The giveaway winner and why I'm grateful...

At last the winner of my giveaway. I've had problems with my laptop and I think it knows I'm frustrated as it continues to cause problems... Time for a new one methinks!

So the winner is...

 

Sewpapillion

Congratulations! Sewpapillion is new to the blogging world and hasn't written a post yet, so welcome to the blogging world! What a great way to start! I shall be in touch soon!

So why am I sew grateful?
Both my grandmothers knitted and sewed, one being mad on patchwork and quilting. My mother also sewed a lot of her own clothes.

Mum made her own wedding dress as well as the two bridesmaids dresses. She was apparently hemming the bridesmaid dresses the night before they got married! She's amazing. I decided it would be far too stressful to make my own wedding dress.

How's this? It's 1961 for those interested. Doesn't my Dad look handsome! :-)

I was lucky because as soon as I was able, I'd watch Mum sewing, learning from her, probably from about the age of 8 or 9.  When I was big enough, I got to play on the hand Singer machine. As far as I know, this was her mothers and I've now got it. It's in need of some TLC, but I still love using it. It has a satisfying sound sewing with it!

The first thing I made was a drop waisted dress when I was about 10. Then I made clothes for my dolls which I self-drafted. Yep, I still played with dolls aged about 10 or 11... I was a real girly-girl. Mum encouraged me with this sewing and I'm glad she did. OK, the dolls clothes may not have been perfect, but... My dolls were the best dressed in the neighbourhood! And still are :-)

 I copied this pattern from a dolls pattern book for New Dolly (she never had a proper name!)

 Carol (she was a Christmas doll!) is standing on the dolls bed which was my mothers dolls bed. That means it's about 70 years old! How could I ever get rid of that?

 Believe it or not, I did that embroidery too!

[You're probably wondering why someone of my age still has her dolls... well they were meant to be sold on in the UK, but I didn't have the heart and they kind of followed me all the way to NZ. Funnily enough, I still haven't the heart to get rid of them, unless I know where they will be going. How selfish and silly is that?]

I continued to sew until I went to uni, then I didn't really sew much for about ten years. The Singer machine was given to me in my late 20s and that's when I started to sew again, mainly curtains and soft-furnishings for my various homes.

My sexy Singer. In need of some TLC and an overhaul, but isn't she a beauty? A traditional hand crank machine. No electrics with this one!

I made dresses for weddings, etc, then about seven years ago, I finally bought my own electric machine. I began to sew lots more and I think it was once I discovered the blogging world that I began to sew quite a lot. This is about three years ago. I've never looked back.

I been lucky to meet-up with bloggers, such as Sew incidentally, Stevie and Dibs in both the UK (about 18 months ago) and now have a great group of bloggers here in my adopted home of Wellington. We've met three times in about four months and regularly keep in touch and will help with even the smallest of problems we may have (such as why interfacing won't stick!)

I have so much to be grateful for... my grandmothers, Mum in particular for keeping me going, but not forcing me and the sewing world, particularly bloggers I've had the privilege to meet.

She now exits stage left very quickly before showing gushing tears to the masses :-)

Thanks all and particularly to Debi for another great Sew Grateful week.

Sew Grateful - giveaway!

THE GIVEAWAY HAS CLOSED. STAND BY FOR THE WINNER! A bit late joining the Sew Grateful week, but it's been a bit frantic this week, so better late than never! This is the third Sew Grateful week which the lovely Debi has organised and the second time I've taken part. I have to say I get quite choked sometimes with the comments you all give and because of this, I want to give some goodies away.

I've been hunting through my patterns and fabrics, trying to find some awesome-ness to give to let you know how grateful I am. I couldn't find any fabric which was good enough for the lucky person who wins this, so I have a pattern, a pattern book and some scrummy local chocolate...

First up, the pattern:

Simplicity 8165, size 16, 18, 20. All the pieces should be there, I made it up years ago, long before blogs existed (well probably!) It was made up in a 16, but I don't think it's impossible to grade if necessary.

 

Secondly is the Burda plus magazine from Autumn/Winter 2011. This has not been touched and all is still there in tact.

Finally the option for some scrummy local chocolate... You have the choice between Hokey Pokey Milk Chocolate or White with raspberries, mmm!

So how's that for a prize. I'm happy to go international and with any luck the chocolate will be won before I eat it! :-)

May the best sewer/blogger win! You have a week to enter, so I'll end this next Wednesday, so by the time I wake up Thursday I'll be able to announce the winner!

The Great Wellington Patten Pyramid... another one!

This has now closed. Look out for another giveaway soon!

If you've seen the Curious Kiwi's post, here is another Patten Pyramid ready to go flying it's way through the post to one lucky winner from sunny Wellington, NZ.

Possibly like me you have been stalking the sewing blogasphere in the hopes of winning the pyramid which was originally started by Karen of Did you make that? Well here is your chance to win again! Oh, and Karen, you can certainly enter this!

Following our Wellington Bloggers meet-up we had lots (LOTS)  of patterns from our swap left over, so we decided it was time for another Pattern Pyramid, well seven to be precise!

So here is the selection from Nikki's Stitches... I have seven delightful patterns to send out through the post in Santa's sack!

A Style pattern which I would love to keep, but no, it's going in the swap, it's just a classic style which would be great as a blouse or dress.

A Simplicity pattern for that energetic man in your life

A great simple Style dress, perfect for the beach (well it is the first day of summer here in Wellington!)

Another fab easy Simplicity pattern, perfect for lightweight summer fabrics.

Butterick two piece set, waistcoats, trousers, skirts, blouse, what more can a girl ask for?

McCalls simple trouser and long skirt set.

Finally another Style pattern (oh I miss that pattern company!) with a knitted jacked and skirt trouser combo

What a great collection I have here to send out. And looking at these, I'd forgotten how much I used to use Style patterns.

I digress... On to the rules, we're using the same as those which Karen used earlier in the year...

• Anyone, anywhere in the world, can enter by leaving a comment on this post bymidnight NZ time (GMT +13 hours)on Friday 7th December but you must have an active blog.
• I will randomly select one winner, Person A, and post them the collection of 7 patterns.
• Person A will then pick one pattern to keep for themselves, then host their own give-away. They will randomly select a winner, post the remaining patterns to Person B.
• Person B will pick a pattern for themselves and promptly host their own give-away and post the remaining patterns to the winner, Person C. Person C will do the same and so on until there is a last pattern winner…you get the idea.

• Some people like to replace the pattern they are taking with another from their stash, this keeps the pyramid going longer, but is not compulsory.

Please comment to say you're included and I'd love to know which pattern floats your boat. I can't guarantee this will travel on Santa's sleigh (he's a busy chap this time of year!)bearing in mind he wants all post by Monday if it's going any further than Australia! It's still certain to bring some festive joy to the winner!

Coming to another blog near you... the other Wellington blogger Pattern Pyramid giveaways.

•  Kat – Modern Vintage Cupcakes
•  Nikki – Nikki’s Stitches
• Juliet – The Crazy Gypsy Chronicles
• Mayanne – Sent from my iRon
• Joy – A Charm of Magpies
• Jo – Making it Well

Where will this end up this time?