This is veeeerrrrry last minute, but I decided to join in the fun at Sew, Mama, Sew’s Giveaway Day.
So…
Welcome, Giveaway Day Guests! I’m Jodi and this is Sew Fearless! I am a sewing addicted mom of 5 with a special passion for tackling the projects that intimidate me, then sharing all the tips and tricks I learned with my readers. Click on the “Project Galleries” menu above to see examples of these projects.) I also have a number of fiercely practical sewing patterns out including the “Pajama Eater” pillow (feed it your pajamas in the morning, wear them again the next night!).
Ready for a giveaway? I found an 8 inch and 14 inch internal tubular purse frame in my stash. My Mommy Poppins bag pattern is designed for a 12 inch purse frame, however, it includes instructions on how to resize the bag to fit any size frame. For example, I used an 8 inch purse frame to make the “Mini Poppins” bag, and one of my pattern testers used a 16 inch frame to make her Mega Poppins.
For this Giveaway Day, I am giving away a Bag Hardware set – your choice of one purse frame (either 8 inch or 14 inch, your choice), 4 D-rings, two trigger clasps, and Mommy Poppins Bag Pattern (PDF). (Open to USA residents, 18 years and up, only.)
Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sewing a full, tailored men’s suit and altering wedding gowns are projects that scare me the most. Super high pressure jobs there! And zippers. I’ve sewn a bazillion zippers and they still frustrate me. I get over the frustration faster than I did many moons ago, but they never please the perfectionist in me. Choose your battles, right? 😉
zippers, they always seem to come out wrong
Great offer! Thanks! I would use the eight inch and make a bag for my tween daughter!
And zippers are scary!
Very sweet of you to offer this up. I’ve certainly drooled over you mommy poppins bag! I’d make the bigger one for sure. I love giant bags!
I got all excited and then I read that it was for the USA. Still love the bag. 🙂
sorry, natalie. There are weird contest laws (and maybe taxes too?) and I don’t want to mess with that. 🙁
Totally understand Jodi, no problem. 🙂
Making my own patterns and knowing how much extra to add for seam allowances scares me the most at this moment.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Tailoring clothes scares me the most.
binding on blankets scares me,lol : )great prizes : )
I’ve tackled pretty much every sewing project from quilts to self designed formal gowns, so there isn’t a lot left I haven’t done. However, I’m still very much a novice at pattern drafting. It makes me very nervous and I go through a lot of muslins before I get my pattern finalized. It’s annoying.
Bags are easy though. 🙂 They always seem to come together just fine. I’d love to play with your Mommy Poppins bag pattern. I haven’t done purse frames yet. It sounds fun.
Binding a quilt. I’ve finished a quilt top and back and can’t bring myself to bind it to finally finish it off… I’m too overwhelmed.
I don’t think I have met a sewing technique that I have ever been afraid of. There are many that I would prefer not to do, but I am pretty brave when it comes to sewing and drafting, etc. I have been coveting this bag pattern ever since you put it out and I really hope I can win it this time!! Fingers crossed in Alabama 🙂
I’m so excited I found your blog and Facebook. It’s been so helpful!
I’m currently nervous about tailoring, especially in garments where fit is paramount. I know I’ll get there eventually though! I’ve overcome enough difficult things that even the truly hard things aren’t as scary. =)
I was totally planning on giving something away too! And then, life. Hopefully next time. =)
Sewing clothing without a pattern or making clothing pattern I see as very challenging. I do love to sew bags. They don’t have fit issues. Great giveaway! I’ll be crossing my fingers for this one.
putting in one of those bag openers like you are giving away! can’t wrap my head around that one!
KNITS! Everything about them!
Sewing with elastic thread!
I think I’m most afraid of men’s tailoring. Expensive fabrics, and I feel like they’re supposed to fit just so (even though in reality, it’s not like my husband’s clothes fit that well). I love the mommy poppins bag!
I have not tried shirring yet. It does not scare me, but does look challenging. Perhaps when I have just the right project I’ll dive in.
Fitting adult garments scares me. I don’t do too many things for me because of it. I do mostly kid’s sewing. Someday when the kids are older I will focus on some fun stuff for me!
There’s not really anything I’m scared of but there are definitely things I need to work on (freemotion quilting and curves)!
Project that scares me: tailoring clothes to fit me. It’s easier hitting someone else.
Love the Poppins Bag!
It’s Supercalafrajalistic-ex… (You know the rest. 😉
These Mary Poppins Bags sound awesome. I’d love the 14 inch frame for a bigger bag. All I need next is my umbrella! Thanks for the chance to win!
A bag with hardware seems scary to me. maybe this will help me get over it.
Sewing tailored things for myself. I can do kids clothes and simple things and even quilts. But the work associated with sewing for myself (muslins and sba and all the fitting that is so hard to do by myself) makes me shy away.
UGh..so much of it. I am wanting to learn to sew….so as a not yet a beginner it all kind of frightens meh.
anything fiddly, like pleats, darts, puff sleeves, buttonholes….:)
Making a frame change purse. I tried and tried and threw it all away! Waste of good fabric, guess I need to take a class and learn hands on.
Working with dressy materials, like satin and silk. Would love to get to the point where I could make my daughters’ formal dresses. Thankfully I have at least 7 years before they would need a formal. Must start practicing… :-/
Thanks for the chance to win!
Bias tape. I can’t seem to get it perfect.
Any type of clothing!
I am 46 & have been sewing since age 7…..about the only thing that intimidates me is shirring/smocking. I am a total bag lady and would love to win this….this pattern has been on my wishlist since it came out! :0)
Making clothes for my self
I would say curves, but I accomplished that last week, so now I’d say formal wear.
My biggest issue is when I sew with knits and have it bunch up and not lay smooth and flat.
Anything other than baby/toddler girl dresses! I’ve started with them and they are fairly simple, but boy’s clothes, adult clothing, and accessories are new to me!
Zippers are on top of a long list of things that scare me 😉
Scariest sewing for me was when I cut a woman’s wedding dress up to make her baby baptism layette. There was no going back.
I find that purse and wallets with frames to be intimidating.
The scariest projects for me, making clothes that are not baby sized. It is terribly intimidating to cut into all that fabric!
Fitting adjustments. I can never get sleeves/shoulders right.
I’ve still never done a button hole… My goal is to conquer the buttonhole before New Years so that resolution can actually get done this year LOL
I have always been afraid of making bags that require hardware. No kidding. All those little metal piece a mabobs confuse the daylights out of me. And I have never tried because of that. conn_and_vans_mom(at)yahoo(dot)com
Anything I haven’t tried yet! LOL! Right now it’s button holes. I need to sit down and figure out how to do it on my machine. Right now, Velcro is my go-to.
Buttonholes!
Your bag is SO cute! I am intimidated by button holes – never done them! also zippers – had some practice, but need more!
this is so fun, love your bag!
Love your Mary Poppins bag!
I am scared to make my own bias tape! I’ve seen such cute, cute things made with homemade bias tape that matches the fabric, and I would love to try it. But I am very intimidated by it.
Thanks so much for the great giveaway! I would love, love, love to get my hands on this! 🙂
tailoring
Looks like I’m not alone in fearing men’s clothes or anyone’s pants! Things that actually have to fit properly require more attention than I usually give 🙂
I love the bag. I could use one for my mommy stuff.
Zippers scare me! Thanks for the chance to win.
free motion quilting, zippers, and sewing with knits.
Free Motion Quilting is scary to me…haha
Form fitting garment sewing terrifies me!
Thank you for your kindness and generosity (even if I don’t win)!
I’m about to sew the waistband on my first pair of (not-based-on-a-commercial-pattern) pants, so right now that’s what scares me the most!
There are a lot of projects that intimidate me from the beginning, but usually once I get started, I find a comfort zone in taking on the challenge & reworking the project until I get it right, even if it doesn’t follow the same steps to get there as most!
FMQ scares me the most, for sure. That bag is so cute I can’t stand it. It does not hurt that you’ve used the few DS fabrics that I haven’t managed to get my hands on, and I’m crying about it. Maybe you can just send me the bag if I win? 😉 Seriously, I’d love to have this pattern and hardware. Supercalifragilistic Christmas to you!
Right now is sewing a dress for me in a woven fabric instead of jersey or ITY knit. So afraid I’m going to mess up, and it won’t fit, and I won’t be able to salvage it.
Thanks so much for the giveaway!
I am afraid of lining woven garments. I am having terrible luck trying to figure it out and most big 4 patterns don’t come with lining instructions. It’s hard!
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
I am afraid to try a purse with a frame! This would be a great giveaway to win!
Nothing particularly scares me, per se, but there are tasks that I don’t look forward to. Like I hate sewing zippers. I do get kind of uneasy whenever I have to sew buttonholes on thick fabric because my machine likes to screw those up.
Zippers!
purses. They seem so complex but i really want to give it a go.
Sewing patterns in general. Well, parts of them. Right now I’m at a stalemate with this costume because I’m not sure I’m interpreting the collar instructions properly! Wish me luck.
Free motion quilting on a completed quilt top. Thanks for the chance to win!
This is a wonderful giveaway. So glad i found your blog!
Sewing leather
Putting in inserted zipper pockets, like in a wallet, that are in the middle of each side (gosh, that doesn’t make sense!).
Knits. Everyone tries to convince me they are easy. 🙁
Curves in quilts. I can do them all day long in bags but not in quilts. I think it’s going to be a goal for next year to get better at them.
fitted clothing scares me!
Chopping already made clothes and making something else with them. Like people do with their baby clothes. Scares me to death!!
for me its complicated clothes
I still haven’t mastered sewing curves.
I love the way this bag looks! Thanks so much for a great giveaway.
Now off to poke around your blog =)
Honestly for me it’s the cutting more than the sewing that gives me fits. I can never do straight lines
I LOVE making bags and would love to give this pattern a try!
I am afraid to make a bag with a frame!
I find matching fabric to pattern the most difficult part of the sewing process. i have lots of patterns (thanks for the offer here) and a stack of fabric, but …………….. which to do first! I’ve already purchased the Mommy bag and now see there are two frame sizes. How could you? haha I’ll want to make them both. I’ve checked out the frames but will wait until after the Christmas in case I get one from Santa
i’ve never used a purse frame before but i’d love to give it a try! thanks for the giveaway.
I guess it is clothing. I’ve started several things, get frustrated with the fitting, feel the fabric has been wasted (even the muslins)…and put it away. haha
Purse sewing freaks me out! I so want to make the Mommy Poppins bag, so I am going to have to jump in and just do it! 🙂
I’m very new to sewing so a lot of it can be scary. I’m especially overwhelmed at the thought of bring a quilt together to the finish. Making blocks is one thing, but then layers and the actual quilting stitches, and to see some of the stuff out there…amazing stuff going on in the sewing world! It’s enough to make one’s head spin, but I love it and can’t wait to dive in.
Sewing a man’s shirt that would fit my husband!
I would be excited to try this bag pattern!
Susan L., vegancommie@gmail.com
FMQ scares me the most. I have a hard time being fluid in my movements. I probably should drink a glass of wine before I start LOL!
zippers
using a serger – it sounds like it could cause permanent damage
Strange but using the rotary cutter is still intimidating for me. I asked Santa for a better system (Trucut) and hope that helps my cutting for piecing.
Hand sewing and hemming is scary because it takes concentration and I get distracted easily!
Zippers. I plan to tackle them in the new year because I want zippy pouches.
FMQ. I hate the though of ruining a quilt if I really suck at it.
I am not a big fan of curves. They make me nervous. I did just finish a curved quilt and it like to killed me lol!
Formal dresses with detailed fitting.
Anything fitted. And I’m pretty leery of quilting in general.
Apparently making a large bag with lots of zippers, pockets and hardware scares me, because I’ve had three bags on my “must make” list for more than a year, and they still aren’t done. I really hope to conquer that fear soon!
Applique scares me to death
Applique and free motion quilting – I’m just not great at anything that isn’t a straight line!
making clothes for others terrifies me!
Curves and I are not the best of friends yet!!
The hardware works with the pattern? Ill try it! Thanks!
Oops, forgot to say zippers! Ive never done a zipper before.
I’ve envied your bag on FB for quite some time. With this hardware, I could make my own 😉
Actually, purses are my bugaboo. But my goal this year is to get over it! Thanks.
Zippers! I try to avoid them if at all possible.
Quilting scares me!
Free motion quilting. All that work on the quilt top can be ruined so quickly by bad quilting. So much pressure!
The think I am most afraid of is making clothes. I’ve successfully made a couple simple dresses but they really intimidate me! LOL
All sewing techniques still scare me (I’m a beginner). I most want to learn to machine quilt
Sewing mens clothes is totally scary to me. I am happy to follow you on FB. Merry Christmas from Oklahoma, USA. crystalbluern at onlineok dot com
I am scared of free motion quilting. But I am going to learn this skill
I have never seen frames this big before. I would love to make this bag! Free motion quilting is really hard for me.
Pretty neat bag and hardware. Thanks.
Altering a pattern to fit me! I am fine sewing for kids, but my curvy self scares me
Getting sleeves in stresses me out the most!! Very cool bag!
I really want to learn how to free motion quilt.
I’ve never used the purse hardware before so would like the opportunity to make a purse using all the goodies.
Free Motion Quilting – but I’m going to tackle my fear in 2014!
My biggest fear in my entire life is still zippers. I can sew them a thousand times in my head the night before, but when it come down to the sitting at the sewing machine and actually sewing one in.. I freeze… Not a clue why
Anything that is not sewn flat scares me! Purses scare me the most!
Slippery fabrics scare me most. Even with a walking foot!
I am terrified of button holes. Gotta get over it!
I’m terrified of fitted tailored pants.
I am scared of snap clasps! but I would love to try this
I love the mommy poppins bag. How wonderful. I like the 14. Bigger is better right? Thank you for the giveaway.
OMG the work curves freaks me out to no end:-)
I am big baby and I don’t like to fail at anything so I won’t even give them a try!
I’m hoping 2014 is my big girl year!!
Thanks for the chance, Jessica
juceyj03@gmail.com
Buttonholes!!!
Awesome giveaway! I don’t find anything to be particularly scary. 🙂 I guess darts, well not darts per se, but rather their placement. 🙂
This is an awesome bag!
When I hand bind a quilt I am afraid that it will unravel later in it’s life. It is a silly fear cause hand stitching is super strong. I also fear hexagons but I really want to use them!
My serger scares me more than anything.
I’ve done many bags but haven’t branched out into “official” bag hardware yet – it’s definitely on my list of things to learn in 2014.
Free Motion Quilting. I read about it and read about it and watch videos even but I just can’t bring myself to get to the quilting part!
I’m always leary about big seams. I have a machine that can go through anything but it’s just doing it over and over. 🙂
Mitering corners and doing bindings
Quilt binding. I have many unfinished quilt tops because I just cannot seem to get this skill down. 🙁 Still working on it though!!
A purse/bag with recessed zipper. Soooo many 3-D aspects. I’m used to these flat things (i.e. quilts)! 🙂
emmevon(at)gmail(dot)com
working with hardware terrifies me!
Making clothes scares me to death! Thanks!
I’m really intimidated by english paper piecing, but I love hexagons!
Shirring, I’ve heard it’s really easy but it seems intimidating.
I have never used a purse frame, so that would be my biggest challenge right now, but I love a challenge!
Do you have pictures of what the mini version looks like? The one with the 8 inch frame? I’d love to see how that sews up. If you know of someone who has sewn it and posted a version online the link to it would be cool even! Thanks! Love the purse.