And the WINNER is....

Just to recap - for my second blog birthday I decided to giveaway a custom hand-made dress made just like this one, but in fabric chosen by the winner.

Well yesterday afternoon, Stella drew the winner.  I got out the bucket that has a miniature schnauzer on it and filled it with 56 numbered ping pong balls.

And it was a beautiful afternoon so we thought we'd hold the draw in the back yard.  I threw all the balls out of the bucket onto the grass.

Stella got all excited, ran around for a bit, and then picked up a ball and took off with it!

love a good blurry action shot!

I had to chase her around to get her to give it to me, and even then she really wanted me to give it back!  But she sat patiently while I took this photo.

"So who is number 20 on the list" I hear you all scream...well, the winner is...

INA DE WINNE

Congratulations Ina!  Please send me an email to sewretrorose (at) gmail.com so we can talk fabric choices and measurements and the like.

Thank you everyone else for entering.  I'm sorry I couldn't make a dress for each of you...

Beccie
xxx 

PS.  One last photo of Stella... and me!

I had my hair dyed yesterday (the colour is De Lorenzo Ruby Red for those that are interested) and that is why its not done in any way at all - I love it when my hair dresser blow-drys my hair!!!

Oops! I missed my Birthday!!!

Sew Retro Rose is 2!!!!

Actually, my blog turned 2 back on the 2nd of August and I TOTALLY forgot about it... it dawned on me when I was driving home from work last Friday - oops!!!  And it got me thinking about my blog and its origins.  I didn't start this with any other aim than to make sewing a less lonely past-time.  The fact that people actually read my ramblings and are inspired by what I do just blows me away.  So to celebrate my second blogiversary, and to reward my loyal bloggy-friends, I'm having a giveaway.

Who wants a dress made out of this pattern?

Not the bolero, just the dress

Yep, the pattern I used to make this dress:

And I'm also underway making two more versions for myself... but more on them later!

And just to make it clear, the dress I am offering here for this giveaway will be custom made to your measurements in a cotton fabric using this pattern, and won't have the ribbon trim. I have no fabric in mind for this, and will purchase the fabric after discussions with the winner.  The giveaway is open to everyone, but I will ask that you pay for postage once the dress is finished.

So basically, you could own a custom made dress and all you need to pay is the price of postage from Australia to you.  Pretty fair deal!!!

Right about now you're probably wondering how you can enter.  I'm not going to do anything complicated, cause I just can't be bothered!  All you need to do is comment on this post!!!  If you want to say something lovely about me that would be really nice, but Stella will be picking the winner, and she very fair when it comes to these things...

Oh, and one entry per person.

The giveaway will be open for 7 days and the winner will be announced next Wednesday (Australian time - so thats Tuesday for all you people on the other side of the world).

Beccie

xxx

PS.  You know how I love to reply to all your comments... well I'm going to refrain from doing that this time UNLESS you ask me a specific question about the giveaway or the dress.  Hope thats okay with everyone!

UPDATE: The Giveaway is now closed - thank you for your entries!!!  Winner will be announced on Thursday the 12th of September (Australian time).

Remember the Giveaway Skirt???

Back in February (seems like forever ago doesn't it!) you might remember that I had a giveaway as part of Sew Grateful Week where I would sew a the winner a skirt? 

Well last week I received photos of Shannon wearing her prize - The Shoe Skirt!

Shannon also wrote me a lovely email:

"I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to send you some photos.  I actually took these the day after I received the skirt, but then I was moving across the country and they got put on the back burner."

"I don't have that many to send you even though we took quite a few.  I had no idea how hard taking nice outfit shots would be.  I appreciate your lovely photos even more now"

"I wore the skirt to dinner to a Brazillian restaurant that night we took the photos.  As we were leaving the restaurant, one of the hostessess actually ran out to catch us in the parking lot... just to ask me where I got my skirt!  I told her a friend made it for me.  She seemed disappointed not to be able to go out and buy one for herself."

"I also wore the skirt often during our drive out to California, and was asked about it several times.  I love my skirt and feel so special when I wear it.  Thank you again!"

Well, thank you Shannon for playing along and sending me some photos to share with everyone (especially that last one - love it!!).  I'm so glad that you love your skirt!!!

I hope you all feel suitably jealous!!!

Beccie
xxx

The Thankyou Giveaway Winners Announced!!!

Well didn't we have fun last night drawing the winners of the giveaway!

Just to remind you all what was up for grabs...

Pattern A

Pattern B

Pattern C

I say boo to automatic number generators!  I wanted to have a much more fun way of picking the winners, and my idea involved a big jar of ping pong balls, a texta, a bucket, and an excited puppy!

So each ping pong ball was numbered, and put into this bucket:

A friend of mine bought me this bucket cause it has a puppy on it that looks remarkably like Miss Stella!  When its not being used for crazy things like this, it serves as my rubbish bin in my sewing room.

The ping pong balls were then swirled around and tipped on the floor in front of an excited Miss Stella, and the ball she picked up and ran off with was the winner!

First up - Pattern A (which had the most entrants by the way).

I tipped the bucket out in front of Miss Stella...

And she picked ball number 3!

Which corresponded to MEGAN ARNOL!!!!!!

Next up, Pattern B (which had the least number of entrants).  I tipped out the bucket...

And once again she picked ball number 3!

Which corresponded to SORBET SURPRISE!!!!!

Then I reloaded the bucket for the last time to draw for Pattern C.  I tipped out the bucket...

And this time she picked up ball number 18!

Which corresponded to ESZ!!!!!!

And after all that I decided I had to give Miss Stella her own ping pong ball.  Each time she'd pick one and run off with it and I had to chase her down and ask her to give it back.  She was none too pleased!  But she was happy when I gave her her own to crunch on!

So HOORAY for Megan Arnol, Sorbet Surprise, and Esz!!!  Can you all please send me an email at beccieblossom(at)gmail.com so I can get your patterns off to you in the mail!

Beccie
xxx

A Thankyou GIVEAWAY!

As mentioned at the end of my last post, to thank everyone for being patient with me while I had a holiday, and then being even more patient while I boasted about it when I got back, I've decided to have a little giveaway.

This giveaway is open to anyone and everyone - I don't care where you live, if you win I will post it to you!  I'll be accepting entries for one week, and the winner will be selected at random in a way that may or may not involve Miss Stella.  To enter, please comment below which pattern you would like to win, and to break with tradition, I won't reply to your comment unless you ask a specific question.

Up for grabs are three patterns.  You can put your name down to win just one, or all of them!

PATTERN A

 
This is a Marian Martin mail order pattern, purchased by Mrs Merrick of Winnipeg in June 1956.  It is complete with instructions - Size 12 (sorry, no bust, waist, or hip measurements given).  It is described as a 'dress with contrast front and back bodice and with belt, yoke and neck facing to match skirt'.  The pattern pieces are unprinted.

Now I have actually made this one - and it came out like this:

Gee my hair has grown...

PATTERN B

Another mail order pattern!  This one was purchased by Mrs Faris of National City, California - complete, with instructions.  Unfortunately the envelope doesn't have a date on the post mark so I can't tell you when its from exactly.  Its a size 10 (bust 31, waist 24, hips 33).  There also isn't a description, so I've made this one up.  'Sweet summer frock with full skirt and narrow straps, with cropped double breasted jacket with bracelet length sleeves'.  The pattern pieces are unprinted.

Now I haven't made this one, but I originally purchased it for the little jacket.

PATTERN C

 
Now this one caused a bit of a stir when I posted the teaser post on my Facebook page.  Simplicity 2041 in size 14 (bust 34).  Complete, with instructions, and this one is a printed pattern too!  It is described as 'Slenderette misses and women'ts one-piece wrap around dress and cape.  Dress both views is sleeveless and has shaped neckline.  Dress front laps right over left and has 6 button side opening.  Slim skirt has right side pocket.  V1 features cape made of dress fabric and faced with contrasting fabric.  Cape buttons to dress bodice.

Now I haven't made this one either, but love the idea of the cape buttoning on.

I also reserve the right to copy these patterns before I post them to you, so don't be surprised if you see them turning up at some point as projects!

So!  Which one do you want???

Beccie
xxx

Giveaway Skirts : Wrapped and Ready to Go!

Well last night I finally got the Giveaway Skirts finished for Shannon and Leah!

It was a lovely and pattern to follow, but I was making 4 skirts at once in a production line type process, so it took longer than it would if you were just doing one.  And the reason I did four was I did one for myself (of course!) and one for a friend for their birthday.

And while my friend's and mine aren't finished yet (sigh!) Shannon and Leah's skirts will be on their way to them in the mail later today!  Hooray!!

And I asked them both if they minded if I blogged about their finished skirts, and they didn't mind so....

Shannon's Shoe Skirt

 Leah's Cherry Skirt

After I tied them on my headless helper to take photos I realised that they really needed buttons to prevent 'Marilyn Moments', so I then set about doing that.  I put 5 buttons down the front of each skirt - here are the buttons I chose:

I was particularly excited about the pink ones - they are reproduction confetti lucite ones... I may have purchased quite a few of them...

Then this morning I packaged them up to be put into the post later on today - keep your eyes out girls!

PS.  How awesome is my sticky tape dispenser!!!

And now the way is cleared for a weekend of Mad Men dressmaking!  More updates on that next week.

Have you got a productive and fun weekend planned?

Beccie

xxx

Sew Grateful Week : And the Winner Is.....

This morning I had the very fun and nerve-wracking task of drawing the winner for my giveaway.  Don't ask me why I was nervous (I have no idea!) but I woke up several times last night thinking about it...

First task was to choose a hat to draw a name out of...  I thought this pink confection would be perfect!

Then I typed everyones names out (multiple times in most cases), cut all the entries out, folded them in thirds and put them in the hat.

This took much longer than I expected, cause there was about 130 entries!!!!  WAAAAAAY more than I anticipated when I started!!

Then I looked around for an impartial observer.

Stella looks a bit feral this morning - we went for a long walk and there was a heavy dew, so she came back saturated.

I stuck my hand in and swirled it around as Stella looked on.

Excuse the slightly blurry photo - its hard to swirl entries in a hat, making sure Stella doesn't 'help' and run off with some entries, and take a photo all at the same time!!!

Then I drew out a name...  AND THE WINNER IS....

YAY FOR SHANNON!!!!!

Shannon, can you please send me an email to beccieblossom(at)gmail.com and we'll get this show on the road!

I really wish I could have given away a skirt to everyone that entered... thank you so much for your support, its been overwhelming.

Beccie
xxx

Sew Grateful Week : Its GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

 

Well Sew Grateful week is here, and my first post for the week is....

A GIVEAWAY!!!!

Now I've never done a giveaway before, so I asked on my Facebook page what I should giveaway - should it be a pattern or two, or some fabric... I had no idea.

This is one of the response I got from a lovely follower called Dahra:

"Use your talent.  'Sew Retro'.

A lot of people give away fabric and patterns and things... But how many people give away a one off piece sewn just for them?  Doesn't have to be time consuming or a lot of work.  But making something just for the winner... Then they'll feel extremely lucky and special"

So that's what I'm doing.

Yes you heard correctly - I'm going to sew an item of clothing for the winner!  Specifically, this:

And don't worry, I will adjust the pattern to fit whatever size you are.

Now I have purchased this pattern specifically for this giveaway, and its on its way to me now from the good ol' US of A.  Its a wrap skirt with a giant bow sash and I think its GORGEOUS!!!!

Now, the winner gets to pick the fabric I use.  You can choose this one:

This is a quilting cotton so it is lovely and soft.  The skirt will be made from the cherry fabric (who doesn't love cherries!) and the sash from the red fabric.

or this one:

This is a cotton twill so its a heavier fabric, but still very suitable for a skirt, and more than that IT HAS SHOES ON IT!!!!  The shoe fabric will be the skirt, and the sash will be in pink.

I love them both so will make the skirt for myself in the other fabric.

There is one condition though - I would really REALLY love it if the winner could send me a couple of photos of them wearing the skirt so I can post them on my blog and share them with everyone else that didn't win.  You get an opportunity to make everyone jealous!!!

So I can hear you all yelling HOW DO I ENTER, STOP GOING ON AND JUST TELL ME!!!!!

Well this is what you need to do to get your name in the hat:

• Follow my blog to get one entry
• Like my Facebook page to get another entry
• Share the post on my Facebook page announcing the giveaway to get yet another entry
• Follow me on Instagram (sewretrorose) and like the photo of the giveaway for a possible FOURTH entry!!!  (thanks to Dahra for reminding me!!)

You don't have to do all four, but if you do you'll get four entries.  Or if you do two things you'll get two entries, three things for three entries.  Make sense?  Here is an example:

If you already follow my blog you already have one entry, so you then go onto Facebook and like my page, you have two entries, then you share my link, you have three entries!

Come back here and comment to tell me what you've done and I'll note it down - Easy!  I will announce the winner on Friday Australia time (so that's Thursday for some of you), so make sure you check back here.

Good luck everyone!!!

Beccie
xxx