Facebook Giveaway!!

I am hugely pleased to announce we have reached over 4000 friends on Facebook!  This is a massive achievement for our little shop as one of the problems online retailers face, is reaching people in this vast community we call the world wide web!!  Facebook has been a fantastic platform for us since we have launched, just 10 little months ago, so the fact that over 4000 people have taken the time to "like" our page makes me think that perhaps we are doing something right!!  

To celebrate and as a thank you, we are having a rather lovely giveaway (lovely in my humble opinion of course!).  Pop over to our Facebook page and be in with a chance to win this little lot.....

All you have to do is share this photo via Facebook.  The Giveaway closes at midnight on Wednesday and the winner will be drawn on Thursday.

Good Luck!! x

Normal Service Has Resumed!

Well technically speaking normal service resumed last Wednesday.  Lots of you lovely customers ordered during the Christmas break, hence my pile of parcels I took to the post office looked something like this last week....

Not my actual pile, my parcels are pink, but you get the idea!

Cue lots of tutting and muttering at the post office queue...ooops! 

Im pleased to say a lovely Christmas break was had by all.  Mountains of toys were brought from Santa for my two (to go with the mountains they already have!).

It was lovely not having to get up and do the school run, however I have looked forward to getting back some sort of routine.  I did also manage a little sewing time during the Christmas break.  Santa was very kind to me too and brought me two books I've been wanting for ages...

It really is amazing what you can sew with a metre of fabric!  I started off with this little chap for my nephew...

I used the No More Monkeys fabric that came into the shop recently and some cream felt for his face and his tummy.  For those of you who might like to know, I'll do a more indepth review of the book here on the blog soon.  Just incase you're in two minds about buying it!

Now that we're back to normal, sewing time will be taken over with picking and packing (and school runs and after school activities etc. etc.) but one of my new years resolutions is to get to my sewing machine more...I miss it!  Plus surrounded by all this gorgeous fabric, I have ideas in my head all the time so hope to complete some of them this year (and by complete I mean completely finish, not start and leave!).  I also plan to blog more but we'll see about that one.

So now that normal service has resumed, dont forget...

So to all our lovely customers, we wish you a happy, healthy and successful 2013.

p.s. Our sale section still has lots of lovely fabrics in it, with more being added all the time.
 

A Year In Fabrics

Well, its the end of another year.  I've spent the last hour or so reading blog posts of reflection and resolutions, so thought I'd add my two-pennys worth!

I can honestly say 2012 has passed all my expectations....and its all thanks to you, my lovely customers!!  When the idea of opening my very own little fabric came into my head I never, in my wildest dreams, dared to believe that it would all take off aswell as it has.

*Warning - self indulgent post follow!!*

Since we launched on 1st March 2012 (read the launch post here) we have, as promised, brought you lots of gorgeous fabrics, tripling the amount of prints we have to tempt you!  We have attended many, many craft fairs including the two day Cardiff City Craft and Hobby Show (and will be attending again this year in May), we have over 3800 friends over on our Facebook page and over 1100 twitter friends.  However, most importantly we have worked with and served 100's and 100's of lovely lovely customers!!!  

Some favourites from 2012

So what does 2013 hold for you?  

For us, I really hope its much of the same.  We will be bringing you more lovely fabrics (take a look at our pre-order album to see exactly what!), a range of sewing patterns to inspire you, a regular newsletter so you can keep up to date with the goings on here at TSB HQ and we may even throw in a giveaway or two!!

So that, my friends, just leaves me to wish you a happy and healthy 2013!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

from Rhi @ The Sewing Boutique x x

{Whats New} In The Shop

We have (almost) been inundated with new fabrics coming in over the last month or so!  Not that Im complaining....who would when surrounded by all this beautiful fabric!!  And beautiful it is....

Happy Every After - Riley Blake Designs

Have you ever seen such a perfect fabric for a little princess?  Designed by Sandra Workman for Riley Blake Designs, the princess castles and little dresses would look perfect as maybe a patchwork bedspread.  I have two little princesses who fell in love with it as soon as it was delivered!!

Little Monkeys by Blend Fabrics

Not wanting to forget the boys, how cute is this monkey fabric?!  If you know the words to "No More Monkeys Jumping On The Bed" you'll be singing it to yourself after making something for your little one with this!!

Type By Windham Fabrics

A bit of a grown up print in comparison with the others, Type by Windham fabric is illustrator Julia Rothman's debut fabric collection.  My mind has been whirring with ideas since ordering this, and a few people came up with some fab ideas over on Facebook too!  Glasses case with the glasses fabric, messenger bags with the letters, fabric baskets to organise your desk with the paper clip one....too many ideas, not enough time to do them!!

All these are available over in the shop now.

Rhi @ The Sewing Boutique

x x 

Christmas Posting

Its always a bit of a dreaded time of the year for online businesses, but posting around Christmas doesnt seem to have been that bad this year!!  First class has taken around 2 to 3 days, but at least all our lovely customers have had their fabrics rather than them going AWOL (touch wood - a load of parcels went out today so maybe I shouldnt speak to soon??)

Our last posting day before Christmas will be this Thursday 20th December.  Orders made after 2.30pm that day will then go out on Wednesday 2nd January.

So make sure you have your fabric stocked up ready for the break!  You never know, you may even get an hour or two to yourself while the kids play with their new toys ;)

Time is flying by and I'll be honest, I'll be glad when Christmas is finally here! 

Rhi @ The Sewing Boutique

x x 

{Quick Tutorial} How To Make Bias Binding

Whilst there are a huge number of bias bindings in all colours, patterns and widths, do you ever find you just cant find the right one to bind that quilt/edge that apron/finish that project??

Well look no more and keep on reading!  We may just have the answer :) A fab little gadget came into the shop a couple of months ago so thought I'd put together a tutorial on how to use it!  

For this you will need:

- Bias Tape Maker (I prefer the 25mm one but it also comes as 12mm) 

- 1 Fat Quarter of fabric (I used Anthology Raining Rainbows - Spots)

- ruler

- scissors

- iron and ironing board

- sewing machine

1. Cut your FQ so its a square, then cut diagonally so you have two triangles.

2. Lay out and pin as per the diagram below then stitch along the pinned edge using a 1/4" seam.  Iron the seam open.

3. You will end up with, what I believe is called, a parallelogram (maths was never my strong point).  At this point, draw lines length ways 45mm apart.  Depending on how big your FQ is, you may need to trim a little from one of the long edges.

4. Putting right sides together, bring the short sides together and pin, matching up your pencil lines.  Sew using a short straight stitch and you'll end up with a tube kind of thing (technical, I know).

5. Starting at one end, cut along the lines so you end up with a continuous strip of fabric.  You'll almost be cutting around the tube shape, if you see what I mean?!

6.  This is the fun bit!  Feed one end of the fabric strip into the tape maker, right side down.

7. Pin one end of the fabric of to the ironing board and as the fabric feeds out of the tape maker, carefully press it with the iron (I dont want to state the ridiculously obvious but please be careful the iron is hot and it gets quite close to your fingers)

8. Keep that going until you reach the end of the tape.  You may need to go back over some part a few times, including where you've stitched the seams.

9. Ta dah!  Lovely bias binding that you can make to match ANYTHING!!  

Rhi @ The Sewing Boutique x x

p.s. a few tips...this works better with thicker cottons or cottons with a slightly stiffer texture.  The Anthology fabric I used in this worked out well but did keep slipping.  

Also, any square of fabric would work, doesnt need to be a FQ, could be bigger or smaller.  A FQ will make around 2.5 metres of bias binding as a guide.

{Freebie Friday} A Winner And Whats New

Its like Christmas every week here at The Sewing Boutique HQ at the moment!  New fabrics arriving, lots of lovely fabrics going out to customers, it couldnt be nicer!

These are our latest additions....

Three fabrics from the Bella collection by Lotta Jansdotter. I've loved these since they were released and have waited AGES for them to be re-printed so we could get them in stock.  We're still waiting for one print to come in but for now, Im happy with this little lot! 

Another new one, Michael Millers Bunting Stripe in Denim.  I wish we'd had this for the Jubilee/Olympics as the colours are very fitting.  Still, you cant go wrong with a bunting print.  How amazing would this bunting print look as bunting?!  Hmmmm...might give that a go!

Also we've re-stocked the very popular Michael Miller - Forest Life.  Like me, you seem to love those crazy owls!

And finally......the winner of our {Freebie Friday} Giveaway is

Mrs M Makes 

CONGRATULATIONS!

Apologies for the late result, blogger was not my friend yesterday when I tried to post this....actually, neither was Facebook when I was checking out the shares, so I gave up and tried again today! 

Rhi @ The Sewing Boutique x x

p.s. we have a lovely week coming up on the blog, a couple of tutorials and something I hope will get your festive juices flowing! :)