG

*NOTE: I made my project bag using 2 fat quarters. I will give instructions/dimensions for the fat quarter pieces but will also list below the dimensions if you would like to use a different piece of fabric.

TIP: If you have sewn two pieces of fabric together to form your main fabric for the bag you may skip the step above.

Take your main fabric piece that is 12.5"W x 19"H and fold in half with right sides facing each other and press along fold. The fold will be the bottom of your bag.

With your main and accent fabric right sides together sew your accent fabric to both the top and bottom of your main fabric using either a serger or on your sewing machine. If using your sewing machine finish your seam allowance with a zig zag stitch or other appropriate stitch. Press your seam allowance towards your main fabric. *See diagram to the left.



STEP TWO: FINISH SEAMS
Using a serger (or a sewing machine) finish the side seams of the whole bag neatly right along the edge.

Measure and mark 3" down from the top of your bag. This will be where our opening for our drawstring will be. *See diagram below.

TIP: You can finish the seams using your sewing machine by using either a zig zag stitch, a mock coverstitch (or other appropriate stitch on your machine) or by using pinking shears.

STEP THREE: SEWING YOUR BAG
With right sides facing each other sew both side seams with a 1/4" seam allowance (if serging sew right along your inner serged edge) starting from the mark you just made. *See diagram below.

STEP FOUR: CREATING YOUR CHANNEL
We are now going to make the channel for your drawstring. You are almost there! Press your seam allowance open and towards the wrong side of your fabric carefully. Now fold down and press the top of your fabric down 1/2". Then press and fold again 1". Make sure your seam allowance is fully enclosed in your fold. We don't want this show from the outside of the bag. Pin along the entire top perimeter of your bag. Topstitch along this fold close to the inner edge of your fold neatly and precisely. Press well. *See diagram below.

STEP FIVE: PUTTING IN YOUR DRAWSTRING

Attach your safety pin to one end of your twill tape and pull the twill tape through the opening on your front left side and out through the front right side. Then pull it back into the right side of the other side of the bag (the back) and back out the left side forming a loop. Tie a half knot with both ends together. Repeat this step but this time entering in the channel from the front left side. *See diagram above and below.

I like to finish the ends of my drawstring off by serging and then pressing over 1/4" or so and stitching it down. This is optional though. Feel free to use or make whatever you'd love to have as your drawstring.

You did it! Yay! Great job! This is a great time to add your label or any finishing touches you may want! Personalize and customize to your heart's content! That's what makes these bags fun!!!!

Make sure you share your pics! Add them to our flickr group, share them on our facebook page, or comment with a link below! I love seeing your project pics!

You also do not want to miss all the stops on the Sweet as Honey Blog Tour! Thanks again for having me Bonnie! There have been some amazing projects!!!! Tomorrow the tour will be stopping to visit Heidi at Hands Occupied and yesterday a lovely table runner was made by Mel at Missouri Mel.

P.s. - if you love the basket in the shots above as much as I love mine it's from Tolt Yarn and Wool. I adore it! Plus you can wet it and reshape it!

EVENTS || TRUNK SHOW & SIGNING AT BEEHIVE WOOL SHOP!!

Jane and I are SO excited to announce that our official Canadian launch of JOURNEY will be hosted at the amazing and iconic Beehive Wool Shop here in lovely Victoria, BC, Canada!!!

This timeless staple on the yarn shop scene is one of Canada's loveliest stores! Filled to the brim with tastefully curated yarns and more - the Beehive is a must see on Vancouver Island. They are also the ONLY Canadian stockist of the coveted Brooklyn Tweed yarns!

Jane and I are beyond thrilled to be able to launch JOURNEY at the Beehive and we're having a party to celebrate! Join us at the Beehive Wool Shop on Saturday, March 29th from 12-4pm! Yay! Bring your copies of JOURNEY for us to sign or pick up a copy in the store! And for those of you looking to buy a copy, the Beehive offers 15% off the book price if you purchase the yarn for one of the projects from the book in the store!!

So mark your calendars! We'll have our trunk show from JOURNEY on display so you can come and try them on and look at them in person too! Hop on the ferry from Vancouver, drive up island, visit from the US....you will love Victoria and we would LOVE to see you!

Official Canadian Launch of JOURNEY

Date: March 29th, 2014

Time: 12pm - 4pm

Where: Beehive Wool Shop

1700 Douglas Street

Victoria, BC, Canada

V8W 2G7

Can you make it out? I'd love to hear if you plan on coming and don't forget to tell your friends! If you do make it this Sat we would love to see your finished and wip JOURNEY projects too! So feel free to bring them with you to show them off!

We hope to see you and your friends there!!!! Happy knitting!

GIVEAWAY || FABRIC SPARK'S VERY SHANNON FAT QUARTER FABRIC BUNDLE!

As a sewing blogger I admit I've dreamed on many an occasion of having a fabric bundle named after me!

I was thrilled when the newest online Canadian (yes, I said Canadian - whoop whoop!) online store Fabric Spark opened! Daryl is one of our newest sponsors and I'm just thrilled to be working with her! She has curated a fresh and lovely fabric shop!

When she asked if I'd like to choose a fat quarter fabric bundle and offer a giveaway I was just over the moon! Can we say fuuuuuuun people!!! I was so giddy it took me a few days to choose! In the end I decided to go with a fun black/white palette! Since I've been doing some decorating around the house I've been on a serious black/white kick lately! All the pics above are of the Very Shannon Fat Quarter Bundle!

I hope you love this modern mix of prints and textures! I can easily see these fabrics going from throw pillows, quilts, accessories all the way to clothing! How fun would a Patricia Cowl be in these prints?

So would you like to win my "Very Shannon Fat Quarter Bundle"? Find out how to enter below!

// THE PRIZE
- One lucky winner will win the Very Shannon Fat Quarter Bundle from Fabric Spark. This bundle includes the following fabrics:

Suvi in White by Lotta Jansdotter, Tiny Gingham from Michael Miller, Leaves in Charcoal by Carolyn Friedlander, Suvi in Black, Crosshatch in black by Carolyn Friedlander, and Tav in White by Lotta Jansdotter

// HOW TO ENTER
- Simply leave me a comment letting me know what you would make with the Very Shannon Fat Quarter Bundle!
- Bonus Entry: Follow Fabric Spark and/or Very Shannon on facebook and leave me a separate comment letting me know you did that too.

// THE RULES
- You MUST leave a valid email address in your comment or you will be disqualified.
- Giveaway is open until Monday, March 24th, 2014 at midnight, PST.

Happy fabric shopping and good luck! I hope you will all enjoy this fat quarter bundle as much as I do!!!!!

SEWING || PERFECT PATTERN PARCEL & GIVEAWAY!

Ava Dress by Victory Patterns

I love indie designers and I try to support and sew with indie designer patterns as much as possible.

Especially this year as I try to handmade as much of my wardrobe as possible. It's such a great feeling to support another creative designer! So I was super excited to hear about the new Perfect Pattern Parcel!

What is Perfect Pattern Parcel? A wonderfully curated bundle of 5 independent designer patterns that supports charities with a fun pricing structure that let's YOU decide how much to pay!

Who is Perfect Pattern Parcel? "Put together two entrepreneurial makers driven by their internal voices and one self-taught hacker with an "if you build it, they will come" mentality, and Perfect Pattern Parcel was born. We are passionate about supporting independent designers in their craft and fostering a community of makers to grow. Our mission is to offer high-quality pdf sewing patterns written by indie designers while supporting children's education."

What's in Perfect Pattern Parcel #1? "Pattern Parcel #1 includes sewing patterns for women that are modern classics, featuring both flattering silhouettes and garments that are comfortable to wear. From a new little black dress to weekend play wear, the patterns in Parcel #1 have got you covered."

Summer Concert Tee by Dixie DIY sewn by True Bias

// Pattern Parcel #1 features the following patterns:

:: Accordion Bag by Sew Sweetness
:: Summer Concert Tee by Dixie DIY
:: Ava by Victory Patterns
:: The Skater Dress by Kitschycoo
:: Dandelion Dress & Top by Disparate Disciplines

Such a lovely collection of awesome designers!!!!! Each of the patterns in the Perfect Pattern Parcel #1 are highly recommended and a great addition to your wardrobe! Make sure you check out the Perfect Pattern Parcel today! You only have until this Friday, midnight EST! Happy sewing!

You can find Perfect Pattern Parcel here:

WEBSITE // TWITTER // INSTAGRAM // FACEBOOK

And don't forget to enter the Perfect Pattern Parcel Giveaway below!!! Som great prizes up for grabs!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: The 5 PDF patterns offered in the Perfect Pattern Parcel #1 were provided to me free of charge for participating in the Perfect Pattern Parcel #1 Blog Tour but, as always, the thoughts expressed in this post are my own.

NEW GIVEAWAY WINNERS || EUCALAN / KNITTER'S PRIDE AND JOURNEY KAL!!!

I'm back from a jam packed weekend in Seattle for our book signings/trunk shows at Vogue Knitting Live and Tolt Yarn & Wool!

We had a great time but I'm happy to be home! I missed my kiddos and the hubs. I've got some pics to come & fun things to share but with spring break in full swing here & my unpacked luggage everywhere I'll be popping in a tad later to say hello! For now I have had to redraw winners for TWO giveaways!!!

// Let's start with the "new" winner of our Eucalan and Knitter's Pride Giveaway! Our new winner is....

Commenter #28 - SoniaMarie

// And our winner for the #1 Prize Package for our JOURNEY Knit Along Giveaway is........

Entry #53 - Andrea Mowry of the blog I'll Knit if I Want To (rav id: dreareneeknits) 

// Our winners for the #2 & #3 Prize Packages are....

Entry #66 - Becky Stewart of West Coast Knitter (rav id: delishknits)

Entry #120 - Kristen Holmes of House of Holmes (rav id: mamaholmes)

Congratulations ladies! I will be in touch asap in regards to your prize! Enjoy!!!! I hope you had a lovely and awesome weekend!

MAKING || WIP'S

I love having works in progress. I love the idea of new possibilities, new ideas, new projects & new designs. The whole essence of making just gets me all giddy. 

I realized I hadn't shown any pics of my recent wip's on the blog lately. So I've got a few lovelies to share above of what I've been working on. If you follow me on instagram you have seen the progression of some of these for sure. My fave new socks in progress using the amazing Caterpillar Green yarns! I die. This self striping yarn is so AWESOME. But more on them next month! Stay tuned to win some of your own..hehe.

I'm also using the most gorgeous skein of Malabrigo Rastita to finally make a Yarnster hat for me! I loved this hat when I designed it last year (it's FREE!) but it resides in a local yarn shop and not on my head so my lovely friend Arika so sweetly gifted me this skein to make my own since the pattern is named after her generous self. It's going to be so pretty and I cannot wait to wear it! Aren't those tones just so lovely together?

I also have projects coming up soon with the new Lotta Jansdotter line Sylvia! You guys know how obsessed I am with anything Lotta related. I even have Lotta washi tape thanks to my pal Holly! I am currently planning on covering my house in these prints to match my fave rug. I can't wait to show you them and when I do...you may get some too!!!!! I love being sneaky...hehe.

Then I have been drooling and I mean drooling over the gorgeous new line Sweet As Honey from the oh so insanely talented Bonnie Christine from Going Home to Roost for Art Gallery Fabrics! Seriously, even my package that came with my fabrics from her was drool worthy! I'll be showing you all what I will be making on the 25th as I'm lucky enough to be part of her Sweet As Honey Blog Tour! There have been some lovely projects made already! You can see them all here!

And those last 2 pics above...yep....that lovely stacked pile of goodies? I get so excited just looking at it! I loooove that everything in that pile is made by me (sans the wood buttons)! I hope to wear some of them this weekend! That's right! That is what I'm packing for our trip tomorrow!!!! YAY!!!! It's here! Jane and I leave tomorrow for the US! Don't forget we will be at Tolt Yarn and Wool on Thurs night from 6-8pm (come see us!!!) for a signing/trunk show and then you can find us at Vogue Knitting Live in Seattle all weekend! Our trunk show will be up at the Stash Local Booth #310 and we will be doing a book signing on Saturday from 12-2pm! You will be able to see pics from this weekend on my instagram! We can't wait to see all of you! And just in case you are nosy like me the items in the pile are as follows starting from the top of pile...Antrorse, Josephine, Tova, Sigma and Saiph! YAY!

So what have you been making? Any projects you're dreaming about? Grab a cuppa Tim Horton's and join me! Let's chat!!! See you all next week! Happy creating!

SEWING || JOSEPHINE TUNIC IN LUDLOW!

I recently got some time in to do some sewing for me. One of my goals this year is to sew as much of my wardrobe as possible & I've been having so much fun with it!

When Rae released her newest pattern - Josephine I knew I had to make it right away! Luckily I had just gotten my hands on Dear Stella's new line Ludlow that is a lovely cotton shirting! I fell madly for this adorable floral print Rosebuds that I thought would pair nicely with the feminine pleats and style of this tunic! As some of you discussed on instagram...I feel very Anne of Green Gables in this dress and love every bit of it! The puffy sleeves, pleats....need I say more? I looooooove Anne of Green Gables so this dress just makes me happy.

Josephine is filled with options! It's an awesome pattern but the best part - you can make it for your bust size!!! You can choose to make either A/B cup or C/D cup! I swear I did a happy dance Rae! I had to make zero adjustments for my bust! And not for the back either! That is a win win for me!!!! Plus those pleats - so fun to sew!!!! I loved that detail! I decided to make Option A but with the back of Option B (the elastic waist)! See - options! You can mix and match!

I can't wait to make another one with a more flowy fabric so I can try out the wider sleeve with elastic on the cuff! I think the blouse version will be next for me in a lovely solid! Rae's patterns are always clear to follow and easy to sew! I highly recommend Josephine especially for someone looking to hide some of those "parts" they don't want to highlight. This dress skims over the tummy instead of highlighting my problem area! It's a great length so I can show my legs but I also don't feel like my bust is exposed and I like that! It's nice to have a cute tunic that I can wear doing all my daily errands but can still play with the kids in since I don't have cleavage falling out everywhere!

I sewed the size XL for upper portion of the dress and graded out to the XXL for the lower. Now that I've sewed this one up though I would just make the XL for the whole dress next time. I didn't need the excess fabric that I thought I would for the waist/skirt portion. Since I'd like to try one without the elastic casing on the back this would be a must make adjustment for me. Before the elastic casing this tunic was way too big on my hips/back portion. Overall though Josephine will be a repeat sew in my house. I cannot wait to make another one!!!

I paired my Josephine with some cute boots, black leggings and my fave socks! How would you wear Josephine? What fabric are you going to use? Options you're making? Have you made one already? I can't wait to hear!

 Tunic: Josephine by Made by Rae

Size Made: XL graded out to XXL

Fabric: Rosebuds from Ludlow by Dear Stella

Boots: Payless Shoe Store

P.s. Yes, I know my little size tag says "L". It's for large. I like to label my clothing what size I would wear from a store (ready to wear) instead of my "sewing pattern size". Weird I know but it's how I remember what size I sewed.

JOURNEY KNIT ALONG GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Image by Nicholas Kupiak

So sorry for the wait everyone! I've finally got the winners of our JOURNEY Knit Along Giveaway!!!!

I've been under the weather the past 2 weeks with a bad cold that my kiddo brought home from school. Yuck. I even lost my voice for 5 days!!! Can you imagine me - voiceless. Needless to say it was not good. But I'm back and I've got a winner!!!!!

Congratulations to.....

Entry #191 - Kylie from the blog "Like Purls Off a String"!!! Yay!

We'll be in touch soon with your prizes Kylie!

A big thank you again to our prize donors - Quince & Co. and Sincere Sheep!  And to all of you for knitting along with Jane and I. We had so much fun and hope you did too.

Remember you can find all the JOURNEY KAL info here on it's home page.

I also have a fancy new knit along Tips & Techniques page (you should check it out!) and a Knit Along Directory. I'm slowly building all the pages for the knit alongs so you guys can continue to use them as resources if you'd like.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! What have you been working on? Did you get your JOURNEY project finished?

PATTERN || KEIRNAN - QUINCE & CO.'S SCARVES ETC. COLLECTION 2014!!!!

Keirnan PDF Knitting Pattern

Add To Cart

Last fall I went after all sorts of dreams. I just bit the bullet, closed my eyes and hit send...on more than one occasion.

One of them was to submit a design for the new Scarves etc. 2014 Collection for Quince & Co. Now if you read the blog and know me you know how obsessed I am with Quince & Co. It was a DREAM of mine to be published by them and I'm so EXCITED to say now that's it's one that has come true!!!!

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That's right!!!!! My newest pattern - Keirnan is in the Scarves etc. 2014 Collection that will be for sale tomorrow!!!! The pics are all up on ravelry today though so you can go fave, queue & more! YAY!!!!! I'm beyond thrilled and have had such a great time working with Quince & Co!!!

To design with their yarns is always a joy and to have one of my design/styling/photography icons - Carrie Bostick Hoge, photograph/style my pattern...I swear I almost fainted! I honestly jigged around the house yelling like a loon with my kids staring on thinking this is it...mom's finally lost it! I have had to pinch myself on numerous occasions!

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Keirnan is such a fun knit! And guess what - it's a great one for beginners too! So all you sewing readers looking to jump into knitting you CAN so make this! You all know my passion for geometrics and texture and Keirnan does not disappoint!

This reversible scarf is filled with geometrics and texture and is suitable for a beginner & beyond! Knit up in one of my fave weights - Osprey, Keirnan is lofty & stylish! It's the kind of scarf that can take you all year round! It's just perfect for this time of year with our endless rain and grey windy days! It's a wonderful layering piece!

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Scarves etc. 2014 is filled with 14 patterns that are all lovely and so inspiring! I am so honored to be included. 

I'm so, so , so excited for you all to pop over to Quince and Co. to see the lookbook and see the entire collection tomorrow! But for today you can see all the patterns on ravelry and fave/queue!

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You can find Keirnan on Ravelry here and for sale on Quince and Co. in the Scarves 2014 collection here on 03/06.

Thank you for all the support and to Quince & Co. - thank you for allowing me to make one of my dreams come true!!! It's been so amazing!

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Don't miss out on getting your copy of Scarves etc. 2014 from Quince and Co.! 

You can find all things Quince & Co. below...

WEBSITE // RAVELRY // FACEBOOK // TWITTER

And you can find & buy Scarves etc. 2014 below starting 03/06...

RAVELRY //  QUINCE & CO. 

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You can now buy KEIRNAN direct from our shop!!! Click HERE to buy Keirnan today!

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Happy knitting everyone!!!! I can't wait to see all your Keirnan's pop up!! 

*All images copyright Carrie Bostick Hoge.

EVENTS || TOLT YARN & WOOL SHOP AND VOGUE KNITTING LIVE!!!

We are so excited to announce that we will be at the amazing new shop - Tolt Yarn and Wool on March 13th, from 6-8pm for a book signing & trunk show!!!!! YAY! The items from JOURNEY will be on display and Jane and I will be there to chat, sign books and knit!

That's right, it's their weekly free Stitch Circle so if you stop by - bring your knitting! It's sure to be a great time! I've been following along on social media anxiously awaiting the opening of Tolt Yarn and Wool and I can't wait to see this gorgeous shop in person!

You can find Tolt Yarn and Wool below:

Book Signing/Trunk Show - March 13th 6:00pm - 8:00pm

4509 Tolt Avenue, Carnation, WA 98014 | (425) 333-4066

We can't wait to see you there!!!

And the fun doesn't stop there! After visiting Tolt Yarn & Wool Shop we are headed to Seattle, WA to Vogue Knitting Live the same weekend!!!! We are super duper excited to have the lovely and awesome shop Stash Local hosting our trunk show while there!

You can see all the items from JOURNEY on Friday and Saturday as well as meet Jane and I during a BOOK SIGNING from 12pm - 2pm on Saturday, March 15th! YAY! We had so much fun at VKL last year and I'm honestly counting down the days to this one!!!! We will be sure to instagram our trip and if you are attending VKL please don't be shy - come say hello!!!! We love seeing all of you!!!

You can find info on Stash Local here and find out more on Vogue Knitting Live here.

Vogue Knitting Live - Stash Local Booth Signing & Trunk Show

Trunk Show - March 14th-15th

Book Signing - March 15th 12:00pm - 2:00pm

Will you be attending Vogue Knitting Live this year? Do you live in the Seattle area? Are you planning to come to either of the events above? We can't wait to see you!

GIVEAWAY || EUCULAN & KNITTER'S PRIDE WINNER!

It's Friday! Bring on the weekend! And to kick it off I thought I should announce our giveaway winner!

Last week we had a fun giveaway from Eucalan and Knitter's Pride! I was so excited to draw a winner it was like I was winning on my own! It was fun hearing about your favorite Eucalan scent and Knitter's Pride needles!

And now without further ado...the winner is.....

Commenter #234 - Kristen

Congratulations! We will be in touch soon! Wahoo!!! And a big thank you again to Eucalan and Knitter's Pride. Check them out if you haven't already!

I plan on finishing up a big project this weekend, starting a new exciting one and gearing up for some fun things I have to announce for you all next week so stay tuned! And amongst that I'm going to kick this nasty cold I've been fighting off and on for weeks, snuggle my babies and enjoy the sunshine that has finally come out.

Happy weekend to you all! Wishing you lots of laughs, coffee, naps, cuddles, sunshine & creating! See you next week! What are you working on this weekend? Any fun projects?