Subscribe to Our Feed!Okay. That’s not entirely true. I can sew. I’ve made a few pretty awesome things in my day. Like that outfit I made for the first day of my senior year of high school with the butterfly skirt and the matching shirt? Funny story about that: while sewing the skirt, I sewed the bottom together like a big, big pillowcase. My grandmother found this hilarious. I, however, did not. (I should scan pictures of the completed outfit, no?)
And, really, I am about to “sew” something for LittleBrother. But it’s not all that complex. I got some fabric scraps from The Goodmama to match a few of our favorite diapers. (Electolyte! Mint Chocolate Zoo! Red & Blue Stripe! Cherry Rickey! Mmm!) I’ll be cutting the scraps into shapes and sewing them on shirts (like she offered in limited quantity with previously retired prints). But that’s the extent of my desire to create things via a sewing machine right now.
But, you see, I got this book to review. Sew U: Home Stretch, The Built By Wendy Guide to Sewing Knit Fabrics seems fabulous. Quite honestly, I want to make each and every shirt in the book. I look especially awesome in boatneck tees. And making my own hoodie? That would rock. But the reality remains that I don’t own a sewing machine. And with two brothers, well, my time is limited. And I’m behind on my book reading goal for the year. And the laundry. And the cleaning of bathrooms. And did I mention that I haven’t showered today. And and and. I’m just a bucket of excuses, aren’t I? How about this one? I haven’t lost all the weight that I want to lose just yet and, as such, I don’t want to take time to make myself clothes, however totally awesome they may be. How’s that? Is that good enough? If not, defer to lazy.
And that brings us to the giveaway!
I’m giving away the book to one lucky blog reader! The book not only tells you how to create everything from halter tanks to dresses with knit fabrics of your choice but it includes tips on recycling your old favorite tees (remember all those concerts you went to back in the day?) and tips for the sewing novice. But, wait, it gets better. I know you’re thinking what I am: “How am I going to sew something from a book? Don’t I need a pattern?” That’s the best part! This book comes with patterns! They’re still sealed in the back of the book to prove that this book is new and that I didn’t make myself a new wardrobe and am just trying to pawn something off on you. It’s new! It’s got patterns! And that’s awesome!
So, how do you score it?
Simply leave a comment on this post. Any comment will do. Granted, I’d love if you would tell me why you’d like this book. OR a funny sewing story of your own since I fessed up about my giant pillowcase. Or, if you don’t want the book for yourself but for your uber-crafty sister, you could give me her name and number and I’ll hire her to do these shirts for me. You know, any comment will do.
The contest will end on Monday, June 9 at 1:15pm. (I’ve decided that noon is a bad, bad time for me to end contests! I’m never at the computer.) At that point, I’ll close comments, hit random.org and grab a winner. The winner will be announced (and then e-mailed) on the blog later that afternoon. If you’re interested in purchasing the book no matter if you win or lose, hit it up on Amazon for $17.15!
Bonus points if the winner makes me something. That fits.
68 Responses to “I Can’t Sew, So It’s a Giveaway!”
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You are awesome! This book sounds awesome!
I’ve sewn a few costumes and blankets in the past, but never anything that I’d wear to work or church, etc. The idea of sitting down and sewing something I could actually wear has always enticed me and I’ve gotten *this* close a few times.
Maybe if it’s made easier I’ll actually do it.
My worse sewing story. When making a costume shirt for Tom, I accidentally sewed one side of the shirt wrong side out. Had to rip it out and redo it. Yeah fun!
When I was a kid, I loved sewing! I never used a machine, and instead sewed everything by hand. I really didn’t use patterns ever; I just made my own thing, but they were usually pillows. When I was older, my mom let me use her sewing machine. I also liked to sew buttons on scraps of fabric or on jackets. Haha.
But here’s my sewing horror story: When I was in ninth grade, I thought it would be a good idea for me to take Home Economics beyond what was required by my school. It was fun, but I definitely preferrd the cooking part. For the sewing semester, our big project was making a fleece hoodie, which would have been really awesome if mine hadn’t ended up being a three-quarter length-sleeved fleece hoodie! I screwed up the seams on one of the arms, so I had to cut them both off and it looked so ridiculous on me! So I had put all the time (and money) into something that I couldn’t even wear! I don’t remember if my grade reflected that or not, but I felt really stupid regardless.
I sew blankets and such for the trio, but knit fabrics scare me. I have a very neglected dewing corner in our attic playroom.
Me! Me! Pick me! :c)
You know I’d love it! And my worst sewing disaster? Oh goodness, I have an entire room of half finished things because so much of my sewing is trial and error. How about the time I made a dress to wear to a friends wedding and flipped two measurements and ended up with a rather short, but very full, skirt? Or the jacket I knit for Ella that shrunk the first time in the wash because I am ridiculous and forgot it was wool? (20 hours down the drain…) Then there is the dress I made the other day, and now have no idea how to recreate because I did it at 2 am and was on autopilot. Hey, it’s a stretch knit – maybe this book will help! Ha!
I’d love to win it and give it to my friend over at Banana Bottoms http://bananabottoms.blogspot.com/ who is just starting up her own home business sewing cloth diapers. Maybe she can expand into shirts too!
Don’t need the book because I don’t sew. I don’t even think I’ve ever sewed a button on. I’m so ashamed.
Adding you to my reader.
This book would be so much fun, I’ve just recently gotten back into sewing!
Dude, I will so take that book. You know I can sew like a mamma-jamma, but did you know that I have actually never made a garment?! I’d like to try.
Me too, please!
I made several outfits in high school. Most notable: my junior prom dress. And it turned out awesome! I still have it! Most recently, I made my very own Mei Tai. I love it!!!!
I actually bought my sewing machine with money I got from a splurge group years ago. Unfortunately the poor thing usually just sits there because I don’t have a CLUE how to sew anything! This year I gave myself a large project (for some reason I don’t do small ones) and I’m trying to make my daughter a quilt in her favorite color, red. So far it is going well. I hope it continues to go well and that I can keep using my sewing machine and learn to make other stuff too!
long, funny sewing story:
about two years ago, my boyfriend got a new job. being the ‘frugal fran’ as my grandma calls me, i said, i’ll make your shirts for work. (it is hard to find short sleeve button up shirts in england!) so i bought the pattern, the fabric (cheap at the farmers market) and asked him to measure his chest so i could cut the pattern to the right size.
we weren’t living together at the time, so when he visited his parents, he got his mother to help him do the measurements. marvelous.
he gives me the measurements over the phone, and i say, ARE YOU SURE?! DOUBLE CHECK! and he says, he is sure, his mom wrote it down, no he is not double checking. so fine. i cut the pattern. and the fabric. and sew the shirt. and agonize over the collar. get it right. iron it. everything. down to the buttonholes.
boyfriend comes to visit me. “here is your first work shirt!” i proclaim. he puts it on. he is not a small man. he is barrel chested and tall. he is swimming in the shirt. he looks at me, confused. i look at him, horrified. i take out my tape measure. the shirt is 5-10 inches bigger than necessary in certain areas. i get out the paper with the measurements he gave me. his measurements are 10-12 inches smaller than the measurements i was provided. i begin to laugh. he is more confused. i explain that his mother must have assumed, that ALL patterns are cut small, since MOST women’s patterns are cut smaller. we laugh and laugh. when we call and tell his mother, she says, it’s ok, shirts are difficult to make, even for a skilled seamstress. he and i laugh some more.
i have not tried another shirt, even though i know it would be fine. i just can do without the ‘shirts are difficult to make’ comments. we donated the ginormous shirt to Goodwill.
My sewing machine is just collecting dust in the corner. This sounds like a great book. I took sewing as a 4-H project when I was younger and made this flowy shorts/skort thing, that wasn’t very pretty, especially once I hit a growth spurt that made it extremely short!
Oooh, I’d love to be entered! I just got my first sewing machine, and while I’ve done a few things with wovens, I have yet to try any sewing with knit fabrics. So pick me!
I’ve been wanting to start sewing, maybe this book will help!!