Archives for June 2012

29
Jun

The Cottage Mama Custom Fat Quarter Bundle ~ Blogger’s Choice

I just wanted to share something kind of cool with you.  I was recently selected by Fat Quarter Shop to put together a ‘Blogger’s Choice‘ Fat Quarter Bundle for them for the month of September.  I was supposed to choose 12 prints and 3 solids from any fabric lines to create a custom bundle that will be sold in their shop.  Talk about a tough decision narrowing it down from all the gorgeous prints that are available. There were tons of different directions I could have gone.

Want to see my bundle?
Custom Fat Quarter Bundle by Lindsay Wilkes from The Cottage Mama
for Fat Quarter Shop

Do you like it?  I hope so!  I went with some deeper tones since this bundle will be available in September.  There are several different lines included, most of which have yet to be released. Some Amy Butler, Tula Pink, Denyse Schmidt, Art Gallery Fabrics, Riley Blake….lots of my favorites.  Pairing fabrics is one of my absolute favorite things about the design process so be able to put this bundle together was a complete joy.

I will let you know when all the fabrics are in-stock and the bundle is available for sale or you can sign up on the Fat Quarter Shop website to be notified when it is ready. They will be sending me my own bundle that I picked out.  I’m thinking I need to do a quilt out of this selection.  

What do you think?  What would you make with this bundle?

Click HERE to check out the exact fabrics included in the bundle and click HERE to see all the ‘Blogger’s Choice‘ Bundles.  I’m in some very good company.

28
Jun

The Cottage Mama Sewing Pattern Blog Tour ~ Wrap Up!

Our Sewing Patterns Blog Tour has finally come to an end.  I have had so much fun seeing the amazing looks these these creative, talented women have come up with using my pattern designs.  I think it is so inspring to see how the same pattern can be made into different looks depending on the fabric selection, use of trims and slight alteration of the design.  These women all did an amazing job and I can’t thank them enough for joining us on this tour!

I know it can be a little scary coming up with your own pattern design, but I believe a great gateway into pattern design can be taking pre-existing patterns and making them your own.  Once you’ve mastered that skill, you will feel more comfortable starting to draft your very own patterns.  So, I encourage you to take your favorite sewing pattern and make it your own…….I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the creativity that is within all of us.  It’s in there, trust me, you just need to start thinking outside the box.

Here is a little recap of some of the looks we’ve seen over the last several weeks……..

Charlotte Apron Dress
SIZE 6 MONTHS – 8 YEARS
Run Around Romper
SIZE 6 MONTHS – 6 YEARS
Ruby Ruffle Dress
SIZE 6 MONTHS – 10 YEARS
All of The Cottage Mama Sewing Patterns can be purchased through our website: www.thecottagemama.com.  
All Sewing Pattern Blog Tour posts can be found HERE.
Again, I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to share these beautiful creations with you all and I hope you have enjoyed this tour as well.  I’ve got some really fun things to share with you coming up and I’m looking forward to getting back on the blog myself with some new FREE patterns, tutorials and handmade business posts.  Thanks so much for reading!
27
Jun

Sewing Patterns Blog Tour: Susan from Living with Punks

Today is the final stop on the Sewing Patterns Blog Tour!  We’ve rounded out this group of incredibly talented women with Susan from Living with Punks.  If you’ve never been over to Susan’s blog before, you really should.  She has some of my most favorite tutorials in all of sewing and crafting blog-land.  We both share a love of bright patterned fabrics and I’m so excited for you to see the Ruby Ruffle Dress that she created……..

Head over to Living with Punks to see more pictures of Susan’s Ruby Ruffle Dress and enter to win your own copy of this pattern.

Click HERE to enter to win!
This concludes our Sewing Patterns blog tour.  I’ll be back tomorrow with a recap of all these amazing looks and then we will return to our regularly scheduled program (whatever that may be).
Have a great day!!
26
Jun

Sewing Patterns Blog Tour ~ Shannon from Luvinthemommyhood

Today’s stop on the tour is one that is very special to me.  I credit Shannon from Luvinthemommyhood for putting The Cottage Home on the map in the blogging world.  Shannon featured me on her blog in the very beginning of this journey and I will never forget what she has done for me.  And what’s even better is that she has truly become a friend.  Though she lives in Canada and I live in Chicago, we actually have phone chats and its such a blessing have someone who can totally relate to my world to talk, email and support each other through this time in our lives.

Ok, enough of the sappy stuff.  Shannon selected the Ruby Ruffle Dress pattern to sew for her darling little lady.  Here is what Shannon created……..

Head over to Luvinthemommyhood to check out more pictures of Shannon’s creation and enter to win your very own copy of of this pattern.

Click HERE to enter to win!
25
Jun

Sewing Patterns Blog Tour ~ Amy {and Mama Reita} from Positively Splendid

It’s the final week of the Sewing Patterns Blog Tour and we’ve got three more guests to round out the tour.  Today’s guest is someone very special……..it’s actually a blogger’s mama! Amy (from Positively Splendid) and I started blogging around the same time and have become blogging buddies through our emails. I absolutely adore her blog, crafts, DIY home decor and writing style.  But I equally adore Amy’s mom, Mama Reita’s, sewing style.

Mama Reita follows The Cottage Home blog and she purchased one of my first sewing patterns (thanks Mama Reita!). I had seen several of her amazing creations over on Amy’s blog and was blown away by her talent and attention to detail.  So I decided to invite Mama Reita to share her version of the Charlotte Apron Dress with you all today.

Here is what Mama Reita created for her beautiful granddaughter………

Thank you so much for joining the tour, Mama Reita, your work is total perfection!  I feel like you and Amy have a very similar relationship to the one I have with my mom.  And let me tell you, I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without everything I’ve learned from my amazing mama (aka Grandma Jane) and I bet Amy feels the same way about you.  Yay for amazing, creative, supportive and inspiring moms!

To view more pictures of Mama Reita’s creation and to enter to win your very own copy of this pattern, please visit Positively Splendid.

Click HERE to enter to win!
22
Jun

The Cottage Mama ~ BIG News!!

Do you see what it says in that picture right above my name?  

It’s the big news I’ve been wanting to share with you all ~ I’m officially an author!
I’ve just signed a contract with a major publishing company for a book that will be released in October 2013.  I know it seems way off, but my manuscript is actually due by the beginning of this coming January 2013.  So what does that mean?  It means I’m going to be one busy lady over the next six months.
Now I wish I could tell you all the details about the book, but I think we are going to save some of that until we get closer to the book release date.  What I can tell you is that it is a sewing related book and it will be filled with incredible photography and lots of inspiring ideas.
It has always been a dream of mine to write a book, it’s just hard to believe that I am at this point only 2.5 years after starting The Cottage Mama.  It’s kind of surreal, really.  The fact that someone wants me to write a book and publish it is so incredibly flattering, to say the least.  I woke up the other morning and totally forgot that I am writing a book…….like it was a dream or something.  But apparently I am writing a book and I better not forget it because I’ve only got six months to get it written!
I have always believed in dreaming big.  It’s just quite amazing when those dreams turn into reality.
As cheesy as it may sound…….dreams really do come true……that, I know.
21
Jun

Sewing Patterns Blog Tour ~ Destri from The Mother Huddle

And to complete the tour for this week we have Destri from The Mother Huddle.  I just about stopped in my tracks when I saw the pictures from her Ruby Ruffle Dress creation.  I don’t know why I never thought to use different fabrics for each of the ruffles down the front, but she did and it looks adorable!  Learn something new everyday, right?  I love that she used a white background for the center panel to make the ruffles pop.  SO pretty!

Here is a little preview of Destri’s creation:

Please pop over and visit The Mother Huddle for more gorgeous pictures of this dress and enter to win your very own copy of the pattern!

Click HERE to enter to win!
21
Jun

Sewing Patterns Blog Tour ~ Bev from Flamingo Toes

Next stop on the tour……..Bev from Flamingo Toes!  Bev was so sweet to agree to be on the tour even though she doesn’t have any little ladies to sew for now (just teenagers).  But she does, however, have little nieces!  Bev selected the Charlotte Apron Dress and created two looks for two of her little nieces.  I was so excited to see that she had done some hand embroidery on the aprons of these dresses as that was something I had envision when designing this pattern.  She used her own original embroidery design of a sweet little bicycle with a basket of flowers (free pattern on her blog).  Ahhhhhh……total perfection!

Here are Bev’s creations:

Please head over to Flamingo Toes to view more pictures of these adorable dresses and enter to win your very own The Cottage Mama Sewing Pattern.  You can also download her FREE Bicycle Embroidery Pattern!

Click HERE to enter!
20
Jun

Sewing Patterns Blog Tour ~ Andrea from The Train To Crazy

Today we have a new guest this season on the sewing patterns blog tour ~ Andrea from The Train To Crazy.  Don’t you just love the name of her blog?  Too cute!  If you haven’t been over to her blog, hop on over and check out some of her wonderful tutorials.  Andrea chose to sew up the Ruby Ruffle Dress and here’s what she created………

I love the contrast between the blue and the pink!  These colors looks so beautiful on her little lady.  Head over to The Train To Crazy to view more pictures of this adorable creation and enter to win your very own copy of the Ruby Ruffle Dress Pattern!

Click HERE to enter to win!
19
Jun

Free Tutorials Coming Soon ~ Vest, Shirt and Dress

Summer is in full swing over here and life has just gotten so busy, but I wanted to let you know about three new free tutorials that will be showing up on the blog towards the end of June, beginning of July.  You will find things like how to draft your own patterns and create a vest for little boys and a create and grade a little man shirt.  As well as a free PDF pattern for the Little Line Dress.

Dapper Vest for Boys
I will be showing you how to create your own pattern from clothing you already own.  I will also be sharing some of the tools I use in drafting patterns.  It’s a lot easier than you think!
The Little Man Shirt
This will be another tutorial where I share with you a little bit more about drafting your own patterns.  I may offer the printed pattern in one specific size and help you to grade it up or down.  Or we may construct a pattern using clothing that you already own.  Not entirely sure yet…..
Little Linen Dress
Yes, I promised you this pattern and don’t worry, I have not forgotten……it’s coming soon!
Check back in a couple weeks and I will get the ball rolling on these!
So, what do you think…….excited?  I hope so!