My Book: Sewing Tales to Stitch and Love

I have tried writing this post over and over, and every time I write it, it sounds boastful, or silly, or crazy, or weird to me. Maybe it wouldn't to you - I don't know. But I've never done this before - I've never written a book and don't know the "right way" to promote it. Is there a right way? Is there a way to shout out from the roof tops how excited I am, without sounding boastful?

Having written a book is like giving birth to a baby elephant. It has consumed my life for the most part of 18 months and I am overjoyed with the results. It feels like old news to me - but for most of you, it is all brand new, and I hope you will love it like I do.

In the coming weeks and months - I will be doing a host of giveaways, and sharing real stories that inspired many of the patterns, so please come back often. I hope you will buy the book (it's available for pre-orders on Amazon as well as on Barnes and Noble) and sew along with me. When my Etsy shop re-opens I will be offering signed copies for sale.

If you have already purchased a copy of my book - I thank you from the bottom of my heart! It means so much to me that all my hard work is being accepted.

I'd like to publicly thank Heather Bailey for writing the foreword. Sewing pattern books don't always have a foreword, but I prayed and asked her to write one for mine and she said yes! She's such an amazing person! If you don't know her - check out her website and learn more about her. She's also hosting a ton of giveaways this month to celebrate her birthday and giveback to all her fans - you don't want to miss out! 

Have a wonderful week!

Throw-Back Thursday: Vintage Sewing Books, Stitch By Stitch

Today my thoughts are revolving around these vintage sewing books my Granny gave me, many years ago, as her and my Grandpop began downsizing to move to Florida. There are 20 total books in the series. Unfortunately I have books 2 through 20 and am missing the first one. I even have the index booklet. I'm sure the first one gave all the basic of sewing, knitting, crocheting all all the other crafts featured, and therefore must have been used so often it was displaced from the rest! But of course - I can't be too sure of that. All I know is, it's gone.

Commadore keyboard Image from wikipedia

These books remind me of the days when I sat on a Commodore 64 playing "pong" before my brother took the keyboard apart thinking he could put it back together. Or of the salesmen that would walk door to door and town to town selling sets of Encyclopedias because we didn't have the internet for research homework. And reminds me of the Craft kit projects, you could pay for through the mail, one project a week or month that came with a binder to put it all in (and divider tabs). Those were the days. And those days are gone, but at least I still have the books. Something to remember "those days" by!

I wonder if my girls will remember going to book store and libraries when they are older. I wonder if their children will ever walk through the doors of a book store or library?! Wouldn't that be so sad.

These books are treasures to me. Sure they are so severely outdated...but everything old becomes new again right? Like wearing a belt on top of a plaid shirt and Farrah Fawcett hair! I can't say I look through them often, nor do I gain much inspiration from them for current projects, but they are just so cool to have. A long time ago, my Granny used these books to make things for herself, her children, her grandchildren, and friends too! Somethings are worth holding onto! What are you holding onto? Do you have special treasures from the past that tell a story? Please share it!

Have a great day, minute by minute and stitch by stitch!

These Stitch by Stitch books were printed by Torstar Books, in Belgium 1984, 1985