A Little Bit Of Whimsy

Have you visited the Sew Beautiful Blog?? It is such an interesting place to visit - unique articles and great tutorials! About a month ago, they had "Whimsy Week", featuring Kari Mecca's newest book "More Sewing With Whimsy" - each day they featured inspiration for the book, tutorials, tips, excerpts, and a giveaway. If you are not familiar with Kari Mecca, she is an extremely talented designer who specializes in fun, cheerful (dare I say whimsical) clothing for children...but what amazes me the most about her work is her use of trims, rick racks, ribbons, and embellishments...and her fabulous use of color. I happened to win one of the blog giveaways - the "Sewing With Whimsy" DVD (WOO HOO!!) - although I am not really a seasoned garment sewer, I LOVED this DVD - it is filled with clever trims and sewing techniques...including how to make rick rack flowers and ribbon roses...I was so inspired - it was a true treat for me to watch! After seeing the video and the tutorials on the Sew Beautiful Blog, I just *had to* order Kari's new "Whimsy Sticks" and "Going In Circles Tools"...you all know how much I love crafty gadgets! I finally had a moment (and only a moment) to play with my new Whimsy Sticks...and you can see my first two ribbon flowers below (they are not perfect, I am learning!)...these "sticks" are so slick - I was amazed how quick and easy it was to make a ribbon flower...just wrap the ribbon around the stick, tape, and sew...well, that is a very brief overview - but if you really want to see Whimsy Sticks in action, check out Kari's blog for a video tutorial. There are two different sets of Whimsy Sticks - a small set of four and a large set of two - six sticks in all. Now, I just have to get my hands on some of the reversible satin ribbon Kari uses - it is gorgeous - I just practiced with some ribbon I had on hand - nothing fancy. My mind is already racing with ways to use the Whimsy sticks for special trims and flowers...what a fun new addition to my sewing studio!