Giveaway: Handmade Beginnings by Anna Maria Horner
Jaime and I have been eagerly awaiting Handmade Beginnings
"... 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby"... By Anna Maria Horner?!?!
Just about the best combo ever for the gals from Prudent Baby. This book was worth waiting for! We've been drooling over every gorgeous page and can't wait to try out a project. The little dress below is on my to-do list.
Thanks for entering! We will announce the winner next Sunday when we are part of Anna Maria's Blog Book Tour! So here goes. Enter to win a copy of this beautiful (and useful!) book
We will announce the winner on May 23rd (my birthday!) when we are part of the book tour for Handmade Beginnings
If you would like to take a peek at the rest of the tour, here's the schedule:
May 3 Craft
May 4 Indie Fixx
May 5 Sew Mama Sew
May 6 Pink Chalk Studio
May 10 Wise Craft
May 14 House on Hill Road
May 16 The Purl Bee
May 18 All Buttoned Up
May 19 Alabama Chanin Journal
May 20 Homemade by Jill
May 21 True Up
May 22 Oh, Fransson!
May 23 Prudent Baby
May 24 Sew Liberated
May 25 Handmade by Alissa
May 26 Hazelnuts
May 27 Petite Purls
And not to confuse y'all but we will announce the winner of The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin
Labels: Giveaways
posted by Jacinda @ 9:37 AM
120 Comments:
What project has been the most treasured in your family?
What is the best way to organize ALL of your sewing materials???
Where do you get your inspiration for projects, patterns, fabric, and everything lovely you make?
How do you sew without your children standing on the pedal of the sewing machine? :)
When do you get the bulk of your work done? Do you stay up late/get up early? Share your secrets for productivity ^_^
How do you look so young and well rested with a houseful of children?!
Can we take a peak into your craft room? I'm ready for something great and I'd love to get an inside peak of yours!!!
I would love to win! Do you have any pointers for a new crafter?
I like to design and make fabrics. (I batik and weave.) I get the sense that large scale fabric design is verrrrry different from what I dabble in. What sorts of tactile processes do you use to design fabric?
I want to sew around my children so they can see the process of making a sheet of fabric into something functional, but haven't found a happy way of doing so.
Do you have any tips on how toddlers/preschoolers can help out in the sewing room?
What has been your favorite project?
Do you have a GINORMOUS stack of fabric sitting under your sewing table with every piece designated for some project that may never get done because you have small children running around? : ) I know I do! So any tips on making time for projects would be much appreciated! My mind goes a hundred miles an hour with all my ideas, but I can't seem to get them done!
PS the tour will be great! Prudent Baby and Homemade By Jill are my FAV blogs!!! : ) Hooray!
~Melissa
What a great giveaway! I am wondering how Anna finds time to be creative and juggle family life.
How can you save money by doing projects like these? I always find that sewing something costs more than if I had just bought it. Any tips?
What often inspires the patterns and color palletes for your fabrics
So exciting!!!
Anna, what is the one accomplishment you are most proud of?
Are you happy that your oldest daughter also goes to art school?
What was the first baby item you ever sewed? I am getting more into sewing for my baby and I'd love this book! I also like that you included some maternity stuff in there too, because we tend to forget about ourselves!
Do you have a favorite thing you've made?
Such a cute book! How did you get into publishing?
I'm expecting my first child in July, and I'm very excited. His nursery is going to be very DIY. :)
What's your favourite type of fabric to sew for children?
LOVE the new book!!!!
How in the world do you find time to be so creative with 5 kids? I have 1, and 1 on the way, and I seem to always have something get in the way of my crafting time. Thanks!!!
That looks like a book that I need! Where do you find all of the cute fabrics?
my question for mrs. horner is simple: how did you get to be so awesome?
:)
What is a good sewing machine for beginners? I would like to learn to make those cute shoes!
I have a lot friends who have babies or are currently pregnant. In your opinion, what is the best homemade gift for baby and mom?
How long did it take you to write this book? I would LOVE to own it, it looks great.
when did you know that this is what you wanted to do with your life and what gave you the courage to pursue it?
What a great giveaway!
What are the best tips you would give a new mom regarding sewing with little ones?
I'd love to win. Do you have any basic tips for someone just starting to craft and sew?
faithcarpenter at gmail dot com
Have you tried to teach your older children how sew? Do you have any advice for when and how to begin to teach a child sewing basics? Thanks!
Anna, I know how busy you must be with 6 kids (I 'only' have 4!), and that you run a business (we run a totally-non-design-or-craft-related business) - what's your advice for apportioning time to allow for being creative? Often I get caught up in the whole "researching" other peoples blogs, Flickr etc, and then realize that I should do more rather than read about others doing.
What do you find our the biggest challenges and the biggest blessings in raising a large family?
Do you have your own sewing room, and if so do your kiddos hang out in there when you're sewing?
How do you balance work time and family time?
What inspires you in making a new craft? Is it the design in your mind, or a fabric/material that speaks to you, or maybe even something else?
what are some of your secrets for staying organized and on task with little ones in the house? or without little ones for that matter?
There are a lot of great questions on here about having a large family and still finding time to pursue your passions. I, too, want to raise a large family bursting with creativity. My oldest is 20-months. At what age did you introduce your children to crafting, and how do you encourage such a young one to be and think creatively?
What is your favorite project in the book? Are there projects suitable for us beginners? ;-)
What is a crafting medium that you would love to try but haven't?
I would love to have this book! I'm interested in making more of my own patterns. What would advice would you give to a novice pattern-maker?
how did you pick your kids' names?
How do you manage 6 kiddos underfoot while working/designing/sewing? Do you have someone help care for them, have activities to keep them occupied? I have 3, and cannot find time at all to sew really, let alone to create!
Anna, Do you save the things you made for your children to pass down to their children?
i am very new to sewing and there are SO many techniques that i see on homemade clothes that make me *gulp*. they look so hard!!! so i just avoid those clothes and stick to only stuff that is elasticated (in the tube of the fabric - ive never tried shirring or anything like that). yes i am soooo scared that i still havent sewed buttons or zips yet. it looks so hard! but lets just say that my kids have an extensive elasticated wardrobe haha.
so, my question is, what is one technique that looks SO hard and that a beginner may avoid, but in actual fact is incredibly easy and fool-proof? what technique should i step outside of my comfort zone to try? :) thanks!!
xxx Karen
Im an australian mumma to a 5 yr old girl, 3 yr old boy, and a new lil bubba girl due date 8th June!!! (yay!)
karen (at) tkday (dot) net
Where do you get inspiration to choose fabrics, like where in the world?
I read that you have a grandmother from Greece, and it seems like you have some colors from that lovely contry.
Hugs from Stine in Norway
I'd love to get more into sewing for my new little girl, but so many of the cute patterns I see seem to be all about the beautiful fabric, which I don't have access to in Australia. Do you think that I can achieve the same results with simpler or less patterned fabric?
Everybody has a pet peeve with sewing (I have a LIST) - what was one of yours that you created your own solution to? I'd love to learn a few tricks!
Oh I would LOVE to win this book. What a great give-away. Are the projects easy enough for a brand new sewer to do?
Hi Anna!
I have a super hard time reading patterns, do you have any advice for beginners in regard to following patterns/directions?
Thanks!
This has nothing to do with sewing, but I'd like to know where you got inspiration for you kids' names!
-PS, The book is gorgeous!
Love, love, love you, my dear! In the current market, what do you think is the best way to go about opening an online fabric shop? (featuring your lovely fabrics of course!)
I want this book so bad! It is way too cute! Such a great giveaway.
How do you find time for creativity and crafting when you are busy with children? I have two, Kaitlin is 2 years and Caleb is 6 months, and I am having a hard time finding the time to sew.
I live in France so my fabric shopping is done primarily online. How do I choose a fabric based on just the small square photo? What should I look for?
What do you do to relax?
How do you store your fabrics and do you tips and tricks for organizing your office/craft/sewing room?!
Thanks! Elizabeth
www.to-be-charmed.com
Where do you get your ideas from...they are wonderful?
Do you have any money saving tips? I love designer fabrics but I can afford the 4 to 8 dollor a yard price tag. any ideas on how to get some for cheaper?
what a lovely book! I'd love to win.. :)
and the question:
what types of fabric do you recommend for sewing for young babies?
It seems there are a lot of similar questions out there like mine but i would like to know how she gets everything done that she would like as well as being a mom and getting everything done that goes along with that.
Do you have any tips on how to allow a toddler to "help" while sewing? It might buy me a little more time to finish a project or two!
Where do you get inspiration from?
This comment has been removed by the author.
oops - I love your fabrics and what I meant to ask was how did you get started as a designer?
What is a good starter project?
Oh would I love this book - fingers crossed.
What is the one thing you would love to make but have never managed to get round to it?
What tips do you have for modifying existing garments to become maternity wear?
In particular, I'd love to modify t-shirts so they don't just hang like tents, and I'm also having the darnedest time finding a fleece jacket (yes, in May. But it's Seattle.) It seems like I should be able to buy a larger size and trim it down - but my new geometry confounds me!
That looks like a very cool book. What was your favorite project in the book?
lbroadstreet(at)tds(dot)net
Can you recommend a sewing machine brand to buy? I've heard mixed reviews on all different kinds!
Thanks so much!
Lindsey
ladyufshalott at yahoo dot com
Time management... I have not sewn much of anything since my son was born 6 months ago. How do you make time for all things sewing and otherwise?
What was your first ever sewing project and how old were you?
I would also love to know when you get your sewing done. Us mommies get so busy...any tips on getting projects done would be great! ;)
anna, i'd like to know what was the very first project you sewed for your kids? did you get started sewing with your first child?
The book looks fab! Thanks for the giveaway!
Who most inspired you in your life? Someone in your family or perhaps a friend?
Thanks!
Robin
cokelush at gmail
There's a lot of great questions here...My biggest question is related to time management and creativity. Do you schedule creative times and if so how do you keep inspired when in a time crunch?
this book looks adorable.
i would like to get some tips for crafting in a small and messy department.
I would love to know how you juggle work and family with a houseful of children! We're expecting baby #4, and our other three are 5, 4, and 2. Do you sew and design just whenever you get a snippet of time, or do you have set "business hours" where momma is working and off limits (and under another's care)?
My question is simple... where do you find your inspiration for all these projects? :)
Hi Anna Maria, I watched the video on your book; you are a true inspiration! I have a 7-month old and feel like I can't find the time to finish any project I start (thankfully, my husband is patient). I recently acquired my first sewing machine, and am scared to death to sit down at it in fear of breaking it and messing up on cool fabric. Do you have any beginner books to recommend? Somehow, I need to get over this intimidation!
I guess we all have the same question: How do you run your house, your family and your business and not lose your mind?
Oooh...*squee* I'd love to win this book! All the reviews make it look just SCRUMMY.
My question for Anna is...what is your creative process? Do you look at a kid and think "how can I make that thing look CUTER?!" Or do you look at fabric and say "How can I put that on a kid?" ??
Anna--Your fabric styles are so amazing. What is the most creative use of your fabric that you have seen out there in the blog world?
What is the next project that you are planning?
I so love your fabrics- very colorful and happy. Maybe it's an assumption that you must have a cheery disposition--- but what do you do to keep creativity flowing and happiness exuding from your work? Thank you so much for putting a smile on MY face!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Let me start by saying that I love the creativity that y'all inspire, it almost gives me the courage to clean off the sewing table and start creating again!
I would love to use my stash of vintage and vintage-esque fabrics to make some dresses for my daughter, but I often find that the patterns are too busy, any suggestions on using the fabrics without creating an overwhelming appearance?
What is your favorite item to sew? Quilts? Clothes? Bags/Purses? Or, do you need variety to keep you creative?
Also, can you tell us more about your beautiful embroidery? Will you have a book about that any time in the future?
-mab
I have two unrelated questions if that's okay. I am a new garment sewist and never heard of "voile", and read raves about it in blogland. How/why did you decide to put a line out and what are pointers for working with it. What's the difference between it and cotton?
My 2nd question is weird I know, but are you friends with Amy Butler and do you two bounce ideas off each other? Just curious if 2 major influences in the industry get together.
Love your work....everything about all of it. :) Big fan here! I am curious to know: What was the first sewn item that you made and how long ago was that?
Can't wait to see this book in person.
How do you stay creative with all the drains of motherhood?
What makes your projects stand out from other "sewing for baby" books?
I am 100% in line w/ "wiscogirl."
Sitting down to my sewing machine is a dream some times that never becomes reality. I fear I will mess up the tension settings and not be able to get them right again, I fear messing up nice and expensive fabric, I fear sewing when that time could have been spent w/ my son. After all, they do grow up so quickly. How do we get started?
How do you balance your time?
BTW - Can't wait to get the book!!!
I wouldlove this book! I am getting back into crafts now that I have children!
I have two questions:
Have you always wanted a "large" family? and
How do you balance family life with work life?
What is your favourite project from the new book, which, by the way, looks amazing!!
anna, what do you do when your daughter(s) want a princess dress? do you fold and sew with that icky polyester shiny fabric or do you encourage them toward natural princessdom (cotton etc.?)
xoxo
How do you find the time with all those kids? I can't even imagine doing all that you do and I only have 1 so far!
At what age do you get kids involved in the sewing process?
Love the book!
Calee
What places do you love to take your children?
how did you begin your carrier ?
thanks!
Did you ever work normal/min. wage jobs and dream of doing what you're doing now? How did you make it happen?
What's your favorite creative outlet?
Oh goodness, how I would love a copy of this book!
My question for Anna is: Since no mother has enough time to make everything she wants to for her baby (at least, I assume not!), how do you decide what to spend your time on and what's okay to pick up at the store? Are there a few key handmade clothes or items that you find give you the most impact?
There are TONS of sewing projects out there for baby girls, but not as many for boys. What are your fave sewing projects for the little guys?
when and how do you get started to sew?
How are you able to find time to be a creative artist while not getting bogged down in the daily tasks of life and motherhood?
How do you come up with the quaint, clever, and very fitting names for all your fabrics? You are oh so very talented!! I cannot wait to start working on new dresses for my daughters in the Good Folks - Fortune in Sea fabric I just bought!
What is your favorite item to make?
How do you find the time to sew with all those adorable little kids?
What was the first craft project you remember doing? What age? I was just thinking the other day how as I child ( 8 years old) I found pieces of scrap fabric in my parents garage and I hand sewed a doll quilt. I wish I knew where it was!
Micahrissa@gmail.com
What should a self taught 'sew-er' ask when talking to a true seamstress?
What was your very first sewing project?
I'm a newer Mama of a 7 month-old. Do you have any pointers on how to have creative time while still spending quality time with a wee one?
Do you have a secret for zippers>?
mommypants13@gmail.com
What is your favorite of all the projects you've created?
Not sure if I've made the cut off time
but i'll ask my question anyway
Do you have one sewing technique that you try to avoid at all costs?
When do you find time to sew and still make time for your kiddos and husband? Also, how do you control the sewing mess so kiddos don't get into it?
Looks a great book! My question is-do you find it hard to sew lovely things for boys as well as girls?
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home