When I first starting reading sewing blogs back in 2011 Sewaholic was one of the first ones I followed. I was drawn to the clear tutorials, wonderful instructions, and cute patterns. Today, I still read the blog for the same reasons, so when Tasia announced that she was releasing a book, The Sewtionary: An A to Z Guide to 101 Sewing Techniques and Definitions, compiled with all of the tips I had grown to know and love, the book was in my Amazon shopping cart within minutes.

I thought I would share my thoughts first and then end this post with a giveaway. Sound good?


Physically this is my ideal sewing book (is that weird to say? hahaha). It's hardcover, sturdy, and has a spiral ring to hold all the pages. Spiral ring books are so great when learning a new technique! The pages stay put and don't need to be propped open while sewing. The matte paper is also a plus because you don't have to experience that annoying glare that happens with late night sewing and a lamp as a light source. The book is also photo heavy which is a must for a visual reader like me.


Beginners: are you too shy to ask how to sew on a button? Need to learn how to take your measurements? What about ease, what is that exactly? Tasia has you covered and this book will help grow your sewing skills.

Making bias tape, French seams, and different zipper installations are also mentioned in the book and are good reminders for me because they're not things I do with every sewing project and sometimes need a quick refresher.


There are also techniques which were unexpected and are new to me. Shoulder pads, French tacks, and godets have not been part of any of my sewing projects, but who is to say they won't in the future? I'm confident that when/if I need to tackle these (new to me) challenges the Sewtionary will be here to save the day. Instant help for the win!


Tasia is so sweet and sent a pattern of my choice for one of you as a giveaway gift, so I chose Saltspring, one of my favorites. She also threw in a Sewaholic tape measure and the cutest tags ever! I'm adding bias tape, an invisible zipper, two yards of a green Girl Charlee knit fabric, and a rotary cutter. ***Please note that the book is not included in this bundle*** If you would like a chance to win all the treasures in the photo above then please leave a comment. It's really important to leave an e-mail address or blog address. Without that info there is no way of contacting the winner. Giveaway will end two weeks from today on Thursday, September 25th.

Do you want to purchase the book? You can get it here on Amazon or from the Sewaholic site directly. If you order it from Sewaholic Tasia will even sign it for you.

Check out the other blogs on the tour for more info on the book and chances to win other prizes!

• Wednesday, September 10th: Thread Theory Blog
• Thursday, September 11th: Miss Crayola Creepy
• Friday, September 12th: Coletterie
• Monday, September 15th: City Stitching with Christine Haynes
• Tuesday, September 16th: Tilly and the Buttons
• Wednesday, September 17th: Madalynne
• Thursday, September 18th: Closet Case Files
• Friday, September 19th: By Gum, By Golly
• Monday, September 22nd: Lladybird
• Tuesday, September 23rd: True Bias
• Wednesday, September 24th: Four Square Walls
• Thursday, September 25th: Ada Spragg
• Friday, September 26th: Did You Make That?

Weird question, do you ever wish you could time travel? I would take The Colette Guide to Sewing Knits with me to 2010 if it was possible. It was around then that I heard that knits are "hard" to sew and I shied away from them, but if I had Colette's new book by my side I would feel 100% confident.

This book is a complete guide to knits, I do not think Alyson Clair, the author, left a single stone unturned. Literally every single question I had about knits was answered. Those are such intense statements, but they're so true! This book is great for beginners, advanced sewers, and everyone in between. If you want to sew knits with a regular sewing machine, serger, or coverstitch machine this book has you covered!

I'm sure that you have read bits about the book on Colette's site and reviews on other blogs, but I would like to focus on my favorite part, the section regarding the serger. Sergers can seem so overwhelming and complicated! I just bought one a few months ago and I'm still getting the hang of threading it. What I like about The Colette Guide to Sewing Knits is how this daunting task was simplified. There are instructions coupled with photos to make the process much easier to understand for a visual learner like me.


Thank goodness for the photos of problem stitches and how to fix them. Lately, whenever I start a new project I use some fabric scraps to test my stitches. From there I will fix my tension/stitch length/etc, but with my serger I wasn't sure how to go about it. After comparing my ugly stitches to the ones in the book I diagnosed the stitches shown above as a "grin" and knew how to easily change the settings for a better finish. The troubleshooting section saved me a lot of time and I ended up with a lovely Mabel skirt.


Would you like to win a copy of the book? Sarai was so sweet to offer a copy as a giveaway prize to one of you! I'm adding two yards of this lovely knit fabric which I bought on my last visit to The Fabric Store. To enter the giveaway please leave a comment with one of the following: a sewing tip, what your next knit project will be, your favorite summer cocktail recipe, or a cat photo. I want to make these comments fun! :) Make sure to leave an e-mail address or a link to your blog, so I can contact you if you win. Giveaway is open worldwide and will end at 11:59 pm PST on Wednesday, May 14th.

Not only does was the winner of the giveaway get the Christine Haynes Chelsea dress pattern, buttons from Liberty, and a Cath Kitson pincushion, but she was promised a ***mystery*** surprise. When I wrote up the original post I didn't even know what the mystery prize was going to be, that's how mysterious of a gift it was haha. A week ago I went to The Fabric Store in Los Angeles and bought 1.5 yards of this lovely (mysterious) cotton polka dot fabric and am happy to say that it is going to Nadine.



Thanks to everyone for entering the giveaway and to Christine for supplying the amazing pattern! xoxo

Thanks to Whitney at Garden Garnish for the awesome giveaway! Lucky Reana Louise is the winner :)

Hello and happy Monday! If you haven't been over to the Sew Colette Flickr group then I suggest you check it out now and look at all of the beautiful Hazel dresses. I've posted some (not all) of my favorites below:

 I swooped up three gorgeous sewing patterns this weekend and decided to give them away to three lucky ladies. If you would like to enter the giveaway please leave a comment and let me know which pattern you hope to win. Just for fun either tell me a little known fact about yourself or recommend a book for me to read (I love to read). This is my way of saying, "THANK YOU" to those that have inspired me, befriended me, or taught me something new :)

The giveaway is open to all countries, will run through the week, and end on Sunday, April 22 at 6:00 pm PST. One comment per person please. Please make sure I am able to get in contact with you (leave your email address in the comment or make sure it is listed somewhere on your blog).

Butterick B5152. Sizes 16, 18, 20, 22, 24. For some reason I think this is so Joan Crawford!

Butterick B5281. Sizes 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22.

Butterick B5214. Sizes 8, 10, 12, and 14.

The giveaway winner is Meg the Grand! Congrats, Meg. You will have to show us all what you make with the pattern :) Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway. I'd like to do another one in the near future, maybe if I get 100 followers... I'll keep you posted!