#VATMESS Sale

Hello all. I hope you're enjoying the holidays. This is a flying visit to let you know we're having a sale in our Etsy store. In anticipation of the change in EU law governing instant downloads we're giving customers 10% off everything in store until 6.00pm (GMT) on 31st December 2014.

We'll be offering PDF downloads via another route in the new year but that will take a bit of time to set up so we won't be ready in time to comply with the new laws on 1st January, as a result PDF instant download sales will cease in our Etsy store after 6.00pm on 31st December 2014.
I'm going to get back to munching chocolates now. Catch you soon x

Rushing around

On this Christmas Eve it's time to admit defeat, whatever isn't done isn't going to get done. Instead we'll be chilling out for the next few days and remembering the reason for the season...

Wishing you all a very happy Christmas if you celebrate it, and if you don't, happy holidays to you. Catch you soon x

Winner and a launch

Thank you so much to everyone that visited us for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway! It's been fun reading all your comments. I'm so glad to learn that we're not alone in being buried in WIPs. Apologies for not managing to reply to you all individually but I'm sure you understand how busy this time of year is. I've spent the last couple of days tweaking the pattern for the Doris project bag and thanks to the able of assistance of my pattern tester, Celine, it is now ready for launch! Woohoo!

Anyway, I'm getting ahead myself. First things first.The winner of this Doris project bag is...

...comment number 9.

Congratulations, Martina. I will email you shortly for your postal details,

Sorry you couldn't all win, better luck next time!
For those of you who haven't already clicked away from the page in disappointment I'll share the details for the launch of the Doris project bag pattern.

The 10 page PDF pattern is now available in our Etsy shop at the introductory price of £4.50. It will be available as an instant download until the 30th December 2014. Instant download sales will be suspended from 31st December until I work out the best way to deal with new EU VAT laws that govern e-services.
As a special incentive I'll be contacting the first 5 purchasers for their postal details so I can send them a little something in the new year!
Thank you all for supporting and encouraging us over the past 12 months, it's been a very busy and exciting time. Catch you soon x

Edited to add - The 10 page PDF pattern is now available as an instant download in our Payhip store for £5.50.

Sew Mama Sew Giveaway - Doris project bag

Hello all. It's that time of year again when blogland comes to life for the Winter edition of Sew Mama Sew giveaway day/week.

If you've visited us before, our giveaway offering won't be entirely new to you but hopefully you'll think it's worth having. If you've not visited before I'll fill you in briefly, I know there are lot of other places to visit!

A couple of weeks ago I made a project bag to house my yarn projects instead of the grotty plastic mailing bag that I had been using for almost a year (oh the shame!). Since then I have become somewhat obsessed (sorry, Instagram friends) with making them and have now made 5! I made a few adaptations to the original design as I wanted to add a carry strap and zipped pocket to make it a functional bag outside of the home. It's since been named the Doris project bag and I've written a pattern for it that will be released shortly in our Etsy store. Payhip store.

For the SMS giveaway version I've used Pam Kitty Picnic, Country Girls, Flower Sugar, April Showers and Vintage Happy which I hope you'll find appealing.

The Doris bag is approximately 18"(h) x 16" (w) x 6"(d). It's fully lined and has been entirely machine sewn for durability. It closes with a satin ribbon drawstring that is neatly enclosed inside the bag. There's an elasticated fabric loop inside the bag for attaching things to or to hold things upright.

The bottom section of the bag is lightly structured so that it can be free-standing. The top section of the bag is less structured so that it can fold back over itself (please see photos) to allow easy access to your yarn when in use. There are 2 exterior pockets: one 7.5” x 11.5” open pocket for storing your pattern and one 7.5” x 11” zipped pocket for storing items that need to be kept safe in transit (e.g. crochet hooks, stitch counters or maybe your mobile phone). There is a 52” fabric carry strap that has a metal snap hook at each end to allow for easy removal of strap.

So, if the Doris bag is something you think you'd like a chance to win, please leave a comment telling us your current work in progress. We're buried under half finished projects at the moment so it will be nice to find out what everyone else is up to.
If you fancy a second chance at winning you can click the follow button  and leave another comment telling us that you did or that you already follow us.
The giveaway will close on December 12th at 5.00pm PST. In the UK that's around 1.00am so you can rest assured I'll be tucked up in bed asleep then so I'll draw the winner using Random Number Generator when I wake up.
We're happy to ship Internationally but we obviously can't guarantee that the bag will be with you before the New Year as the last posting date for guaranteed delivery by Christmas has now passed.
Again to remind you: 1st chance to win - leave a comment telling us your current work in progress.
                                   2nd chance to win - leave a comment telling us you are a new or existing follower   
I will try to answer as many comments as possible but please don't think I'm rude if I don't manage to reply to everyone as these giveaways can be so popular and I have a lot of sewing to be doing :) I almost forgot, please make sure I can contact you if you win by leaving an email address with your comment if you are a no-reply blogger. If I can't get hold of you and don't hear from you the day after the draw I will draw another winner.
In the meantime I hope you all enjoy visiting the other blogs taking part in the SMS giveaway. Good luck to all who enter. Catch you soon x

Edited to add the winner of the giveaway is Martina. Thanks for entering everyone.
Edited to add the Doris project bag pattern is now available in our Payhip store.

The Doris project bag

I've been on a bag making spree since I was last here. The yarn project bag that I made to keep everything tidy sparked a major obsession that my Instagram friends can attest to! I just don't seem to be able to stop making them. I've adapted the design since my original version was only ever intended to be used at home, the bag now has an optional carry strap and an additional exterior pocket with a zip making it a very useful everyday bag :) I've also christened this design the "Doris project bag". I had a very beloved great aunt named Doris and she and I shared an unhealthy obsession with plastic bags. Given that I designed this bag to replace an exceptionally ugly plastic bag it seemed only fitting to call it Doris and it makes me smile every time I think I about it. I'd like to think that I would have been able to persuade her to use one of these bags in the place of a plastic bag :)

left hand bag version 2, right hand bag original version

Yvonne has earmarked the bag on the left as her Christmas present. I think there would be major sulking if it didn't show up in her Christmas stocking, it's Lecien Flower Sugar and Pam Kitty Picnic heaven ;)

I've made a rather special version of this bag using some long hoarded Tula Pink fabric. I've decided to sell this one but rest assured it if it's still in the Etsy store by Christmas Eve it won't be leaving our house. There is a certain teenager with her fingers firmly crossed...

Front of Nightshade Doris bag

 Tula Pink is just a genius designer!

Back of Nightshade Doris bag

Nice and roomy in there for lots of stuff, not just yarn!

I'm currently whipping up 2 more bags, one for a Christmas present and the other for the Sew Mama Sew giveaway which starts on Monday 8th December. I've also been hard at work writing a very detailed pattern for the Doris project bag. It is not easy writing a detailed bag pattern, I totally admire people like Katy and Sara who do this on a regular basis! I've got a friend testing the pattern for me and it will be available very soon in our Etsy shop. The PDF pattern is now available as an instant download in our Payhip store and our Etsy store for £7.00.

Right, now to get off my backside and get sewing! If you fancy the chance at winning a Doris bag of your own you might want to check back on Monday :) Catch you soon x