giveaway day, sewing

Spring 2012 Giveaway!

Nicole Markelz

Happy Giveaway Day and welcome to Nicole at Home!

For this giveaway, I’m going to keep it simple (for me, and for you!).  In the past, I have made items to give away, but what I lack in time I make up for in sewing supplies.  Let’s be honest, I have purchased way more patterns and fabric than I can possible use, so why not give some of them away to someone who might have a chance at enjoying them?!  (And, as a bonus, I won’t feel so guilty seeing these unused patterns in my pattern drawer!)

Up for grabs are two Amy Butler handbag patterns, the Madison and the Kimberly.  Opened, pondered, and vaguely planned for, but never actually used.  They are lovely and project-inspiring, no?

In the comments, please give some advice on how you make time for sewing OR some good ideas for sewing with kids.  Or both!  I will give both bag patterns away to a randomly selected someone.  Please make sure there is contact information in your response, or I won’t be able to let you know of your win!

(If you’d like to return to the list of Giveaways, click here)

Unknown's avatar

Published by Nicole Markelz

129 thoughts on “Spring 2012 Giveaway!”

  1. My friend always has a basket of fabric shapes near her design wall and her. 4 year old daughter happily plans out a design while Mama works. Several designs have then been constructed and the pair of them are very proud of their creations

    Like

    Reply

  2. my kids are quite small – I have a 3 year old and a 6month old… the ONLY efficient way to get anything done with my sewing is at night time 😦 I have to say i remember when I was a kid, waking up in the night and hearing my moms sewing machine…….. so I guess its a family thing
    thanks for the giveaway!

    Like

    Reply

  3. Agree with many others – nights and naptimes is the way to go. I use a folding clothes drying rack to hang WIP so they don't get fold marks or get lost in the shuffle.

    Like

    Reply

  5. As a Mum with young children, I think late night sewing is the way to go – small children, sewing machines, rotary cutters & pins are a dangerous combination. I grab sewing time wherever I can. Good luck with making it work for your family. Thanks for the lovely gieaway.

    Like

    Reply

  6. My son is home with me, my daughter is in school. My son is usually busy playing although he comes and will check out what I'm doing and then go back to his 'work'. It doesn't always work out for the best but I do get some time to sew. I find by the time I have both of them in bed at night, I'm too tired to try to make anything. Naptime is a good option for me too!

    Like

    Reply

  7. One of the sewing projects I made with my step-daughter was to have her pick out some cute fabric and then “we” made a heart shaped pillow for her father's birthday. I cut out the shape and sewed the majority of it on my machine and she hand stitched the opening I used to turn it right side out. She loved it and so did her father.

    Like

    Reply

  9. It's hard to make time for sewing but I usually do it on the weekends or when my husband is working from home since we share a home office 🙂

    Like

    Reply

  10. I sew when I can and when the mood strikes! If that means just when I am climbing into bed and I get an idea, I'll go sew! I wear permanent dark circles under my eyes but I enjoy it!! I love Amy Butler fabrics and her patterns are lovely though I have never bought one so would love to win!! Yay!

    Like

    Reply

  11. I force myself to make time. Although I don't have kids, I have tons of household chores that usually take a back seat when I need to get some sewing or quilting projects finished. I usually sew after I get home from work at night at sometimes on weekends at night. Sometimes dirty dishes will stay in the sink for a few days if I can't get to them right away.

    Like

    Reply

  12. Amy Butler's patterns are great to work with – very detailed. I'm not sure this makes time to sew, but I try to end my sewing “session” by looking ahead to the next step and setting everything up so it's ready. That way if I just have a few minutes to sew next time I can jump right in. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Like

    Reply

  15. I usually sew after my daughter goes to bed. My husband gets up with our daughter one day each weekend, so I usually stay up late sewing the night before knowing I get to sleep in the next day.

    Like

    Reply

  16. Making time to sew is difficult, especially if you have a family. I take some time in the evening when everyone has gone to bed to sew. Sometimes it's for an hour, or longer. Just depends on what I am working on. Thanks for the great giveaway.

    Like

    Reply

  18. My son's craft table is in my sewing room so I usually give him a project when I'm wanting to sew. It doesn't hold his attention forever but it buys me a little time here and there.

    Like

    Reply

  20. I have my sewing machine right by my son's easel, so he can color and create while I'm sewing! And I do as much of the prep work as possible at random times so if my husband is watching him, I can just concentrate on the part that requires the machine!

    Like

    Reply

  21. I kinda use sewing as a reward. when I am done with the dishes or laundry I can sew for a certain amount of time. I have a table next to mine where I have the glue fabric on paper or color, just stay near me.

    Like

    Reply

  23. I try to not get too stressed when I don't have time to sew- I know I'll get back to it when I can, so I try not to feel guilty when I can't do it (even though I love it!)

    Like

    Reply

  24. I keep a pile of scraps in a bucket under my sewing table. My girls love to cut out clothes for their dolls! And this is a seriously awesome giveaway, as I've been pondering the Madison bag myself.

    rebekahricker (at) yahoo (dot) com

    Like

    Reply

  25. I have six kiddos – and I sew in 10 minute spurts. What keeps me sane is laying out my next step but not doing it – that way I remember where I was when I come back.

    Like

    Reply

  26. Mine are a little older now – the boy plays outside as much as possible and the girl plugs away at homework. Usually I try to sew in the evenings after the boy is in bed, since I am typically sewing for the daught, she doesn't interrupt me except to see if I am done yet.

    Like

    Reply

  27. Have everything set up. Cut out more than one project while you're cutting. Sew as many seams as possible before you go iron, trim, pin, etc. And wear out the kid so she goes to bed early.
    ljridge4511 (at) gmail (dot) com

    Like

    Reply

  32. I freelance write from home, which makes it very tempting to just sew and not work! So I set a schedule where I work/write from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., sew from 4-6 p.m. and then stop to make dinner. Sometimes, if my sweetie is teaching a night class or busy working, I may sew for another hour or two after dinner.

    tina_crossgrove(at)hotmail(dot)com

    Like

    Reply

  34. I do most of my sewing while my little man is asleep during the day (and give my little miss something crafty to do while I sew!)

    Like

    Reply

  41. I have to take out and set up my sewing machine every time I sew, so it's a bit of a bother. I sew when they're out enjoying the backyard and maybe a popsicle. I set them up with watercolors. Or I sew at night when everyone's asleep and hope I don't wake anyone up.

    Like

    Reply

  43. I travel for work pretty much every week, so when the weekend comes and I'm home, I pretty much hide in my sewing room all weekend!! Or at a quilting class!

    Like

    Reply

  44. Cute patterns. I used to sew when my son was in school and my daughter was napping. Then I sewed on the two days she attended Mother's Day Out. Now school and Mother's Day Out or out for the summer and I don't think I'll be getting much sewing done. Yikes! We even created a playroom in the room next to my sewing room but they still want my attention.

    tammy.westfahl@yahoo.com

    Like

    Reply

  46. Sadly, I have no advice on sewing with kids around. I imagine some kids are happy playing with their toys while mommy plays with hers, but alas not mine. 🙂 Mostly, I sew after they go to bed if I'm still standing! Thanks for the awesome giveaway!

    Like

    Reply

  47. I try to do chores during the week after I get home from work, and get hubby out of the house on the weekends so I can spend as much time on the weekend sewing as i can!
    I absolutely adore Amy Butler patterns, thanks for the chance!

    Like

    Reply

  48. I love Amy Butler bag patterns! I'm fortunate to have a lot of time for sewing, but one tip I use to maximize my sewing time is to plan to have projects I can work on when I have to be away from my sewing machine. If a project needs to be finished by hand, I'll move on to another project when I can be in my sewing room, and finish the first one when I have time away from the machine.

    Like

    Reply

  50. Eu tenho três filhas e elas não me atrapalharam muito,enquanto estavam no quintal eu estava fazendo coisas de mão,enquanto dormiam eu máquina.As meninas,cada uma tem suas próprias colchas,cada uma fez a sua em torno de 9,10 e 12 anos.Obrigada eu adorei esses padrões.tiacarminhapezzuto@gmail.com

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to marci sinfisi Cancel reply