189. Giveaway Winner!

Thanks for playing along in the new BBW: Dresses giveaway! Congratulations to... Corvus! I'm emailing you now for your snail mail address.

Enjoy your day, everyone.

188. Giveaway! Built By Wendy Dresses

I'm telling you: There is no good reason why I keep winning blog giveaways! I enter because the item is something I would appreciate and use and don't have, and I only ever enter when it's easy and fast. But I never expect to win. When I do I feel like I've got to keep the goodness going. That's 2010 for me -- the year of keeping goodness going.

I recently won a giveaway on the sweet blog Carrie Girl. Carrie offered a copy of Cal Patch's Design-It-Yourself Clothes book (which I promise to review after I've made a pattern from it and sewn up the garment), and I WON!!! Immediately I felt I needed to keep the goodness going, so I emailed Carrie herself and asked if she had a recommendation for a hip, hot, new sewing book I could offer as a giveaway item, and she suggested Built By Wendy Dresses: The Sew U Guide to Making a Girl's Best Frock.

I've never seen or read this book, but Wendy Mullins' Sew U was possibly the very first sewing book in my library from my early days learning to sew clothes, and it is really an exceptional sewing book. Which gives me faith that this new one will not disappoint. And you know how I love my dresses! It would make me so happy to see another dress lover win this book!

The book is released for sale tomorrow, so let's end the giveaway and pick a winner tonight at midnight CDT. I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning and hopefully the book will be on its way to the winner, stat.

HOW TO ENTER: Leave a comment describing the dress of your dreams -- the dress you'd make if you had the skills, the fabric, the time, whatever -- and your email address so I can contact you if you win. Good luck!

187. Celebrate The Boy

Well, well, well. I am really expanding my horizons this month! If this encompassed all the sewing blogs out there to some degree (knowing there's overlap and bits of this and bits of that)...

... then my little blog started out in the Fashion/ Apparel, included Refashion in 2008, and then touched on some DIY in 2009. Why not round out the picture by dipping my toe into crafting?

Dana over at MADE was one of the cool bloggers I hung out with at Wardrobe Refashion two years ago, and she is, without a doubt, a blogging phenomenon! Dana is a great designer and photographer and has provided inspiration for countless creative folks around the world. She had this great idea to host a month of making things for boys, who we all know kind of get shortchanged when it comes to sewing, as compared to girls. And she invited me along for the ride. My project and tutorial are going live February 27, so I shall keep you posted.

As much as it feels like my participation in Celebrate the Boy is a craft thing, it seems that Celebrate the Boy will feature projects that fall all over that chart above. Meaning some DIY, some craft, some refashion, and some apparel -- like Dana's first post of the month! These envelope neck tees with contrast ribbing and serging are to die for! Go check them out, and I hope to see you following along this month!