While I’m on a roll with new wearable discoveries, I thought I’d add a link to a FREE pattern and tutorial I found while reading my April, 2013 Martha Stewart Living magazine.
Just click here for a design you can adapt for a dress, tunic, or blouse–long-sleeves or short.
I love the idea of a tunic with a belt!
Happy sewing! ♥
P.S. You still have two more days to enter the Origami Owl blogger locket giveaway! The winner will be announced on Monday. Can’t wait!
I was the amazingly lucky winner of a recent giveaway on the Trixie Lixie blog . . . a beautiful fabric covered journal! I just love it, and it even has a pocket on the inside back cover. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Tracy also sent me one of the new knicker kits she sells in her shop! Just look at this pretty fabric and elastic! I can’t wait to try this project! Following are LOTS of links you can follow to check out Tracy”s creativity from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. Thank you, Tracy! ♥
I recently bought this fun tote pattern from my blogging friend Michelle of Sew Michelle. I can’t wait to make it! Besides the detailed, photo-filled e-book, Michelle includes a unique feature called a “Sewnopsis” at the end of her patterns—a reference tool that has the supply list, cutting instructions, and important steps all on one super-handy page. 
Michelle has other amazing bag patterns as well and has also been kind enough to make some FREE patterns available to us! Click on the “Tutorials” link to find projects such as this “Owl Sweet Treat Holder”—PERFECT for Valentine’s Day!
“I have taught sewing classes for many years and have learned that including detailed instructions with lots of pictures makes it seem like I am right there with you when working on your project. My mission is to ‘Inspire You to Sew’ and I hope you will go and do just that,” shares Michelle. Please check out Michelle’s patterns at Sew Michelle from this post or anytime from my Shop Love! page above. ♥
I now have two more pattern stores on my Shop Love! page!
(1) I can’t WAIT to make this Ailsa Large Market Bag pattern I bought from Susie D Designs! Susie also has patterns for many other tote bags, travel bags, diaper bags, hobo bags, shoulder bags, wallets, iPad and Kindle sleeves, and more, and her customer service is SUPER. Check out Susie’s blog here, her Etsy store here, and her Craftsy patten store here. Thank you, Susie!
(2) I won a pattern for this adorable Charlotte Skirt from Joanne at Stitch and Witter. Joanne’s blogging friends at Stitch Me Softly have recently created By Hand London, and I’m one of the lucky ones who gets to try one of their brand-new designs! Thank you Joanne . . . you’ll be seeing one of these skirts on Pillows A-La-Mode soon! ♥
Last week I put out my first “Shop Love!” post.
I wanted to start promoting our blogging friends’ small businesses.
I’ve done a little more shopping . . .
and I won a giveaway . . .
so today I’d like to highlight four more bloggers and stores.
Once again, each one impressed me with both their BEAUTIFUL products . . .
and their QUALITY customer service.
Here are their contact links!
You can also check them out ANYtime on my new “Shop Love” page above. ♥
(1) The Original Thread: I fell in LOVE with this inspirational 2013 calendar, which is designed by Melanie of The Original Thread blog and sold as a fabric panel in her Spoonflower shop at Madex Designs. She has many other gorgeous fabrics as well!
(2) Terri’s Notebook: I recently won a lovely giveaway from Terri’s Notebook—two pdf patterns. I was going to wait until I made the items to share them . . . but that hasn’t happened yet, so I’ll share what they WILL look like. 
The first pattern is for Stuff Baskets and the second is for a Checkerboard Set, and both are for sale at her Patchwork Trails Etsy Shop. You can also visit Terri’s portfolio here and her paper goods shops here. Terri’s motto is “Explore. Dream. Create.” Don’t you love that? ♥
(3) A Kitschy Kitchen: I’m just starting to make aprons myself, but I know someone on my gift list who will LOVE this one! It’s from Megan of A Kitschy Kitchen: The Life and Studio of an Apronista who sells her creations at her Etsy shop. Notice, too, the adorable fabric gift card holder! Stressing quality as well as beauty, Megan’s motto is “Buy Well, Buy Once.” She also has some other lovely items in her shop, such as embroidery, cocktail napkins, and coasters.
(4) TheHighNoteDotNet: I’ve followed Darilyn’s lovely blog thehighnotedotnet for a long time now and was so excited to receive my first purchase from her Etsy shop, which specializes in vintage music projects. Darilyn even included a little gift . . . a copy of my favorite quote, which I embroidered on a pillow and she offers to all of us for free to make an iron-on transfer. She graciously provides tutorials for her projects as well. And check out her craft room . . . it’s amazing!
I’ve been seeing all sorts of tutorials for tiny weights to use in place of pins when cutting out a pattern. I’d never heard of this before, so it sounded intriguing! Wanting to use items I already had on hand, a quick search yielded just what I needed: two-inch green felt circles left over from a Christmas wreath pillow I made last winter and a stash of pennies I keep around to go with my Pennies book when I do classroom author presentations. To make a pattern weight, I simply held two circles together, handstitched most of the way around the edges with a contrasting color of embroidery floss (all six strands), filled the tiny bag with ten pennies, then finished the last stitch or two and tied off the floss. Easy-peasie! Now, what shall I sew . . . . ♥
