Whimsical Fabric Giveaway

We are so excited to feature one of our fabulous blog sponsors: Whimsical Fabric!!

Whimsical Fabric is a colorful shop full of fresh, fun fabrics!  They offer so many inspiring prints by Michael Miller, Riley Blake and more.  They make it easy to shop by offering full and half yard cuts.  In addition, they offer a full range of Fat Quarter Bundles, Jelly Rolls and Charm Bundles.

Fat Quarter of Riley Blake Dots

Whimsical Fabrics has more to offer than just fabric!!  They also feature a wide variety of PDF and Paper Sewing Patterns.  As well as clothing blanks, and cool kits.

Sew Along #4 - The Simple Life Apron - Aqua Fabric Kit

Danielle, the wonderful owner of Whimsical Fabric has a fun promotion to offer just for you, Violette Field Threads Blog Readers!!  She is giving away a bundle of fabric valued at over $80!!  It consists of Riley Blake medium chevrons and the brand new medium dots on white in an array of pretty summer citrus colors (red, orange, yellow, and lime).  One winner will receive 1 yard of each print.

She is also offering TWO $15.00 Gift Certificates to the 2nd and 3rd place winners!!!!  Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Want to start shopping right now!?!?!  Use the discount code VFT20 at checkout and receive 20% off all regular price merchandise, this is valid today through Wednesday, May 22, 2012.

Sweet Bow Headband Tutorial

The perfect accessory can make an outfit!  We love creating beautiful flower and bow headbands to coordinate many of our looks.  This season we made this Sweet Bow Headband to compliment the cover look of our Madelyn Top.  We decided it would be a fun addition for the Madelyn Paper Pattern and would like to share the tutorial here for all of our fans to enjoy!!!

Sweet Bow Headband with our Madelyn Top & Scarlett Skirt

Photo Courtesy of Kelly Roper Photography

Creating the Bow:

1. Cut out two 7 1/4” x 9” fabric rectangles.

2. Place the pieces together with the right sides touching and the raw edges lined up. Pin together at each corner.

3. Sew together around all sides, leaving a 1-2” opening in the bottom for turning. Round the four corners as you sew around them.

4. Trim off 1/2 of the seam allowance. Turn right side out and iron flat.

5. Top-stitch around the bow, thus closing the 1-2” opening. Set aside. 

 Creating the Bow Center:

6. Cut out a 1 3/4” x 3” fabric rectangle for the bow center.

7. Fold the bow center in half lengthwise, with the wrong sides touching and iron. Open the bow center back up and fold both sides in to meet the middle seam and iron. Set aside.

Creating the Headband Cover:

We are working with an average size plastic headband; it is 14.5” in length and 1/8” in width. The following measurements may need to be adjusted if you are using a wider or larger headband. Measure your headband and adjust where necessary.

8. Cut out a 15” x 1 3/4” fabric strip.

9. Fold the headband cover in half lengthwise with the wrong sides touching and iron. Open the headband cover back up and fold both sides in to meet the middle seam and iron. Fold the strip in half lengthwise again and iron .

10. Sew along the open long folded edge of the headband cover. Leave both short ends open to insert the headband.

11. Insert the headband into the headband cover by sliding it through on open end toward the opposite open end.

 12. Finish the loose ends by turning the extra 1/4” of fabric on each end up and hot glue. Cut a 1” piece of ribbon and glue one end to the fabric headband. Wrap the loose end around the headband, tuck under the raw edge and glue down tightly to secure. 

Attaching the bow:

13. Press down the middle of the bow to create the pleats. (Note: you will gathering up the 9” length to create a full shorter bow.) Wrap the bow center around the bow with both loose ends facing up. Place the headband in between the bow center loose ends. Tuck one loose end around the headband and under the bow. Tuck the raw end of the opposite end under and glue securely to the headband.

14. You have now made the Sweet Bow Headband!

The amazing Kelly Roper of Kelly Roper Photography took these beautiful shots of the fabulous Audrey.  Isn't she stunning?  We adore this complete outfit on her.  She is wearing the Madelyn top, Scarlett skirt and the Sweet Bow Headband.  Love!!! 

Fabric Love - Salt Water

Summer is just around the corner!!  Summer is one of our favorite seasons of sewing thanks to sundresses, breezy tops and all the beautiful summer fabrics.  It is not hard to see we have a soft spot for all things nautical and that is why we are featuring Tula Pink, a fabulous FreeSpirit Fabric Designer and her Salt Water line on our Fabric Love series this week!!

This gorgeous fabric is available in three bold colorways, all of which have us drooling!  

We really love this line, not only because of how cool the prints are but also the quality of the fabric.  It is so soft to sew with and is really perfect for making childrens clothing.  They will never complain about itchy fabric in these gorgeous prints!  In addition to clothing these prints have been used on super cool home dec projects:

We recently used Saltwater in creating the cover look for our new spring pattern Lilly Belle.  It came together so beautifully and Kelly Roper of Kelly Roper Photography along with her talented model really rocked it out with these amazing shots!!

Would you like to use Salt Water in your next project?  We have a 5 yard bundle of Salt Water to giveaway to one of our wonderful blog readers, courtesy of Violette Field Threads!!  Simply enter below for chance to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Craftsy Giveaway!

Have you heard of Craftsy yet?  Craftsy has taken the creative world by storm.  They are a go to place for all things creative!!

Craftsy has an online shop with a wide variety of sewing patterns to make just about anything!  They  sell supplies to help you get your project started.  They also offer workshops to help you make small projects.

The most amazing feature of Craftsy are the online classes.  These are professional, full length classes to help you hone your creative skills!  Here are just a few classes offered:

Sewing Classes:

Quilting Classes:

In addition to sewing they offer classes on knitting, crochet, baking, photography and many many more.....

We are so excited to offer a FREE Craftsy Sewing Class to one lucky blog reader!  Simply follow the link below for you chance to enter!!  

CLICK HERE TO ENTER

Contest ends of Friday April 12, 2013 at noon.  Share with your friends :)

Carina Gardner Shop Online

One of our favorite designers has had a great new shop open this month.  We have to share it with everyone!!  Carina Gardner is an uber talented designer who is well known for her gorgeous fabric lines, fun sewing patterns, and scrapbooking supplies.  She also happens to be as sweet as they come!!

Carina has been a busy lady, because this month she launched her new site Carina Gardner Shop. It is a viritual paradise for creativity!! Here are few of the things you will find in her shop:

Wallpaper!!!  We love wallpaper at VFT and she has really really cute prints!

She also has online classes for those who would like to take the next step of creating their own fabric or paper lines.

In addition to these great new products, you can also find Carina's full line of stunning fabrics, patterns and paper products!  We know you are going to love this new site as much as we do!!

Fabric Love - Timber & Leaf

Are you ready to see some more beautiful fabric?   Our feature fabric this week is Timber & Leaf by Sarah Watts, a wonderful designer for Blend Fabrics.  Have you ever used Blend Fabrics before?  We adore them because of the high quality of the cotton.  Blend Fabrics are super soft and the colors are very saturated.  You'll be as impressed as we are once you run your figers over this silky soft cotton.  We think it's perfect for clothing projects, and were inspired to create the sweetest outfit seen below.

Timber and Leaf is inspired by nature and has the such gorgeous prints, including deer, foxes, bird, florals. It also has beautiful neutral prints to anchor them all together.  The sophisticated color palates are perfect for any season and project,

Look at all these fun prints!

We have bought so many of these prints! The vintage and sophisticated quality makes them so beautiful for children's clothing.  We think they're perfect on our patterns. 

We made a Molly Jacket and Audrey Dress using Tree Log Blue & Pine Stickers Pink.  Check out these gorgeous photos that were taken by the incredible Kelly Roper of Kelly Roper Photography!! She's simply amazing and a joy to work with.  Her creativity with her work is top notch. We can't speak more highly of her!  If you live in the Charleston area, you must check her out.  She doesn't disappoint!

We love how the this delicate print looks on our Retro - Inspired Molly Jacket

We modified our Audrey Pattern to make this short sleeve version, it is perfect for layering! 

Isn't our model, Lily, just stunning? Love her!

Would you like to create with Timber & Leaf?  We want to get you started!!  Enter below for a chance to win 5 yards of this beautiful fabric, courtesy of Violette Field Threads.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fabric Love - Ann Kelle

What a treat we had this week for our blog series Fabric Love!  Gorgeous fabric & gorgeous weather! 

You are in store for some serious eye candy... 

Here is a teaser...

 Fabric inspires us to create.  Dot, solid, stripe, floral or novelty print, it all nudges the left brain to get working!!  We like to have a wide variety of fabric options on hand to choose from including basics and prints.  We are so pleased to introduce Anne Kelle, a Robert Kaufman Designer. Ann Kelle has a fabulous range of basics and some of the cutest novelty prints around!!

Among her many fabric lines is Remix. Remix is an ever expanding line full of dots, circles, stripes, hearts and argyle which all work nicely together.  We love these circle fabrics, they are perfect to anchor a look and the wide range of colors is amazing!!

She also has a line of ever popular Chevrons in cheerful summer hues!

We are completely in love with her girlfriends line!!  Sugar Sweet ballerinas or my favorite, mermaids!!

Ann Kelle was sweet enough to send us some of her gorgeous fabric to use with our patterns.

We made these adorable Ginger Dresses for our girls using the Mermaids from Girlfriends and a pop of bright chevron.  They are sooo cute and definitely the hit of the park!!

The Ginger Dress Pattern is available in our shop!!

Would you like to create with some beautiful Ann Kelle Fabric?  

Well one lucky winner will receive 5 yard to play with!!  Simply enter below to win.

Sewing my First Quilt

 For some time now both Jessica and myself have wanted to try our hand at making a quilt. Of course our focus is primarily on clothing design and construction, but we always see so many amazing quilts at market and we decided it was time to give it a go!  

Last fall in Houston at the International Quilt Market we were visiting the Remnant Fiber Culture booth, Jessica the owner has an amazing eye for putting together prints and choosing fabrics!  She had super cool quilts hanging in her booth, they were modern and colorful and best of all, she sold them as kits!  

This past week i have been putting together my first quilt, i am using a simple pattern from Villa Rose Designs. 

I used the Eureka Pattern for this quilt, it looked the least intimidating.

For fabric i decided to use Hope Chest from Josephine Kimberling of Blend Fabrics.  Blend Fabrics have a super soft quality and i love the vintage look of this line.

First i had to cut all the fat quarter down to the right size and iron them all nice and crisp.

Then i pieced all the all the strips together.

My helper lost all interest by this point!!  Lol!!

After i cut down all the blocks and sewed them back together as the pattern directed i had this cute quilt!

I added on a border.

I just love it!!  Now i just have to sew on the batting and back then have it quilted and bind it!! Here is the fabric i have chosen for the back side.

I think that i might be hooked on quilts now!  I am already excited to try another design and was pouring over my fabric stash last night to find the perfect prints!  Let me know if you have any tips for me or a suggestion for a wonderful quilt pattern to try!

Fabric Love - Riley Blake Chevron

With each season certain trends come and go, but some trends are so adorable that they seem to stick around.  Chevron is one of these trends. The design world has gone mad for it and so have we!!  In the world of chevrons we think that Riley Blake Designs reigns supreme! 

 Riley Blake Designs has been producing chevron in a wide variety of eye catching colors. The quality of the fabric they use is noticeably soft with saturated colors that do not fade or disappoint.

photo courtesy of Pinterest

With so many beautiful colors, Riley Blake Chevron is perfect for so many projects!  We have seen beautiful clothing and quilts created as well as fun accessories and home decorating projects!  

photo courtesy of Flickr

Riley Blake Designs offers Chevron in a huge variety.  They have cotton chevron in small, medium and large prints.  In addition to the bold colors with white, they offer tonal chevrons.  If that was not enough they also have it available as a laminate, how cute would it be as a rain coat!!!

One of our all time loved patterns and photos was created using Riley Blake Designs medium Chevron in hot pink.  Emmaline is truly a stunner in this fabulous print!!

Emmaline Pattern Available at Violette Field Threads

What project would you do first with Riley Blake Designs Chevron?  We would like to help get someone started!  We are giving away 5 yards of Riley Blake Designs Chevron, courtesy of Violette Field Threads!! The winner will choose the style and color :) Enter below to win:

How to make Fabric Curlers

 I love the look of bouncy curls, but neither myself or my daughter Cairo have any natural curl to our hair.  We resort to curling irons and hairspray to get the look.  Cairo loves for me to put her hair up in rollers for the night, but the next morning the curls are always a bit frizzy and tight, not to mention her sleep was not as good as usual due to the plastic clips.

I saw the coolest fabric curlers on pinterest and decided to try and make a pair for Cairo and myself to try!  What a fun project it turned out to be!  The curlers are easy to make, cute as can be and they work!!

Here is how i made a set of nine fabric curlers:

Materials:

• 1/2 yard of fabric (or scraps from several prints)
• 9 -1/2" buttons
• Sewing machine with a button hole function
• Brown Rice or Poly/fill for stuffing

1. Create a rectangle paper template for the curlers.  I started with a 10" x 5" rectangle, this made a large curler perfect for long thick hair.  If you have fine or shorter hair then i would use a 10" x 3".

2. Cut out the fabric rectangles. We used Amy Butler Gypsy Caravan and Sun Spot for our curlers.

3. Fold the rectangles in half with the right sides touching and iron flat.

4. Sew the curler closed across the long open edge and one short end, leaving the opposite short end open for turning. Trim off 1/2 the seam allowance.

5. Turn the curlers right side out and iron them flat.

6. Sew a button onto the sewn short end of each curler.  The button should be centered and right next to the finished edge.

7. Stuff the curler with either poly/fill or rice*.  You will fill the curler up to the halfway point or approximately 4".

**We chose to fill our curlers with rice, not only is is soft to sleep on but it will maintain its shape longer than the polyfill.  Rice curlers can also be heated in the microwave for warmth or you could add some essential oils like lavender.

8. Sew down the curler at the halfway point. This will keep the rice on one side and allow you to create the strap on the opposite side.

9. Turn the raw end in 1/2" and iron flat.

10. Sew around the curler strap, thus closing the open end.

11. Sew buttonholes onto the strap.  The buttonhole should be close to the finished edge and centered to match the button.

12. Now you have made fabric curlers!!  

The curlers can be used just like a store bought set.  We washed Cairo's hair and then let it dry about 75%, put a little mousse in it and separated it into sections to roll.  Starting at the end, roll each section around the round stuffed part of each roller, when you reach the base, close the strap across each roller and button to close.

Cairo slept in her set last night, she said they were very comfortable and only one slipped out during her sleep.  Today she has bouncy curls and lots of volume.  I am going to make her a smaller set to create more spirals. 

Have fun creating a set for you and feel free to share this tutorial with your friends!!

Fabric Love - Out to Sea

 It is time to start sewing for spring!  While there are lots of cute trends out there, one of our personal favorites is Nautical prints.  Nautical prints are classic and timeless.  Just seeing them has us dreaming of ocean waves and warm sunshine!  One of our favorite Nautical lines to date is Out to Sea by Sarah Jane Studios, a designer for Michael Miller Fabric.

Although Out to Sea is not fresh off of the presses, we feel like it is absolutely perfect for spring!  With three fabulous colorways, this line has something for the girls and the boys in our lifes!

What is not to love about the crisp fun colors that make up Deep Sea Jewel.

The Ahoy There colors are perfect for a baby boy nursery or cool summer clothes!

We love the calming tones in the Morning Coral colorway.

Photos courtesy of Sarah Jane Studios Blog

We simply cannot get enough of this gorgeous line and have used it many times!  It pairs to perfectly with our designs:

Hazel & Josephine

Would you like to make a project with Out to Sea?  We would love to help you get started.  Violette Field Threads is going to giveaway 5 yards of Out to Sea fabric to one lucky reader!! Enter below to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spread the love and please share this with your friends!!

Fabric Love - Silk Road

Creating and sewing are so much more fun when you have beautiful fabrics on hand to use.  More often than not, we start off with some beautiful fabric, and design a garment around it.  Having a great stash on hand is essential in both of our studios!  We never know when those creative juices will start flowing and most of the time it happens after the fabric shops are all closed. 

Are you looking for another fun fabric to add to your stash? 

We have recently been introduced to Silk Road from the amazing designers at Michael Miller Fabrics.

Silk Road features rich batik inspired fabrics in jewel tones.  The saturated colors are perfect for spring statement pieces.  They would also be stunning for throw pillows, colorful quilts, and home decor.

Kaitlin over at Michael Miller sewed up our Emmaline Pattern in Silk Road's Magenta Spice, and it is absolutely beautiful!

We were so excited to meet up with Kathy Miller and the Michael Miller team at Quiltcon this week.  The Michael Miller booth was fun and beautiful! We will have another post on Quiltcon to come, but here are a few shots we took in the Michael Miller booth!

Here we are with Christine Osmers and Kathy Miller.

We are so pleased that Michael Miller fabrics has offered to Giveaway 5 yards of Silk Road to one lucky blog reader!  Enter below to win:

 Share with your friends and be sure to check in next week for next featured fabric collection!

You Can Make This

During our 5k Fan Giveaway, our amazing sponsor You Can Make This, generously offered 20% off all orders over $20!  

Due to some techy issues, it wasn't working....we're happy to let you all know that the issue has been resolved, and the coupon code, "VIOLETTE" will get you 20% off your entire purchase now thru February 28th!  

Check out youcanmakethis.com

Fabric Love - Field Study

 Like many of you, Jessica and I are fabric junkies!!  Our fabric stash can never be big enough.  Local quilt shops and online fabric shops are a little slice of heaven. Not only is fabric shopping therapeutic, but it also has proven to be a big source of inspiration.

Our love of fabric is one of the reasons we love attending the International Quilt Markets.  On display at these markets are tons of the newest fabric lines.  While all of them are beautiful, some just blow us away!  This year we fell head over heels in love with Field Study by Anna Maria Horner. Anna Maria Horner is one of the many talented designers of Free Spirit Fabrics.

It is not hard to see why. Look at the amazing pops of color in her booth last year!

photo from Free Spirit Blog

Field Study is such a versatile line of fabric.  It is perfect for clothing, home decor, and we have seen some of the most beautiful quilts comprised of this line.

Here are some of the amazing prints included in this line:

Photo from Quilterblog.com

Photo from Fabricshoppe

Field Study was absolutely perfect to use on our Juliette and Whitney Patterns!!

Juliette in Sinister Swarm

Whitney in Fine Feathered

Field Study is available, you can find it at many online fabric shops and be sure to check your local independently owned quilt shop!  Have you used Field Study in your recent projects? Which prints are your favorite?  Let us know!!

5K Fans HUGE Giveaway

 

 

Dear Stella Fabric Bundle of Piper, Value $100

Allegro Fabrics $45 Gift Certificate

3 Months Blog Advertising on Forty Toes Photography.com, Value $75

$100 Gift Card to Jo-Ann Fabric, courtesy of Violette Field Threads

Aren't these AMAZING Prizes???? One INCREDIBLY lucky person will win everything listed!!!!!

Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway   

***Grand Sewist's Prize (2 winners) - Value $400 (each)***

Violette Field Threads Master Collection of PDF Patterns, Value $165

Skye Reve $25 Gift Certificate

Girl Charlee $25 Gift Certificate

Shabby Fabrics $25 Gift Certificate

Pink Chalk $25 Gift Certificate

Little Lizard King $25 Gift Certificate

$85 Gift Certificate to Fabric.com, courtesy of Violette Field Threads

Two Lucky Winners are going to win these fabulous prizes!!!!!  

Enter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway The 15 Boutique Prize Packs will be randomly distributed to the 15 winners with values between $100-$150 each! You may enter to win as many as you wish! Yay!!!!! 

The 5K Fan Giveaway ends Sunday, February 3rd at 11:59 p.m.

Dear Stella

 Our 5K Fan Giveaway starts tomorrow and we are about to burst with excitement!!!!  Before we begin though, we have one last sponsor to introduce, and they are worth the wait for sure!!  We absolutely adore the spectacular fabrics of Dear Stella!!!

Dear Stella continues to design unique and beautiful fabric lines that  not create one of a kind quilts but are also perfect for clothing and accessories.  The girls behind Dear Stella are as sweet as the prints they are creating!  They are an absolute pleasure to work with and we so appreciate the inspiration they give us.

Did you know Emerald is the 2013 color of the year?  Dear Stella is right on trend with the beautiful IKEBANA collection:

We simply adore the soon to be released Clementine!!  Absolutely perfect for spring!!

We asked Dear Stella to tell us more about the vision behind the brand, and here is what they had to say:

Dear Stella is a unique fabric brand with modern style. The collection evokes an edgy freshness, combining the best of old traditions with modern influences. Our fabric will inspire both a traditional quilter and a contemporary “sewist” to reinvent their sewing style.

We love these beautiful Cotton Sateen Circle Scarfs!

What does 2013 hold out for Dear Stella?  Here is what they have in store:

We’re thinking outside the box this year, and we may experiment with expanding our product line. We also want to engage our fans more through social media, because one of our favorite things about this industry is the community. Social media has made it so easy to interact with the crafting community, and we love seeing what’s created with our fabric!

Dear Stella Town and Country is absolutely perfect on the cover of the Violette Field Threads' Fiona Pattern!!

Dear Stella is generously giving away 2/3 yards of each print included in Piper, totaling 10 yards!!  That is over $100 in fabric!!  It that does not get your creative juices flowing than nothing will!!  

Check out the beautiful Piper Collection below!  Perfect for spring and summer sewing!!

Please leave some love below for Dear Stella and let them know what you would create if you won!!

We have spent nearly two weeks introducing you to some amazing designers and shops!!!  Tomorrow the contest begins!!! Set reminders and spread the word!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Your chance to win begins at noon tomorrow!

Simply Divine Fabrics

 We only have 2 days before our 5K giveaway begins, and that means only 2 more sponsor highlights left.  You guys are going to fall in love with the creativity and sweetness of our sponsor today, Simply Divine Fabrics.  When we say that Tanaya, the owner, is a pleasure to work with, it seems too much of an understatement.  She's wonderful!!!!

Tanaya owns Simply Divine Fabrics in  Elizabeth City, North Carolina.  This shop sells everything from gorgeous fabrics to ready-made clothing.  Here's how Tanaya got started.

Simply Divine Fabrics was born out of a new found love of all things Fabric and Boutique-sewing. We sell quilt-weight and dress- weight cottons, knits, flannels and fleece. In-between time, along with all those all-important customer sales, I spent my time sewing and designing patterns in the shop, dressing my windows with the latest in the boutique and euro patterns/styles. One thing lead to another and before you knew it, we were THE go-to place to get some of the latest in boutique dresses and handbags! Soon, House of Pink Couture was born, a design house that was meant to capture the spirit and strength of young girls, tweens, and the “girly” woman!

Simply Divine Fabrics is more than just a fabric shop and go-to store for boutique dresses.  They keep themselves busy with tons more exciting ventures. Take a look at the Alice in Wonderland & The Sound of Music theater production that they outfitted.

Over the years, along with classes and community theater projects ( Alice dresses in ‘Alice in Wonderland’, plus my first Head Costumer job in ‘The Sound of Music’ this past year),  we found we were embodying more of the ‘House of Pink Couture’ than ‘Simply Divine Fabrics’. Never being able to say “no” to what God has laid on my heart, we have let our “custom design” side lead the way, so here we are!

For 2013, we will continue to tweak of vision and fulfill our first contract/shipment of our spring and summer line of House of Pink Couture in stores along the Outer Banks N.C. We are also on tap to be a custom designer/costumer for a major children’s stage production in late spring 2013 (Beauty and the Beast!) We have truly been blessed and awestruck on how much FUN we’re having with my sewing machine and a few design tools!

Simply Divine Fabrics and Tanaya are a force to be reckoned with!!Tanaya has GENEROUSLY offered an Emmaline Dress & Molly Jacket to one lucky winner!!!  The winner will work with Tanaya to choose the size/fabric.  This prize is valued over $100 and perfect for spring!!!

Here is Simply Divine Fabrics Facebook page, give her some love from us! 

Up tomorrow: Dear Stella

Little Lizard King

 We know you love sewing patterns, so we are sure you will flip over our next sponsor!!  We are delighted to have Little LIzard King today!

The Team over at Little Lizard King has produced a wide variety of darling patterns.  They are so kind to work with and like most of us are keeping  family the first priority in their lives!  We are so honored to be in the company of such compassionate and talented designers!

Sunsuit

Here is a little more about how they got their start:

I’m a sewing addict following in the footsteps of my seamstress mom. My mom introduced me to sewing at a young age. I dabbled in clothing, quilts, and alterations, but I didn’t catch the bug, until I had a child, and then I was hooked. Beyond hooked.I quickly realized how easy and inexpensive it is to make custom clothing for my child and her friends, and after a couple requests and some kind compliments, I decided to start making step-by-step instructions to sell to other little lizards as well. My goal is to teach you to create custom clothing at a fraction of boutique prices.

Here are some of the many fabulous designs they have:

Ellie Tiered Twirl

Apron Knot Dress

Does your daughter love American Girl dolls? Then you are sure to love this:

I’m happy to let you know that many patterns now include 18″ doll versions. You can make matching sets for your daughters and their dolls. Doll clothes are the perfect birthday or holiday gift, and they are so simple and inexpensive to make.

Prep School Pleated Skirt

We are soooo excited that Little Lizard King has donated four $25.00 Gift Certificates to their shop!!! With only three more days until the giveaway starts, be sure to visit Little Lizard King today and browse the shop.

Pop over and check out the Lizard King Blog too!  Leave some love  and let them know VFT sent you!!

Blog Post Tomorrow:  Simply Divine Fabrics

Wildflower Child

 It is time for another superb sponsor!!  Today we have more premade goodness to share with Wildflower Child Boutique!

Wild Flower Child is a fabulous children's boutique.  The owner and designer Bethany, is creating adorable clothes in fun fashionable prints and colors.  From closet staples to special occasions, this boutique has it all!  

We had a chance to ask Bethany a little more about herself and her shop, here is what she had to say:

My name is Bethany. I am a wife, mother to three kids, and a 1st grade teacher. My little shop, Wildflower Child, is a way for me to creatively express myself. I work out of my home studio creating my own pieces that are unique as well as practical and playground worthy! I strive to make one of a kind outfits that stand out in a crowd! I spend hours with my sketchbook coming up with new fabric/pattern combinations. Each of my outfits are sewn with pride and love.

What girl wouldn't love this Alice In Wonderland inspired look?!?!

Here are some exciting plans from Wild Flower Child Boutique in 2013:

I have more plans than there are days!!! I'm currently working on three different clothing lines. "Little Black Dress" is scheduled to be photographed in late January. "Rodeo Romance" is scheduled to be photographed in mid-February. "Over the Rainbow" is on the books for early March! I also have some super unique Saint Paddy's Day creations and a few other bits and pieces in the works!!

Bethany has graciously donated a $100 gift certificate to her lovely shop!!!!  WOW!!!  

You do not have to wait to start shopping!  For VFT blog readers only, use code VIOLETTE15 for a 15% discount at Wild Flower Child today!!  Here is a link to her Facebook page, that has tons more items and fabric choices!

Please leave some love below!!

On the Blog Tomorrow: Little Lizard King!

Clothesline Kids| Hootycutie| Missy Mae's Tutus

How excited are you all getting about all of the sponsors we're getting?  This giveaway is soon to start, don't worry!  We have just a few more days, and a few more *awesome* sponsors to introduce you to.  Today we have three more fabulous boutiques to share.  

All of them are offering spectacular prizes next week!

First up is the darling shop Clothesline Kids!

Maria, the owner of Clothesline Kids has created a shop full of fresh looks sewn in the most popular fabrics available.  In addition to adorable girls boutique clothing, you can also find the cutest burb cloth and bib baby sets!

Robert Kaufman Remix Chevron Bermuda Skirt

whitney trousers

Maria has generously donated an amazing prize!  One winner will receive a pair of Whitney Trousers and a Circle Skirt as shown above!!! So sweet!!!  The winner will work directly with Maria to choose fabrics and sizing!! 

Please take a minutes to browse around Clothesline Kids today and leave some love for Maria! Here is her FB page!

Are you ready for a cuteness overload!!  Well then check out our next sponsor Hootycutie!!

Niki, the owner of Hootycutie, is creating fashion for the cool kids!  Her whimsical prints and boho styling is spot on!  She has looks not only for the girls in your life, but awesome clothes for boys too!!

We also are impressed by her gorgeous photography...

Everyone asks where to buy Emmaline in Chevron?!  Well, here it is, by Hootycutie!

Niki of Hootycutie is donating a $60 gift card to her shop!!  Good luck deciding what to buy, it is all so cute!!!

Be sure to visit Hootycutie and take a look around.  You can also check out her blog and her Facebook and let her know VFT sent you.

Do you have a girls that loves to twirl?  Well the next shop is perfect for her.  We happy to introduce Missy Mae's Tutus!

The lovely Tabitha is the owner and designer of Missy Mae, and she certainly knows what little girls want!  She has a beautiful assortment of tutus, flower headbands and hairclips, and darling caplets.  

Check out some of her gorgeous creations

Tabitha of Missy Mae Tutus has donated  a $60 credit to her shop!!  Woohooo!!

Please leave her some love on her Missy Mae Tutu Facebook page!

The contest starts next Tuesday!!!!!!!  Don't forget to spread the word and please leave some love below :)

Tomorrows blog post: Wildflower Child

Little Pink Blanket

 Today's sponsor is all about the girly girls!!  We are so pleased to introduce you to the darling boutique Little Pink Blanket!! 

Little Pink Blanket is an adorable online boutique full of darling looks for every little girl.  They offer beautiful hair accessories, ruffled legwarmers, tutus and boutique clothing for any occasion.  Tanya and Tara the owners of Little Pink Blanket have a pulse on what little girls want to wear and this shop is sure to please even the pickiest fashionista!

We had a chance to speak with Tanya and ask her how she and her sister got started, here is their story:

My sister Tara and I decided a little more than a year ago that we really wanted to do something to try to earn a little more income for our families. We each had three girls at the time ranging in ages from 3 months to 10 years. So, we started out making hair bows and clips, then moved onto headbands, tutus, legwarmers, ruffled leggings, and eventually clothing. We have each had another baby since then (me a boy and her another girl), and I'm expecting another girl in May so we have plenty of models!! We love coming up with new things all the time and doing custom orders that are new and different!

Here are just a few of their adorable headbands and hairclips!!

We love these sweet dresses!!

Little Pink Blankets plans to continue expanding their inventory even more in 2013!!

Our plans for 2013 are to grow our business more and to start a blog!

We are sooo delighted to say that Little Pink Blanket is donating a $100 Gift Certificate to their shop for our 5K Giveaway!  WOW!!!!  Just think of all the little girl swag that is going to buy!!!  Here is a link to her Etsy store, and here is a link to her Facebook page.

But you can start saving right now!!!!!  Pop over to Little Pink Blanket today and save 10% just for being a VFT Blog reader.  Simply use the code: LPBB10 at checkout.

Please leave some love for Tanya and Tara below and don't forget less than one week until our giveway begins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow's Blog Post:  Hooty Cutie, Clothesline Kids, Missy Mae's Tutus & Kidz from Marz.

Pink Chalk Fabrics

 Today we are honored to showcase...

At Pink Chalk you will find everything you need for any sewing project. They offer premium fabrics, ribbon, notions, and of course patterns. Kathy, the owner, has a knack for choosing modern and classic designs for her shop and the customer service is truly amazing!

Amy Butler Ribbon, Lizzy House Pearl Bracelets in 26 colors

Do you ever feel nervous about ordering fabric online, wondering if the colors truly match? Pink Chalk also offers a brilliant color matching service.  They are available by phone to help you match prints + solid colors together, and to offer any requested advice the project you are working on! It takes all of the guess work out of ordering.

We asked Kathy to tell us how she started this wonderful shop, and here is what she had to say:

In 2006, I began writing about my quilting, sewing and crafting adventures on a blog I named Pink Chalk Studio. I was a stay-at-home mom and was elated to discover the inspiring world of online craft bloggers. With the encouragement of the online community of sewists I'd met through my blog, I published my first sewing pattern in 2007. I launched Pink Chalk Fabrics the following year.

The company is now a full time business with 7 employees operating out of a 2,600 SQF commercial work space on Bainbridge Island, Washington. While the surroundings are a long way from the spare bedroom in which it began, a true love of sewing and sharing the craft continues to drive the mission of Pink Chalk Fabrics.

The shop features quality natural fibers for quilting and sewing with a good selection of knits and Liberty Tana Lawn for apparel sewists. 

 

Amy Butler Alchemy Fairy Tale, Josi Severson Organic Cotton Jersey Knit, Liberty of London Tana Lawn

I'm especially proud of our extensive offering of solids that include Kona Cottons, Free Spirit Designer Solids, Michael Miller Cotton Couture Solids, and Moda Bella Solids. We provide color matching of solids to popular designer collections and also field requests from customers. The results are shared on our blog and Facebook page – one of our most popular series!

 

We stay connected to our customers through a weekly newsletter, a Saturday feature of a customer sewing project, Facebook posts, and the Pink Chalk Studio Blog which will celebrate 7 years in March.

Pink Chalk Studios also offers free patterns to download directly from the website!  Look at his beautiful Infinity Scarf Pattern that is available now.

Here is what Kathy and the Pink Chalk team has in store for 2013:

 We're always up to something new around here and 2013 will be no different. Everyone that works at Pink Chalk Fabrics is an idea generator. We often take a single inspiring thought and have it implemented the following week. It keeps things fresh and fun for us and our customers!  In the coming months look for a new monthly solids club, new Pink Chalk Studio pattern designs, and our first ever sew along.

Kathy of Pink Chalk is so generously donating 3 awesome gift cards to our 5k giveaway!  One Ultimate Prize Sewist will receive a $50.00 gift card!  Two more Grand Prize Sewists will receive $25.00 gift cards.  

Now is the perfect time to browse Pink Chalk Studio and look at all of the amazing products in her shop!!

Please leave them some love below!!

40 Toes Photography| Little Gray| JAB Creations| My Sweet Sunshine

There is only 1 week until our 5K Giveaway begins, and the introduction of our phenomenal sponsors continues! Today we'll have a peek at four more boutique sponsors!!  Non-sewists & sewists alike will be thrilled with these offerings. We've got loads of gorgeous clothing and even advertising spaces up for grabs!

First on our *amazing* line-up is Forty Toes Photography.

 You will be hard pressed to meet someone with more passion or kindness than Jennifer!  Not only is she an amazing photographer, but she also runs the amazing Forty Toes Blog.  Jennifer's site is a boutique owners dream!! She goes above and beyond to promote boutiques and help them succeed!!  

Jennifer is donating 3 months of advertising space on her blog!!!  With her nearly 28,000 facebook followers this is prize is truly a DREAM for any shop owner!!!

She just had a massive giveaway and had nearly 165,000 entries & over 100 winners! Can you imagine the exposure???

Did we mention that she's an amazing photographer, too? Well it's worth another mention ;)

She's photographed for us before, and we LOVED it! Her daughter is a knock-out!

Please leave some love for Jennifer on her Blog or Facebook and let her know that Violette Field Threads sent you!!!

Do you love Violette Field Threads patterns, but would rather leave the sewing to the professionals?  Well then JAB Creations is the perfect shop for you!!!

Jessica, the owner of JAB Creations, has a talent for combining beautiful designs with on trend fabric.  Her shop is full of darling looks, and she takes custom orders for boys and girls!

Look at these darling clothes:

Elise Shirt with Penelope skirt, Ginger Top with Lucy Pants

Jessica has generously donating a wonderful prize!  One winner will receive a Ginger Top and coordinating Lucy Pants just like the set below!!! Oh my goodness!!!  The winner will work directly with Jessica to choose fabrics and sizing!! 

Be sure to head over to JAB Creations and check out all the goodies in her shop!!  Here is her Facebook page, where she always keeps her fans up to date with new goodies!

Do you have a man in your life?  You know, like a little man :)  Everyone with boys has to know about our next boutique, Little Gray & Co.

Brandy, the owner of Little Gray & Co., is creating the most darling looks for baby boys!  With her vintage styling and fabulous prints, this shop just cannot be missed.

Brandy, of Little & Gray Co., is offering a prize package including a little man onesie in pinstripe, and two little man pre-tied neckties!! Hooray!!!

You have to go and browse around Little & Gray Co., the photography and clothing are so precious!  Visit her Facebook page while your at it, Little & Gray Co. and leave some love for her ;)

If you are looking for something to brighten up any day then take a look at our next sponsor My Sweet Sunshine!  

The name of this shop could not be a more perfect description of the delightful looks inside.  Alexis, the owner, is spot on with trends and colors each season.  Her gorgeous photography makes this shop feel like a breathe of fresh air!!

Feast your eyes of this eye candy!!!! 

Pink Ombre A-line Dress $32, Popsicle Color Blocking Dress $34

Spring Fling Criss Cross Dress $38.99, Mustard & Cream Striped Swing Dress $30.00

Alexis, of My Sweet Sunshine is donating a $60 gift card to her shop!!  The only hard part will be deciding what to spend it on!!!

Head over to My Sweet Sunshine today to shop her Spring 2013 pre-sale!! Here is a link to her Facebook page where you can stay up to date on new items in her shop!

WOW!!!  Can you believe how generous and amazing our sponsors are!!!!  Only one week left until the contest starts!  Please remember to mark it on your calenders and tell your friends :)

Tomorrows blog post: Pink Chalk Studio

Carina Gardner

 We are over joyed to have the AMAZINGLY talented Carina Gardner to talk about today!!  Carina Gardner was very inspirational to us when we first started designing as Violette Field Threads and we were definitely a little starstruck when we met her at Spring Quilt Market last year!! She was so sweet and made us feel right at home in her gorgeous booth!

Carina and her daughters

Carina's flawless style and skillful design is reflected in everything she does, and she has one impressive resume!  Carina is designer and owner of Carta Bella Paper Company, she designs fabric lines with Riley Blake, has her own line of adorable sewing patterns and designs digital scrapbook products. 

 Here are some gorgeous scrapbook paper for  Carta Bella Paper Company.

 Look at these precious sewing patterns:

Rini Doll & Mermaid, Garden Party Outfit, Dainty Blossoms Sling

We asked Carina how she got started designing and this is what she told us:

Creativity is an integral part of Carina’s life! She has always loved working with her hands—creating beautiful things out of fabric and paper. As a child she would break the needle on her mom’s sewing machine making barbie dresses, hide in the closet writing plays, and doodle to her heart’s content. As an adult, she tries very hard to include beauty in her life whether with her three children, in her designs, or home.

Look at some of her gorgeous fabrics!!

They also have very exciting plans for 2013:

I have two fabric lines coming out for Riley Blake. The first is called Remember and will be in shops April 2013. My second line is a black and white line and will come out in the fall 2013. I have a line of dish ware coming out in April 2013 for Deseret Book. I also plan on premiering new sewing patterns in May for Quilt Market. I am also opening a new online shop in February with online classes and my new line of wallpapers.

Carina is donating an AMAZING PRIZE to our Ultimate Prize Sewist that is valued at $100!  One lucky winner will win a Fat Quarter Pack of her Dainty Blossoms fabric line as well as 2 Fabulous Carina Gardner Sewing Patterns.

 

 Please be sure to leave some love below for Carina Gardner!!!!!!!

Only 9 more days until the start of The 5k Fans Giveaway!!!!!!!   

Up next for tomorrow's blog post: Forty Toe's Photography, My Sweet Sunshine, JAB Creations, Little Gray Co.