Sew Mama Sew Knit fabric giveaway: Take two

With Christmas galloping ever closer and rumours that generosity and good-will towards mankind are the appropriate emotions, I'm taking part in my second Sew Mama Sew giveaway!  Fancy a metre of my finest knit fabric?  From the shelving to the right...

Or the shelving to the left...

Or even the fabric that's stacked on the couch because I need another shelf; any fabric from my shop.

The giveway is open internationally and will stay open until  Dec 9th, 5PM PST.  To enter, leave a comment on this post telling me what Christmas present you are desperate for. And then show your friends and family that you entered and hopefully they will read your comment and buy it.  Anonymous or 'no-follow' commenters make sure you leave a contact.

___________________________Giveaway Closed!___________________________

Winner is Joyatee!  Thanks for all the comments.

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Feminists and Pirates are not mutually exclusive

To prove Aristole's theory that art indeed imitates life, Maia recently started a drama class. You can't believe it, right? Given her predisposition for all things dramatic, emotional and pretend-y, I reckon she'll be teaching the class by next term.

The class is working on a 'production' of Peter Pan and given that there are precisely two boys amidst eventy girls, there is serious competition for a shot to play Tinkerbell.  This week, they were told to dress up either as fairies or pirates.

Naturally she wanted to be a fairy but I reminded her that I made Jamie a full pirate outfit a couple of years ago (in contrast to the terrible pound-store ripped and bent fairy wings) and when she tried it on she looked the business.  And I told her so forty five times until she believed that girls can be tough and strong and that she is not limited by her gender to be inferior and that she is the master of her own destiny and happiness and there is no such thing as toys for girls or boys.  Okay, maybe believing these things are a work in progress.

Pictured: the business  Not pictured: imaginary sword

Despite the fact that every single other girl in the class dressed as a fairy, she basked in glory of her fierceness (after some encouragement *sigh*).  As opposed to........

The Benign Pirate, circa 2010

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When is a mix tape not a mix tape?

Look, Mom, I only went and got my first iPhone.  In defense of my fiscal responsibility, I was due for an upgrade and my contract only went up a smidge. 

Faux cassette tape iPhone cover, I see your dorkiness and raise you one handwritten mix tape label.  I win all the dorks.

Lego iPhone cover, I forgive the fact I'm going to have to slice your sticky-outey bit by the camera because you protect my camera from all the detritus in my pockets and bag.  I do like yellow, but not in the corner of every picture.

Look, I took a picture of my fabric reflected in the screen totally not by accident and now it's a business expense.

So, iPhonettes and iPhoners:  What apps can't you live with out and why? Which podcasts make you want to work all the live long day?  How can I dress it up even more dorky?

Oh, and if you want to add me to your Instagram pals, I am 'kitschycoo'.  I can't promise I will post anything interesting but if you're here you most probably know that.

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Cyber Monday Sale

I'm joining in on the Cyber Monday extravaganza with some pretty nifty discounts! 

• Spend over £20 and save 20% (enter CYBER20 at checkout) 

• Spend over £40 and save 25% (enter CYBER25 at checkout)

The discount codes expire at 12:01 AM on the 28th of November, and for added fun, I can't even tell you which time zone they expire in.  Thanks, Big Cartel, for keeping it mysterious.

The shop has a new section with the final cuts of some of my most treasured fabrics.  Quite of few of the manufacturers only do single runs and when they're gone, they're gone.  That being said, occassionally they reappear as reprints and mostly likely I'll reorder if I can!  So maybe they're gone forever, maybe they'll resurface.  Again, keeping it mysterious.

And finally, now you can order Kitschy Coo gift certificates for all your favourite friends and family.  There's a button at the bottom of every page, as well as a dedicated page link at the top left tool bar.  The link leads you into Paypal to purchase, but I pinky promise that they're redeemable anywhere on my site.

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The Swellest Swallow Skirt

In my first thirty-two years of life, the only thing I ever won was a sleeping bag that resembled a gigantic Handi-Snacks. So great was its awesomeness that the universe denied me prizes for twenty years out of fairness for others.  But now I have repayed my fake-cheese-on-a-red-plastic-stick Karmic debt, and am allowed to win at things again.  Behold, the Rockabilly Swallow Skirt from the very talented and inspirational So, Zo.

Behold, the hand-stitched leather swallows.

Behold, the delicious gingham facing in a terribly lighted picture.

Behold, my handsome / winsome photographer, who took picture after picture of my legs, torso or head while completely cropping out the skirt. 

And then a series of full frame shots of only the skirt and my belly. 

The skirt, Jaim. TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS SKIRT.

And then a dozen of shots of me pointing at the skirt in mock exasperation.

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The World is Cruel Dress

Nay-sayers, wallow in the vindication of your doubts: I did not complete the Skater Dress pattern last weekend as I hoped.  The tutorial is done and dusted but I'm still putting a tiny bit more work into the pattern.  Can you guess what my stumbling block is?  A clue: it is my perma-block.  Fecking sleeves.

The sleeves: They menace me.

I thought I would test version 76.0b with a quick and dirty refashion of one of Steven's castaway sweaters.  The bodice is the skater bodice, the sleeves the skater sleeves, the bottom a gathered-in-the-centre-only rectangle.

The retained ribbing hem makes the skirt into a tulip shape that is pleasing to me.

Matching a striped curved bodice to a striped curved skirt when combining different coloured stripes?  Less pleasing to me.

Add a lazily-retained too-wide-adult-male-neckline and we have an explanation as to why Maia's drama teacher did not compliment her on her dress despite complimenting Maia's friend on her dress.

Clearly the only logical explanation, Maia, but it makes that bitter pill no easier to swallow.

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These ain't your grandma's tigers*

The shop just got significantly more bad-*ss...

With organic cotton jersey tiger prints in dark green and ice blue.  A gloriously smooth and stable 95% cotton 5% elastane blend with fantastic stretch recovery.  Great for boys, girls, their mums, and everyone alive on the planet with good taste.  I want to make my entire winter wardrobe from these fabrics; go on and just dare me.

*Grandmas, never fear, I still have tigers for you:

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