Kitchen Stitches book release... and a giveaway!

Have you seen Kitchen Stitches yet?  I'm thrilled to be a contributor to this great new book by Martingale Press -- and now I can finally share some of the photos I took almost a year ago of the tea cozy and placemat set I designed!  But first, I'll tell you that if you are patient enough to read all the way to the end of this post, you can find out about Martingale's big giveaway to celebrate the release of Kitchen Stitches, a collection of fun and fuctional sewing projects for the kitchen and more!

I love pairing linen with pretty cotton prints, and I used the Circle Blooms design as a way to do just that.  Then I added a little hand embroidery for extra detail.  This was my first time experimenting with reverse applique, something I had wanted to try for a while.  That's one of the things I really enjoy about designing sewing projects/patterns -- it gives me a chance to try out new techniques and skills in order to achieve the look that I'm after.

I had my own little styling session in my dining room to take these photos.  Ha!  It could use a little work, I know.  I'm fascinated at how photos in books and magazines are styled, and I'd love to get better at this.

Also, I know I'm a nerd, but I like all the circles in this photo.  Hmmm...  Maybe I should've used a spoon instead of a fork for an even more "circular" look!

There are many wonderful (and colorful!) projects in this book that would make lovely hostess gifts, or a nice little something for your own home.  The basket liner and baguette tote by Natalie Barnes also pair linen with cotton prints, and are delightful.  The casserole cozy, also by Natalie Barnes, and the slow-cooker cozy by Rebecca Silbaugh are both colorful and fun -- besides, who doesn't love a "cozy"?  And I just love all the potholders (by Natalie Barnes, Jenifer Dick and Kim Niedzwiecki), as well as Lindsay Conner's super-simple, yet very clever, magnetic message board.  Now I'll stop and just tell you that you can get a peak at ALL of the book projects here, on Martingale's website.

And now, for the giveaway details!  You'll have to head over to Martingale's blog, Stitch This! to enter.  You have the chance to win one of 14 copies of the Kitchen Stitches ebook, or the grand prize of a $100 gift certificate to ShopMartingale.com.  You have from now until February 6 to enter.  

Again, here's the link... and good luck!

Finally, just for fun, I thought I'd include an early sketch of the little tea cozy that made it into this charming book.