Tag: Sew far North

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Top it Off Blog Tour

Here we are! Back for another Winter Wear Designs* Blog tour! One of the events that Suzanne is doing this year is revamping older patterns to include new features-like layers that have become more of an industry standard-and update the covers. With each one, she is having a blog tour! What does that mean for someone like me that already owns every single pattern? I get to sew them up again! Except in this case, I had not made one of the La Croix before, mainly because when it came out, I didn’t think it would be flattering on me. When this tour started, I figured that I would sew one up for Jody, like I usually do since the girl can wear anything and make it look good!

Then, I saw a picture of a shirt on a Facebook post in a fabric group and inspiration hit! After that, I knew it was going to be a shirt for me! As I started debating fabrics, I had to stray a bit away from the recommended fabrics in the pattern to get the look I was going for. I ended up choosing a gorgeous slinky teal sweater knit that I received in my last knit mystery box from Boho Fabrics. Then, I had to make some modifications to the construction….ALWAYS FUN!

First, I didn’t gather the sides, as I needed a flat bottom to attach a band. Yep, I used the band from the Banded Tee * and put a band around the bottom. I cut my band at 8″ rather than the 7″ to make it a bit wider, then I added a couple inches to the width as the La Croix is a bit wider than the Banded tee. I opted for a sleeveless top, that will work under one of the many cardigans that I have or need to make for this summer. I followed the pattern for all the construction, until hemming the bottom, then I added my band, same as I would on the banded tee. I made sure I had enough band to stretch to fit to pull in the bottom for a flowy bottom on my shirt.

*denoted affiliate links. If you use these links to purchase from Winter Wear Designs, I receive a small commission on the order. I only share links to products I have tried and loved, so never fear that I am just trying to sell you something! I do not see any of your personal information.

 

Now…On to the pictures!

 

A HUGE thank you to Simply By Ti Fabrics for sponsoring this blog tour and providing the fabric prize for the blog tour. Speaking of fabric prize…Do you want to win $20 GC from Simply By Ti Fabrics and 2 patterns of choice from WWD???? Be sure to jump over to the Winter Wear Designs Fun group  and enter to win! Be sure to share your creations as well!

 

Happy Sewing!

Check out all the Stops on the Blog Tour:

3/26
Jessica of Jot Designs USA
3/27
3/28
Ilse of Sew Sew Ilse
Patricia of Sew Far North
3/29
Livia of Liviality
Mari of MNW Sews
3/30
Lisa Dawson guest posting at Winter Wear Designs
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Bring on the Blouse (and the self love)!

*Denotes Affiliate link
The ‘Bring on the Blouse Blog Tour’ is a celebration of the Omega* and Classic Shell Patterns*.  These are both patterns designed for woven apparel fabrics and they are divine in rayon blends and other drapey woven fabrications.  So strap in because this week will be filled with inspiration for both patterns.  Don’t own these beauties???  Save 20% and grab the Omega* for just $7.95 this week during the tour.  And get the Classic Shell* for just $5!!!
I have been sewing consistently for quite a few years now, and for myself for the past 3 or 4 years. I started out with simple things like skirts. Mostly things that didn’t need too many alterations to fit okay. Then I started making dresses and tops, not because I planned on wearing them often, but because it was what was being tested by my favorite designers, or they needed a review for a new pattern. I love the designs, they just weren’t practical for my daily life. They were also ill fitting because I didn’t know HOW to tailor them to MY body. They were wearable, cute, and exactly what the pattern told me to make. Where did they end up? They all went to hang in the “handmade” section of my closet. I couldn’t toss or donate because “I made that!” I even moved then from out apartment to our new house, and lovely rehung them in my closet. All the while, knowing that I would likely never wear most of it.
Then, Suzanne and I started talking patterns…A LOT! During these talks, we realized we both had a lot in our closets that just wasn’t practical to our daily lives. This gave me the push to clear out my stuff. It also made my sewing mission this year to sew items that I not only love, but that are tailor fit for me! Enter Winter Wear Designs Wardrobe Essentials Collection! The Classic Shell was one of the first releases in this awesome collection!
It is made for woven apparel fabrics, but I didn’t have any in my gigantic stash of fabrics that was love-so I couldn’t sew one…or could I?!?!
YES! I made a few alterations and made one out of knit! it is so comfortable and I know it will be worn a lot! I used a waffle knit that I received in a mystery box from Sincerely Riley. I added a fun trim to the hem for a little pop.
The only alterations I did to this one were to size down and a narrow shoulder adjustment (directions are in the patterns!). I chose to size down in the knit, just because I knew I would want more negative ease than the woven and that the knit would likely stretch a but while wearing.
On to my other two tops! I made both a woven and a knit Omega. The woven was again from a mystery box from Sincerely Riley. I made it towards the end of last year, but it never got blogged or really shared much, as the holiday season took over! It is a well loved shirt in my rotation of “wear every week” shirts! I didn’t make any alterations to the woven version, but the next ones will have the narrow shoulder adjustment for a more tailored fit.
For the knit, I did a lace overlay on the front yoke, along with a narrow shoulder adjustment. This Art Gallery fabric, that I have been hoarding, was bought from Whimsical fabrics a couple years ago!  After sewing it, I put it on and had these weird “wings” in the armpit area. I ended up turning it right side out and pinning it to fit how I wanted, then took it back to the sewing machine and tool off a triangle of fabric starting at the sleeve seam and tapering down into the side seam. It fits so much better!
So, do you sew a tailored wardrobe or do you just “sew to sew”? I am working hard to make sure that I check my measurements every month (I take new ones for the kids, why not myself?), learning about more personal alterations, learning how I like my clothes to fit, and learning to SEW myself some Self Love. I hope this inspires you to sew clothes that you love and that fit you well, whether you need s FBA/SBA, narrow shoulder adjustment, or just need to lengthen or shorten something to fit YOU!
To kick your sewing off right, Boho Fabrics has teamed up with me to give away an awesome prize bundle.  We’ve got a mystery bundle of fabric from Boho paired up with two sets of the Classic Shell and Omega patterns (one for you and one for a friend – because it is always more fun to share the love!)  This prize is open to everyone!!!!  International entrants will need to pay shipping for fabric.
ENTER HERE
Happy Sewing!
Check out each stop on the tour:
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Cozy Up to Fall with EYMM!

Man! I have been MIA for a while! Life has a funny way of taking over sometimes! But, I think we have settled into our new normal, and it feels so good to get back behind the machines again! If you don’t follow me on Facebook or IG, we moved in September 2016 and added a baby to the mix in January 2017. A preschooler and a newborn (and a teenager) definitely keep me on my toes these days!

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Anywho…on to the SEWING!! Jody has been wearing a Four Seasons Cardigan that I made during a tour a few years ago (or maybe is was during testing??) quite frequently these days. She also recently asked me to make her a few more as the weather here in CA has been chilly in the mornings while she is walking to school, and hot and muggy by the time she walks home! Perfect timing for the EYMM Cozy Up to Fall Blog Tour!

Not only did I make her a new sweater, I made her THREE, and all are out of different fabrics for different looks!

The first is a thin sweater knit I have had sitting in my staff for a while now. I love the look of the stripes, but am really bad at fussy cutting to make them line up (i didn’t do too bad this time around!), so the stripes tend to sit on the shelf until requested by a customer or my daughter! She loves that it is super light so she can wear it under a regular jacket and still look “put together”.

The second one I sewed up is a slinking floral I got in a mystery box from Sincerely Rylee a few months ago. It is so soft! I love the bright color and the larger floral print. This one has a definite 4 way stretch, so Jody loves this one the most! As you can tell by these pictures, she was not thrilled to be modeling. As she is getting older, she really doesn’t want to be in front of the camera as much!

Finally, I decided to step out of the “normal” fabric choices for this pattern and try it in a sweater fleece that I picked up at Joann Fabrics a few years ago. It is cozy and warm, but I think next time, I will made a few adjustments to the arms as she says they are a little tighter than the other two. As soon as I can find it in the boxes (yep, still haven’t unpacked all the sewing stuff yet!), I am going to add lace as a finishing for this one, as the sweater fleece feels like it needs something. She finally gave me a decent shot!

I hope I gave you some ideas on taking a pattern and stepping outside the box to try something new! As an added bonus, I am going to select 1 person from the comments to win a $10 store credit to EYMM! So be sure to leave a comment about your fall sewing!

Make sure to stop by all the amazing stops on the Cozy Up to Fall Tour!! (Keep in mind that the links below won’t work until their scheduled date, but feel free to click through and check out their other blog posts anytime.)

Oct. 3 – Tour Kick-off at EYMM

Oct. 4 – Capture, Craft, and Cook and Boutique Birdie

Oct. 5 – Sprouting JubeJube and EYMM

Oct. 6 – Pretty and Precious and House of Estrela

Oct. 7 – Analog Bytes and Connected By A Thread

Oct. 8 – Adventures With Bubba and Bug and With Love in Every Stitch and Beri Bee Designs

Oct. 9 – Five Blessings and Lulu & Celeste and Creative Counselor

Oct. 10- Tour Roundup on EYMM

During the tour, all featured patterns are on sale (save even more by buying the youth/adult bundles!) … the Four Seasons Cardigan (both women’s and girl’s), the Piko Top (both women’s and girl’s), and the Leggings Bundle (‘Get Moving’ Leggings for women and Jocelyn’s Leggings for girls). Use coupon code FALL17 to save 30% off these 6 patterns and/or 3 bundles in the EYMM shop, but only until 11:59pm on October 11, 2017.

 

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EYMM Capsule skirt

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We love the Capsule skirt in our house! We made a few when the pattern first came out, but as kids do, she has outgrown them! A blog tour was the perfect excuse to make another!

I let the teenager chose the fabric for this one, and as teenagers do, she went bold and bright!

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She loves her new skirt!

A classic, comfortable, and practical knit skirt. This will become a staple in your kiddos wardobe!

Details:

 -additional hemline option for the back piece

-an optional low rise front option

-side seam pocket

-Knit yoga waistband

 19 sizes for girls from newborn to 18 tween, and 15-18” doll

We had fun taking the pictures for this…until she realized there were bees in the tree next to her..then I got this for every picture….

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yeah, pictures outside during spring are always fun with this bee fearing child!

I know we will have a few more of these made up for this summer, especially since she can sew them herself!

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Make sure to check out all the other stops on the EYMM Capsule Skirt Tour.
(Note: The links won’t be live until the day they’re scheduled, but feel free to click through and check out other blog posts any time.)

Wednesday, April 6
Connected by a Thread, Sugarplum Cuties, The Wholesome Mama

Thursday, April 7
Sew Far North, Lulu & Celeste, Pattern Revolution

Friday, April 8
SewSophieLynn, Welcome to our Crazy World, EYMM

Saturday, April 9
handcrafted by RED, Pretty and Precious, Capture, Craft, and Cook

Sunday, April 10
create3.5, Sewing the Seasons, HattieLu Handmade

Monday, April 11
Creative Counselor, Rebel & Malice, Blessed x 5

Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the pattern while it’s on sale!
Use coupon code PERFECTSKIRT to save 25% on the Women’s Capsule Skirt, Girl’s Capsule Skirt, or Capsule Skirt Bundle until April 12 at 11:59pm PST.

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Easter Sewing Tour

We had such a laid back Easter, we stayed in our PJ’s all day! It was nice to have a relaxed holiday, where we didn’t have to be anywhere or do anything on anyone’s schedule but our own! This also meant that  didn’t sew anything for my kids this year! I did sew up a dress for my friend’s little girl though! We went fabric shopping back in January, and I let Miss B pick some fancy fabric for a dress. I waited for the right pattern to come to me and was really getting stuck on what dress to make, as I have been using the bateau from Winter Wear Designs, but knew she already had at least 2 of them!  Then Jessica from Izzy & Ivy posted about her sew a long for the Emory dress! Perfect!


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The pattern is designed for cotton woven, so I had to make a few adjustments like leaving the adorable pockets off the skirt! They are super cute, but wouldnt have looked right with the pattern of the skirt! The second thing I did was line the skirt with the same fabric from the bodice.

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I also did a much narrower hem for the bottom of the skirts, this was more of a personal preference as I don’t like a wider hem on this fabric. The sleeves are a super cute gathered band, and in the satin fabric, I love the way the light bounces off of it! For the back, I needed two buttons. I didn’t have any in my stash that would match this dress, so I opted to make my own covered buttons. they came out so sweet and are the perfect touch to finish this dress!

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A word of advice if you attempt this type of dress, I would take a few inched off the width of the skirt, and put a heavy duty needle in your machine for attaching the skirt to the bodice, I broke 4 needles before it dawned on me to use a heavy duty one!

I have been told that Miss B loves her new dress and even tried to wear it to some Easter festivities on Sat (mom was saving it for Easter Sunday!). I love sewing for her becasue no matter what I make her, she always wants to wear it!

I hope you had a wonderful Easter! Check out what some of my favorite bloggers sewed up for the holiday!

3/28/16: Larissa from Connected By A Thread
3/28/16: Linda from Sew Happily Ever After
3/28/16: Amy from Wally and Grace
3/29/16: Cindy from Cindy Parrett
3/30/16: Ula from Lulu & Celeste
3/30/16: Fenna from FABulous Home Sewn
3/31/16: Courtney from the WHOLESOME mama
4/1/16: Patricia from Sew Far North
4/1/16: Tibeca from Sewing By Ti

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EYMM Frestyle Harems

*Denotes Affiliate links

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I am so excited to be apart of this EYMM blog tour! I will be honest, when I first saw this tour, I was going to pass. Harems are not my style, nor something my kids would wear often. Then it dawned on me! I have a sweet little nephew on the way! These are prefect for diapered bottoms! So, I decided to sew up the  size 0-3 months size.

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When I picked fabrics, I didn’t know if baby would be a boy or a girl yet, so I tried to pick gender neutral prints. I chose to go with knits since I sewed such a tiny size! The zoo print and blue dots are from Whimsical fabrics. I bought some a while back when she had it on clearance. The other two, I got in a fabric swap with a friend. The toothless custom knit, both my kids have items from it, and now my nephew will too!
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These came together really quick, all 4 pair took me about 2 1/2 hours to cut and sew (with distractions).

When it came time to take pictures, I started laying them out and my toddler asked what I was doing. I told him I was making baby pants and asked if I could borrow Kevin (his doll) to model them for me. He let me borrow him, but he was right on the edge of the blanket to make sure nothing happened to his baby (like any good daddy would do!)

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He had to make sure his arm was okay when “Kevin is trying to crawl”

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I guess I need to make Kevin some new pants! He is a 20″ lots o love doll, and I think the newborn size will fit him perfect!

Side note, before you ask, yes, I knit the blanket in the background!

The children’s pattern offers:
3 length options
2 front waistbands
3 hem options
19 children’s sizes, newborn-18 tween.

*BONUS* includes doll pattern that fits most 18″ dolls and can be shortened for 15″ dolls.

The women’s Pattern offers:
2 length options
2 front waistbands
3 hem options
10 women’s sizes, XS-5X

I hope you find someone (or yourself!) to sew some harems for!

Make sure to check out the rest of the Freestyle Harems Blog Tour during the next week. (Note: The links below won’t be live until their scheduled date.)

March 9 – Joelle at EYMM

March 10 – Patricia from Sew Far North

March 11 – Tami from Sew Sophie Lynn

March12 – Kelly from Analog Bytes

March 13 – Lore from Blessed x Five

March 14 – Larissa from Connected by a Thread

March 15 – Aimee from Capture, Craft, and Cook

During the blog tour, you can get the Freestyle Harem Pants on sale! Use code FREESTYLE to save 25% on the women’s* or youth* sizing or on the bundle*, expires at 11:59pm PST on 3/15/2016.

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A Vision To Remember Apron

Before I found A Vision to Remember, I thought that rag quilts were the only option for that sewing. I also thought it could only be done with flannel! Boy was I wrong! I have made a purse and now an apron! I am already thinking about other things I can make..a pillow? towels? doll blankets? Really, the possibilities!

Bobbie asked if she could send me fabric for this project, and she picked a gorgeous line! I love this so much! It was perfect for Valentines day! We had originally planned this tour in February but once we started sewing them,  decided the pattern needed some updating. Bobbi was great and quickly took the advice of the bloggers and made the changes needed to bring the pattern up to date. Now we get to share it with you!

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Isn’t this fabric so pretty??? Something about pink and black together! Once cut, this pattern is so quick to come together! The front is all quilting cottons and the back is a lovely cream flannel.

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The pattern has a line drawing at the end, and I used it to label my fabrics/pieces before hand to ensure I would get the look I was going for!

I’m going to be wrapping this up for a gift, so I opted to only do flat shots and not wash it (in case the recipient has sensitivities or allergies!)

I will be making more of these and playing with this pattern some more! I want to make the toddler an art smock and the teen one for art/science/messy projects!

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I can only imagine how lovely this will look once it is washed!

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Be sure to hit all the stops this week!

3/1: Larissa from Connected by a Thread

3/2: JaNette from Merri Poppins

3/2: Patricia from Sew Far North

3/3: Melissa from Rebel & Malice

3/3: Ula from Lulu & Celeste

3/4: Denita from HattieLu Handmade

3/4: Essence from Amazing Adventures of Bubba and Bug

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Jocole Love Tour

If you have been sewing a while, you are probably familiar with Jocole. I love her patterns! The Derby Jacket was the first pattern I bought (a couple years ago!), during her weekly sale. That was the beginning of the end! I was hooked! Now, I own every pattern of hers, and have made numerous over the years! Now, I get to share some of my favorite bloggers with you this week, and they are sharing some of their favorite Jocole patterns!

Whether you are looking for ladies patterns or girls, there is something for you! I love the Endless dress and add-ons!

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I used lace on the hem of this one!

I used this dress for a tutorial over on Pattern Revolution to replace the buttons with a zipper!

The Yoga A-Line Skirt is a staple for me for summer (I have 4 in my closet right now and plans for more this summer!

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I used scraps to sew the 6 Panel skirt– Twice! Once in Cotton wovens and once with knits!

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I have a pair of skinny’s ready to be sewn this week (maybe I’ll share them at the beginning of next week?)

For now, let me share some previews of the patterns coming up this week!

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Be sure to check out all of the blogs on this tour! Which pattern is your favorite so far?

Feb 8- Larissa from Connected By a Thread

Feb 9- Tibeca from Sewing by Ti

Feb 10- Robin from My Little Lady & Gentleman

Feb 11- Patricia from Sew Far North

Feb 12- Linda from Sew Happily Ever After

Feb 15- Larissa from Connected by a Thread and Essence from Amazing Adventures of Bubba and Bug

Feb 16- Amy from Wally and Grace

Feb 17- Melissa fron Rebel & Malice and Sharon from Sweetpea & Pumpkins

Feb 18- Ula from Lulu & Celeste

Feb 19- Teronia from Crazy Crafty Haute Mama and Cindy from Cindy Parrett.com

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Addy Mae wrap up

Last week, I shared pics of the Addy Mae blankets from the A Vision to Remember blog tour with you. I hope you enjoyed the blankets and the posts all week. Each one was unique in its own way. I love that about sewing- even when you are all using the same pattern, they all come out different!

While everyone else was busy sharing their blankets with you, I was busy at the machine sewing up my own blanket! I am in love with this one! I don’t know if I will list it for sale, gift it as a baby gift, or keep it for myself!

*The fabric and pattern for this quilt were provided to me by Bobbi, the designer behind A Vision to Remember, the opinions and fabric placement are all mine though*

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I love that these blankets are quick to come together! One of the reasons I don’t quilt is that I know that once I got the top made, it would sit there waiting forever for batting and a backing , then the quilting and binding! These, I am sewing them all together at once!

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The downside? my washer and dryer didn’t do a very good job of gathering the lint from the ragging! I think I am going to designate an old towel and some wool dryer balls just for rag quilts!  This one will take another spin this week to get the rag quilt look to come out a bit more!

This pattern has 2 different size blankets, but you can add more rows or columns to it to make any size blanket you want! It also includes measurements and directions on how to make it a car seat blanket/cover.

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Hopefully this past week inspired you to make your own project with this pattern, and this is easily a 2 nap project- cutting takes a while, then making the “cakes” and laying out your pattern. Sewing is quick once you have it together!

Here are the quilts from the tour along with mine:

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Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments and I will pick a random comment to win a free pattern from A Vision to Remember!!

If you want to go back and read the posts from the week, check them out below.

A Vision to Remember Addy Mae is the perfect gift for all those little babies this winter! Be sure to check out the different blankets this week!

Jan 26- Larissa from Connected by a thread

Jan 27- JaNette from Merri Poppins

Jan 28- Patricia from Sew Far North

Jan 29- Essence from Adventures with Bubba and Bug

Jan 30- Jona from Stitches & Spills

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A Vision to Remember Addy Mae Blog Tour

Switching it up this week 🙂 I love everything about A Vision to Remember patterns! I love the simplicity of them, I love the look of her finished items, and I love the designer behind it all!

This week, we are sharing the Addy Mae Quilt pattern/car seat cover. Here are a few from the designers website (I don’t have any little ones in carriers anymore!)

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I love her color combinations

Below, are some teaser from the posts coming this week, and at the end of the week, I will be posting one I am sewing up myself!

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A Vision to Remember Addy Mae is the perfect gift for all those little babies this winter! Be sure to check out the different blankets this week!

Jan 26- Larissa from Connected by a thread

Jan 27- JaNette from Merri Poppins

Jan 28- Patricia from Sew Far North

Jan 29- Essence from Adventures with Bubba and Bug

Jan 30- Jona from Stitches & Spills & Larissa from Connected By a Thread