May 3, 2011
Giveaway: Built by Wendy Coats and Jackets
I’m a sucker for these Built by Wendy sewing books because I am a sucker for Built by Wendy. Not only are her clothes cool, pretty, and effortless, but Wendy Mullin is like the WordPress of designers: with these sewing books, she’s open-source. I’m giving away one copy of her newest book on coats and jackets. FYI: This is probably best suited for intermediate sewers. To enter to win, leave a comment about sewing––your first project, your favorite thing to run up, or your worst disaster––by midnight EST, Friday, May 6. One winner will be chosen at random. Good luck!
Update 5/9 And the winner is Linda! Thanks so much to everyone for entering, and happy sewing.
La Chapstick Fanatique: my first project was a burda skirt. i posted about it here: http://lachapstickfanatique.blogspot.com/2010/01/my-marie.html
i am definitely still in the beginner’s phase (I haven’t had much time to sew in the last year) but I would love to try something new!
http://lachapstickfanatique.blogspot.com1 year ago
Dawn: Hah! TOTALLY remember my first REAL project — cute plaid shorts — with a ZIPPER! Must have redone the zipper about a MILLION times. Soul-building, right? LOVE this Wendy person — thank you for introducing us! Hugs, d1 year ago
Sara C.: Favorite project was probably the quilt I made my now hubby for our first dating anniversary. It is made out of scraps of tie fabric and wools, tweeds and flannels. We call it the old-man quilt, and it’s awesome.1 year ago
Janet: I took a beginners sewing machine class at MAKE workshop a few years ago, and was embarrassed to find I couldn’t finish the very simple project by the end of the class. The instructor gave me a kind of “there, there” pat on the shoulder when the class ended and I was still struggling at the midpoint. The experience nearly turned me off to sewing, but I’ve since had some successes, so sewing and I are on good terms now.1 year ago
Katie: My first memory of a “sewing project” was taking my mother’s cloth napkins and cutting them up to hand-stitch a dress for my Madeline doll. I remember being dismayed by the frayed edges, but otherwise being pleased at the result. I can’t remember if I had permission to cut up the napkins, though…1 year ago
Sara: Oooh. I’d love to win this. One of the silliest sewing mistakes I ever made was when I made the trousers from Wendy’s first book, but forgot to sew in the yoke pieces in the back. They were..um..LOW rise. Not a good look.1 year ago
Karen: This sounds like just what I need now that I have gone back to sewing adult clothes after a break of many years. Thanks for a wonderful giveaway.1 year ago
SewLindaAnn: My latest disaster was a muslin for a wrap around culotte pant/ or skirt kind of thing. Uggh. I kept sewing everything to the wrong side and it was a mess that I finally threw away. I love Wendy’s patterns, and have a previous book of hers as well as some patterns. Thanks for the chance to win this, I’d love to have it!1 year ago
emily b: A really cool thing happened a few months ago: my elderly landlady asked if I would like to come “look” at her fabric and see if there was anything I’d want to use. Turns out they were planning on moving and she was hoping I would take the majority of her fabric stash. We were there for about 3 hours while we pulled out and examined every piece. She had A LOT and, like most fabric hoarders (like myself), she had stories for all of them. It was a sweetly sad thing to be a part of, her saying goodbye to those unfinished ideas. But she was happy to know her treasures would be put to good use and I am happy to carry on with them where she left off. what an honor!
also, that “old man quilt” sounds really rad!1 year ago
Faith: I made a quilt last year that I just love. Looking for an excuse to make another one.1 year ago
Forrest: My first sewing project was a purple jesery sack dress that was super hard to sew since it was jersey! Luckily I stuck with it and now it’s my new, obsessive, costly, favorite hobby!1 year ago
Dayna: I love Built by Wendy! I used a BbW dress pattern last year. Challenging! Luckily, I had lots of help, so I’m able to actually wear the dress in public. Otherwise, I’m perennially remedial in my sewing. Always feel like I have to teach myself all over again each time I break out the machine.1 year ago
Heather: I was lucky my mother knew how to sew, so she taught me alot. I was also lucky to have a 4-H program in my town with a sewing program. We would have competitions with “fashion shows.” Don’t sew as much as I used to, but I have been wanting to make a coat.1 year ago
Sarah F: I’ve recently taken up quilting, and pieced my first quilt. It was so fun to sit with my grandmother’s machine and put together each block, stopping to press out the pieces as I went- it was almost Zen, it was so relaxing. It reminded me of why I love sewing.1 year ago
kayduh: My first project ever was a stuffed frozen banana in 6th grade Home Ec. My first project since returning to sewing was helping a friend make sheers for her new house!1 year ago
Stacy: I’m mainly a knitter, and still a bit baffled by my sewing machine. I did, however, manage to complete a Jane Austen style dress for my own “Pride and Prejudice and Zombie” themed engagement party last year. This would be perfect for me — I need some simple, good-looking patterns!1 year ago
Jenn: I am halfway through a pair of linen pants from her first book! I love the idea of being able to sew my own “uniform”1 year ago
Sara: My sister and I took a sewing course for elementary school students–our first project was therefore a towel, outfitted with velcro and elastic, that you could fasten around yourself coming out of the bath. So classy!1 year ago
TallGirl: Cool book!
My first project was a pair of elastic waist neon green shorts (I was five at the time), and we still have them kicking around.
My “coolest” project was when I sewed the solar system, by hand, for a primary school science project. My planets weren’t the roundest, but I won a prize for creativity!
Now I stick to simple dresses and looong pants.
1 year ago
Bridget: My first sewing project was in school when we had to sew a cushion made to look like a pizza (I have no idea why). Unfortunately I managed to sew through my finger which resulted in the cushion getting binned and me swearing off sewing for 10 years. Luckily when I was at uni one year one of my friends who made all her own clothes asked me to store her sewing machine for a few months and after being inspired by her work I had another go, I’ve not stopped since.1 year ago
Kristen: My1st disaster was when I was 11 I made a pair of MC Hammer pants because he was so cool. I made the pants then realized there was nothing cool about those pants.1 year ago
pattyskypants: Sewing really does remind me that I cannot do anything well unless I seriously put my mind to it.1 year ago
Lauren: Hmm, first sewing project was a fabric clock! I sewed a circular pouch and stuffed it and then decorated it with all the colors of puff paint I could get my hands on. Kind of a random project, now that I think about it, but I guess that’s what middle school is for!1 year ago
Angie: my first ‘real’ project was sewing a dress for my Barbie.. which I sewed ON to the doll… making it a little permanent. I’m not phenomenal, but I’ve definitely improved a lot since!1 year ago
Patti S: My worst sewing disaster by far was my wedding dress…okay not so much MY sewing disaster by itself but with the help of the dry cleaners it was a disaster!
I spent a year making my own dress. Not just a simple plain wedding dres, but a dress with a removable train, 23 buttons down the back, all the proper layers, and hand beading and tiny ribbon roses. I was so proud of myself. It turned out beautifully…that is until the Thursday before my wedding when I picked it up from the dry cleaners. As I was driving home I had stopped at a light and was admiring my dress hanging there in the back seat. That’s when I noticed something just didn’t look right. At the next light I looked again and to my horror almost all the beading had been ruined by the dry cleaning process! I was upset to say the least. So what is a girl to do two days before the wedding? No time to remove and resew all that beading (on the bodice and train). I stopped at Joann fabric, bought a bottle of Jewel It glue and headed home. I removed all the beading and spent the next day and a half gluing all the seed pearls on. After a sigh of relief I tried my dress on one last time and noticed it had also shrunk in the cleaning process and the sleeves (short) were too tight. So I removed the sleeves and ended up with a little bit off the shouler sleeveless dress. I actually like it better that way! Twelve years later (we celebrate our anniversary this weekend) my dress still hangs in the closet, dirty…because I’m deathly afraid to have it cleaned! LOL
Moral of the story…don’t try to be thrifty and buy cheap little seed pearls, spend the extra money on glass beads so they don’t melt from the dry cleaning chemicals!
(sorry for the long ramble)
Thanks for the chance to win this book and thanks for the new discovery…I had never heard of Built By Wendy before.1 year ago
Bookish Bella: I LOVE the Built by Wendy books! She makes it all so easy to understand. I grew up cross-stitching decorations and sewing outfits for my Barbies, and now I’m working on building my skills at sewing things big enough for real people.1 year ago
Ashley: In first grade I sewed a little bean bag frog, it was actually pretty cute! Shortly thereafter I made this pair of pajama pants that ended up being roughly 7 sizes too big. Luckily you don’t have to wear those in public.
I’d love to sew a jacket – great giveaway!!1 year ago
Ruth: For my seventh grade home ec sewing project, I made a green tunic top, with embroidery that ran from both shoulders, along the edge of the neckline, ending in a large design in the centre. I spent so much time on the embroidery – each stitch done by hand – that the actually sewing suffered. Thank goodness I received extra credit for the crafty part.
It’s been a long time since I’ve sewn but I’m feeling the pull of the needle & machine.1 year ago
Susan: ah, to be a child of the 70′s again – first sewing project – a square necked gingham red and white blouse with handkerchief type sleeves – I felt so hip when I wore it! thanks for the giveaway – I need to feel brave enough to sew clothes again!1 year ago
Naomi: My first project was a dress for my Barbie doll — made by refashioning a lacy pair of my own socks. Mom was none too happy.1 year ago
Jules @ Lovely Las Vegas: I’m a new mama and my grandma is helping out with the little one since I’m back to work. Whilst I’m away and the bebe is asleep, she is constantly working on sewing projects, including a interesting thing called yoyos, and I’d love to give her this book … for some creations for her own closet and hopefully, a few post-partum friendly fashions for me! An exciting and much needed prospect (hehe, to hide the bit of belly that still remains!).1 year ago
Elizabeth: I liked to sew my daughters fancy dresses and coats when they were younger. I always would sew Halloween costumes for all three children every year.
My hardest project was a bridesmaid dress for my college roommate’s wedding in 1978. Since we all knew how to sew her mother thought it would be cheaper to buy us all the pattern, fabric etc. Made sense and I had my machine with me at the dorm….the wedding would be shortly after we graduated. I had no problem up until I actually started sewing. The needle kept snagging…I didn’t know what I was doing wrong!! The college I went to had a fashion design department so I went there and cornered one of the professors. My problem was that the fabric was a silky jersey which I had never sewn before so she gave me a “Q” needle and said that would work. It did. The dress turned out very cute, for 1978. My daughters loved it for dress-up when they were little.
My earliest sewing was hand-sewn doll clothes for my Barbie’s. Most of my doll clothes, baby and Barbie, were hand made as my mother had sewn and knit all of them.
My grandmother taught me to quilt and my first quilt was finished at a quilting bee in 1971 by my great-aunts and her friends as my grandmother died just before I completed it.
My daughters each have their own sewing machine…they do not sew as much as I did, but they still have the ability.1 year ago
whitney: I currently sewing the sheath dress from Wendy’s Dresses book. It’s actually the first project I’ve done where got out the tracing paper and made some major adjustments.1 year ago
Lex: I’d love to win this! Mostly I sew to adjust clothes to fit me perfectly. I like to make useful things – a passport cover, laptop cover, phone cover, little zippered bag… And currently I’m hoarding 60s/70s style floral patterned fabrics to one day make a quilt from them.1 year ago
wendy: My first sewing project was in 7th grade home-ec. We did not have the time to dash out for the material for the project that was to be started the next day, a pillow. So mom said to go through her stash. Found this green slightly fluffy stuff and that is what became my Walrus shaped pillow! I still have it, 30 years later.
I have never heard of Built by Wendy, but this sounds insipring!1 year ago
nancy: I’ve kept with me my Singer Fashion Mate model 257 sewing machine, ever since my mom gave it to me as a Christmas present in 1974. She noticed that I really enjoyed the sewing project assigned in my 7th grade (all girls) home ec class.
It’s come in handy… used for everything from making curtains for each place I’ve lived, stitching up pajamas as inexpensive gifts, and patching holes worn through in the knees of my blue jeans.1 year ago
Liz H.: I recently made Prudent Baby’s “Most Flattering Dress.” I told my husband that I was going to do some sewing, and an hour or so later, I emerged wearing the dress. He was super-impressed!1 year ago
D'Rae: My first project was a simple easy a-line skirt with an encased elestic waistband. I loved that skirt! It is still a style that I continue to make and wear.1 year ago
Stitchybritt: This book looks fantastic!
I’ve been sewing for a long time. My first project was probably one of these little patchwork drawstring bags that I used to whip up on my mum’s sewing machine. I’ve expanded my repertoire a little since then : )1 year ago
Allana: I love sewing! Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean I am good at it! LOL But, with time I am improving! (I think *wink*) I think this book would be fun! I am currently in the middle of making a bunch of aprons. (I sell them around my city.) I have pretty much mastered them…thankfully! But, there have been a couple of times when I sewed a piece on backwords, or even tried to sew my finger to them. Needless to say, I decided my finger looked better on my hand anyways!1 year ago
Jen: My mom taught me to sew when I was in 3rd grade. My first real project was a pink jumper I made for Easter. It had an elastic waist and a flower applique in the upper left corner. I thought it was beautiful! (it wasn’t) A few years ago when my daughter was around the same age my mom surprised me by bringing out the dress (I thought it was long gone) and had my daughter put it on (it was Easter). I was shocked!
I am proud to say I designed and made my own wedding gown. The back was open in the shape of a heart and the dress and train contained over 10,000 beads (all hand-sewn on by me)!1 year ago
Katherine: I took sewing lessons at this lady’s house when I was a kid. I think my first project was a drawstring bag, but the most memorable was definitely a pair of shorts. I looooved the fabric design I picked out– a red background, with tiny black and white cows all over them. 10-year-old me thought they were hilarious (and honestly, 26-year-old me would like a pair, too! but maybe as a skirt…).1 year ago
Sharon: My first sewing project was made in 8th grade in Home Ec. I made covers for my dad’s golf clubs and they were the biggest pain to make. There were so many little pieces to cut out and put together because of the unusual shape and to top it all off it was made from this weird fun fur type material as covers for drivers are supposed to be plush (I guess…?). I’ve tried sewing since then and have been meaning to give it a serious go.1 year ago
Nimble: What fun! I sew by hand. My mother gave me her 1920s machine but I haven’t had it serviced yet. I’ve taught my two kids to do a little sewing. I don’t know if they’ll make their own clothes but by damn they can sew on some sequins!1 year ago
Caity: My first project was an apron for school — although calling it mine is a bit of a stretch, since my mom did most of it!1 year ago
Sarah Hess: Not my first sewing project,but my first “period” piece. My son was working on a tall ship on the great lakes and since I knew how to sew I become the unofficial “sailor’s seamstress”. During a marathon session with my mother we sewed 6 war of 1812 period sailor’s pants with french seams and hand sewn button holes. At one point we were drinking margaritas with an extra shot of tequila and some spilled on the pants we were working on. We figured they were sailor’s pants after all and should smell a little like tequila and kept on sewing with lots of laughter. One of the best nights I ever spent with my mother and we were in “stitches” of the belly laughter kind the rest of the night.1 year ago
Celeste: Do place mats and napkins count? Other than that, my first “real” project was the Amy Butler Barcelona skirt.1 year ago
Jennifer Ross: I love sewing but have only sewn hems and made alterations. Would love this book. I have the other two books by Wendy and this would round out my collection!1 year ago
barbara miller: My first project was 7th grade apron, still have it. I would LOVE to win, and thank you for this project.1 year ago
Becky: I made doll dresses with my daughter and niece over spring break. Fun!1 year ago
Linda: Love to sew and love the Author of this book. I would love to win it! Love Love Love1 year ago