Win $20 SewArtsy Gift Certificate During Week 6 of the Nine Weeks of Amy

Generally speaking I look at my sewing studio and see a giant mess. So how does such cute stuff come out of it all? Let me take you on a journey through my process.

I love color and detail, so I begin by choosing my base. I'll get stuck on one or two dark fabrics to use as foundational fabrics for my bags - most recently it’s been a dark charcoal gray and a deep blue denim. Once I feel my foundational fabrics, then I can hit my closet of cotton quilting-weight fabrics for inspiration of color and print. My stash is significantly smaller than it used to be as I’ve tried to use it up instead of buying more (very hard to do when you have a slight fabric addiction!), and because I’ve sold a bit in my Etsy store as a destash (not so hard when you know your fabric is going to better home where it has more chance to be used!). Very little of what I have is new, but there have been a few fabric lines that I haven’t been able to resist lately!

I have to then decide if I am going to do a cut out shape applique or do a stripe pattern, or work on a new idea. I love to lay out fabrics together and see what I can do with the combinations – perhaps a mushroom top and stem, or a more complicated design like an owl. Sometimes I just get struck by one fabric, and make it something more simple. All of my applique designs start out as my drawings, then are scaled and hand cut by me before being stitched onto the foundational fabric. Getting time to sit and draw is a real luxury for me, so it's always an exciting time when I get to debut something new!

Once the bag is finished it is time to dress it up! Right now my favorite embellishments are buttons and hot fix crystals. I think they add a bit of whimsy to my items, and they either add more color or enhance the color in the prints themselves. I try not to go overboard with the embellishments because I don’t want them to distract from the design. Sometimes adding a ribbon and/or bead to a zipper pull also helps me feel the project is truly finished.

Because I also have an affection for small and cute, in my shop you'll also find rings where I use up my scraps of fabric, some embellished and some plain, and I also dress up my buttons and turn them into rings as well. I hope you enjoy browsing!

If you’d like to learn more about me and how I got started, see this recent blog post on our Amys’ blog!

This week, to celebrate my giveaway and the holiday season, my prices have been reduced 15%. To enter the giveaway to win a $20 gift certificate from SewArtsy, first, go browse through my shop; then come back here and leave a comment on this page telling me what your favorite item is from my shop.

You can also earn additional entries by:
- following @amysinthearts on Twitter
- following @sewartsyamy on Twitter
- sharing this giveaway on Twitter by tagging @amysinthearts and/or @sewartsyamy in your tweet
- following the Amys in the Arts Blog

- following the SewArtsy Blog
- becoming a fan of Amys in the Arts Facebook page
- becoming a fan of the SewArtsy Facebook page

-sharing this giveaway on your Facebook page
- posting a link to this giveaway on your blog
- adding the Amys In The Arts button to your blog

-And, finally, a purchase from my shop this week will earn you an additional 5 entries to this giveaway!

To get credit for your additional entries, please be sure to let us know what you’ve done by leaving separate comments for each entry that you've completed.

This giveaway will end at 11:59 pm, Saturday, December 11. I will randomly pick a winner from all entries, and notify the winner on Sunday, December 12. I look forward to reading each of your comments!

Amy Roundtree

SewArtsy

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