Special for my readers! DIY Wardrobe Makeovers personalized gifts

11.25.2015

Special for my readers! DIY Wardrobe Makeovers personalized gifts

I hope you guys are as excited about this as I am!

I really want to share DIY Wardrobe Makeovers with as many people as are interested this holiday season, so if you like to sew and share your love of sewing with others... please consider giving a copy of DIY Wardrobe Makeovers to friends and family, and/or putting it on your wishlist!

As an added incentive... I'm going to write personalized holiday cards to anyone who orders the book between now and December 18! (I wish I could write personalized thank-yous to every single person who's bought the book, but I can't--so the best I could come up with is sending a little something extra to those who buy it this holiday season!)

If you want to give an even more personalized gift to someone, give a copy of my book plus a card from me with a holiday hello, or even an inspirational message if you want!

How do you do this, you ask??

1. Buy the book (anywhere)
2. Email me the following: 
1. A PDF or photo of your receipt 
2. Your name and the name of the recipient (or just your name, if it's for yourself!)
3. A little bit about who the book is for--does the recipient need a little help mending or getting new sewing ideas? It it someone you taught to sew, or you want to teach you to sew? What would you like me to share? Maybe it's just Happy Holidays, but let me know!
4. The address where you want the card sent (I can send to you, if you're delivering the book in person and want to wrap it together, or can send directly to the recipient)
3. That's it! I'll ship the cards December 19. (International readers can participate, too, but cards may not arrive to you by Christmas unless you get requests to me early.)

Won't this be fun!!

Here are some of my fave photos from DIY Wardrobe Makeovers. There are projects in it for every season and skill level!

You can read more about the book, including the chapters and types of skills/projects you'll find, in this post and this post. I've heard from experienced sewists and folks who are brand new that it's helpful, fun, and inspiring, which is so awesome. I hope you agree!

Please check out DIY Wardrobe Makeovers and email me your receipt and the address of the person you want a card sent to (as described above)! Thanks so much for your support, and happy holidays!!

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Win my book! DIY Wardrobe Makeovers giveaway - 3 copies! And reviews

8.14.2015

Win my book! DIY Wardrobe Makeovers giveaway - 3 copies! And reviews

Three copies of my book to give away, plus two very special raves to share!

I wrote a note to my grandma in her copy of DIY Wardrobe Makeovers. She's not known for being the sentimental type, but sometimes I am, and she's been sewing for most of her life and was part of my growing up surrounded by sewists. She and her mom taught my mom to sew. My mom is a professional seamstress, and taught me when I was very young to play around with a needle and thread, then a sewing machine, then patterns at the cutting table. It was so special to be able to sign a copy of my book for my grandma, and even more special when she called me on my cell phone (I forgot she had the number) when she got it in the mail to thank me for the kind words, and compliment my hard work!

My husband's grandma ordered a copy of the book. When she got it, she sent me the sweetest email (she's 90 and excellent at email) complimenting the photos, the projects, and my hard work. She's been in a book group for something like 30 years and every July members share their lists of recommendations with each other. This year she put my book on her list and was so proud to mention it was written by her grandson's wife! She said everyone at the book club looked at it a long time, passing it around. Of course I signed her copy when I saw her recently, too!

I'm so, so flattered by the positive attention DIY Wardrobe Makeovers has received from these, and other readers.

I'm excited to give away 3 copies to you!

If you haven't bought the book already, take this opportunity to enter the giveaway below!

Here are a few of my fave projects and photos from the book. These are all from the last chunk of the book, the DIY style projects.

The book is organized into 1) basic sewing techniques, tools, and inspiration ideas; 2) fit fix projects--hem, lengthen, take in, etc., and 3) DIY style projects--turn a garment into another type of garment. All based on my years of sewing, blogging, and working with friends, I've figured out what projects are super helpful to know! All the content is brand new, never seen on the blog before, except the bonus mending project in section 2 for my 2009 essential jeans-mending method tutorial (my most popular post ever).

This is the dress-into-peplum top makeover (the top on the cover is a variation!)...

Here's the contrast sleeve tee... (they painted over this wall not long after we took this shot!)

And here's the tuxedo stripe pants project! The chalk in the background was so fresh the guy doing it was just a few steps down from these stairs in the Park Blocks!

So if you haven't already, please check out DIY Wardrobe Makeovers on Amazon and add it to your wishlist--and enter the giveaway below! If you don't win, of course I'd love if you buy it, but you can also get it at the library or flip through it at a bookstore. =)

Entry-Form

I do have one favor to ask--however you read the book, whether yours or borrowed, if you like it, it would be SO wonderful if you could leave a positive review on Amazon! Most craft/sewing books do not get a lot of reader-written reviews, so I'd love if you could help mine stand out with more positive words from readers! So far I have four great reviews. It makes me so happy to read each one. If you have or find a copy of the book and if you like it, PLEASE share it with the world in a review!

Thank you and good luck!!

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DIY Wardrobe Makeovers GIVEAWAY! 3 copies!

6.02.2015

DIY Wardrobe Makeovers GIVEAWAY! 3 copies!

What an honor it is to be able to give away copies of MY book!!! I seriously wish that I could give one away to each and every one of you - thank you for reading this blog and following along in my exciting publishing journey!! But, I can't.

I can, however... go this giveaway of 3 copies of DIY Wardrobe Makeovers!

And, if you're in the Portland area, please come to by book signing this Sunday, June 7 at Barnes & Noble! RSVP here. You don't have to buy the book or anything, just come say hi and chat about sewing, Portland, blogging, whatever you'd like! If you do have a copy of the book, I'll sign it!

Check out the options below to enter the giveaway! I truly appreciate every time you share the book or keep up to date on social media. Thank you so much!!

Entry-Form

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DIY Wardrobe Makeovers BOOK SIGNING announced!!!

5.21.2015

DIY Wardrobe Makeovers BOOK SIGNING announced!!!

I am SO excited to announce my book signing on June 7th at Barnes & Noble in Portland!

June 7 is the official release date of DIY Wardrobe Makeovers, and if you pre-ordered it (thank you!!) you should receive it by then. Bring a copy with you to the signing, and I'll sign it and thank you in person!!!

If not, you can buy a copy at the store!

Please RSVP on the EventBrite event here.

My box of books arrived this week and I feel like a kid in a candy shop. I'm so happy with how the book turned out and I love flipping through them and looking at the photos and sidebars and features! I can't wait to share them with you all and hear what you like about them!

I would LOVE to meet you or see you again at my book signing June 7, 1:00 to 3:00 PM (drop in any time) in Portland at Lloyd Center Mall Barnes & Noble! RSVP here! Thank you!!

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DIY Wardrobe Makeovers: sneak peek!

4.07.2015

DIY Wardrobe Makeovers: sneak peek!

My book arrived last week. An advance copy, just for me. The first time I've held my writing in heavy matte bound form, and it's amazing!

It's been available for pre-order on Amazon for a while now (THANK YOU for your pre-orders! The price has already dropped significantly and you'll get the lowest price ever when it come to your door!) but now the "Look Inside!" feature is up so you can see more pages from it.

DIY Wardrobe Makeovers: Alter, Refresh & Refashion Your Clothes Step-by-Step Sewing Tutorials

Unlock your closet’s potential with simple wardrobe fixes and refashions to express your style. These basic alterations and step-by-step restyling tutorials will help you fit and reassemble garments into newfound faves. No sloppy shortcuts here—learn how to alter sweaters, pants, and everything in your wardrobe for a more flattering fit. Take it in, take it up, or let it out—all on your home sewing machine. Spend less, look better!

I was overjoyed to receive my advance copy last week, and it was so fun to share with my parents and mother-in-law over the weekend. Now here are some images for you!

The projects in the book are in two major categories: alteration techniques (basic sewing skills to improve fit or shape, like hemming, taking in, etc.) and DIY style projects (ways to personalize garments to make them more stylish or interesting). 

There are basic sewing skills for beginners, as well as a few of my favorite tips for any sewist.

There's content I've never shared on my blog before, like how to measure yourself for home sewing.

And tutorials I've never done on the blog before. Like this tutorial in the Alteration Technique Tutorials section--a specialized hemming technique with some key differences from the basic methods presented in the beginning of the book.

There are some very fun projects in the DIY Style Projects section!

One of the hardest things about writing this book was doing all the step-by-step photos in my front porch and home sewing room-turned studio. Lots of falling-over white foamboard, believe me. But I am so proud that I took the images!

Aside from the fantastic posed photos full-page after the DIY Style Projects (by the incredible photographer from C&T who hung out with me and a stylist in Portland last summer), and the shots of my sewing room (by my friend Nakalan).

I can't wait to share the book with more people as it goes around on a blog review tour and as I do an in-person event in the Portland area. (Stay tuned for details!) Thank you, thank you, thank you to those of you who've pre-ordered the book, and please check it out here if you haven't yet!

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Thanks for your support!! And, 2014 was a big year.

1.02.2015

Thanks for your support!! And, 2014 was a big year.

First of all, THANK YOU.

Last Monday I posted the big news about my book, DIY Wardrobe Makeovers. Writing it and working with my publisher(s) has been a long process, and I haven't been able to share much until now. It is now available for pre-order on Amazon! Massive thanks to all of you who have looked at it and pre-ordered! Pre-orders are SO important because they tell Amazon that the book will be popular (encouraging it to show up in search results) and as more people order, the price drops (and you are guaranteed the lowest price between now and when the book is delivered to your door). Already, thanks to your pre-orders, the book has jumped up in rank and the price has dropped by almost $1.50!

I can't thank you enough for your support and enthusiasm about my big project, and for reading this blog as often as you do. I wish I could give away copies to all of you, but I can't. So thank you so much for your mutual respect and participation!

Also. 2014 was a big year for this blog!

I looked through my pageviews and found several posts that were most-viewed and also favorites of mine. These tended to be simple sewing projects, easy sewing or crafty tutorials, and some big conversation posts. Here's a very brief rundown of some top posts!

Makes me wonder what you'll love most in 2015! I can't even imagine what all I'll share this year!

Winter:

Early last year, I shared this tutorial for three ways to embellish a grey sweatshirt. I still love these comfy grey knits!

Spring:

In spring, I shared 5 tips for getting into a sewing groove. That was a fun post to think about! And was a nice follow-up to my 2014 "sewing resolutions post"--7 goals I had to make my sewing better in 2014!

As the weather began to warm up, I shared this tutorial for how to make a cutout back dress from just about any dress pattern.

Then I had a lot of fun making a J.Crew knock-off: a tutorial for how to make a scallop-hem and -armhole dress out of a basic shift dress pattern. I see this one pinned a lot!

Summer:

Big change came in summer. On August 1st, I announced something I'd been thinking about since May: after almost 5 years of blogging here, I changed the name of this blog from Adventures in Dressmaking to Create/Enjoy. Not a strictly sewing blog anymore, now "A DIY Blog for a Happier Life"! You were all very encouraging about the new direction, and I really enjoy blogging here now more than ever.

Also in August, I made a fab bright floral print halter maxi dress for a friend's wedding. This was a top post, along with another maxi halter dress I made the month after for another wedding!

I also made a very cool DIY laundry bag delicates sorter tutorial. Well, I made two--one for a bridal shower gift and one for myself!

Fall:

We had a glorious long summer, with high temps into October, so I didn't get into the fall clothing vibe till November or December!

Late this fall I shared this super easy DIY blanket scarf tutorial.

Holiday (sure, it's a season. Winter-spring-summer-fall-Christmas, right?):

And then probably the biggest news (for me) of this year was announcing the pre-order info for my book!

On to 2015!

Now that I think about it, there were a lot of other big things in 2014 that aren't on this list. Maybe I didn't post about them, or maybe they just weren't the posts with the most hits. It was a great year, full of personal, family, professional (work), professional (blog), and interpersonal progress.

Hope you had a great year, too, and hope to see more of you in 2015! What do YOU think we should make together?!

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MY BOOK! Title, cover, and pre-order! Announcing DIY Wardrobe Makeovers!

12.22.2014

MY BOOK! Title, cover, and pre-order! Announcing DIY Wardrobe Makeovers!

You guys.
I've been waiting to share this with you for... more than 2 years? This is a big day!!

For ages now, I've been working away (some months more than others) on a sewing book very related to many of my favorite projects on this blog. Since I announced it in September 2012, I've kept things under wraps, but now the cat is out of the bag and I'm so excited to announce details about my book, which will be published in May of this year from C&T Publishing.

My book, DIY Wardrobe Makeovers: Alter, Refresh & Refashion Your Clothes Step-by-Step Sewing Tutorials is now available for pre-order on Amazon!

About My Book: DIY Wardrobe Makeovers

I write about a lot of sewing, crafty, and other projects on this blog, but one of my skills I'm most proud to share is repairing and refashioning existing garments. I'm practical and thrifty, as well as a little picky about fit and style of my clothes, so with my years of sewing skills I've created quite a library of fixes in my head.

So my book is about:

Unlock your closet’s potential with simple wardrobe fixes and refashions to express your style. These basic alterations and step-by-step restyling tutorials will help you fit and reassemble garments into newfound faves. No sloppy shortcuts here—learn how to alter sweaters, pants, and everything in your wardrobe for a more flattering fit. Take it in, take it up, or let it out—all on your home sewing machine. Spend less, look better!

It features basic sewing skills, some ideas and inspirations for how to remake your wardrobe, step-by-step instructions for how to modify garments for fit, and before/after style projects with step-by-step instructions. All the projects use basic and prototypical garments you may have in your closet, and many of them are classic projects you've probably wanted to try before! (One of my inspirations for this book was the sewing sessions I've had with friends going through their mending/tailoring piles!) The photos and instructions are more detailed than those in the projects on this blog because I wasn't limited as much by space and time. And the "after" styled photos for the re-style projects in the second half of the book were shot all over Portland in an amazing two-day shoot I did in September with the publisher's photographer and stylist.

The Cover

Excited to see the cover?!?! I was!! It is pretty much done at this point (may change slightly) but ready to be shared with you.

I won't give it any introduction other than that. Pretend you just saw it at the bookstore shelf on on your Amazon recommendations. Ta-da!!

I love these photos we took in a parking lot in downtown Portland. The look on the right features variations on two projects from the book: flared jeans-to-skinny jeans and shift dress-to-peplum top!

The before/after view was something our photographer came up with. I bought two of each the dress and the jeans and remade one of each. So we shot the first dress as the "before" and then showed the peplum top in an outfit as the "after." The dress-to-peplum top is a very fun project, and I love the basic grey knit of this one.

You're the first to know!

I'd love to hear what you think! As a reader of this blog, you're among the first to see or hear anything about the book and cover designs. Besides my mom and husband, you're practically the first!

What do you think of the cover, by the way? Do you "get" the before/after example images??

Also wanted to shout out to the pre-order process. If you think you'd like a copy of the book... (I hope you do!!), pre-order is a great way to do it.

• Pre-orders are very important to show Amazon how popular the book is, make it show up on search results, lower the price, etc.
• If you pre-order now, you will automatically pay the lowest price when the book is for sale. Hopefully it will go down as more folks pre-order it!

So, looking for a (very) last-minute holiday gift for someone who'd enjoy my book?? You can pre-order and print out the page! ;) Or if you want a copy yourself, drop a hint to someone who may still be looking for something to get you!

I am so grateful for your support and readership, and appreciate your following along with this big news! Thank you!

Pre-order on Amazon my book, DIY Wardrobe Makeovers: Alter, Refresh & Refashion Your Clothes Step-by-Step Sewing Tutorials!

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