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Sorry for the cheesy title. I just got done watching Barney on Sprout. If you watched Barney this morning too, you know where I'm coming from.
Last night as I was reaching that place between wake and dreams a picture flashed through my mind. Does this every happen to you?
I swear, right before sleep is the most inspirational part of my day. I've had ideas that came and left through the fog of unconsciousness. I need to start putting a pencil and paper beside my nightstand!
Last night's brainstorming was an exception. Surprisingly, in the fraction of a second I was given to catch a glimpse of my mind's musing, I was able to retain some crisp details. It was a cute corderoy top perfect for my Molly! And today, I'm off to the fabric store today to try and recreate what I saw.
With that in mind, I wanted to share with all of you some of the other inspiration that fellow Grosgrain readers are 'dreaming up' themselves. I have to admit, there were so many AMAZING photos and creations that I had a very hard time choosing what to post.
I like to try and get everyone up at least once so please don't be upset if you don't see one of yours. I will try to get to you the next time around.
AND BY THE WAY, LOVE THE ANTHROPOLIFICATION SWEATER TOP!
I'm going to try and post a new Best of Flickr every week. So get your pictures up! I'll only be posting two or three pics per post from next week on.
If you'd like to be featured on Grosgrain first join the Grosgrain flickr group! Then take a photo of your latest amazing sewing creation and finally POST IT! Feel free to post as many photos as you like. There's no daily limit. Here's a little secret....I like to post the photos with people in them. And outdoors are always best!
To be taken to the flickr page that the photos belongs to just click on the photo.
Here are the photo credits in order from top to bottom and then from left to right.
Top: LittlegirlPearl, ohsohappytogether, pennycarnival, lottilulu, *mirre*, spenatmamman, hexchenmarie, luckyknitter.
Good News!! All those readers who loved Grosgrain's sponsor: Art Nest, now have a chance to win one of her unique creations!
Susannah has agreed to do guest giveaway here on Grosgrain!!!! And this time, she's giving away....THREE RINGS....to THREE lucky winners! I know, I'm excited too!
Each winner will be able to choose a pincushion ring of her choice!
Susannah Rodgers makes these original pincushion rings using her favorite fabrics, lush colored wool felt and nickel free, silver plated adjustable rings for a very affordable price! After using hers for nearly four months she doesn't think she can ever go back to storing her pins in a red tomato.
"Wearing my pincushion ring allows for more freedom while I sew at my machine. When not in use, I hang the pincushion on the bobbin winder," Says Susannah. "When I created my first pincushion ring, I never imagined how much I would come to rely on it. You and your seamstress friends will love how useful, simple, and beautiful your pincushion rings are. I look forward to giving these as gifts to the unique women in my own sewing circle."
Don't sew? No matter! These funky rings look great paired with a favorite t-shirt and jean!
Made using wool felt, favorite fabrics, and an adjustable silver plated, nickel free ring base.
Art Nest is a place to celebrate everyday beauty, hard work, living creatively, artistic achievements and remembering to live simply.
You can also catch up with Susannah at:
www.anartnest.squarespace.com
www.twitter.com/artnest
Last day for posts is Sunday 5/10/09.
AND REMEMBER THREE WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED.
As usual, if you would like a chance to win one of these rings just link back to this post. If you have any questions see the "questions and answers" link to the right. If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.
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Somedays I REALLY need to wear a hat. You know the days. You just want to get out the door, don't want to deal with all those flat irons and sprays.
The problem is that I don't buy enough of them so my selection is pretty limited and never look appropriate with what I'm wearing.
If I had the selection available at Swanki Hats, my bad hair days would be a distant memory which is why I'm so excited to offer one of their hats to a lucky Grosgrain reader!
The winner of this giveaway will get to choose any one hat from their inventory.
Swanki Hats is ran by two friends, Jenny and Wendy, who love hats and LOVE dressing up peoples' mops. They know that fashions may change but hats never go out of style!
They continually change styles to keep up with the latest trend. They also know that all heads are not make the same size and shape so they usually carry around 35 different styles in over 80 different colors and can tell anyone how to make a hat fit their head with just a sewing machine and a few
minutes of free time.
"We love what we do and like for our little company to have a purpose, so we enjoy working with cancer patients and those with other difficulties to find hats that will make the feel special and sexy," said Wendy.
Be aware that they move through inventory VERY quickly so if you see something you like, give them a call before it is gone!!!
Some of the hats are part of their new SPRING/SUMMER collection. They are currently not in stock but they are expecting them in the near future. If there is one you see that you want, let them know and they will hold it for you....they don't expect these to last long.
This is only PART of the SPRING/SUMMER collection so check back regularly for updates. If you are interested in ordering hats or booking a party, please contact Swanki Hats.
Jenny 801.910.8892
Wendy 801.427.9784
swankihats@gmail.com
Last day for posts is Wednesday 5/06/09.
As usual, if you would like a chance to win a hat just link back to this post. If you have any questions see the "questions and answers" link to the right. If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.
Create a Link
I never get tired of little girl skirts.They are feminine, Prêt-À-Porter and VERSTILE! Surprisingly, I really love the plainest simple skirt. I imagine if I bought these they'd be $10 a piece and I could buy one in every color.
These skirts are made from Sheermist Batiste with a soft nylon lining. They are very simple but look great with a plain white tank. Barefoot or with ballet flats. The skirts I feature in the giveaway come in field yellow, city red, cherry blossom pink, ocean blue and forest brown. Wear one to the beach or walking down a city sidewalk, passing a picket fence or country field. And where ever you go, carry a sense of whimsy with you.
Molly loves playing with the balloons in the house. She pulls them down and bounces them off her head. But she's missing the red one. While in the woods Lily's candy apple red balloon got away from us. Before we could react its string slithered past our eyes and upward into the atmosphere.
Seeing a balloon fly away is such a helpless feeling. You go through several stages. The first is alarm, second is disbelief, third is anger, fourth and final stage is helplessness. There's also the optional public outburst phase that Lily has thankfully outgrown.
I would say these skirts would fit a 3 to 6 year old.
Last day for posts is Sunday 5/03/09.
As usual, if you would like a chance to win these skirts just link back to this post. If you have any questions see the "questions and answers" link to the right. If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.
Create a Link
Finally I have found a new Anthropolofication piece. I want you to see the 'before' at the bottom of the page.
This piece was *perfect* for this time of year. I finished it just as the cherry blossoms were blooming and dogwood trees were blossoming. The colors of the tank are VERY springtime! Especially, springtime around here which is gray, pink and white.
I keep waking up to the wraparound windows in my bedroom and finding one gray day after another. They do say 'April showers bring May flowers' but I'm getting really annoyed!
The temperature is constantly hovering over 50 degrees. Warm enough to wear a light jacket, not warm enough to feel comfortable outdoors for very long. Mother nature is such a tease!
The tank has creeping gray, white and pink flowers. I really liked the way they are offset.
To make this piece I took a gray silk shirt and cut off the top and sleeves. What was left was a rectangular piece with points at the places where I'd sew in the straps.
I created five pleats in the front and three in the back which cinched the top and created a billow around the waist.
At first, I bought thin gray strap-like cord. But it wouldn't sew onto the material properly. In addition, it didn't exactly match the gray silk. So eventually, I cut a long piece of fabric from the top that I had removed and made the straps myself. It looks far more convincing than my first attempt.
I then took the flowers and glued them on as if they were creeping across the left side. It had a very overgrown garden look that I liked.
Speaking of gardening, I bought and planted those Topsy Turvey tomato planters! They are hanging from my gazebo. I have my doubts. But I also have a dream. A dream of warm, ripe, red tomatoes I can eat from the comfort of my patio furniture. Too good to be true? We shall see.
The pants are Anthropologie as well! Something from last season. I've noticed that they really lean toward cargos with cinches around the legs for springtime. I paired a set of ballet flats and a homemade orchid headband to complete the look.
Although, when wearing this tank I wouldn't recommend climbing in any trees. They are dirty, difficult not to mention dangerous!
When I decided that cherry blossoms would be perfect for these photos I imagined a tree with low hanging limbs and thick stepping branches. What I found was a tree with its first branch about ten feet in the air and thin, almost too skimpy branches to hold the weight of my body.
In retrospect, it was probably not the wisest idea. To accomplish the task I had to climb onto Brian's shoulders then reach for the closest hanging branch and pull myself up and onto it.
My legs and arms have the wounds to prove it! Not to mention my pants which instantly looked as if I had rolled around on a barn floor.
Don't even ask about the getting down part which had its own set of awkward challenges.
I was always good at climbing. Even though I'm normally afraid of heights and have very little upper body strength it was nothing for me to climb 20 feet when I was twelve.
Even after belly flopping from a weak ten foot high branch while reaching for a couple plumb blackberries, I hadn't felt much fear or found much challenge in it.
I do however remember the feeling of hitting the ground. I imagine it's the way someone feels just after being punched in the gut and having the wind knocked out of you. For a moment I didn't know if I could get up.
Perhaps some of that apprehension found its way into my memory yesterday as I pulled myself onto the first branch, because I seriously doubted whether or not I could hold on. You might not be able to tell from the above photo but there was about 10 feet of empty air between me and the ground. As I looked down I recalled the feeling of hitting the ground, stomach first.
And I don't know if it was that flashback or Brian's overt fear but at only ten feet in the air I felt my heart race. Climbing, it seems is for the young....or in my case....foolish.
Did I mention my aunt feel out of a mango tree and broke her hip? She was in her 80s though. Foolish love of climbing must run in my family.
I would say this cami would fit a small person. Although, it leaves a lot of room in the bust area. Currently, I'm a 34 C and it fit me mine.
Last day for posts is Sunday 4/26/09.
As usual, if you would like a chance to win this cami just link back to this post. If you have any questions see the "questions and answers" link to the right. If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.
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Jenniffer of Born 2 Impress is adding a few new clips to her spring collection and I have to tell you that they are just ADORABLE! Better yet, she has agreed to do a guest giveaway!
The giveaway is for the clips featured in this post! My favorite are the ladybugs. I would have never thought of using the ribbons that way! So perfect to keep hair out of your face on a summer day!
Here's a little bit about Born 2 Impress in case you haven't heard!
Jenniffer sells sweet, playful adornments for children's coifs ages infant to teen. Perfect for infant's delicate tresses.
Born 2 Impress is committed to hand-crafting unique designs with the highest quality materials and the utmost care, for any occasion, in a timely manner so that anyone can make their little one feel and look like a princess.
Shortly after Jenniffer found out she was pregnant, she decided to start making bows and cute accessories for little girls. She started by making different bows and headbands for her niece and then for her friend’s little girls. Everyone seemed to like the items so well, that they insisted she should start her own business to sell her creations to everyone.
She kept making the products and after creating over a hundred different styles of items, her husband insisted that she should get a web site and start selling her items.
All of her products have been created with the highest quality materials available with an emphasis placed on safety. All of their accessories are hand-sewn together and all ribbon ends are heat-sealed to prevent fraying.Jenniffer's little princess is her model and inspiration. As a mother she says she wouldn’t use anything that she wouldn’t use for her own child. Her creations are colorful, fun, and unique and each is hand-crafted as if it was for her own child.
Last day for posts is Friday 4/22/09. Winner will be announced Friday!
As usual, if you would like a chance to win these clips just link back to this post. If you have any questions see the "questions and answers" link to the right. If you use blogger just use the "create a link" link at the bottom of this post. If you don't use blogger, that's fine too. Just create a link on your page as you normally would and I will see it using Technorati.
Create a Link
Like not spending money?