Sharon's Favorite Things

Hello, Sharon here today with my favorite things!! I am a pretty simple gal so my list is not long but I would love to share with you my very favorite things!

My Favorite Patterns:  I have two favorite patterns: the Winter Wear Designs Button Up Shirt and the Liesl + Co Cappuccino Dress and Tunic. I have two of each patterns sewn (but there will be more!) and these are my most worn tops ever. I adore the fit of both of these. They form to my curves so beautifully without alterations needing to be done. And both patterns are so much fun to sew.

My Favorite Fabrics:   Art Gallery knits and Art Gallery voile are my favorite fabrics, hands down! They are a dream to sew with, feel so luxurious against my skin, and wash up fabulously. Need I say more??!

My Favorite Places To Go:  I know you ladies know that I love sewing but I also love being outside. I love hiking and camping. I love to sit outside and listen to the birds sing. The  picture below is from Table Rock, my favorite place to go hiking in South Carolina. There are waterfalls all the way up the mountainside. We even love to swim in the ice cold pools.

Below is a picture of our favorite place to go walking and nature watching. I can't get enough of being in God's beautiful nature. We live outside during summer.  

My Favorite Non-Sewing Hobby:  I also love, love to take photos. I love to photograph whatever looks beautiful to me. It is one of my favorite hobbies. 

My Favorite Times of Day:  My favorite times of day are sunrise and sunset. I love the way the lighting looks so magical. I could sit and watch it everyday. I always tell my kids it is God painting the sky; it's the best show there is. 

Family: The last of the favorite things is my family of course! (This is four out of five kids). There is no one else like my five wonderful children and husband. I love to share all of my favorite things with them in life. Life is too beautiful not to.

To take a peek at our past My Favorite Things posts, just click here.

Now, hop on over to our Whimsical Fabric & Me Facebook group and play the "Sharon's Favorite Things Game"!

Happy Creating!
Danielle Storm
www.whimsicalfabric.com

Alyssa's Favorite Things

Remember the My Favorite Things series we started on the Whimsical Fabric Blog back in October of 2015?  Well, November and December got REALLY busy with Thanksgiving and Christmas, and we decided to forgo the My Favorite Things for awhile. But today we are picking the series back up. Each month in 2016 we will bring you a new My Favorite Things post that will let you get to know some of the team members behind Whimsical Fabric. Today, we all get to learn about Alyssa's Favorite Things.  

Note: Some links within this post are affiliate links

Alyssa Carrion has been working with Whimsical Fabric for about a year now. She brings so many talents and strengths to the Whimsical Fabric team. Alyssa is mega organized (when I grow up I want to be just like her), is very creative (she comes up with some of the BEST games for our Facebook group), has amazing sewing skills, and can always make me smile and laugh with her awesome sense of humor. 

Alyssa does so many things for Whimsical Fabric I'm not even sure where to start. First, she runs our monthly Tutorial Tuesday posts; arranging the projects, ordering the supplies for the tutorial writers, and making sure everything runs smoothly. Alyssa also is our main game coordinator for our Facebook group, Whimsical Fabric & Me, posting many of the games and making sure you all receive your prizes. In addition, Alyssa creates all the order forms for any preorders we run and helps keep those preorders organized. And, to further help me out this year, Alyssa has taken on the task of editing all of our Tutorial Tuesday and Review posts, and all of our Sew-Along lessons. This is a HUGE help for me, and I'm so very thankful for her time and talents in this department. 

I'm quite sure I'm leaving out many more things Alyssa does for Whimsical Fabric, as she is always there to jump in and help out. I am so very blessed to have Alyssa's working with me and I appreciate her more than she probably knows. I not only cherish working with Alyssa, I cherish the friendship we have built over the past year. (And all the giggles we've shared.)

Doesn't Alyssa have the cutest children!

Alyssa's Favorite Things

Favorite Pin on the Whimsical Fabric board:
I have bins and bins of scraps all divided by color family, and I can't bear to part with them, so any pins like this one that give me ideas to use more of them up are very much appreciated!

Favorite in Stock Fabric:

I am a bit of an Alice in Wonderland nerd.... so the Art Gallery Wonderland line is my current favorite.

In fact, now that I've got some here in front of me, I've decided my next project with it will be for me and will be the Straight Stitch Society Have it All Wallet.

Favorite Sewing Snack:

I gave up coffee a few months ago to cut more sugar out of my diet (it gives me migraines) and replaced it with Earl Grey tea with vanilla.  And I know the SweetTarts aren't good for my head, but lining them up in color piles makes me happy.

Favorite Past Sew-Along: 

Here's a bit of nostalgia... These were my first sew along with Whimsical Fabric, and how I got acquainted with Danielle, and I've been thankful ever since that I decided to participate.  I was actually a tester for this pattern, so my kids already had the pairs that I had made them, and I was excited to make them more pants that I knew would fit well....  E+M Pants No. 2

Favorite Books:

I tend to be constantly attached to a book, my kindle, or my headphones with an audio book playing.  I've found that audio books are less distracting for me while sewing than Netflix binge sessions, so I'm a bit addicted.  I easily go through 4 or 5 books a week, though I've given myself a rule that at least one book a week must be a "classic."  I'm rather all over the place with my book interests, so I will try to narrow it down some.

1. Jane Eyre.  My all time favorite book that even 20 years after my first read, I still re-read every few months.

2. Einstein's Dreams.  Another favorite, though, this one I discovered in college, and keep on the small set of shelves in my room to be picked up when the fancy strikes.

3. If on A Winter's Night a Traveler.  This one is sort of a love story between a man and a woman and books. 

4.  Press Here.  My older brother bought this for the kids a couple of years ago, and its still one of their go-to's when we've plunged through all of the week's library books.

5.  Agnes and the Hitman.  This is the audio book I just finished.. its a totally zany, romantic mystery.  Fluff at its best, but entertaining..

6.  The Dark Tower. I'm a big Stephen King fan, and even though the last book of the series made me so mad I threw it out my barracks window when I finished, it's still a fantastic journey.

7.  The 17 Day Diet.  This is actually my fall-back diet, and its pretty easy to follow.  *I am not a medical professional, and check with your doctor before starting a new diet regime.  

8.  Splintered.  This one is part of a YA series, but the whole series is a pretty fast and engaging modernized Alice in Wonderland.  

9.  Phantom of the Opera.  I still think Raoul was the wrong choice...  

10. Left Handed Smocking.  I participated in an Ellie Inspired Sew Along last year and really enjoyed learning to smock, but I found it a bit difficult being left-handed.  This book has been a life saver.

To take a peek at our past My Favorite Things posts, just click here.

Now, hop on over to our Whimsical Fabric & Me Facebook group and play the "All About Alyssa" game!

Happy Creating!
Danielle Storm
www.whimsicalfabric.com

Jona's Favorite Things

We are starting a new series here on the Whimsical Fabric blog.  Each month we will bring you a My Favorite Things post that will let you get to know some of the team members behind Whimsical Fabric

Note: Some links within this post are affiliate links.

Jona Lourenco has been working with Whimsical Fabric for almost a year now.  Some of Jona's biggest strengths that she brings to Whimsical Fabric are her organizational skills, creativity, and positive attitude.  Jona is amazing at helping me to stay organized (which I desperately need) and is awesome at coming up with creative and new ideas.  She planted the seed for the Make It Mine Challenge and plays a HUGE roll in keeping the challenge running smoothly.  In addition, Jona also runs our Pinterest board and helps admin our Facebook group, Whimsical Fabric & Me.  I adore working with Jona and am blessed to have her on the team.  I'm very thankful for everything she does to help keep Whimsical Fabric running smoothly.

Here are some of Jona's Favorite Things.

Favorite pin from our Sew Helpful Pinterest board:

Elizabeth Rosario pinned this blog post from Melly Sews on how to hem different projects.

Favorite in-stock fabric: 

I am currently loving the Art Gallery Happy Home line. I have been pinning away Happy Home project ideas on the Happy Home Pinterest Board.

Favorite past sew-along:

My all time favorite Whimsical Fabric Sew Along to date is the Oliver + S Sleepover Pajamas! The sleeves have a big enough hem that I was able to roll up the sleeves for a while and the pants have cuffs that can be up or down. It's been almost a year, and my toddler still wears them!

Favorite room in my house:

This is a hard one.  I recently redid my sewing room, and LOVE how it looks.  But, this last week, my bedroom started getting a make over and I am completely in love with the progress. I will post both. I would love to hear from you in the comments which you like more. 

This is the first time in my life that I have lived in
 a home with painted walls!

Hubby found two nightstands and the table on Craigslist.
My great-grandma hand quilted that quilt by kerosene lantern.

Favorite Pinterest Board:

One of my favorite Pinterest Board's is Riley Blake's Quotables Board. I love it because there aren't any projects to add to my to-do list, or any advice about what I should change in my life. Just a place to giggle.

 Favorite Books:

So the only thing I do more than sew, is read. I will easily read an entire book in an evening (more like middle of the night). I love a variety of books and will gladly choose a print book over a digital copy any day. I LOVE reference books or books to teach me new skills, even though the same info can be found online.

Here are my most recently read/referred to books (other than the 3 in my car, and the one on my Kindle):

1. Oh My, Oh My, Oh Dinosaurs!: My two year old and I read this book every day.
2. Piggie and Elephant Books: We own most of the collection and these are our bedtime stories, I play the part of Piggie, and my Husband plays the part of Elephant.
3. Almost Amish: I purchased this used, and found that my copy was signed by the author. 
4. Oliver + S Little Things to Sew: This one was a birthday gift and the giver even wrote a note in the front of the book, I LOVE notes from the giver!
5. For Keeps: I am a beginner quilter and this book has been very useful and has darling patterns.
6. Stitch Along: I have fallen in love with hand embroidery and the design ideas in here are darling.
7. Trim Healthy Mama: I have been slowly trying to eat healthier and this (plus the cookbook) have become a great resource.
8. Action Art: My kids and I love to do art and this provides a ton of great ideas beyond paper and crayons.

Happy Creating!

Danielle Storm 

www.whimsicalfabric.com