Lots of good stuff springing up!

So happy to be blogging on a sunny Sunday! It is up in the high 50's here, and our little family spent the morning out in the garden. We still have lots of cleaning up to do, but I'm really looking forward to the growing season. Heck, I'm just looking forward to spring in general, as you can tell by my latest pattern cover.

Case Study: Tailored Totes is your pretty standard, classy tote bag, but with some fun (and practical) twists. This bag come in one (perfect) size, but has pocket and strap options galore. I've included pencil pockets, crayon pockets, little phone pockets...you name it! But the best feature, in my opinion, is that this bag stands on its own...literally! Like the other two Case Studies (Basic Boxes and Boxy Bags), the design is built around EVA foam inserts (also known as foamies), which are lightweight and give amazing structure.

I'm in LOVE with the prototype above! I made it out of three of my most favorite Sis Boom Fabrics, and customized the pockets to exactly my needs. I took it on a trip to Home Depot yesterday, and it sat perfectly upright in the front of the cart. When we stalled on the weed-whacker aisle (yawn), I could reach in, grab my phone, and check my email without rifling through my purse and potentially stressing out loss prevention associates (yah, I've worked big box retail). PLUS - it sits totally upright wherever I drop it...the floorboard of the car, movie theaters, public restrooms...you get what I'm sayin' ;). I just love having a bag that is super gorgeous (thanks to the fabric), functional, and durable!

SO!...right about the time I was optimizing this pattern, Jennifer sent me some precious yardage from her newest line, So St. Croix. Well, I just NEEDED to make the ultimate bag out of it! I used Genevieve Toile, Nancy Ironwork, and CARLA dot (blushing and grinning and jumping up and down) as the lining.

You can actually win this great bag! My awesome friends Cathy and Marlo put together a fun contest on the Scientific Seamstress Facebook fan page. Here are the details:

Suggest this page to friends and WIN! Carla's latest "Case Study: Tailored Totes" will be available for sale next week. In the meantime, we are going to run a fun contest so you can win a copy of the eBook before you can buy it! And as the SUPER GRAND PRIZE, one fan will win the gorgeous bag on the front cover! Here is how it works...

Invite as many friends as you like by clicking on "Suggest to Friends" on the left hand side of the screen. Then, come back here and let us know how many you invited (we don't need names, just a number :) ). Whether they join or not, each invite = 1 entry to win the eBook and the "cover model" tote bag!

Now here is the fun part....all of the new fans are going to be entered in a drawing, and three will win a copy of the Tailored Totes eBook. We'll ask them who referred them to the page, and those people will win the eBook as well! So the more friends you convince to join in the fun, the better your chances of winning the eBook!

The drawing will be held next Monday, 3-9-10, at noon EST...let's go get the word out about these fun, easy to sew patterns!!!

On the subject of Sis Boom, here is a sneak peek from our next collaboration! Our sweet tester Stacey made this gorgeous top from Blue Casey Scroll (swoon!!!!). We are just waiting on a few more photos from an incredible photographer, and then it will be available for sale, so stay tuned!!!

In the meantime - lookie...SNOWDROPS!




...and CROCUS(ES)! I'm so thrilled that the mounds of snow are melting away, and these beautiful little flowers are popping up to say "hi!" - spring has sprung!