Happy Holidays with FreeSpirit & Rowan 
It was our biggest series ever and certainly one of our biggest Great Giveaways ever. Just after Christmas, we drew one winner at random from the nearly 500 comments posted to the site.
Happy Holidays with FreeSpirit & Rowan: Great Giveaway!
THIS GREAT GIVEAWAY CLOSED 12/24/12. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED.
We've just wrapped up our biggest series ever: five weeks of Holiday Happiness with Rowan Fabrics, FreeSpirit Fabrics and Ty Pennington Impressions. Eighteen tutorials plus five techniques plus today's Great Giveaway! Wow! During the series, we introduced you to three brand new collections from Westminster Fibers Lifestyle Fabrics: Amelie's Attic by Melissa White for Rowan Fabrics, Pirouette by Verna Mosquera for FreeSpirit Fabrics, and Alchemy by Amy Butler for Rowan Fabrics. Plus, one group from Ty Pennington Impressions: Ty's Fall 2012 Collection. It's been fab five weeks. We hope you've enjoyed seeing how non-traditional fabrics like these can be incorporated into holiday projects with absolutely beautiful results. The bonus is, you can keep them out year 'round!
THIS GIVEAWAY ENDED 12/24/2012. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED.
Happy Holidays with FreeSpirit & Rowan: Ruched Velveteen Belt with Flower
Turn a LBD into your own personal fashion statement with the perfect holiday accessory: a stretchy velveteen belt adorned with a petal soft flower. Heading out to dinner from the office? Add this pretty belt to a simple soft sweater or crisp white shirt for just-right casual elegance. The beautiful, luxurious velveteen is part of Amy Butler's newest collection: Alchemy for Rowan Fabrics.
Happy Holidays with FreeSpirit & Rowan: Working with Velvet and Velveteen
Velvet and velveteen are definitely members of the fabric world's Specialty category. But, that doesn't mean they're too "special" to be part of your sewing stash. All you need is a little help learning how to properly handle, sew and care for them. And that's what your friends here at Sew4Home are for, right?! As we've shown you in recent weeks, today's fabric collections no longer feature quilting cotton as the only available substrate (or fabric type). Westminster Fibers, through their FreeSpirit and Rowan brands, offers a wonderful range of options from the sheerest voile to heavy canvas to the rich velveteen we're using from Amy Butler's Alchemy collection. But like anything new, unique substrates, such as velvet and velveteen tend to be feared by many home sewers. And... when fear leads you to always err on the same (or safe) side of all these fun new choices, you can end up in a fabric rut. Below we’ve summarized what we know about velvet and velveteen, along with the proper techniques for cutting, sewing, pressing, and more. Spread your wings and try something new! Trust us, the extra care is well worth the finished product.
Happy Holidays with FreeSpirit & Rowan: Fussy Cut Pillow Creates its Own Frame
Just a little fancy cutting and a bit of clever seaming, and you can turn a simple fabric border design into an elegant frame with a center medallion. It's a great way to give an ordinary square pillow a trendy designer look. And when you have a collection with the depth and drama of Amy Butler's Alchemy for Rowan Fabrics, it's easy to find motifs that cry out to be fussy cut. During this busy time of year, a classic pillow executed in gorgeous fabrics is perfect for holiday giving and decorating, but also has the beauty staying power to last year 'round.
Happy Holidays with FreeSpirit & Rowan: Pleated Evening Clutch with Bow in Alchemy Sateen Bliss
If holiday invitations are starting to fill up your December calendar, it's time to find those perfect little party accessories that can amp up your style without emptying your wallet. Our pretty little purse with its dramatic bow makes a bold fashion statement. The unique slip-through pleated band is a very clever way to clutch this clutch! We chose Amy Butler's new Sateen Bliss, part of her Alchemy Studio Collection, for both the bag's exterior as well as its lining. This new substrate has an absolutely lovely feel and just the right amount of sheen.
Happy Holidays with FreeSpirit & Rowan: Elegant Pleated Wrap in Velveteen and Rayon
As you've probably noticed during our first week with Amy Butler's new Alchemy, we totally love the innovative substrates she's brought into this collection for Rowan Fabrics. There are, of course, beautiful quality quilting cottons, but this time, she also has a wide range of incredible new textures with which to work. Our All-Weather Tote from earlier this week featured a soft cotton laminate, and today, we're working with rayon challis and velveteen. She also has a unique rayon/linen, sateen bliss, linen/cotton and a voile. Each of the different substrates comes in a wide array of colors and patterns, exploding the amount of creativity you can achieve by mixing and matching looks, weights and textures. Our elegant wrap combines the luxurious drape of rayon challis with the soft romance of velveteen. It's perfect for a holiday night on the town where you need a bit of warmth, and you want a bit of drama against that perfect little black dress.
Happy Holidays with FreeSpirit & Rowan: Alchemy Piped Pillow with Tassels
When we talk with our friends in the industry about how to entice new people into the world of sewing, everyone seems to agree a pillow is the best way to start on your sewing adventure. If you've been sewing for years, a pillow is also one of the best and easiest ways to update the look of your décor, adding a dash of fresh excitement to a sofa, bench or bed. What makes it even more special is when you work with a wonderful collection like Amy's Butler's Alchemy for Rowan Fabrics. The fabric does the heavy-lifting. It's so beautiful, all you really need are two fussy cut panels. We added contrasting piping, covered buttons and tassels to give our pillow some extra holiday elegance. Turnaround a new pillow and a new look in just a few hours.
Happy Holidays with FreeSpirit & Rowan: Working with Rayon and Linen
Recently, you may have noticed many of your favorite fabric designers are starting to offer their new collections in different substrates (or fabric types). It used to be you would see a specific line in 100% woven cotton only. Now, you are just as likely to also see beautiful combinations of colors and prints in cotton laminate, linen, canvas, voile, rayon, velveteen, corduroy, flannel, fleece, knit and sateen. Westminster Fibers, through both their FreeSpirit and Rowan lines, is an industry leader when it comes to offering these new substrates; and leading designer, Amy Butler has certainly embraced the trend. Among other options, her current collection, Alchemy features both an amazing rayon and a rayon/linen blend. We’ve summarized what we know about each, along with the proper techniques for cutting, sewing, pressing and more.
Happy Holidays with FreeSpirit & Rowan: Lumbar Pillow with Hand Stitched Accents
We love sewing by machine! It's fast, it's easy, and when you have great machines like the Janome models in our S4H studios, it's almost effortless. But it doesn't mean you can't whip out the hand needle and thread now and then. A few well-placed hand-stitched accents adds a unique decorative touch. Today's lovely lumbar pillow features rows of simple running stitches in three coordinating colors of embroidery floss. By adding a bit of batting behind the fabric, the finished look has a sweet hand-quilted feel. Against the rich cottons of Amy Butler's Alchemy collection, it's the perfect understated embellishment. Not so much that it distracts from the beautiful fabric, just a small, special element that takes only a few minutes to include.
