SMS Giveaway Day!

Right before Labor Day, I began making clutches. There's nothing like a friend's request to jumpstart new projects, especially when the requests are doable in a short amount of time. For SMS Giveaway Day, I'm offering one (1) clutch to a random winner -- the choice of blue or pink is yours. It's also cool to enter to win it for a friend; the choice of color remains in your control, unless you'd prefer that I make a choice for a person I don't (think I) know.

Here's a little peek at the interiors, which showcase different fabrics, include a magnetic snap, and contain a divider (an invisible surprise!).

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment on this post.

The fine print:
*One comment (entry) per person. Please make sure I can contact you by email.
*This giveaway is open to everyone, wherever you live in the world.
*The giveaway will remain open until Friday, December 7 at 8 pm EST (or thereabouts!).
*The winner will be selected randomly.

ETA: The giveaway is now closed, and random magic picked #145: CraftyGirl83.

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Sweet Seaglass Solids

Over the weekend, I found out I won this sweet bundle of solids from Marmalade Fabrics (love the name!) through a giveaway on Teaginny Designs' blog. Alex posted a {free} tutorial for the Seaglass Wall Hanging she made with these fabrics, and I'm excited to test it out. I have an intended recipient in mind and may make a few modifications accordingly (and possible alter the layout/size to be more of a table runner). I head back to Michigan tomorrow, and I'm excited to take a few days for quilt stuff: finishing my quilt, making my swap items for the Solids swap, and planning/making a few gift items as well. Ok, I might not get the latter done this week, but I have big plans....

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When I Have Arthritis in My Thumb....

....I'll know whom to blame. I spent several 10-hour days helping my brother and his girlfriend work on their new-to-them fixer-upper. It's a classic DC rowhouse that needs, um, work. More work than anticipated, I think. It has, as they say, "good bones," and I think it will be quite lovely one day. In the meantime, the goal is to get it liveable -- and I am quite invested in this goal as I'm supposed to live there.

This experience has renewed my appreciation for the hard work of demolition, construction, remodeling, and renovation. It's no wonder it costs so much, when such efforts require things like pulling staples out of formerly-carpet-covered floors. Luckily the hardwoods underneath the carpet are in great condition. The two rooms sanded yesterday look fantastic and will look even better when stained. But staple-removal in 3 rooms and a staircase took 2 people 10+ hours.

So a few thoughts from this weekend's work:
1. Never ever carpet over good hardwood. Sand and stain the hardwood, and relish it.
2. Do not paint over textured wallpaper (or any wallpaper for that matter).
3. Do not plaster and paint over wallpaper (seriously, strip the wallpaper when it's fairly straightforward and then plaster and paint).
4. Four layers of bathroom tile are too many. Rip out the old and replace the new before creating an absurd tile-monster bathroom floor.
5. Some people are willing to live -- and eat out of -- disgusting kitchens. Seriously, who doesn't clean up the mouse droppings? Or allows layers upon layers of grease in the oven? But when you encounter such grease, Easy-Off* is your best friend. It's probably full of terrible chemicals, but it is a fabulous cleaner. I really should have photographed this marvel. The oven is now a usable appliance once again.
6. Bleach and white vinegar are truly amazing cleaning products.

I have to confess that I'm still a little tired and sore from the weekend. And my sewing machine sat idle as I squatted and pulled staples, hacked at old wallpaper, and ferociously cleaned a kitchen. There are a few little projects I'd like to wrap up over the next couple of weeks, but the state of the fixer-upper may determine how much gets done...

image from here

But when I get back to sewing, I'll have something new to play with. I checked my email this morning to find that I've won some Aurifil thread and a color card from Lynne's giveaway. I've heard that this thread is silky to work with, especially because it produces very little lint. I'm excited to test it out and perhaps find myself a new kind of thread to use. It also looks like the 5-pack includes a multi-color thread spool and I think that will be especially fun to use on a quilt top.

*I have not been paid to endorse this product. My mom and I plucked it off the shelf because it claimed to be fume-free (true!) and it turned out to also be a miracle-worker. I thought it would take about 8 passes to find the original metal in the oven. It only took one. 

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Questions + Answers + Giveaway Day Winner

I'll start in opposite order of the post title, and lead with the Giveaway Day winner, Littlebit, who wrote:

It seems only appropriate to lead off with her question, "Why does a little bit of lint in a sewing machine cause so many problems?" I must confess that when I started sewing, I noticed lint but didn't realize how many problems it caused. It wasn't until I quilted this quilt, which was backed with red fleece, that I discovered the ills of lint. Namely, that a tiny red sweater lived under the machine's throatplate and liked to tease the bobbin. Indeed, I think the answer to this question is that lint is a tease, and particularly likes to scoff at machinery, bobbins, and humans. This web of dust produces tangles galore, traffic jams, broken needles, and general chaos. When I think more charitably about lint, I would suggest that it causes so many problems in order to ensure we humans are paying attention, thinking and doing with intention. But most of the time I lack that charity and just swear at the lint. I mean, it is a tease.

I think the most popular question was something to the effect of "What am I researching?" The short, formal answer is that I study religion and state. But that doesn't really tell you what I'm doing, does it? The longer, perhaps more interesting answer, is that I'm researching and writing a dissertation on American military chaplains from World War I through Vietnam. I examine how the chaplaincy has evolved in order to explore how the state manages religion and negotiates with, between, and among religious groups. I can talk about this for a very long time, but I think that's sufficient for now. I will add, however, that if you have friends or relatives who were military chaplains in this time period, I would love to talk to them. Or if you have letters or diaries or pictures or anything of the like, I would love to see those, so be in touch.

And to keep it light, Leanne asked "Would you rather buy fabric or shoes?" Fabric, no question about it.

Have a wonderful weekend, and more q&a to come!

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The Best of Intentions...SMS Giveaway Day May 2011

I had really great intentions. I knew Giveaway Day was in about 2 weeks, and I was going to bring something with me to send off to a lucky winner. As I prepared to move, I added "make something for Giveaway Day" to my to-do list. As I packed up my belongings and transported them back to my parents' house, I mentally reminded myself to prep something for Giveaway Day. As I unpacked my stuff and repacked the 2 bags I was taking, I thought "grab a few fat quarters to bring along." As I stared out the window on the bus, I figured I could swing by a fabric store and buy something to offer. And as Friday rolled along, I hemmed and hawed about adding my name to the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day list. For despite my intentions, I didn't make anything or prep anything or bring anything or buy anything. So what to do?

As I debated whether to sign up, I decided that if I was going to enter giveaways, I had to offer something too. And my willpower is not that strong. There was no way I could see the SMS list in my google reader and not click over and not click the links and not enter giveaways. I'm not that good. Thus I need to offer something, and I offer something of a promise that gives you choices but also requires some patience. I would like to make you an infinity scarf, and will offer you the chance to select either the madras combo above or below, both of which make fantastic summer-weight scarves. Or if you're not thrilled about these options, we can talk other fabric choices as well.

As my regular readers know, I'm currently away doing research, and until early-mid July, remain separated from my sewing machine. Thus I won't be able to make it for a while, but I promise I will make it and send it to you by the end of July. So if you'd like a surprise summer package (or perhaps you need a gift for a friend with a July birthday!) that will likely include more than a scarf, this is the giveaway for you.

To enter:
1. Comment on this post and ask me a question. It can be any question, silly or serious, about any topic -- from quilting to why is the sky blue. Fire away...

2. Make sure I can contact you, either through your blogger account (a no-reply blogger cannot win because I can't reach you) or by leaving your email address in the comment.

The fine print:
1. This is open to everyone, wherever you live.
2. The giveaway will remain open until the evening of May 25, or possible the morning of May 26.
3. One entry per person.
4. The winner will be selected randomly, though a truly standout question could also earn a prize.
5. The winner must have followed the rules outlined above.

Finally, per an earlier request, I'll use this scarf creation as an opportunity to post a quick tutorial about how I make these scarves, so check back later in the summer for that. Until then, enjoy giveaway day, and have a great week!

*****It's Friday at 1.01 pm, and the giveaway is now closed.*****

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Marimekko Winner

The handy random generator picked #16, which corresponds to Katie B, who wrote, "What a great find! I'd love to turn the fabric into some pillows." I'll email you to get your address and send you your goodies. The rain finally stopped but it's too dark to take pictures outside; hopefully, I'll get a chance to show you a few of the things I've been making soon.

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Holy Marimekko! (+ Giveaway)

I spent several hours yesterday sewing with members of the DC Modern Quilt Guild. One of the local public libraries has a fantastic space with tables and lots of outlets. I knew some people and met some new people and made progress on a quilt. All of which was great. I also got to eat some Thai food (my favorite cuisine) and learned that the Crate and Barrel outlet stores sell Marimekko remnants for 95 cents a pound. You read that right: the same stuff that retails for 45 dollars/yard is sold for 95 cents a pound.

At least sometimes. Since there was an outlet not too far away, I headed over there and had a great conversation with a very knowledgeable sales person. Not only did she bring out another basket of fabric from the back, but she told me that they hadn't been selling remnants for a year. But C&B reduces fabric on the bolt to $4.95/yard during their spring sale in an effort to move inventory, and they had enough remnants to put out a barrel (literally, they're in a barrel). Most of the remnants come from store decor so they may have some staples in them but are otherwise in good shape.

I walked out with 7 pounds of fabric for less than 7 dollars (as a reference point, I think a yard of quilting weight fabric is about 6 ounces based on shipping costs). While perusing the store, I noticed that they are also selling napkins made out of Kaffe Fassett fabric for about $4/napkin (outlet price!) so I'm not too concerned about their profits.

But in honor of this splendid find and recently surpassing 400 posts, I'd like to share some with you. To win some Marimekko fabric remnants -- if you don't sew, these can easily be made into cool wall hangings with canvas/wood and a staple gun or glue -- leave a comment on this post telling me what you might do with the fabric.

The fine print: 1 entry per person, giveaway open until Wednesday around 6 pm, make sure to leave a means of contact, open to US and international commenters.

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Giveaway Winner

Wow, 393 entries! I'm sorry I can't send a little something to everyone, but please check out the tutorial for the loop bag. The random number generator pulled up #322, which corresponds to Kelly Sas. Congratulations Kelly! I'll send you an email to get your address.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

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SMS Giveaway Day!

In my last post, I showed you my new bags. What I didn't say was that I made a new one that matches the one on the right above, with the green Laura Gunn fabric! I opted not to take a picture in the snow, but this new bag + fun fabric scraps can be yours!

To enter, simply leave a comment on this post. Please let me know if you're interested in fabric scraps and, if so, what your favorite colors are. If the bag winner isn't a sewer and doesn't want the fabric scraps, I'll hold another drawing for the fabric.

The fine prnt:
*One comment (entry) per person. Please make sure I can contact you via email.
*This giveaway is open to everyone; I will ship internationally.
*The giveaway will remain open until Friday, December 17 at 4 pm.
*The winner will be selected randomly.

I will be posting a tutorial for the bag soon, so stay tuned (and come back) if you want to make one yourself.   The tutorial is here.

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Giveaway Winner!

There's lots of fun in the May (and June!) air -- birthdays, camping trips, graduations, anniversaries, movies, vacations, births, gardening, sewing, classes, reunions, and more. Enjoy!

My trusty random generator picked:

which corresponds to:

Sewlovins, I'll be in touch by email to get your address and send the fabric on its way.

I've got some quilts and other projects to show you soon....

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SMS Giveaway Day!

1. IMG_0261, 2. IMG_0451, 3. IMG_0435, 4. IMG_0689, 5. IMG_0754, 6. IMG_0546, 7. IMG_0489, 8. IMG_0667, 9. IMG_0760

First, a shout-out to my regular readers and a welcome to newcomers via SMS' Giveaway Day (I encourage you to take a look around but I also know you've got all sorts of giveaways to enter. So welcome, and I hope you join the flock of regulars).

How does the above picture relate to Giveaway Day? Well, those are images of the last few quilts I've made, and I've been collecting the little scraps, the tiny ones too small to go into the scrap box, in a bag on my sewing table. Scraps that would be perfect for a ticker-tape quilt, as well as some strips that could be deployed in a string quilt, and a few larger squares and rectangles that could be used in almost any scrap quilt.

But that's not all.

The scrap bag will arrive with some stripes -- a fat quarter of pink Sugar Snap squiggly lines and a large-but-not-quite-FQ of some Michael Miller blue/yellow/brown stripes.

{For those who aren't sewers or who aren't loving this giveaway or who simply love all giveaways, I'll be doing another one in the next month of something I've made so my non-sewer readers out there can get something too.}

The fine print:
*Leave a comment below. Tell me something fun -- about yourself, that you'll do in May, that you're saving up to do, about where you live...
*Make sure you leave a way to reach you -- through your blogger contact info, an email address, etc.
*The giveaway is open until Thursday, May 20 at 8 pm EST.
*This is open to everyone, anywhere in the world.
*I'll probably select the winner randomly, but if someone tells me an amazing tale, bribes me with something amazing, or otherwise makes me laugh out loud, I won't guarantee I won't pick them (how's that for a sentence based on negatives!).

Good luck!

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Fabric Odds and Ends for the Last Night of Chanukah Giveaway

I'm going to post this a little early since I have an early Shabbat dinner to attend and Chanukah does start early, given the short days and early nights of winter. I'm going to keep this giveaway and the scarf (click here or scroll down) giveaway open until Monday because a) I should be writing a paper all weekend and not paying attention to anything else and b) I figure this opens the giveaways to more people.

This last giveaway consists of an assortment of fabric odds and ends from the quilts I've made over the past few months. Most of them are less than a fat quarter but some are almost a quarter yard of fabric, or a decently thick strip. This package might include some of the following, plus some smaller scraps:

Some, like the top 2 pictured, were used in Beth and Harley's chuppah. Others, like the bottom, found their way into several aprons I made last spring and summer.

I realized that I bought, at different times, months and years apart, three fabrics of similarly colored stripiness -- shades of blue, yellow, and white, with either a dark brown or black. sometimes the stripes are sharp and straight, other times wavy and watercolory.

Some other fun fabrics from my collection will find their way into the winner's package.

To win, these fabrics below, comment with an idea or link to a quilt (pattern) you really like. I'm going to be making loads of baby quilts soon (lots! But none for me, lest you have any silly ideas about the current trajectory of my life. But many, for several wonderful friends and their already-here or sort-of-soon-to-arrive children), so I'd love some inspiration and fun ideas. You can point me to a blog, a pattern maker, a flickr image....whatever you think might be cool to make.

Plus...one extra entry if you blog about the giveaway and link to it.

This giveaway is open until Monday and open to international commenters. The random number generator will probably pick the winner unless one of your comments mesmerizes me so I have to pick you. Mesmerization techniques will remain undisclosed, though creativity is always appreciated.

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A Seventh Night of Chanukah Scarf Giveaway

...and I have a scarf to give to one of you.

It's reversible, with red/oranges/purples and a bit of blue on one side.

And has fun blue/yellow/brown stripes on the back.

You can wear it as a scarf, or as a sash, or any way you please.

To win:

Post a comment below with movie suggestions for me to watch when the semester is over, my work is complete, and I have time to relax. The movie can be in the theaters or on video. Dramas, comedies, documentaries, indie films...just no horror or sci-fi.

And, before I forget, the winner of the mystery giveaway is Erin,

who requested some scraps, a wish I can certainly fulfill.

Happy Friday!

p.s. some other giveaways to check out:
pretty jewelry over at Missie Krissie
lovely fabric over at buttercuppity
 and a copy of sew liberated over at grograin

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Chanukah Disruption/Giveaway

You might wonder what happened to the 5th Night of Chanukah.
The short answer: Comcast ate it.

The long answer is that the internet disappeared on Monday night and, upon calling Comcast, my roommate learned that they had no idea what the problem is but that they couldn't send anyone until Thursday. So I have no internet at home until tomorrow, assuming a) the Comcast technician comes and b) said technician fixes things.

Because the pictures for the giveaway are at home where the internet is not, I'm going to combine the fifth and sixth night giveaways into 1 surprise giveaway: a mystery package for crafters of either fabric-related supplies or scrapbook-related supplies (you choose).

To enter:
Comment below, telling me something you'd like to get in the surprise package (no guarantees, but if I can make it happen, I'll try).

Giveaway open until Thursday evening when, hopefully, the internet will have returned.

Nights 3 & 4 Winners

Of the Cats on Quilts book: Tricia
Of Le Petit Elephant soaps: Sew It Up

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Labels, Soaps, and the Fourth Night of Chanukah Giveaway

In case you haven't read the comments on some of the previous posts, I want to share the lovely story an Anonymous poster left here:

My grandmother was a big time sewer, knitter, and crocheter, and she made things for her children, grandchildren, and who knows who else. Everything she made, she sewed a small label on the back that said "Made Especially for You by [her name]." When some family came to visit me in October, people I've knitted and/or crocheted hats and scarves for (between the two of them, they have at least 2 scarves and 6 hats made by me), as a hostess gift, they gave me 40 labels that said "Made Especially for You by [my name]." My grandmother died when I was 11. When I opened up the gift, I was so overcome with emotion that I couldn't even speak to thank them. I make items for my family all the time, so I'm really excited to have these tags.

Since so many crafters (especially those who do needlework of some sort) read your blog, I thought it would be nice to share this idea. Looking at a quilt will forever remind the recipient who made it for him/her; putting a label on it will ramp up the level sentimentality even more, I think. I have no idea where to find such labels or where to get them custom-made, but probably a good internet search engine could help with that.

What a sweet and thoughtful gift! It's so wonderful that your guests came up with a gift so perfect for you. I try to label the quilts I make, but I would love to get some of those labels to put on smaller items like scarves and bags that I generally don't label. Indeed, some internet searching is in order. Thank you so much the reminder!

Speaking of labels, some of my friends have been in the soap business for about 4 years now and have molds that label their soap for them. How cool!

Lavender Vanilla

In their own words, Mark and Anna described their soaps as Hand-milled by others, but crafted from glycerin base and the finest of the earth's ingredients by Le Petit Éléphant. LPE Soaps are soft, creamy, and gentle, and can be made to order. Each soap is between 4 and 6oz, and has wonky marks and bubbles that we find endearing and add to their handmade charm.

Sweet Vanilla Mint Goat's Milk Soap

Even more cool, they're generously donating tonight's giveaway -- 2 bars of handmade soap of your choice from their shop, Le Petit Elephant.

Head over to their shop and then come back here and tell me about your favorites from their shop. Suggesting a new flavor of soap will net you a second entry. I'll select the winner randomly tomorrow night.

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Felines, Quilts, and Books Wrapped Into One: A Third Night of Chanukah Giveaway

A little housekeeping:
Night 1 (Fabric) winner: Katie, who wrote, "I grew up in Virginia Beach, about 20 minutes away from the beach and was very much a beach bum in the summers. I went to college in middle Virginia, about 3 hours away from the ocean. For christmas my freshman year my mom got me a beach-in-a-box, which is a little plastic tray with sand, a mini umbrella, mini chair, mini beachball, mini flip flops, and mini seashells. It was a great gift cause I would always be by the beach. And now 8 years later I still have it on a shelf to remind me of the beach."

Night 2 (Rugelach) winner: Sarah, who wrote, "Two years ago, my refrigerator died on Thanksgiving day. Luckily, I live in Minnesota, where it is cold. We put everything for the meal outside and hoped for the best. Luckily, we were able to eat and no one got sick." Sarah, please email me as I don't have any contact info for you.

Night 3: Cats on Quilts Giveaway
My siblings and I always received at least a few books for Chanukah. I continue to love books -- reading them, cradling them, paging through them, looking at them on my shelves, and relaxing on the couch with them....which is good since much of my daily live revolves around reading books.

If you're looking for books to give friends or family this year, here are a few suggestions. If someone on your gift-giving list loves reading history (or non-fiction in general), Kevin Boyle's Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age is a rich, rewarding, and important read about a murder trial in Detroit in the 1920s.

If someone on your gift-giving list is more interested in fictitious crime or, like me, consumes good thrillers like candy, then Barry Eisler's John Rain series is fast-paced, suspenseful, and, from what I understand, contains accurate descriptions of Tokyo's cityscape (minus the actual crime part). Start with Rain Fall and proceed in the series from there.

And for kids, there is of course The Goat-Faced Girl, which I reviewed here.

There were quite a few cat lovers among the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway commenters. I have an extra copy of Cats on Quilts that I'd like to offer to one of my readers. This is more of a mini-coffee table book than a novel, but it contains some great images, neat quilts, and reflections of cats over a long period of time. I'm happy to send the book to you or as a gift to the person of your choice, so if you know someone who would like it, you can enter on their behalf.

To enter:

• Offer a book suggestion of your own in the comment section. 
• Winner will be selected randomly tomorrow night.
• Please make sure to leave contact info -- through your blogger account or an email address in your comment
  

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Latkes, Sufganiyot, and a Second Night of Chanukah Giveaway

Apologies if I confused a few people about latkes and sufganiyot in my last post. They are indeed distinct food items.

image found here

Latkes are potato pancakes (most frequently made with regular white potatoes, but sometimes with the addition of sweet potatoes, zucchinis, or even beets, according to Joan Nathan's Chanukah recipe round-up in this past Wednesday's New York Times).

image found here

In contrast, sufganiyot are doughnuts, usually of the stuffed variety. In America, red jelly of some unknown berry origin usually protrudes. Israel offers a more extensive variety with all sorts of chocolates, creams, and other flavors (scroll to the end of this post for a list of 8 options).

And oil -- lots of it -- connects the savory latkes and the sweet sufganiyot.

Speaking of food, the Second Night of Chanukah Giveaway:

• Home-baked (from my vegetarian kitchen) rugelach. 
• (If you are already stuffed full of holiday food, these are freezable.)
  
• I will be baking them Sunday night and will mail (or deliver, if someone local wins) them on Monday, provided the winner emails me an address to which to send them in time.
• To enter, comment and tell me a cooking or baking story (successes and disasters both welcome)
• Winner will be selected by me, either randomly or by some other undecided selection mechanism
  

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Chanukah 5770/2009, Presented by Seagrams

8 Days of Chanukah Giveaway

...brought to you by Seagrams (the dog, not the whiskey)

Admittedly, Seagrams likes any holiday with food, so that really only excludes the fast days, such as Yom Kippur. But the chanukiah (chanukah menorah/candelabra) chewish toy has replaced gefilte (a fish) as his toy of choice. And latkes (or doughnuts) are pleasing to his palate as well.

Chanukah, or the Festival of Lights, starts tonight. Chanukah is actually a minor Jewish holiday but in America, given its proximity to Christmas, it's taken on a larger role culturally. And while the December holiday season has amplified the gift part of Chanukah (see: proximity to Christmas, above), lighting chanukah candles comprises the important part of the holiday. So on the first night, we light 1 candle, on the second night, 2 candles and so on and so forth.

But gifts do play a role in this holiday, and I'll be doing some giveaways during Chanukah as a result. The offerings will vary between crafting supplies (mostly fabric) and finished products, as I want to make sure my readers who don't spend their free time at a sewing machine can also get a treat. Growing up, we received small Chanukah gifts, like socks. But small can be fun, such as funky smartwools such as these, or:

Gelt (Yiddish for money) for the fabric lovers:

2 pieces (fat quarters or close to it) of fabric --

the brown flowers peeking out from above and the Alexander Henry Egypt print below

To win this fabric:

Tell me the best small gift someone has given you (define small as you wish!).

One entry per person.

Make sure I can reach you.

Giveaway open until I post tomorrow night's gift.

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Winner of the Scrap Bag

Wow, 335 entries in the giveaway!

Lots of cat and dog lovers, as well as some votes for manatees, whales, deer, pigs, lemurs, llamas, otters, giraffes, elephants, porcupines, bears, moose, hedgehogs, sheep, pandas, monkeys, seals, turtles....quite an animal kingdom. A few of you even like squirrels -- as they've been a menace to my ears for the past year, they're on my dislike list along with snakes. As for me, while I do love hippos, my favorite animal is probably the polar bear.

In any event, I'm sure you really want to know who the winner is...

#206 is carriegirl. I'll be in touch to get your address and send you some scrappy goodness.

Check back starting Friday for some Chanukah giveaways!

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Hippos! Birds! Fish! Monkeys!

If you're here for the SMS Giveaway, scroll down or click here.

Michelle brought another giveaway to my attention. 

First Step Photo is offering a $50 gift card for their wall decals through Grosgrain. Vinyl may not be the most environmnetally friendly material, but I think wall decals are probably not the worst thing in the world. And they're cute and fun.  And they even make hippos! And loads of other fun animals and designs.

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