What is home? ~ Happy Home by Jennifer Paganelli Book Review

I was recently sent a copy of Jennifer Paganelli's new book 'Happy Home' for my review, but rather than just tell you about the book, I thought I would take a moment to talk a little bit about the idea of 'home'.

What truly makes a house a home?  

The structure on it's own is generally four walls and a roof, but at what point does it become a home?  Is it with the addition of people? Furniture? Things?  I don't think so.  I think it's so much more.

Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines a home in several different ways. One of the definitions of home states that......home is a familiar or usual environment and the focus of one's domestic attention. 

A home is not just a structure, it is the people and everything else inside.

What is home to me?  Home is with my family.  It's where I am most comfortable, cozy and warm.  My home smells like home whether it be food cooking, candles burning, the scent of flowers, my favorite hand soap, or the sweet smell of my 10 month old baby boy. My home is filled with my favorite, most comforting things such as a handmade quilt made by my mom, my morning cup of coffee, my comfy bed, pictures drawn by my children, a cozy robe, a painting done by my grandmother, photographs of my family, my sewing machine, pretty fabric and my favorite cookbooks and sewing books.  Home is hugs from my husband and snuggles with my kids.

My home has signs of being lived in with things like kids finger prints on the windows, piles of laundry to be put away, crumbs on the floor, dirty dishes in the sink and toys strewn about.  But it is mine.  Every. single. lovely. imperfection. It is my safe haven in this crazy world.  A little space to call my own.

My home is not perfect and the people in it are not perfect either.  My home is a safe place where I can let down my guard.  It's where I can reveal my inner most thoughts and feelings without fear of judgement.  It's where I can laugh, cry and just be.  My home is where I can make mistakes and it's ok.  It's where I say things I might not mean and I am forgiven without question and most importantly, it's where I am loved unconditionally 100% of the time.

The title of Jennifer Paganelli's new book 'Happy Home' resonated with me so deeply because it's what I long for, it's what I want for my family.  I want my husband and children to look back on these years and feel like these were happy times.  Truly happy.

'Happy Home' focuses on many different projects for the home such as curtains, a cozy picnic blanket, a bed skirt and a sun hat, to name a few.  One of the things that brings me the most comfort in my home is being surrounded by handmade things.  I absolutely love looking at some of the quilts my mom has made for the kids, tucking my daughter, Savannah, in under the quilt I made for her bed or seeing my girls twirling around in a dress that I made for them.  There is so much comfort to be found in handmade. 

'Happy Home' by Jennifer Paganelli is sure to inspire a focus on the domestic with all the brightly colored fabrics and beautiful prints.  The book is a gorgeous hard cover book with a pocket in the front that stores the printed pattern sheets.  The projects are pretty straight-forward and are definitely doable for a comfortable beginner sewer.  Jennifer's beautiful fabric designs are sure to get you excited to sew!

For an intermediate to advanced sewer many of the projects are a great base to adapt them and make them your own.  By adding different trims and choosing unique fabrics you can create projects that you will love and will make your house truly feel like home.

We will not be on this earth forever, but we can leave behind a little part of ourselves in the things we create for our loved ones.  Things that will bring them comfort.  Things that will bring them 'home'.

If you would like to check out 'Happy Home' by Jennifer Paganelli, click HERE.

Stitched Whimsy by Heidi Boyd ~ Book Review

'Stitched Whimsy' by Heidi Boyd is one of the cutest sewing books I have ever been sent to review.  The projects throughout the book are just as the title states ~ whimsical!  If you are looking for a book to inspire creativity and create special, handmade toys for your little ones, look no further.  Think turtles, mushrooms, little birds, elephants, giraffes, owls, felt food and so much more!

'Stitched Whimsy' is divided into four different sections and contains projects involving needle felting as well as sewing.

~Needle Felt Fun
~Whimsy for the Home
~Lovable Plushies
~Felt and Fabric

I have always been interested in needle felting, but have never given it a try.  There are lots of hobbies that I think I could get into, but sometimes I feel like it's best to stay focused on just a few so I don't get overwhelmed.  But I could really see myself getting into needle felting if I ever gave it a try.

The fact that this book breaks down all the different types of wool felt is an invaluable resource.  The author goes through the use of 35% wool felt, 100% wool felt, felted recycled sweaters, and more.  In addition to categorizing the different types of felt there are also sections defining different types of fabrics, wool roving, stuffing, and embellishments (such as beads, safety eyes, buttons, ect).

The book contains very specific instructions on what types of tools will be needed to complete the different projects from sewing machines, needles, cutting tools, needle felting tools, adhesives and marking tools.  If you've thought about entering the world of sewing softies, this book is a wonderful resource.

Most of the projects I make for my children are clothing and the occasional quilt because that's what I love to sew.  But this book has definitely inspired me to start sewing toys and softies for my kids.  The cuteness is almost unbearable and I just love all the little details in each project.  I really appreciate the author's breakdown of embroidery stitches as well.

The step-by-step instructions are wonderful and easy to follow.  There are pictures as well as hand-drawn illustrations that are really charming and well done. I also love that many of these projects can be done with scraps of fabric.  And my goodness........do I have scraps.......it's ridiculous!  And I'm all about using up those scraps this year.

My only negative thought on this book is the fact that it does not come with full-sized pattern pieces.  Why do people do that? I mean I know why they do, because it saves money on the printing, but it is so frustrating for the buyer.  To be honest, I have not purchased books for this reason, but sometimes a book is work the extra effort of enlarging the pattern pieces.  You can enlarge some of the pieces on your home printer, if you have a scanner/copy model, otherwise, you'll need to take a trip to your local Kinko's or copy store.

The characters pictured above just make me smile.  Aren't they so cute?

I sort of have a thing for stuffed little kitties and I love the vintage feel of the one pictured above.

If you are looking for adorable projects, with wonderful step-by-step instructions and inspiring photography, you're going to want to pick up a copy of 'Stitched Whimsy' by Heidi Boyd.

No compensation was received for this post.  I simply received a copy of the book from the publisher for my review.  All opinions and thoughts are 100% mine.

'Sew Serendipity Bags' by Kay Whitt ~ Book Review

 Kay Whitt has done it again!  A few months ago I was sent a copy of Kay's second book, Sew Serendipity Bags, and it is absolutely fabulous!

I'm not sure if you remember my review on Kay's first book, Sew Serendipity, but I loved it too.  Sew Serendipity, has a larger emphasis on clothing, but what do you need to go with your lovely outfit?  A beautiful, super-hip, ultra-chic bag!  And what's even better is if you can make that bag yourself.

Sew Serendipity Bags has the same feel as Kay's first book with beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations helping you sew each and every step of the way.  The book is arranged by skill level or by the amount of work you are willing to take on.  The easier bags in the book contain fewer pattern pieces, less stabilizers and hardware.  As you progress, you get more and more fancy with the amounts of pockets, zippers and overall pieces involved in constructing the bags.

Kay is my kind of girl, using beautiful, patterned fabrics for all of her bags in the book.  I feel that a bag should be a statement piece and if you are going to all the effort to create it yourself, then you should choose a gorgeous, fun fabric.  Sew Serendipity Bags has such beautiful, eye-candy photography as well.

My favorite bag might be the one on the cover, though it's really hard to choose just one.  The cover bag is fun, flirty and gives the option of pairing so many of my favorite designer quilting cotton fabrics.  There are many others in the book that caught my eye that would be perfect for different occasions such as a diaper bag, grocery bag, overnight bag, ect.

If you have a sewer on your holiday gift list this year, I would definitely recommend Sew Serendipity Bags by Kay Whitt.  Or perhaps you should add it to your holiday wish-list!  Just forward your sweetheart this blog post and say "hint, hint".  

Anyone else have one of Kay Whitt's books ~ either 'Sew Serendipity' or 'Sew Serendipity Bags'?

'Granny Square Love' by Sarah London ~ Book Review and Giveaway

I like to crochet.  Have I mentioned that before?  It's hard to keep track of what parts of my life I've told you about and what parts I haven't quite gotten into.  All in good time, I guess.  Anyway, I started crocheting back in college and I am by no means a pro.  I can do your basics such as blankets, scarves and hats, but nothing super-fancy.

Crocheting and knitting are making quite the come-back and it seems to me that the more retro the project, the better.  Most often, when people think of crocheting, they think of granny squares.  I recently got a copy of the new book Granny Square Love by Sarah London and it is simply lovely.  Now if you want to talk about retro, this is totally the book for you!  My mom said that granny squares were really popular back in her day, but I've been seeing them popping up everywhere.

Today I am going to give away a copy of Granny Square Love by Sarah London to one lucky The Cottage Home blog reader, but before I tell you how to enter, I thought I'd share a little bit about the book.

Granny squares are easy.  You do not need to have serious crochet skills to make one or a dozen. You actually don't even need to know how to crochet to use this book.  The beginning sections are great because Sarah London goes through all of the basic crochet stitches, which I found really helpful.  I don't crochet enough to remember each and every stitch, so this brought it all back.  I found her illustrations to be very useful, even more so than a beginning crochet book that I have.

There are many different, fun retro projects throughout the book.  The most classic would be the granny square blanket, but there are some other more different projects such as a lampshade, tablecloth and ottoman.

The pictures and colors used in the book are beautiful and every project has a retro vibe about it.  Each project has very thorough instructions and tells you exactly what type of yarn, hook size and notions will be needed as well as the finished project dimensions.

If you've never tried to crochet, I would highly recommend it.  Personally, I think it's easier than knitting - you only use one hook and can fudge a little if you mess up.  I enjoy crocheting because it's something I can do while sitting on the couch enjoying my favorite television program or can be brought in the car on a long trip.  I can't very well bring my sewing machine along for a car trip, now can I?

So, would you like to win your very own copy of "Granny Square Love" by Sarah London?  

Well, today I am going to giveaway one copy of the book!

To enter, please do one or all of the following below (use a separate comment for each entry).

1) Follow The Cottage Home Blog via Google Friend Connect (found in the left side-bar of the blog).
2) 'Like' The Cottage Mama on Facebook (click HERE).

Giveaway will be open until Friday, October 28, 2011 at midnight (CST).

Blog Book Tour: "Sewing A to Z" by Nancy Zieman

Welcome to Nancy Zieman's "Sewing A to Z" blog tour!  The tour has been going on for a little while now, but today is my day to host and I'm so thrilled to do so.  Nancy Zieman (of the show "Sewing with Nancy") has recently come out with this fabulous new sewing reference book called "Sewing A to Z".  And it is just that, Nancy addresses just about every sewing technique there possibly is.......from A to Z.

When I received my copy of the book from the publisher, I sat down that very night to check it out.  I immediately looked over at my husband and said......."This is a great book!"  Now my husband probably doesn't care too much about sewing books, but I just had to tell someone right then and there.  Not only is "Sewing A to Z" a great book for a beginner sewer, but it is a great reference for sewers of many different levels.  I love to see what techniques and tricks other fellow sewers use to complete different tasks such as piping, quilting, ect......

Nancy has a very friendly writing style, so you don't feel overwhelmed by all the wonderful information.  Not only does she give great instructions on different techniques, she provides wonderful tips on different sewing notions and ways to make your sewing life a little bit easier.

As you can see in the picture above, this book is loaded!  Nancy covers everything from applique technique, basting, edge stitching, piping, serging, and the list goes on and on.

As most of you know, I love piping so I really enjoyed reading all about Nancy's piping technique.  I've never used a piping foot before, but I found it very intriguing and may have to look into getting one in the future.  She covers how to make your own piping and inserting it as well.

Quilting is a whole other story.  I would definitely say I am a beginner when it comes to quilting, so I gained a wealth of knowledge through her information about different types of quilting, quilting feet for your sewing machine, as well as the different notions that can be used.

And finally, thread.  The thread section of a sewing store can be extremely overwhelming for someone who is just starting out sewing.  What to use?  Polyester, cotton, embroidery?  Well, no need to be overwhelmed, Nancy goes through them all so that you can feel confident the next time you make your thread selection!

You've got to head over to Nancy's blog and check out her "Sewing A to Z" post.  She is having a HUGE grand prize giveaway (worth over $450) that I'm sure you are going to want to enter.  She will be choosing one random winner that comments on her blog post throughout the tour.  Here's a peak at the prize package, which includes this book as well.......

If you would like to check out some other reviews about "Sewing A to Z" from other blogger's hosting the tour, click on any of the links below.

Sewing A to Z blog tour:
15-Aug Nancy Zieman’s blog
16-Aug Whipstitch
17-Aug Sew Mama Sew
18-Aug Diary of a Quilter
20-Aug Amy’s Creative Side
22-Aug Quiltville
23-Aug Crap I’ve Made
24-Aug Eileen Roche’s blog
25-Aug I’m Just a Guy Who Quilts
26-Aug The Free Motion Quilting Project
27-Aug Sew Serendipity
29-Aug Lazy Girls Designs
30-Aug Pat Sloan Blog
31-Aug Tallgrass Prairie Studio
1-Sep True Up
2-Sep Sew News
6-Sep Off the Cuff Sewing Style
7-Sep V and Co.
8-Sep The Cottage Home
9-Sep Colette Patterns 

If you are new to sewing, I highly recommend this book.  I am pretty much a self-taught sewer and this book would have saved me a lot of time and headache during my first years of sewing! 

Click HERE to purchase "Sewing A to Z" by Nancy Zieman.

Thanks for joining me on this tour and I hope you enjoyed learning about this great new book!

Book Review: Glorious Embellishing with Gloria McKinnon

Sewing and crafting books are one of my favorite pieces of reading material.  I could flip through sewing books time after time and never get bored with them.  I find these books to be so inspiring and a wonderful resource for learning new tricks and techniques.   Most nights, before I fall asleep, I am looking at some sort of sewing / crafting magazine or book - it's just a great way to end the day!

I was recently sent a copy of a fabulous new book from the publishers of Sew Beautiful and Martha Pullen for my review and I am thrilled to share this new publication with you all............

Glorious Embellishing with Gloria McKinnon

The Ultimate Resource for Decorative Stitching and Beading

Have you ever been interested in embroidery or hand embellishing?  "Glorious Embellishing" with Gloria McKinnon includes seven different detail oriented projects in the first half of the book and then includes an invaluable embroidery stitch library in the second part of the book.  The projects are truly delicate works of art and are pieces that will be cherished for a lifetime.

 

Many of the projects include instructions on the piecing of fabric and then finish with the elaborate embellishing stitches that can be used.  The projects are meant to be inspiration and you really can make them into your own works of art.  The vintage women (seen in the project above) are included in the book so that you can put them on fabric transfer paper and use as part of your creation.

I am a big visual learner so I love all the illustrations that come with the embroidery stitch library.  They are very clear and easy to understand, especially for a novice when it comes to hand embroidery.  Most stitches start off showing you the most basic version and then go into more and more advance techniques.  The author also shows you how to add things such as beading or silk ribbons into your embroidery embellishment techniques.

Even if some of the projects are not necessarily your style, they can be adapted and made your own.  And again, I have to say that the embroidery stitch library in this book is like none I have ever seen.  I have always wanted to get more into embroidery and I think this book might be the push I need to make that happen.

If you are interested in reading more about "Glorious Embellishing with Gloria McKinnon", please visit the Martha Pullen Store where you can purchase this book as well as many other sewing and craft resources.

Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth {Book Review and Giveaway}

I was recently sent a copy of "Mamarazzi - Every Mom's Guide to Photographing Kids" by Stacy Wasmuth for me to review here on the blog.  How adorable is that little girl on the front cover?  Seriously, I don't know if it gets much cuter than that!

I was so excited to get my hands on this book because, though I love to take pictures of my girls, and I do have a nice camera, I don't exactly know what I'm doing.  I hope that's ok to admit.  Yes, I'm outing myself - My name is Lindsay.  I have a dSLR camera. And I don't know exactly how to use it. 

But with that being said, I have been working really hard to learn more about photography and how to take good pictures, so this book came at the perfect time!  I find so many photography books are way to technical for my liking.  I am a visual learner, so I love pictures and examples and many of the books I've picked up are just filled to the brim with text.  I want to take good pictures of my kids, but I am by no means looking to become a true professional.

Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth was written with a casual, friendly tone and addressed all of the issues I have with photographing children.  She covers a wide-range of topics that will interest many moms who just love, love, love taking pictures of their little ones.

Here is what the table of contents looks like so you can see what all the book entails: 

This book goes into some detail with how to use your dSLR camera but it also has other great photography tips for those that use basic point-and-shoot cameras as well.  I love that the author goes into some detail in regards to photo editing as well because I end up doing a lot of that with the pictures that I take.

She talks about shooting different children of all ages, what to have them wear for photo shoots and how to get those winning smiles out of them without them saying "cheese" (which if you've ever photographed kids before, you know that never looks attractive).

Mamarazzi has some of the best eye candy of any photography book I have ever seen.  The sample photographs are amazing and there are TONS of them.  Besides being very informative, who doesn't love looking at photographs of adorable babies, cute toddlers, beautiful children and happy families?

Here is some additional information from Amazon.com about Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth:

Calling all mamarazzis! Every camera-toting mom will want this guide!

Moms, if you can't seem to take enough great photos of the children in your life, this is the book for you.  Now you can learn how to photograph children with the style, clarity, color, and beauty you see in professional photographs.  This fun guide combines humor with solid know-how to show you how to compose shots, handle cameras from basic compacts to advanced dSLRs, take portraits or candids, create prints that impress, and even work with kids! Packed with beautiful examples and written in a down-to-earth style from one mom to another, this book will help mamarazzis everywhere take better photos.

• Moms are one of the fastest-growing segments of the camera-toting demographic, and the blogosphere has a term for them, mamarazzis
• Mixes information, inspiration, and fun for women who want to take better photographs of the children in their lives
• Explains how to set up a camera and use the controls on basic compacts up to advanced dSLR cameras
• Covers shot composition, determining settings, exposing images correctly, the essentials of printing images, how to process for clear and bright color, and more
• Includes stunning examples of portraits and candids of children

So today, we are giving away one copy of "Mamarazzi - Every Mom's Guide to Photographing Kids" by Stacy Wasmuth to one lucky The Cottage Home blog reader.

Here's how to enter:
Please use a separate comment for each entry (enter all three times or just once....it's up to you).
1. Tell me who you love to photograph or why you need this book.
2. Become an official follower of The Cottage Home blog.
3. Become a fan of The Cottage Mama on Facebook (click HERE to do so).

Giveaway will be open until Friday, July 15, 2011 at midnight (CST).