You do a little teamwork to mix them up with a shovel.

And then you pick one at random.

And that someone is …

But it seems a bit unfair, after all that teamwork, to only draw one name. They should each get a turn to pick one, right? And it is a double 100 giveaway after all, right? So maybe there ought to be a second winner with another prize?

We draw again.

And the second prize winner is …

Whoops. Try that again.

And … almost …

Ok, there it is! Congratulations, ladies!

Winner #1 will receive the original giveaway prize. Winner #2 will receive an illustration print of her choice. Linda and Tara, I’ll be in touch to get your info. Thank you to everyone who participated!

So now, without further ado, it’s time to announce the giveaway winner.

I was going to use a very scientific process in which my kids helped shuffle, sort, and draw, but they’re in bed and I’m not interested in changing that. So, using a random number generator, I have now determined that the winner (after throwing out one double comment) is …

Congratulations, Posie! Please send me your mailing address so I can get the goodies out to you.

Tomorrow I’ll be back with a rare Tuesday post so I can show you how the Matryoshka baby shower turned out. See you then!

I try to get around to visit all of you or send a reply e-mail here and there, but there are times when I just can’t stay on top of it. I don’t want you to think that I don’t appreciate your kindness, though. I know it takes extra time to leave a thoughtful comment, and I feel honored that you take the time to do it for little old me!

Here’s a little bouquet for you:

(Remember this photo? Was that really almost a year ago already? I can tell how she’s grown even from this little glimpse at her face.)

Anyway, moving on. *sniffle*

After closing comments on Friday’s giveaway, I removed any “trackback” type comments for a total of 15 individual entries and used a random number generator to select 5 winners.

And so, the winners of the 5 free Dewdrop Girl patterns are, in no particular order:

1. Stephanie
2. Chrissy
3. Lola Nova
4. Jacquie
5. Natalie

Congratulations! I’ll be sending your e-mail addresses to Rebecca, and she’ll get the pattern out to you.

And if you weren’t one of the lucky winners but still want to try your hand at one of Rebecca’s sweet little designs, don’t forget to check out her Etsy shop or her Big Cartel shop. You won’t be disappointed!

Thanks, Rebecca, for your generosity, and to all the rest of you for playing along!

Some time ago my daughter saw me reading a blog post by Rebecca of Blinking Flights. She pointed to a photo of one of Rebecca’s Dewdrop Girls and said, “I like that doll.”

Well, then, birthday gift it is!

Can you even stand that sweet little face?

The Dewdrop Girl was actually one of the first items I made in the SewStorm. I was working on her at the same time as the paper-pieced ball. (Yes, I am telling the story out of order. It’s my blog, and I can do that if I want. Ha!) Having never made a doll before, I took my time with her to be sure I got her just right.

And isn’t she just right?

My daughter’s favorite colors are pink, yellow, and white, and it just happened I had some pink fairy fabric on hand for another of her gifts (apparently the fairies are flying upside down in this case), some yellow for another project, and of course some plain white and a vintage-looking print to finish it off. I saw them lying on my sewing table and loved the combination, and my version of the Dewdrop Girl was born!

(It wasn’t until I saw these fabrics/colors together in the doll that I realized how great they’d look as a patchwork skirt, which contributed to the frenzy of kid clothing-making that I wrote about on Wednesday. So I guess, in addition to a fabric sale and a friend’s birthday, I can also blame the SewStorm on Rebecca.)

This doll is actually quite a bit bigger than I’d envisioned. Having only seen photos without anything for a size reference, I pictured her so much smaller, but she is a wonderful, big size for snuggling and carrying around. If my daughter doesn’t sleep with her, then I will!

The pattern was very clear and easy for an amateur seamstress (her turned-in toes were an accident, but I rather like them), and it has multiple options for clothing and decorating your doll. And, it has the greatest illustrations. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for something unique and cuddly for a small friend.

In fact, I like it so much that I’d like to spread the goodness around a little. Rebecca has agreed to give away five Dewdrop Girl patterns to you, my readers!

Here’s all you have to do: Leave a comment here with a suggestion for a name for my doll. I’ll close comments on Monday, April 5, 2010, at 10 p.m. EST, and then I’ll randomly draw 5 commenters to receive a free Dewdrop Girl pattern, which I’ll announce the next morning. Hurrah!

Rebecca is an incredibly nice person who I’ve known through the Internets for a while, and there isn’t anything she makes that isn’t lovely. I’m a big fan of her Blinkies and Meekoos as well and fully intend to make one of those for my son the next time I get the sewing bug.

If you’d like to see more of her work, you can find her blog here, her Etsy shop here, and her Big Cartel here. Stop by and say hello!

Let’s see. There’s the pretty quilted sleep mask from Cherry.

And the recycled envelopes and gift tags from Lynsey.

There’s also a cool personal library set and some “to do” pads from knock knock, but those haven’t arrived yet.

In addition to the giveaway packages, I also participated in a swap with Alison. I can’t really show you what she made for me, as it’s meant for a Christmas gift, but here’s a little sneak peak.

She also very generously sent along a couple of her gorgeous hand-woven Harris Tweed ornaments. These will not be given away as gifts but will instead be kept and cherished as the special prizes that they are.

Add in the fact that I’ve ordered a few gifts from Etsy, too, and my mailbox has gotten quite the workout as of late! I think I’m having my own little early Christmas, having such fun opening all these packages.

Despite all the rolling around in tissue paper and ribbon, though, I’m still in full Christmas prep mode. I ordered my last few online purchases tonight, and I’ve got three more small gifts to complete. The tree is decorated; goodies are baked. My daughter happily used her new safety scissors to construct a paper-and-glue Christmas tree artwork, and I’ve mailed the Christmas cards.

I’ll be sharing more about all this busy-ness soon, but for now it’s back to work (and sneaking a few peeks at all the lovely prizes)! It’s almost time to relax and enjoy.

Who’s ready to stitch up a pretty little Babushka or three? Well, I hope Heidi is, because she is the winner of my third Grand Opening giveaway! She’s fairly new to embroidery, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at her first pieces. (Check them out. You won’t regret it.) Congrats, Heidi! I’ll be sending the patterns via e-mail, and I hope you’ll enjoy them!

P.S. I’d love it if any of you out there stitching june at noon patterns would show off your handiwork in my flickr group. Hope to see you there!

P.P.S. I’ll be back later today with my usual Creative Space post.

Thanks a million to everyone who supported the shop or participated in the blog happenings here during the Grand Opening Week. I enjoyed reading your responses to my “market research” questions throughout the week and am brimming over with ideas for new things to put in the shop. If only I had more time for it all! (Maybe that’s what I can put on my Christmas list?)

I’m also very excited to be able to announce the winners of the first two giveaways, chosen with help from Random.org. So without further ado …

The winner of the Eiffel Tower pincushion and sewing goodies is the lovely Alex of Lola Nova. If you aren’t familiar with her blog, be sure to check it out. Alex has a new Etsy shop as well, and it’s full of beautiful things!

The winner of the hand-embroidered greeting cards is Alison of Tweed Delights. Alison makes beautiful pieces using her local Harris Tweed. You can find her at several shops, including one for home decor and one for plushies. Go check her out!

Congratulations to the winners! I love giving away treats, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did making them!

On Wednesday I’ll be announcing the winner of the third giveaway along with my usual Creative Space post. (And I will be updating the shop as I’m able, although I don’t think I can hope to be on any sort of regular schedule until after the holidays.)

I have to admit, as exciting as last week was, I’m a little relieved to get back to a more “relaxed” pace! (Ha!)

And now. It’s time for the last giveaway, so I’ll get right to the point. Today I’m giving away a free copy of a brand new pattern set. A recent discussion for a private swap got me started on a design for an embroidered Matryoshka doll, and I thought, Hey, why not expand it a little and make it into a pattern? These Russian nesting dolls are hot right now, so I hope someone out there will enjoy this.

I’ve actually got two different patterns. One includes three different dolls in three sizes each, so you can stitch them alone or together, however you like. (Sorry, the images are blurred and watermarked for protection. The actual patterns are completely clear.)

The other pattern also has three dolls, in “nested” sizes and in a cute little pose.

I’m going to give the winner both of these patterns. (They’re also available in the shop for purchase.)

The winner will receive (by e-mail) an electronic file in PDF format. Each file consists of the pattern and a page of printing, transfer, and stitching tips. The second pattern also includes a reverse image for additional transfer options. (The first pattern doesn’t need to be reversed because the design is symmetrical.)

To enter to win, leave a comment answering the following question. What are you most likely to purchase and why: a handmade product that you really like or the pattern/supplies necessary to make a product yourself? That comment will give you one entry into a random drawing for the giveaway prize.

If you Twitter about this giveaway, come back and leave another comment letting me know you’ve done so, and you’ll get a second entry. If you link to this giveaway on your blog, leave yet another comment for a third entry. That’s all there is to it.

Comments for the giveaway will be closed on Tuesday, November 24, at 10 p.m. EST. I will use a random number generator to determine a winner, and the winner will be announced on Wednesday, November 25. I’ll be in touch with the winner at that time to send the files.

Thanks again, all of you, for the kind words, support, and encouragement. It’s the best thing in the world to be doing something you love, and I’m glad I get to share that with you!

Yesterday I took a bag full of packages to the Post Office.

And today my creative space is all about the shop. (More spaces at kootoyoo.) I’m stamping little note papers to send with packages and otherwise prepping my “shipping area,” something I wasn’t able to do as much as I wanted prior to the shop’s opening. My goal is to have lots of tags and cards and wrappings and everything all set up to make the shipping process more efficient next time ’round.

But, of course, the big deal for today is the next giveaway. It’s some more original june at noon embroidery. I’ve taken four blank cards and beautified them with some hand stitching. (They come with envelopes, too.)

You might recognize them from projects I’ve posted about before. Some were items I replicated because I like them so much, others were pieces I’d stitched up as samples or for practice and have had sitting around with no purpose for the last year. Inspiration struck, and now they have a reason to be!

I let the raw edges of the fabric remain as-is, so some fraying might occur, but I think that fits right in with the slightly wonky (organic?) nature of the design. At first the perfectionist in me wasn’t so sure about edges that weren’t perfectly straight, but the more I look at them, the more I like them just as they are.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment here telling me something you’d like to see in my shop in the future. Feel free to browse this website and my flickr page for ideas. That comment will get you one entry. (And feel free to enter even if you entered Monday’s giveaway too. If I get a repeat winner, I’ll redraw so everyone gets a turn!)

If you Twitter about this giveaway, come back and leave another comment letting me know you’ve done so, and you’ll get a second entry. If you link to this giveaway on your blog, leave yet another comment for a third entry. That’s all there is to it. International participants are welcome and encouraged!

Comments for the giveaway will be closed on Sunday, November 22, at 10 p.m. EST. I will use a random number generator to determine a winner, and the winner will be announced on Monday, November 23. I’ll be in touch with the winner at that time to get contact details. (If I don’t hear back from the winner within a reasonable time, I’ll randomly choose another winner.)

And that’s it for today. There’s still time to enter Monday’s giveaway, and check back tomorrow for another freebie. My creative space is a busy space today, and there is the matter of small children running around wanting my attention for some reason (!), so I suppose I’d best get back to it all!

Well, I’ve made it! Welcome to my Grand Opening Week for the june at noon shop! I hope you’ll pop over to the shop and take a peek, let me know what you think.

Today marks the first of three giveaways that will be happening to celebrate the shop’s opening. The other two giveaways will take place on Wednesday and Friday. Oh, and make sure you stop by on Tuesday and Thursday for a couple of freebies as well. I’m going all out, ha!

So what’s the giveaway, you ask? Da da-da da!

Ooh la la!

Some time ago I came across some pretty Eiffel Tower fabric that I thought would be perfect for a giveaway. I started collecting other things that I thought would go with it, and eventually I found myself inspired to make a little pin cushion to pull it all together.

The pin cushion has an original june at noon embroidery based on the Eiffel Tower fabric.

It’s stuffed with fiber fill and rice to give it some heft. The ribbon used as an accent came from full spools that are also part of the giveaway, along with the Eiffel fabric and a coordinating black and white striped fabric.

I hope it will be the perfect little sewing package to inspire some fresh creativity for someone. (And the cushion can make a perfectly lovely decoration if that someone isn’t so inclined toward sewing.)

So, to enter to win, here’s what you have to do: Visit the june at noon shop, take a look around, and come back here to leave a comment telling me what your favorite item is. (Feel free to look through the sold items too.) That comment will give you one entry into a random drawing for the giveaway prize.

If you Twitter about this giveaway, come back and leave another comment letting me know you’ve done so, and you’ll get a second entry. If you link to this giveaway on your blog, leave yet another comment for a third entry. That’s all there is to it. International participants are welcome and encouraged!

Comments for the giveaway will be closed on Friday, November 20, at 10 p.m. EST. I will use a random number generator to determine a winner, and the winner will be announced on Monday, November 23. I’ll be in touch with the winner at that time to get contact details. (If I don’t hear back from the winner within a reasonable time, I’ll randomly choose another winner.) I love giveaways, so I’m excited to hear your feedback and to send someone a pretty package!

Thanks so much for all the support and encouragement you’ve provided me thus far, blog friends. I may not be stepping into such an exciting new adventure if it weren’t for you!

(And now I’m off to hide in a corner and twiddle my thumbs, nervously hoping for a good response!)