The Cottage Mama Blog - Sewing. Cooking. Crafting.

May

Summer Sewing for Girls

These are my silly girls. Savannah Rose (6) and Matilda Jane (4.5). The girls are 16 months apart in age and as much as I would love to say they are best friends, I'd say we walk a fine line in this house. Somedays the girls play beautifully together and other days.......well, those are days that are, shall we say, less than beautiful. But they are sisters and I never had a sister, so I'm guess that's what sisters do. They love hard and they fight hard, but in the end love prevails. … continue reading

May

Ruffle Shorts Tutorial

With summer fast approaching, I've been trying to get some things sewn up for my girls to complete their summer wardrobes. Today I'm sharing this easy Ruffle Shorts Tutorial with you all that I think you might want to make for some of the little girlies in your life. I've seen some similar shorts from several boutique clothing brands and, though I've been very tempted to purchase some, I just can't justify spending over $30.00 on one pair of shorts. I knew I could whip some of these up for a fraction of the cost, plus then I could customize the fit for my girls. … continue reading

Apr

The Classic Coat Pattern

I have been meaning to share this Classic Coat Pattern with you all for months. This was a project that I taught in February at The Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion. The Classic Coat can be found in my book, 'Sew Classic Clothes for Girls: 20 Girls' Dresses, Outfits and Accessories from The Cottage Mama' and comes in size 12 months - size 10. … continue reading

Apr

Easter Outfits 2014

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter.........we sure did! I wanted to share some of the Easter outfits the kids wore this year since Easter is one of our favorite holidays for pretty dresses and handsome little men. The picture above are the three kids right outside our church before Easter Mass. They are just so goofy these days. I told my husband that all I got were crazy pictures of the three kids together this year and he informed me that we are in a crazy season of life with these three and they ARE crazy when the three of them are together. But they sure do … continue reading

Apr

The Big News I’ve Been Dying to Share………

Yay! I'm so glad to FINALLY be able to share this news with you all. We are happy to announce that we are expecting Baby #4 in October 2014! We are just so thrilled to welcome another little one into our family and seriously, I have had such a hard time keeping this one a secret. … continue reading

Apr

This and That……Plus Winners!!

I just wanted to check in here on the blog and say that I haven't forgotten about blogging........I promise. I just haven't had much to blog about lately and rather than forcing a creative post, I'm just trying to go with the flow. The kids are keeping me quite busy these days with school and spring break, then I was traveling and so on.......you know how life goes, right? I think I'll have some projects to share with you in a couple weeks, but for now I'm taking some time to spruce up my house for Spring and Easter (see left picture above). I've got a laundry … continue reading

Mar

Crafter’s Vision Batik Set Giveaway

I'm really excited about today's giveaway! Why? Because our lovely blog sponsor, Crafter's Vision is giving away an amazing bundle of Batik's that I think is going to make one of you quilters very happy. … continue reading

Mar

Embroidered Aromatherapy Heat Bag Tutorial

I love being home.......I'd definitely say that I'm a homebody type of person. I just love our house because it's so warm and cozy and actually it's not a house, it's a home. Sometimes when you've had a tough day, you just need something warm and comforting to make you feel better. Today I'm participating in Susan from Living with Punks 'Home Sewn' series sharing an Embroidered Aromatherapy Heat Bag. This was a project I worked on for Baby Lock Sewing and Embroidery Machines a year or so ago and I'm excited to bring it back here to The Cottage Mama. … continue reading

Mar

The Party Dress Free Pattern: Re-release!

Today I'm excited to announce the re-release of the popular FREE Party Dress Pattern here on The Cottage Mama! I have been busy working on lots of different projects (probably why the blog has been a little quiet lately), one of which is updating this free pattern. … continue reading

Mar

Newsletter Subscriber Fat Quarter Bundle Giveaway

Today I wanted to announce that we will finally be launching The Cottage Mama Newsletter tomorrow!! And in celebration of this I wanted to offer a newsletter subscriber exclusive giveaway to you all. I am offering this gorgeous Fat Quarter Bundle from Riley Blake Designs called 'Lazy Days' by Lori Whitlock. This line is bright, colorful, whimsical and perfect to get us into the spring spirit. This bundle contains 21 fat quarters and is perfect for quilting, home decor projects and more! … continue reading