Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Spread the Love Valentine Hop Day 3 (Giveaways too!)

Are you feeling inspired yet? I hope so!


Check out today's tutorials by hopping over to see Courtney from Mon Petit Lyons and her super cute heart pillow case.  Don't forget to enter to win her giveaway too!
source: Mon Petit Lyons

Then pop on over to see Nancy at Owen's Olivia and her adorable lollipop tutorial. She's got a great giveaway for you too!
source: Owen's Olivia
Hope you're feeling the love! Check back tomorrow for more fun!

xo,
Jennifer

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Valentine Blog Hop Day 2 (Giveaways too!)

Today is day 2 of the Spread the Love Valentine Blog Hop.

Lindsey of LR Stitched is bringing you a bright and cheerful fabric chain bunting tutorial
Source: LR Stitched

Pop on over to her blog and check it out then enter to win a beautiful fabric bundle from the shop Lima Sews! 

Source: Canoe Ridge Creations
After that, head over to see Megan of Canoe Ridge Creations' adorable heart block tutorial and enter her giveaway from Knotted Threads! 

Check out all the stops in the hop and enter the giveaways every day this week! 
1/28: 

1/29: 
Blog: LR Stitched - Giveaway: Lima Sews Fabric Shop

1/30: 
Blog: Owen's Olivia - Giveaway: During Quiet Time  

1/31: 

2/1: 

Happy Sewing! 
xo, 
Jennifer

Monday, January 28, 2013

Lined Drawstring Pouch Tutorial & a Giveaway!


Today kicks off the Spread the Love Valentine Blog Hop!

Join me every day this week for 10 festive Valentine tutorials and 10 fun giveaways!

Today I'm starting things off with this simple and stylish drawstring bag.

This little pouch makes me happy. The colors are fun and the heart adds a bit of whimsy without being overly cutesy. Fill it with goodies for your Valentine or make several and keep them on hand for gifts.  The possibilities are endless!

(giveaway details at the end of the post!)

Finished Size: 4" x 6"

Supplies:
(2) pieces of  outer fabric 6.5" x 9"
(2) pieces of lining fabric 6.5" x 9"
1 piece of lining fabric for the heart 3" x 3"
1 piece of Heat-n-Bond Lite 3" x 3"
24" of ribbon
safety pin
iron
thread that coordinates with the lining
quilting ruler, rotary cutter and sewing machine

1. Fuse the Heat-n-Bond Lite to the wrong side of the 3" x 3" square.

2. Cut out a heart shape.

3. Remove the paper backing from the heart and press it onto one piece of the outer fabric about 4.5" inches up from the bottom. Make sure it is centered. Sew around the edges of the heart with a tight zig zag, blanket or straight stitch.

4. Place the 2 pieces of outer fabric, right sides together and sew the three sides from the top right corner all the way to the top left corner. Sew with a 1/2" seam allowance. The top remains open.

Repeat for the lining but leave a 2" gap in the bottom of the lining for turning later. Backstitch at the beginning and end of the opening to secure.

5. Press your side seams flat.

6. To make the flat bottom (gussets) pinch and pull the sides apart to flatten the corner at the seam. Make sure your bottom seam is centered and your seams are flat.

Measure down 1" from the corner point and draw a line that is 2" wide. Sew on that line, backstitching at the beginning and end.

Trim off the corner, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance to the right of the line you just sewed.

Repeat for the other corner of the outer fabric and both corners of the lining fabric.

7. Turn your outer fabric right side facing out. Slide and shimmy the outer fabric into the lining so that the right sides are touching. Line up the seams and pin.

8. Stitch around the top edge with a 1/4" seam allowance. Backstitch at the beginning and end.

9. Pull the outer fabric through the gap in the lining. Poke out the corners with a blunt object (a large knitting needle, the eraser end of a pencil) and then stitch the opening closed in the lining (either by hand or by machine.)

10. Tuck your lining into the outer fabric.  Fold the top edge of the bag over 1" so the lining is facing out. Press and match seams. Starting at the seam, topstitch along the bottom and top edges of the band about 1/8th" seam allowance. Backstitch at the beginning and end.

11. Now, set your machine to a very tight zigzag stitch and sew several anchoring stitches in place over the top and bottom of the seam on the band. Make sure you are sewing over the topstitching you just did.

12. Using your seam ripper, gently remove the stitches along the seam in between the anchoring stitches you sewed in step 11.

13. Place your safety pin near the end of your ribbon and feed it through the casing / band along the top of the bag until you reach the opening. Pull your ribbon through until there are equal ties and make knots at the end of each ribbon.

Ta-da! You did it!

You now have a super cute, super easy drawstring pouch just waiting to be filled.

Enjoy!

If you make one of these, I'd love to see it! Be sure to add it to the Ellison Lane Flickr Group. Be sure to check out my other tutorials too!

And now for the giveaway! The giveaways in this blog hop are all brought to you by small shops.

To enter to win a $25 gift certificate to Papa's Old Shirts Fabric Shop fill out the Rafflecopter form below.  (Check out their selection of solids, charm packs and layer cakes!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Then be sure to head over to see Kristan at Doodle Do Designs for today's other Valentine tutorial and giveaway!

See you tomorrow for day two of the Spread the Love hop!

xo,
Jennifer






Sunday, January 27, 2013

Spread the Love - Valentine Tutorials!

Warm Fuzzies. You know... the way you feel when your sweetie looks at you, your child takes your hand and gives you a hug and a kiss and the way those three magical words sound when spoken by the people you love the most, "I LOVE YOU."

Source: etsy.com via Jennifer Mathis on Pinterest

Valentine's day is the perfect holiday to make something special for those you love. 

Whether you get out the glitter and sparkly hearts or send little notes that say you're special to me, this is the perfect holiday to craft something from the heart. 

Sappy yes but whether it's your husband, your children, your best friend or your family, it's nice to say I love you in an extra special way. 

I've gathered a group of talented friends full of Valentine cheer and ta-da! We present to you the Spread the Love Blog Hop: a week's worth of tutorials and giveaways I know you'll love. 

In addition to the tutorials, there are two giveaways each day from small businesses. Gotta spread some small shop love too! 

Here's the line-up: 

1/28: 

1/29: 
Blog: LR Stitched - Giveaway: Lima Sews Fabric Shop

1/30: 
Blog: Owen's Olivia - Giveaway: During Quiet Time  

1/31: 

2/1: 

So jump right on in, bust out your pink and red, grab some conversation hearts and let's do this! It all starts tomorrow! 

xo, 
Jennifer

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Looking for a Graphic Designer?

Sometimes you just get lucky and when Brandy Fishback offered to help me with graphic design for Sew South, I had no idea how lucky I was!

She's super easy to work with, very talented and full of creativity. Pretty much the perfect mix for a graphic designer.

We put our heads together across the country, exchanged over 100 emails and ended up with a logo, design and stationery package I'm thrilled with.

Friday, January 25, 2013

Woo Hoo! I'm a Pellon Designer!


Spilling the beans today and so excited to announce that I'm a Pellon Project Designer! So excited and honored to be a part of this great team.

You can find my profile in the Pellon Artist section and my first project for them is coming soon- just in time for Valentine's Day!

And speaking of Valentine's Day, be sure to stop by every day next week for the Spread the Love blog hop!  Great tutorials and lots of chances to win fun prizes are coming your way starting Monday.  See you then!

xo,
Jennifer




Tuesday, January 22, 2013

I'm in a Book! (and a giveaway too!)

OK so a while back (more like way over a year ago) I was asked to contribute to an exciting quilting blogger book. And y'all I actually cried when I got the email. That was after I realized it wasn't a joke and they were serious. They wanted me to contribute to a book- ME! Yeah, I'm not gonna lie- it was an awesome honor and still is.

Modern Quilts From the Blogging Universe launched in December and today there's a little blog hop going on among all of us that contributed to the book.

Have you had a chance to peek inside this colorful book of quilty goodness?

Lots and lots of talent inside! (Once again, I'm so honored to have been included!)

Here's my quilt - a modern take on the classic patchwork:


And here's just a sampling of a few others that I love. 



Seriously, the whole book is filled with beautiful quilts, modern designs and tons of inspiration. 

Want to win one? Well, you're in luck because today I'm giving away an eBook of Modern Quilts from the Blogging Universe just for you. 

To enter to win, simply enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Then head on over to Martingale for a full list of bloggers participating in the hop. They're all giving away eBooks too! 


a Rafflecopter giveaway


Good luck and somebody pinch me! 

xo, 
Jennifer


Sunday, January 20, 2013

Sewing Set In Sleeves- How To!

I feel like master of the universe at the moment having just conquered sewing set in sleeves.

All due to this great video from the Sewing Arts Center.

Hmmmm, Where's My Seam Ripper?

So I'm making the Wiksten Tova. Thank goodness for Kerry's Sew Along because this pattern is not for the super-newbie garment sewist. And that would be me.
It's not impossible mind you but there is a learning curve.

Saturday, January 19, 2013

Giveaway Day! Southern Fabric Style

Let's do another giveaway, shall we?

My friends over at Southern Fabric have all sorts of lovelies
 in the shop right now.
Those are just a few of the ones that caught my eye.

Then I was perusing their extensive pattern collection and
 how cute are these?
I hear that AMH Socialite dress looks great on. 
They carry a ton of patterns for clothes, toys, bags, etc.
 It's definitely worth checking out. 

Did you see they have a Deal of the Day too?
Like a surprise sale every day of the week! 

Kate Spain's Good Fortune yardage is on sale right now too - 30% off! 

Now, before you run over there to check out all the good deals for yourself, take a minute to enter the giveaway below. 

Southern Fabric is graciously giving away 3 charm packs! One each of Avalon, Honey Honey and Noteworthy!

Avalon 


Honey Honey



To enter to win, please use the Rafflecopter below! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck and happy weekend!
xo,
Jennifer

Friday, January 18, 2013

Pretty

Pretty, pretty.


I bet it is beautiful from the inside too.

Hope you're day has been a good one.

xo,
Jennifer

Thursday, January 17, 2013

A Magical Circus of Dreams

It captures you and pulls you in- into a world lovely, magical and romantic.  Black and white and gray mingle with things that seem impossible yet capture your imagination and you want to believe.

A circus that arrives without warning and is open only at night - a place full of wonder, mystery and beauty.

This is The Night Circus - Le Cirque des Reves.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Winner Winner!

Congrats Brandy! You're the winner of the gift certificate to Chris W designs!



Thanks to everyone who entered. 
Be sure to visit Chris W Designs and check out all of her great patterns. 

xo, 
Jennifer