Pattern Sale at JoAnn Fabrics - First Half of September 2010

Can you believe it's nearly time to start back to school again? I certainly can't!!! If you're planning to make some new school outfits for your little ones, then now is the time to head over to the JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store's Pattern Sale.

Here are the pattern sale dates:

Friday through Saturday

September 3 - 6, 2010

McCall's Patterns -- $1.99 each

MSRP $6.95 to $19.95 each

Limit 10

No special orders

Excludes Easy Stitch 'N Save

Vogue Patterns -- $3.99 each

MSRP $8.95 to $30.00 each

Limit 10

No special orders

Thursday through Saturday

September 9 - 11, 2010

Simplicity Patterns -- $1.99 each

MSRP $6.95 - $17.95 each

Limit 10

No special orders

Excludes It's So Easy, New Look, Burda, & Simplicity Books

Remember, it's not too early for all you little elves to get started on your Christmas gift sewing projects. Do you have any completed? We'd love to see them. In fact we would love to see any of the sewing projects you are working on.

If you join us to show what you are working on, be sure to share the Pattern Company and Pattern Number, Book Title, or Online Tutorial URL that you used in your post. Link only to the post of your sewing project (not your entire blog), and please link back to my blog within your blog post, so that viewers can return here to Brambleberry Cottage. Thanks.

Last of the Summer Roses

Many of our friends have been blessed with babies lately, and we rejoice and celebrate the birth of each dear child with whom the Lord has blessed these families. I have just loved making dresses from this particular fabric. It has that vintage look about it that just seems, to me, to beg for an apron and Sunbonnet Baby applique to be added to the mix. I love the aquamarine color with the pink accents -- still very girly, but different from the "cliche-y" pink. I'm really rather sad that this is the end of my stash for this particular fabric.

Now for the patterns I used: The pattern that I used for the basis of the dress was a pattern that I had bought when my first child was being born nearly twenty years ago. The pattern brand is Sunrise Designs. They didn't number their patterns, instead they named them. This one was entitled Lullabies.

For the crown of the hat I used Simplicity Pattern #2905. BTW, if you are looking for an very cute "onesie" pattern, there is one included in this pattern.

Now, any of you who have been stopping by Brambleberry Cottage for any length of time have realized by now that I never can quite seem to leave a pattern well-enough-alone. But my philosophy is, "Why sew, if I can't change it to the way I envision it." To the right is a close up of the dress as the designer of the pattern intended it to look.

My vision was a little different. I wanted short puffy sleeves, no collar, and an appliqued apron attached.

The hat pattern had a straight brim, and
I wanted to "girly" it up a bit by making my brim ruffled.


So there you have it. I'm off to my next project. I have been working on revising and converting a pattern that I had created for an 18" doll into an E-Pattern. Everything has been coming along nicely as far as the instructions and photographs, but converting the actual pattern pieces into a PDF file is a little more than I was expecting. I've scanned them numerous times; each time the scaling is off. Maybe I bit off a little more than this technologically-impaired gal can handle. I hope not.


If you would like to share a sewing project that you have completed or are working on, click here.

A Year Older. . ., A Year Wiser

Boy, am I ever behind on putting stuff on here. The summer is nearly over, and I just haven't seem to mention much of what we have been up to. And now that I am mentioning something, it's nearly 3 weeks past.

Two summers ago, we were introduced to "the country boil" and fell in love with it. So, it has become a annual summer tradition at our house when the corn comes in season. Last year Bill made it just for our family. That was NOT a good idea! Too much food and not enough restraint caused us to walk away from the table saying, "Oooooh, am I stuffed." This year we were much wiser and invited friends to enjoy it with us.

Good Friends

Good Food

Mmmmmmmm. . .

I have been sewing all day since about 7 o'clock this morning and probably need to sew for another hour before I head to bed. I need to complete three dresses before Sunday. Since I was starting to get a little bleary-eyed, I thought I'd take a quick break and post about (what else) a pattern sale at JoAnn Fabric & Craft Stores.

Friday through Sunday

August 20 through 22

Simplicity Pattern Sale

5 for $5

MSRP $6.95 - $17.95 each

Limit 10

No Special Orders

Excludes It's So Easy, New Look, Burda & Simplicity Books

Okay, breaks over. . . back to the sewing machine.

Doll Socks are a SNAP

Okay, this is really pretty pathetic of me, but I got sooooooooooooo excited recently when I made these socks to go with an AG doll dress I had designed. Why??? Because they fit well and didn't droop or bag at the foot flexure.

I've had a weird thing about socks ever since I was a kid -- sort of a "droopysockaphobia". Socks in those day would get all stretched out and droopy, and I absolutely hated how that looked, and even more than that I hated how that FELT. Tights were exactly the same -- bagging and drooping at the ankles.

After I got married and had children, the one thing that I was very particular about was that their socks and tights had to have a lot of "snap" in them They had to have socks that were snug and fit well. I just have this thing about this!

Anyway, while these socks don't really snap, still they are snug, fit well, and look good! Hey, what more could I ask for? Well, except maybe, SNAP!!

Catching My Breath

Hi all! I really thought I would become more faithful in posting after the homecoming surprise my sweet husband had waiting for me when I returned from my recent vacation. But alas (hand to forehead and swoon), I'm as negligent of this poor, old blog as ever I was. I have been extremely busy sewing gifts for the multitude of babies that have been or will be arriving

But I have also been busy, busy, busy adding things to my Etsy Shoppe. Here's a teeny-weeny peek of the most recent additions.

Oh, you're wondering what my homecoming surprise was!

Drumroll please....

High Speed Internet Service

Yes, I know that's really old hat to most, but here at Brambleberry Cottage we have been struggling along with DIAL UP service until just a couple of weeks ago.

HOORAAAAAY! for no more dial-up.

It also gave us unlimited long-distance service.

HOORAAAAAY! for unlimited long-distance service.

This is such a blessing for me because nearly all of my phonecalls to family and friends are long-distance calls.

And thank you, thank you, thank you

to my dear, dear, dear beloved husband.

Quick Asian Chicken and Noodle Recipe

• 1 pkg. (3 oz.) chicken flavor instant ramen noodles (I use the "oriental flavor" variety
• 1-16 oz. bag Birds Eye Frozen farm fresh mixture\

or just use some broccoli, carrots, and water chestnuts

• 1 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
• 1 lb. boneless chicken
• 1/4 cup stirfry sauce

Reserve seasoning packet from noodles

Bring 2 cups of water to boil in a large saucepan. Add noodles and cooked vegetables. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat oil in large non stick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, cook and stir until until browned, about 8 minutes

Stir in noodles, vegetables, stir fry sauce, and reserved seasoning packet. Heat through.

Make 4 servings

Prep Time - 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes