book review: Present Perfect
this post is sponsored by F W and Shannon Fabrics.
the new book Present Perfect by Betz White is one of my favorite types of sewing books, full of a wide range of projects that make fabulous gifts.
I’ve said this before, but I don’t always look through all of the sewing books I have. when I do look through the books it is either for reference, inspiration, or for gift ideas… and this book is chock full of those, yay!!
we don’t have a lot of extended family that we’re super close with, and most of them don’t live close by. the exception is Nick’s aunt and uncle, Lisa and David, who are two of the sweetest and kindest and loveliest people I’ve ever had the pleasure to know (hi, Lisa!!). when we found out recently that their daughter Leah is due with her first baby, I was super excited to start sewing for little guy or gal.
I wanted to make something useful since the mom and dad to-be don’t have any baby things yet, but it had to be cute too. because, baby things should cute, amiright? so a set of bibs and burp cloths was the perfect solution, and this book has a great pattern for a set of them. (including a super cute bunny face applique too!!)
of course, I have lots of fabrics (hehe) but I wanted some really lovely terry cloth to pair with, so I reached out to my friends at Shannon Fabrics and they sent me some fabulous terry cloth. seriously, you guys. this stuff is the best! I did a little searching to find a retail seller, and I found a good selection at here from YouMadeSomething.com. I’ve not shopped there myself before, but I know the fabric is awesome :)
if you’re sewing with terry cloth, my recommendation is that you use a heavy-duty needle. I found that a universal 110/18 needle worked well, while smaller needles tended to skip stitches.
I used terry cloth in yellow and green with some Cotton Steel basics from the shop that co-ordinate with a fat quarter of this cute cat print I’ve been hoarding for a bit. the only change I made to Betz’s pattern was to use heavy-duty snaps in place of velcro.
here are some other of my favorite project from Present Perfect:
and you can see lots more examples at these other stops on the book tour!
Happy Home
Sew Mama Sew – Make & Bake Apron excerpt – Mon, 10/6
Stacy Sews – Falling Leaves Appliquéd Placemats – Tue, 10/7
House on Hill Road – Hot Mitt House & Tea Towel Set – Wed, 10/8
A Happy Stitch – Sweet Life Pillow – Thu, 10/9
Memorable Moments
Sew Sweetness – Wool Courier Bag – Fri, 10/10
Raspberry Sunshine – Gentlemen’s Travel Case – Mon, 10/13
Pink Chalk Fabrics – Pasha Pleated Clutch – Tue, 10/14
The Long Thread – Eye Candy Glasses Case – Wed, 10/15
Made with Moxie – Cargo Tablet Sleeve – Thu, 10/16
Bijou Lovely – Coffee Cash Coin Pouch – Fri, 10/17
New and Little
Flax and Twine – Forest Friends Finger Puppets – Mon, 10/20
Imagine Gnats – Bib, Rattle & Burp Baby Set – Tue, 10/21
plus, here’s a chance to win your own copy of Betz White’s Present Perfect PLUS a yard of terry cloth to try out for yourself (choice of dark lime or dark turquoise)!
the bib, rattle, & burp baby set is designed by Betz White and appears in her new book, Present Perfect (Interweave/F W; $26.99), available here for purchase. fabrics are from Cotton Steel basics from the imagine gnats shop, Cloud9 Fabrics Happy Drawing (available here from Hawthorne Threads), and Shannon Fabrics terry cloth.
good luck!
xo, rachael
*i received free products from F W and Shannon Fabrics in exchange for writing a review on my blog. although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own. read my full advertising and disclosures policies here.*
The post book review: Present Perfect appeared first on imagine gnats.
