Simple Sewing Book Review and Giveaway!

Today I am so excited to share with you a book by Katie Lewis, Simple Sewing: 30 Fast & Easy Projects for Beginners. You may also know her from her lovely blog, The Red Kitchen. She wrote a book! How fun is that!! And a darn tootin' pretty good book if I do say so myself.

This book is absolutely perfect for the beginning sewist. I so wish she had written it when I started sewing 4 years ago. And even though I am no where near a beginner I really think this book is pretty great. I love the sheer volume of fun and quick projects she put together. Accessories, Baby, Toys...the list goes on, as you can see from the picture above! And I'll have you know that every project has full color, step-by-step instructions AND 90% of the projects in the book require less than one yard of fabric!

I actually used her Reversible Bib project to make a baby gift for a friend's friend's baby shower (haha, did you get that?) It was the easiest bib I've ever made, using 2 different cotton fabrics to make it reversible...and good for a gender neutral baby shower gift...and a set of snaps instead of the velcro! 

Totally adorable, right?

I paired it with some of the burp cloths I sell in my shop...

And packaged it up all pretty along with a few other fun gifts and sent it on it's way to it's new happy home!

If you'd like to make your own Reversible Baby Bib or any of Katie's other fast and fabulous projects than you will want to enter the giveaway below to win a copy for yourself!

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You can see more of the book tour over at Kojo-Designs and Ruffles and Stuff.

And you can buy a copy of the book for you or some friends at these retailers:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

XOXO,

The Knitted Slipper Book: Review and Giveaway

Today I wanted to share a fun book, The Knitted Slipper Book by Katie Startzman, with y'all! I know the countdown to Christmas has begun and for those of you that are planning on making your Christmas gifts I thought this book would be a good one to get as there are a ton of slipper patterns in it that would make perfect Christmas pressies! Or maybe you want to add this to your Christmas wish list!  Either way, let me tell you about this neat knitting book :-)

In the first section of the book shares, Katie shares ways to choose your yarn, teaches you how to felt, and shows you how to sole and line your slippers...so everything you need to know about how to make these warm and cozy beauties is all in one book, hooray for that!

I really loved the Inside-Out Slipper socks...how warm and cozy would those be for my kids! I love the addition of a suede sole for non-slip running around the house. These definitely are on my Handmade Christmas list :-)

I also fell in love with these Cotton Loafers...eeek! are they not the cutest knitted shoe you ever did see?! I have a thing for colorful loafers and now I can make a pair with my knitting needles!

And in case you are in need of a new baby gift, this book has a few sweet little baby booties. The ones above are made in the garter stitch...so easy and simple, you gotta love that!

So now that I've tempted you with pictures of lovely knitted things, how about we giveaway ONE book to ONE of you!!

You can enter via the rafflecopter widget below or CLICK HERE!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!!

XOXO,

BOOK REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: Mason Jar Crafts

Today I'm sharing a review of this lovely book, Mason Jar Crafts by Lauren Elise Donaldson. If you love mason jars as much as I do, you will love this book! It is chock full of clever ideas on how to craft with mason jars, with 30 fun projects and over 150 step-by-step photos.

The book is full of really, really pretty and colorful photographs, seriously so much eye candy! And the crafts are not too difficult, I would say any level of crafter would love this book and even the most beginner crafter would be able to make many of the projects. I also really like that most of the crafts use materials that most any crafter would have at home.


A lot of the projects could be accomplished in a few hours time and would work great as home decor, wedding or bridal/baby shower decor, and even gifts. Hello, Christmas is right around the corner!

If you are interested in winning your very own copy of this book, click here now, or enter via the Rafflecopter link below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

XOXO,

TUTORIAL: How to Make Water Fireworks PLUS Martha Stewart's Favorite Crafts for Kids Book Review and Giveaway

**This giveaway has ended.  See below for the winner.**

I was contacted at the beginning of summer to see if I'd like to review the new book, Martha Stewart's Favorite Crafts for Kids, and as y'all know of my love for a.) my kids b.) Martha Stewart and c.) crafting well of course I was all, 'heck ya, baby! We are always on the look out for some fun crafting ideas this summer' :-)

I gotta tell ya that I really love this book.  It is right up my alley and just perfect if you happen to have children...grandchildren...maybe teach children...or even babysit children! Hello! It's the perfect summer accessory! 

Check out how thick this book is! It really is an amazing collection of creative and educational crafts that parents as well as kids will love to do. The book focuses on children ages 3-12 and, depending on the craft project, adults may want to help the younger age set with some of them.

The book is full color with detailed photograph instructions.  There is also a photo glossary of items needed to make a well-stocked craft shelf and even a section on basic craft skills (how to make a simple running stitch, etc).

I mean, how fun are these craft projects?!?

I have been dying to get some fun duck tape and now I have the perfect reason to go hog wild in that section on my next trip to my local craft store, yee-haw!

The Water Fireworks project caught my kids' eye when we first flipped through the book so naturally it became our first crafty project!

It is a really neat science experiment and so fun to watch.
Let's make some fireworks, shall we?

Water Fireworks
Supplies
1 tbsp cooking oil (vegetable, canola, olive, etc)
1 clear, glass jar
water to fill jar
liquid food coloring
fork
small bowls

First place one tablespoon of oil to a small bowl.  Then add a few drops of food coloring and mix it into the oil with a fork.  It'll look like the picture above on the right!

Then pour the oil/food coloring mixture into the jar of water and watch as streams of food coloring fall into the water. Neat, huh?

The reason this works is because food coloring is water-soluble meaning it cannot dissolve in oil, only water.  When you first pour the mixture into the water, the food coloring is trapped in the oil.  Eventually it will sink once it makes contact with the water and dissolves.

I love when crafting and science meet!

If you want to see some more projects from Martha Stewart's Crafts with Kids video collection click here.

Ok, so you wanna win this book and some other fun surprises from the Martha Stewart Crafts collection? I thought you might!

Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below of just CLICK HERE now!

**The winner is...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

XOXO,

** I have been compensated for this post. However, all opinions are truthful and my own.  This post contains paid links.

Book Review: Knits for Dolls and a Book Giveaway!

**This giveaway has closed.  Please see below for the winner!**

Hi friends! Today I am part of a blog book tour for the new book, Knits for Dolls by Nicky Epstein.  If you knit and you happen to know anyone who has a love for 18-inch dolls (ahem, like say an American Girl doll!) then you will love this book! It is chock full of really cute outfits and accessories to dress them up from head to toe.

This book has some seriously cute outfits...I mean, c'mon!  Look at this!  Can I get a knit pattern of this dress and hat in my size???

Gah!  And check out these teeny little socks!

Ok, so I think I am partial to the winter outfits.  Check this one out...how sweet is that! 

This book not only has 25 knit outfit patterns but it also has lots of accessory patterns too so you can really doll up your doll!  I think most of the patterns are easy to moderate in difficulty and I would dare say that even a beginner knitter would be able to get the majority of them done especially with the help of the Glossary and Techniques section in the back. 

So are you ready to win a copy of this fabulous book?

Enter to win via the Rafflecopter widget below or by CLICKING HERE now!

**The winner is...

PS. Here is a list of the rest of the stops on the Knits for Dolls blog tour if you want to follow along!

July 1

Toys In the Dryer

House of 34

July 2

Katie's Red Umbrella

Crafting A Green World

July 3

Karen Mom Of Three's Craft Blog

Doll Diaries

July 4

Smashed Peas and Carrots

On The Laundry Line

July5

The Doll Wardrobe

Untrained Housewife

July 6

American Girl Fan

July 7 

Stitch and Unwind 

XOXO,

** I have been compensated for this post. However, all opinions are truthful and my own.  This post contains paid links.

BOOK REVIEW and GIVEAWAY: Terrariums Reimagined

**This Giveaway has now closed.  See below for winner**

So not too long ago I received the coolest book called, Terrariums Reimagined by Kat Geiger.  And as you can imagine it's all about TERRARIUMS! Since I am just a little bit (ahem, a lot!) in love with terrariums these days...ummm, have you seen my Instgram feed lately?...I was super excited to dive into this book and learn about my new favorite way to not kill plants!

This book is a full-color craft book that show you how to make AND maintain 24 different plant environments in pretty cool containers to boot. As I am learning, one of the best parts of planting a terrarium is that they make the most unique decor pieces and really speak of your personality. 

This book has so much good info to offer.  I had no clue there were so many different kinds of terrariums! Each type has a chapter devoted to it along with planting instructions and project ideas for making your own.

And I've got to tell you that the pictures in this book are outstanding.  The vessels that Kat Geiger chose to create these terrariums are so, so lovely. They are like pieces of artwork.  And they really help you think outside the box for what kind of vessels you may want to use to create your own terrariums.

How cool would it be to make an Edible Mushroom Case?  Umm, I had NO clue this was even a possibility before reading this book!

All that to say...two thumbs up...4 stars...I love this book!  And if you are remotely interested in making your own terrariums for you or a friend (hey, they make fabulous gifts) you NEED to get this book!

Soooo, how about a giveaway to get you even more excited to get creating in the world of terrariums?
I thought you might like that!

To enter, just click here, or enter via the rafflecopter widget below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

**The winner is...

XOXO,

** I have been compensated for this post. However, all opinions are truthful and my own.  
This post may contain paid links.

BOOK REVIEW: Sew Pretty T-Shirt Dresses

Today I'm part of a book tour for a new book called Sew Pretty T-Shirt Dresses by Sweet Seams.  It is a really great book to have on hand if you sew as it's filled with more than 25 easy, pattern-free designs for dresses that use a simple t-shirt or tank top to create them! The dresses inside this book fit the size range of 2T-8 years old which makes it a good book to own as you'll get a lot of use out of it you happen to have or know of a little girl!

There are so many cute dresses in this book, some are super easy and will take you 30 minutes to finish and others you'll need to put in a little more time, but none of them are at all overly-complicated.  This book is perfect for a beginner sewer! For this review, I decided to try my hand at the Bubble Tee dress.  It has a partial t-shirt/tank top for the bodice and then a simple sewn bubble skirt is attached to make it nice and bouncy and perfect for twirling.

The directions are really easy to follow and from cutting my fabric to giving it to Penny to wear it probably took me 30-45 minutes total to finish!  Gotta love a fast project that looks cute too!

Here is my version on little Miss Penny. 

The verdict?   She loves it!

I bought an inexpensive t-shirt at Walmart, although up-cycling a stained or outgrown t-shirt would work well too! And then I used some of my Heather Bailey stash to create the bubble skirt.  This dress is perfect for our Spring...well, soon to be Summer weather.  It's nice and light and airy!

And like I said, perfect for twirling!

In case you want to catch more of the Book Tour where you can read more reviews, see more finished projects and enter some great giveaways for the Sew Pretty T-Shirt Dresses book here is a list of all the stops:

May 5  

The New York Mom

Nouveau Stitch  

Just Pure Lovely

The Crafty Princess Diaries  

May 6

Craft Knife

Stitched by Crystal    

BlogHer DIY

May 7

Prudent Baby

House of 34

May 8

Smashed Peas and Carrots

Simply Modern Mom

May 9

Marsha’s Spot

Sew Spoiled

Maya Made  

May 10

Dollar Store Crafts

Only From Scratch

May 11

A Few Shortcuts

Wild Olive  

Positively Splendid  

May 12

On the Laundry Line   

Elegance and Elephants

May 13

Luvinthemommyhood

My Little Gems  

XOXO,

** I have been compensated for this post. However, all opinions are truthful and my own.