Our Awesome 2011 Sponsors!

I just wanted to remind you, and provide links, for our awesome sponsors this year!

Don’t forget to blog about them, link to them and tell everyone you know how fabulous they are – they all gave you free stuff and asked absolutely nothing in return. Let’s show them how much we appreciate it!

Here’s a complete list for 2011!

• Retromummy
• Ric-Rac
• Posie Patchwork
• Innergreen
• Hawthorne Threads
• Pink Chalk Fabrics
• Chasing Cottons
• Saffron Craig
• Clare’s Craftroom
• The Red Thread
• Clare’s Place
• Earthgirl Fabrics
• The Remnant Warehouse
• Material Obesssion
• Kelani Fabric Obsession
• Sew Vintage
• Plushka’s Craft
• The Oz Material Girls
• Polly Pratt
• Craft Schmaft
• Prints Charming
• Nicole Mallalieu Design
• Wink Designs
• Crafty Mamas

A huge thank you to all our sponsors!!

 

Sew It Together Sponsor – Crafty Mamas!

Can I just say that I am LOVING the mailman at the moment? He is bringing me huge big boxes of sponsors’ goodies from all over the country! I try to find a few minutes at the end of each day to open them up and peruse the crafty items (yes, I have the best job in the world!). And whilst it was only on Monday afternoon that I received an email from Crafty Mamas offering to sponsor Sew It Together again this year; this morning I received a huge bundle of prizes from the lovely Lisa for the Saturday Crafting Session!

Crafty Mamas were so kind to sponsor SIT Melbourne 2010, and I am delighted that they are back for another year!

I’m getting a little time poor with only NINE (9) (3×3) sleeps to go, so please help me out and go and check out how wonderful Crafty Mamas is – I told you all last year….

HERE

Thank you!! Nothing seems to have changed…..there’s still loads of fantastic European patterns, fabulous knits, gorgeous ribbons…seriously, those European kids’ clothes are just amazing!! If you like to sew for your kids, or for yourself, Crafty Mamas is the place to find both fabrics and patterns that really are different to anything else out there.

There’s also the online forum, where lots of SIT bloggers hang out and talk crafty sewing stuff. Yes, I have seen you in there.  😉

So what did the delightful Lisa of Crafty Mamas send me this morning? A veritable treasure trove of prizes!!

• 3 x packs of assorted Farbenmix Ribbons
• A Sew Liberated Huck Finn Cap pattern
• A Marie-Madeline Studio Summer Shade Jumper pattern
• A Craftapple The Car Organizer pattern
• A Mamu Design Anouk pattern
• A Mamu Design Bolero pattern
• A Farbenmix Falda pattern
• A Farbenmix Willemientje pattern
• A Farbenmix Tragerkleid Celina pattern
• A Dollerock Neele pattern
• A Madchen & Jungenhose Mika pattern
• 2 x Knippie 6 magazines
• 2 x Knipmode Jan 2011 magazines
• 1 x apron-ology vol. 3 magazine

Check out the cover of that last one on the list…..

Oh my!!!

I thought of Karen when I saw the gorgeous patterns for girls…

And I can just see these pants on Becky‘s little boy…..

And will someone please just make me that apron with all the flowers on it? PLEASE?

While I wait for someone to volunteer, I am sure that you’re all very happy and excited to have Crafty Mamas back on board again as a sponsor! Thank you Lisa for your generosity and support of the crafty bloggers out there!

Sew It Together Sponsor – Wink Designs!

We’re counting the sleeps and it’s not long now, but tonight I am delighted to announce that Marina of Wink Designs has joined us in the home straight as a Sew It Together sponsor!

Marin has been making and selling handmade goodies and kits for some time, and has recently specialised in creating sewing patterns in PDF format which you’ll find in her Etsy, madeit and Craftumi shops.

Designing fresh, unfussy, easy to make (and wear) patterns for little girls is Marina’s aim and her two gorgeous girls are the inspirations for the patterns she develops.

For release in the not-too-distant future (and being trialled by a small band eager testers as we speak!), is a new pattern for big girls, a “Mama” version of Marina’s first and very popular pattern, “The Wrap-Up Skirt for Girls”.

In between other snippets of her crafty endeavours, you will find her girls modelling Marina’s designs on her blog, Wink Designs.

Marina will be joining us for the Saturday Crafting Session at Sew It Together and will be offering 4 pattern vouchers at the prize giveaway (for a pattern of choice redeemable by email)!

Thanks so much, Marina! We’re glad you could join in as a sponsor on the home straight, and see you at SIT! (That’s next week, folks – NEXT WEEK).

 

 

Sew It Together Sponsor – Nicole Mallalieu Design!

If you went to Sew It Together in Melbourne last year, you might have been lucky enough to get to the studio of the divine Ms Nicole Mallalieu on the Friday night where we had an absolutely fantastic evening of amazing food (who made that chocolate peanut concoction? that was amazing!), refreshing beverages and a great tour of Nikki’s studio! (Oh my word…you should see her scrap bin..the treasures that you’d find in there!!!).

There were patterns galore:

And loads of samples:

Nicole Mallalieu is probably best known for fantastic bags and purses – both patterns and kits – and look at all these samples!

But she’s also clever enough to design a dress and a hat or two! And don’t forget she’s a marvellous source for bag supplies!

The great thing about Nicole Mallalieu patterns is that you learn some great techniques along the way, and you end up with a beautifully finished product.

If you need a bit of extra help and you live in, or visit, Melbourne, she runs lots of great classes and workshops. Wow. I just had another look at that list – I could do with a few of those workshops!!

Nikki has a gorgeous blog here, and you can find her on Facebook here.

Unfortunately, the lovely Ms Mallalieu herself can’t make it to SIT this year, and she will be missed! But in her place, she is sending a bunch of patterns and kits to giveaway as prizes at the Saturday Crafting Session.

Thanks so much, Nikki! We’d rather you were there in person, but it’s very sweet of you to send us some prizes! Thank you!! And let’s hope you can join us again next year!

Sew It Together Sponsor – Prints Charming

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Prints Charming. I still remember their very first Sydney Quilt Fair at Darling Harbour and Donna and I were so excited to see their new, different, bright, gorgeous screenprinted fabrics. They were such a breath of fresh air in an otherwise fairly stale fair.

A visit to the studio was always high on my list for Sew It Together in Sydney, and I am really looking forward to the Stitching Session on the Friday afternoon. I’ve got 11 other excited stitchers joining me and I can’t wait.

I’m delighted to tell you that Prints Charming have offered some prizes for the great giveaway at the Saturday Crafting Session!

Up for grabs are a Heart Embroidery Pack (value $33) and a Prints Charming Pack of Useful Scraps (value $25)!

It’s a chance for a couple of you who maybe can’t make the Stitching Session to take home a little Prints Charming magic with you.

Thanks so much to Kirsten and Cath for some great prizes, and for hosting us on the Friday afternoon at your studio!

 

Sew It Together Sponsor – Earthgirl Fabrics!

I’m delighted to tell you this afternoon that Earthgirl Fabrics is a new sponsor of Sew It Together!

Earthgirl Fabrics is an Australian online fabric store with an emphasis on fabrics and patterns from all over the world.

You’ll find some absolute treasures in Annabel’s online store – there are Australian screenprinted fabrics from Ink & Spindle, Kristen Doran, Yardage Design and Flowerpress; American fabrics including a great selection of Michael Miller’s Ta Dots and Alexander Henry prints; Japanese Echino and Kokka prints; and Hilco and Stenzo fabrics from Europe.

These European fabrics are new to me…I love discovering new stuff! There’s some lovely knit fabrics and some stunning soft pinwale cord fabrics, like this one,  that really make me want to sew up a stack of wintery clothes for Emmeline. The summer 2011 fabrics are on their way soon, and will feature poplin and knit fabrics.

There are loads more surprises from Europe in the Earthgirl Fabric shop – patterns from Mamu, Farbenmix and Ottobre and stunningly gorgeous ribbons from Farbenmix, Susa Labim and Rosa Pomar. I will admit to having a secret stash of Rosa Pomar ribbons from Portugal, I absolutely adore them! Ribbons are a great weakness of mine! I hadn’t seen the Susa Labim ribbons before….now I want, I want, I want!

I have to say, though, that my favourite section of the Earthgirl Fabrics site is the tea towel section. Seriously, check out this amazing range of screen printed tea towels!! Great to see some from Thea & Sami in there – Thea, we will miss you at Sew It Together this year!! And don’t be surprised if everyone I know gets a tea towel as a gift this year. Or bugger it, I’m buying them for myself. In fact I didn’t even finish this post without buying these…..

And postage was free!!! I love free postage!!

Right, where was I? Earthgirl Fabrics! Sew It Together!

Annabel from Earthgirl Fabrics has very kindly offered to sponsor Sew It Together, and you will each be getting a Key Fob Kit in your goodie bag!

Each kit includes detailed instructions, and the bits you need to make your own key fob…..

You just need a pair of flat tipped pliers and some optional frey stop for the ends.

I’m feeling pretty happy about still spreading such good news at just over 2 weeks away from Sew It Together! A big thank you to Annabel of Earthgirl Fabrics for her kind and generous offer!

Sew It Together Sponsor – Craft Schmaft!

My other new sponsor to announce today is another fantabulous (yes, that is a word) Claire, this time it’s Claire with an ‘i’!

The lovely Claire is the brains behind Craft Schmaft and freely admits she has an addiction to sock toys!

Craft Schmaft is probably best known for Claire’s Baby Owl Softie kits, like the gorgeous one in the photo above. But if owls aren’t your thing, then don’t hesitate to check out the other sock toy patterns for Woof Woof, G-Raf, Lil’ Monster and Sausage Roller.

I love that Claire sells her designs in a variety of permutations. You can buy a PDF pattern to be emailed to you, a printed pattern to be mailed to you or you can also buy kits in each design (Owls, Mobiles, G-Raf, Woof Woof and Lil’ Monster) which include the pattern and all the materials needed to make your very own sock toy. Claire doesn’t skimp on materials either – all the kits are different, but some include wool felt, cashmere socks, Perle embroidery thread and even a needle and thread in a tin to keep. All I can think is – what great gifts these kits are!!!

I’ve got two fantabulous things to tell you. The first is that Claire herself is coming along to the Saturday Crafting Session! Even though she is super famous (being featured in stacks and stacks of stylish magazines and all) we’ll try and give her a little peace and quiet to enjoy her day away from the cutest little baby boy I ever did see……

And the second great thing is that Claire and Craft Schmaft are sponsoring Sew It Together! Claire has generously offered up some fantastic prizes for the giveaway at the Saturday Crafting Session! Here’s what you’ll find on the prize table:

• 2 x Owl Mobile kits
• 3 x Baby Owl kits
• 4 x Woof Woof patterns

Eeek! I really want an Owl Mobile Kit for Emmeline’s room. Should I take my chances at the prize table, or buy one now??

If you are similarly in love, you can find Craft Schmaft products here and here, the Craft Schmaft blog here and on Facebook here!

Thanks so much Claire for these great prizes! And we’ll see you in just a few weeks at Sew It Together!

Sew It Together Sponsor – Clare’s Place!

This morning I picked up a big fat bundle of goodness at the Post Office from a brand new Sew It Together sponsor – Clare’s Place!

If you haven’t been over to Clare’s Place before, then you really should pay her a visit! Clare has a beautiful blog, full of colour and lovely pictures, plenty of crafty inspiration and some great tutorials. Clare lives in Tasmania, stays at home to look after her gorgeous little girl and in her spare time she loves to quilt!

Last July, she released her first quilt pattern, and since then she’s been hooked! Clare absolutely loves designing and making quilts, and her patterns are geared towards modern sewers of all skill levels. She hopes that her patterns and designs inspire others to make something new, exciting and fun; and to help others feel the satisfaction that comes from both completing a new sewing project and enjoying the results and benefits of all their hard work.

I think that’s a wonderful goal of Clare’s! It’s all very exciting starting a new sewing project….but then when it sits there unfinished for a long time (or is that just me?), it feels less like fun and more like a burden. Actually finishing a project and getting to use your quilt/bag/dress, etc? Now that’s satisfaction!

SInce July, Clare has designed and released 7 (yes SEVEN) gorgeous quilt patterns, and you can find downloadable versions here and here! And have a peek at Clare’s lovely Made It shop – the prettiest canvases and kids’ t-shirts!

To encourage everyone to have a try at something new, Clare has very kindly donated a copy of her “Jayne’s Love” quilt pattern to every single one of you coming along to the Saturday Crafting Session!

You can read about the Jayne’s Love quilt here! Isn’t it gorgeous? (And how about Clare’s daughter?)

But that’s not all! Clare has also kindly donated a full set of 7 Clare’s Place patterns for the prize giveaway at the Saturday Crafting Session! The pack includes Summer Charm, Bubbles and Ruffles, Wheels, Alphabet Soup, Baby 123, Jayne’s Love and Twinkle Twinkle!

Thank you Clare for becoming a sponsor of Sew It Together! Any chance we can get you up to Sydney to join in all the fun in just a few weeks time??

 

Sponsors, gifts and prizes!

I’m somewhat overwhelmed by the amazing support from all of the sponsors this year, and thought I would start a master list of what’s on offer this year!

What you’ll find in your goody bag (your Innergreen Corn Bag, made from 100% corn!):

• A fat quarter of gorgeous Retromummy fabric
• Something fabulous from Ric-Rac
• A fabric badge from Posie Patchwork
• 2 yards of scrap fabric from Hawthorne Threads
• Pencil Roll pattern, quilt size card and discount coupon from Pink Chalk Fabrics
• Quilt pattern from Chasing Cottons
• Sample pack of fabric from Saffron Craig
• Surprise pattern made especially for SIT from Clare’s Craftroom
• Hello Birdie Pillow pattern from The Red Thread
• Jayne’s Love quilt pattern from Clare’s Place
• Key fob kit from Earthgirl Fabrics

Prizes for the Friday Fabric Shopping Trip:

• 3 gift vouchers from The Remnant Warehouse

Prizes for the Saturday Crafting Session:

• 5 x 500g bags of Innergreen Toy Fill
• 5 x 50cm Innergreen Cushion Inserts
• (possibly) 5 x large quilt squares of Innergreen Quilt Wadding
• “Material Obsession” book from Material Obesssion
• “Material Obsession Two” book from Material Obsession
• 4 x Material Obsession Dolly Quilt Kits
• $50 gift voucher from Kelani Fabric Obsession
• Large bundle of fabric from Saffron Craig
• 5 x pretty bundles of fabric and patterns from Sew Vintage
• 6 x patterns from Clare’s Craftroom
• 3 x felt owl kits from Plushka’s Craft
• 7 x $10 gift vouchers from The Oz Material Girls
• 2 x $30 gift vouchers from The Oz Material Girls
• 3 x Wendy dresses from Polly Pratt
• A set of 5 Sweetie Petite kits from The Red Thread
• A set of 7 quilt patterns from Clare’s Place
• 2 x Owl Mobile kits from Craft Schmaft
• 3 x Baby Owl kits from Craft Schmaft
• 4 x Woof Woof patterns from Craft Schmaft
• A Heart Embroidery pack from Prints Charming
• A Pack of Useful Fabric Scraps from Prints Charming
• Patterns and kits from Nicole Mallalieu Design

Which adds up to over 50 prizes! FIFTY!

If you can think of anything relevant to say to all this, other than THANK YOU to everyone, then feel free, because I am rather speechless at the generosity of our sponsors right now……

Prizes from Material Obsession!

I’m glad to see that you are so interested in the workshops that Kathy and her crew from Material Obsession are going to put on for us!

I had better set my alarm for 11:00am Saturday so I don’t incur the wrath of all those ready to sign up!

I also have some more great news from Material Obsession – prizes!!

That’s right, Kathy is donating some great prizes for the prize pool at the Saturday Crafting Session.

Up for grabs are:

• one copy of the book “Material Obsession”
• one copy of the book “Material Obsession Two”
• four Dolly Quilt Kits

Woohoo! I have a copy of the first book, and it is just beautiful! I’ll be hoping to win the second book to add to my sewing library – it’s a lovely, lovely book. And the MO Dolly Quilt Kits are just fabulous. They are really a fantastic way of learning new techniques – I learned both needle-turn applique, and how to use a wedge ruler from these kits. These are fantastic prizes!

A big shout of thanks to Material Obsession and Kathy for her generosity!!!