East Meets West Quilts – Book Review and Giveaway

 

east meets west quilt book

I love improv quilting and when I saw Patricia Belyea’s new book, East Meets West Quilts, I was intrigued. I couldn’t stop looking at the colors of the fabrics, the quilting, and the binding. I know binding isn’t usually something I get excited about but I really loved how Patricia showed the purpose and beauty of a faced binding. I really want to try that technique out and that says a lot because I don’t hand bind very often.

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MS episode 040:: Art Gallery Designers chat about their new fabric lines

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www.audibletrial.com/modernsewciety

Home – Art Gallery Fabrics

http://leahduncan.com

https://sharon-holland.squarespace.com

http://www.goinghometoroost.com (Bonnie Christine)

http://imagingermonkey.blogspot.com (Katy Jones)

http://www.maureencracknellhandmade.blogspot.com

::GIVEAWAY DETAILS::

Please listen to episode 040 of the podcast to get answers to enter the giveaway below. You don’t have to have exact answers but if you listen you will get an answer. 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review:: The Unofficial Downton Abbey Sews & a giveaway

The Unofficial Downton Abbey Sews - magazine cover artWe all know how much I love Downton Abbey! I am on pins and needles waiting for the new season to air but that isn’t until January for us in the States. So to ease the pain, Interweave has a new publication out that is all about Downton Abbey, The Unofficial Downton Abbey Sews magazine. It is full of everything Downton and there are some great projects to make in the magazine. I really want the cover dress to wear around and pretend I am Lady Mary or something. You know while the Staff cleans my mansion and makes me lunch. Oh wait that won’t happen as much as I want to pretend. 🙂

The folks over at Andover have the awesome Downton Abbey fabric collection as well and it is featured in the magazine. There is a great table runner pattern in the book with the Andover fabrics so I thought why not just have a giveaway to get you started on that project.

Magazine Details:

The Unofficial Downton Abbey Sews Magazine

From the Editors of Stitch Magazine

Interweave/F+W; $14.99

GIVEAWAY::

One copy of The Unofficial Downton Abbey Sews Magazine AND a bundle of Downton Abbey fabric from Andover Fabrics to help you make some of the projects in the magazine.

US residents only

3 winners will be chosen!!!

the giveaway runs from July 17th to July 24th at midnight. Winner will be emailed the 25th and announced on this post.

To enter:: Who is your favorite Downton Abbey Character and why?

Note: Interweave sent me a review copy of The Unofficial Downton Abbey Sews magazine to review. All opinions are mine.

GIVEAWAY:: Alison Glass field day fat quarter bundle UPDATED

Welcome everyone visiting from Ellison Lane. So happy you stopped in to visit.  I hope while you are here you will take a look around and also check out the podcast tab at the top. I have had some fun people in the industry on to chat so please take a minute to check some episodes out.

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 The awesome people at Andover offered to giveaway a fat quarter bundle of Alison Glass‘ new fabric line Field Day to celebrate Patchwork Summer Series. Yea!

I love Alison and I really love how she does color. I am so excited about how she has really made batiks modern and florals so vibrant. The girl knows some color and she is not scared to use it in her fabric lines at all which makes me smile.

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To enter just leave me a comment letting me know what you would make if you won! easy peasy lemon squeeze. ends on 6.15.14 at midnight.

Thanks so much for stopping by and look for Alison on the podcast in an upcoming episode where we will chat about her inspiration behind field day.

And the WINNER is:: AnnMarie from Run and Sew Quilts!

ModSew:: Washi Dress in Girl Charlee Knit fabric

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I have been wanting to make a Washi dress for so long but then again I wanted to make all of the Made By Rae dresses. I couldn’t make up my mind which one I really wanted to make first so when I chatted with Rae on the podcast I asked which one would she suggest. She said let me send them to you and make them all. I was so excited. I couldn’t decide still which one I like the most. I have been chatting with Girl Charlee about coming on the podcast and they said let us send you something to make something with. Well that was just the perfect excuse to go ahead and try making the washi in knit.

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I liked this blue with mint green triangle arrows print. I knew it would be something I would wear a lot. I got about 3 yards for a size medium and I could have gotten away with about 2 1/2 or less as I wasn’t super careful about not wasting fabric when cutting it out. I actually cut it out and made it all in one morning… as in started at 8 and had to leave to go on a date with my husband at 11. I wanted to wear it so I knew I had to get it finished. I have done things with elastic thread before and knit so I wasn’t too worried. Although my elastic thread was acting up that day and I think I am going to have to redo a couple of rows.

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I cut a medium and added a facing in the neck. I think next time I will do a fully lined bodice with the knit as I think it will be easier to work with and wear that way. Rae has a full bodice lining tutorial on her blog that you can check out (but you would omit the sleeves if you want it sleeveless like mine). The facing wants to ride a little as it is now. I didn’t finished the arms for 1) I ran out of time and 2) it is knit so it won’t fray and I am the only one the really notices. I also didn’t hem it, again, it is knit and I am the only one who noticed and I ran out of time. A note about me is I don’t let those little things get to me and stress out about them because then I don’t get things done. I really just try to make things that make me happy and that I love.

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I wore the dress on our date and my husband loved it. His only criticism was it makes you look bigger than you are. I wore it that day because I didn’t have time to fix anything. I wanted to wear it and see what I thought I needed to do. I washed it and today I just took it in a little from the top of the underarm seam to the pocket top, angling a little so it didn’t look too forced. I put it on and I love it even more now. Will that method work for everyone? Probably not but it worked for me and I am sure it has something to do with it being made with knit.

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I really love it. I love how comfortable it is and how easy it was to make. I am not super new to garnet sewing, knits, and making things at the last minute but I think this is a great dress to make in knit. I think you can make one too. Girl Charlee knits are so easy to work with and are good quality knits. Wanna know something? I didn’t have my ball point needle in my machine that had my walking foot but that is the one I was standing by when I got the dress out of the dryer this morning – I sewed on it anyways. I think sometimes just trying and if you fail then you learn but sometimes trying gets you to where you want to go. I have a dress I dearly love and will make many, many more of!

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I really love that Girl Charlee is an easy place to find great quality knits easily AND they have awesome customer service. I love working with them and I have bought knits from them before and made things so even though they sent me the fabric to make this dress I am still a customer. I love knit fabric for many reasons but the most important is how comfortable it is to wear any time of the year. Oh and the not having to worry about raveling of seams is really nice too!

Wanna make one too??? You are in luck! Made by Rae is giving away a Washi Dress pattern and Girl Charlee is giving away a $20 gift certificate for you to buy the material to make one of your own!

Leave a comment letting me know what Girl Charlee fabric you will use to make your Washi!!!!

Extra (optional) Entry:: Share this on social media (tweet, Facebook, pinterest, instagram, etc). Please put each share in a separate comment

Also if you are a no reply blogger then make sure to leave your email in the comment so I can contact you if you win!

Giveaway ends:: Saturday June 21, 2014 at midnight.