The Cottage Mama - What's New in the Shop?

As most of you know, I am going to be entering the world of children's clothing pattern design.  I have been sewing like crazy testing out some of my new designs to see if they are ready to be sent out.  But on top of all that I have added some new things to the shop that I wanted to share with you all.

I will be releasing some of these designs as sewing patterns (plus some that you haven't seen) and some of them will just stay as items in my shop and may be released as patterns in the future.

Strawberry Bubble Romper.  This is a fun play-suit for an infant/toddler and this strawberry fabric is one of my favorites.  The romper is fully lined and ties at the shoulder.  Perfect for a little crawler.

Flutter Sleeve Ruffle Peasant Dress.  I don't typically offer this style dress, but I wanted to try my hand at this easy-to-wear, casual girls dress.  This has been a really big seller in the shop and I am down to the very last yard of this vintage trim.

Purple Swirls Pinafore and Bloomer Set.  This outfit is a lot of fun and perfect for a little crawler or toddler.  I love the banded bloomer which gives these a little different look than your typical bloomer (they look a little more like a short).  The top has a retro-inspired cross-back and is very cool in the summer.  The top also looks adorable paired with a long-sleeved shirt and jeans for an easy transition to fall.

Summer Berry Frock.  This is a simple knot dress in fabulous bright, eclectic fabric!  I like these dresses for my girls because they transition nicely from season to season.  For summer I would just add a pair of sandals, but for fall I would pair this with a long-sleeved shirt, tights and boots.

The Sweet Dress.  This is one of my favorite designs done in one of my favorite fabrics.  The green and blue fabric is feminine without being super-girly and pink.  This is a great dress for a toddler on up and is fully-lined and comfy to wear.

Fully Reversible Bubble Romper.  Done in the same "sweet" fabric as the dress above, this romper is fully reversible and is two looks in one.

The Sweet Dress and Reversible Bubble Romper are two of my favorite looks for sister outfits.

All-Star Romper.  A little something for a baby boy or toddler.  This romper is perfect for summer-time play and will keep your little guy nice and cool during the warm summer days.  It has a large pocket on the front for collecting "treasure" and the pocket is accented with royal blue piping.

A-Line Mod Shift Jumper.  I designed this dress with a little bit older girl in mind, but it could certainly be worn by a toddler.  The sophisticated color palette of purple, grey, lime green and pink are perfect for a girl who wants something with a little style, but not too over the top.  The dress is fully lined, has two large pockets and closes at the shoulder with fabric covered buttons.

So that's just a little update about some new things going on in the shop.  If you are interested in keeping updated with new designs, exclusive sales and happenings with The Cottage Mama, come join us over on Facebook.  Click HERE to become a fan of "The Cottage Mama".

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Sew Serendipity Signed Book Giveaway - WINNER!

And the winner of the "Sew Serendipity" signed book giveaway is...........

Congratulations, Sara!  You are just going to love this book!.  Email me at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com with your address and I will get this book in the mail to you ASAP.  Thanks so much to everyone who entered.  We've got some great giveaways coming up this month, so there will be plenty of opportunities to win some more neat things!

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The Cottage Home Little Girls Sew Along

So I've been wanting to do a "sew along" here on the blog for some time and have finally decided that it is time.  Our wonderful blog sponsor, Terri from Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops, is going to be sponsoring this sew along for us.  I was originally going to pick a pattern myself from her fabulous selection of little girls sewing patterns, but I decided I would let you all make the final decision.

I've narrowed it down to six patterns that I thought you all would enjoy sewing for your little ladies.  Surprisingly, I have never sewn from patterns from any of these companies, so I'm just as excited as you are to give one of these a try. 

Below are the six patterns to choose from (voting is in the left side bar of the blog).  Once the winning pattern is selected, Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops will make sure to order plenty of this pattern for all of us to participate.  You can order the pattern through Terri's shop and we will go from there.

Pattern #1: Oliver + S - Class Picnic Blouse and Shorts (Size 6m - 12 years)

Pattern #2:  Oliver + S - Seashore Sundress (Size 6m - 12 years)

Pattern #3: Pink Fig - Vintage Jane Peasant Top and Dress (Size 2T - 10 years)

Pattern #4: ZoZo Bug Baby - Maliya Dress (size 12m - 8/10 years)

 Pattern #5: Carina Gardner - Playdate Outfit (Size 2T - 8 years)

Pattern #6: Favorite Things - Little Bow Beep Dress (size 1 - 14 years)

So those are the six pattern choices and I would be happy to sew any of those!  I will be doing a series of blog posts and we will talk about things such as how to use a paper pattern, selecting fabrics, and many other tips and tricks along the way.  Basically we will be sewing this pattern "along" with each other.  Also, you all can feel free to ask me any questions you might have as well.  If you are new to sewing this is a great opportunity to learn how to use patterns and if you are a veteran sewer this will just be great fun.  I love using sewing patterns and I think you will too!  

If you think you might be interested in participating in this sew along with us, please leave a comment below so that Fairytale Frocks & Lollipops knows about how many patterns she will need to order once the winning one is selected.  

So, are you excited?  Hmmm......wonder which pattern you all will choose?  Can't wait to see!

**The voting is in the left side-bar of the blog, underneath my picture and "welcome" blurb.  Voting in the comments will not be counted, so please make sure you vote in the poll on the side-bar of the blog. Thanks so much!**

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Quilt Market - The Fun Stuff

So I've already shared my quilt market experience with you, but I thought I would share some of the fun stuff that I brought home from the market.  Some of these things were freebies and some of these I purchased at the sample spree.

This is a new line coming out from Moda by Aneela Hoey, called "Little Apples".  At the Moda booth they were giving out these adorable little squares of fabric and this pillow pattern.  The pattern also includes an cute little girl embroidery pattern.  I'm definitely going to make this for my little ladies.

While at the sample spree, I managed to snatch up one of these fat quarter sets of "Little Apples" from the Moda booth.  I haven't taken it apart because it just looks so pretty with all the different colors all stacked together.  I did, however, order several bolts of this fabric.  So you will see this showing up on the blog once it is released.

I received several packages of this gorgeous rose trim from "American Crafts" at the "Blogger's Meetup".  My friend Stef from the blog "Girl. Inspired." has done some beautiful things with this trim on little girls dresses.  So I am totally excited to try this trim out on the edge of a dress or all over a bodice.  It's just so sweet and feminine.

Also at the sample spree, I picked up this fat quarter set of Anna Griffin's "Carmen" line.  I love the pinks, greens and chocolate brown.  When I saw this set, I knew I would be ordering some of this line, so I thought it would be good to have a sampling of all the different prints.  Not sure what I'll make with this, but it is even more gorgeous in person.  And the bolts that are coming are going to be turned into dresses for sure!

These buttons were another freebie from the "Blogger's Meetup".  I think they are actually supposed to be used for scrapbooking, but I have some other ideas for these vintage-inspired beauties.

Another "Blogger's Meetup" freebie (the goodie bag at the meetup was definitely a good one!) included this Robert Kaufman charm square pack.  I really like all the small vintage-inspired prints.  The whole pack is filled with pretty, girly colors.

And finally, my big splurge.  At the Seven Islands Fabric booth I purchased a bundle of 20 (1/2 yard cuts) of Melody Miller's "Ruby Star Rising".  This fabric is a linen/cotton blend and is considered a Japanese import fabric.  This fabric is definitely for my own personal use and doesn't really fit in line with my shop, The Cottage Mama.  But sometimes you just really need to have something in your stash and this was it for me.  Now this fabric is not cheap, so when I say it was a splurge for me, it was definitely a splurge.

I love the vintage charm of this line.  The tea cups, the view-finders, the retro looking ladies are all going to be really fun fabrics to work with.  This fabric is very thick so it will be great for bags, zippered pouches and other different accessories.

So those were some of the goodies I picked up at Quilt Market.  Now will you believe me when I tell you that my mom actually went home with more fabric than me?  She says I made her because I showed her too many pretty things.  Well, I don't know about that, but I think I'm turning her into a fabric lover like myself.   And we both came very close to being over the weight-limit with our suitcases.

The real treat is going to be when my 35+ bolts of fabric start arriving in the mail - can't wait!

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Sew Serendipity by Kay Whitt - Signed Book Giveaway

 

I mentioned in last weeks "Quilt Market" post that I would be doing a book giveaway this week.  Well, here it is, just as promised - "Sew Serendipity" by Kay Whitt.

One of the first people my mom and I met at International Quilt Market was author and pattern designer, Kay Whitt.  We just happened upon her booth where she was sharing her gorgeous pattern designs, her wonderful book and was sporting the most adorable dress that you can see in the picture above (made from one of her own patterns).  And as I mentioned before, she was a true ray of sunshine.  So warm and friendly and more than happy to help an aspiring pattern designer with the ins and outs of the industry.

Later that day, Kay was doing a book signing for her book, "Sew Serendipity" and I received a signed copy of the book from her publicist.  Would I love to add this book to my stash? Well, absolutely!  But I have quite a few sewing books and I decided that the book would be better in the hands of one of you.  So that leads us to our giveaway.

Today I'm giving away a signed copy of Kay Whitt's "Sew Serendipity" sewing book.  Now even though I am giving this away, I had to take a peak inside to make sure you all would really like it.  And guess what?  It's a total winner!  This book is geared towards women's clothing and has many great skirt, tunic, dress, and coat patterns.  But it was the coat patterns that really won me over.

Oh, how I love this coat.  Love, love, love.  It's just so sweet and feminine without being over the top.  I'm always thinking of children's clothing, so I could totally see something like this on my little girls as well as myself.

I thought this one was really hip and fun with this modern fabric.  But it could also be toned down in a more subdued fabric.  This shape would be really figure flattering on lots of different body types.

And I just can't stop looking at this one!  So classic, yet modern - just my style.  If any of you win this book and would like to make this for me, I would gladly take it off your hands.  Just kidding, but isn't it adorable?

The book contains tons of illustrations throughout that makes it very easy to understand.  Kay does all the illustrations herself, which are just awesome.  I also love some of the other earlier chapters about getting a truly custom fit as well as her sewing tips and tools of the trade.

If you have ever been interested in sewing for yourself or another woman in your life, you are going to want this book.  So here's how to win...........

Three ways to enter.  You may enter up to three times total.  Please leave a comment for each entry.
1) Leave a comment.  You can say whatever you would like. (1 entry)
2) Follow The Cottage Home Blog. (1 entry)
3) Become a fan of The Cottage Mama on Facebook (click HERE to do so). (1 entry)

Giveaway will be open until Friday, May 27, 2011 at midnight (CST). Pin It