Little Collector Backpack from Swoodson Says {Blog Tour}

Have you started your Christmas gift sewing yet?  Are you still looking for ideas of gifts you can sew?  I can't wait to give this Little Collector Backpack to my six year old son as one of his gifts this year.  He loves collecting odds and ends outside, and I love that this pattern has a mesh bottom so the goodies stay in, but dirt or water sift out.  The Little Collector Backpack is a pdf sewing pattern available from Stephanie at Swoodson Says.  She has several creative toy and gift patterns available - and she is hosting a blog tour this week so you can be inspired to create your own gifts!  Plus, you can use coupon code SewAllTheSofties for 40% off all patterns valid both on Etsy & on Swoodsonsays.com (expires Sunday, November 16, 2015).  There is also a Rafflecopter giveaway running all week - one winner will recive all four Swoodson Says patterns (enter below).

I'll be giving an inside look at this backpack live on Periscope on Friday, November 13 around 3:30 or 4:00 EST, so be sure to follow me on Periscope to get a notification or to watch the replay.  

Disclosure:  Review and opinions in this post are my own.  I already owned this pattern, as she first released it in One Thimble Issue 8, which I contributed an article to, so I received the issue.  I volunteered to participate in this tour.  No affiliate links in this post.

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Gift Ideas for a Sewing (or Quilting) Enthusiast

Valentine's Day is just around the corner - and nearly a full year of birthdays and holidays is still before us, so I put together a list of gift ideas for a sewing enthusiast.  My husband is pretty easy.  Books or beard oil are standard gifts these days.  (If you are looking for beard gifts, I bought from Hobo Beard Oil at Christmas and my husband loved it)  But sewing gifts are different, especially for significant others who don't sew.  The sewing world is a foreign realm to them and it is hard to know what to buy for someone who loves sewing - so here are a few hints.  Casually leave this post open on a shared device or flagrantly email the link if you want to drop some hints!

(the only affiliate link in the post is to the Swoon items)

I couldn't link to every individual product or shop, so some of these links lead to multiple ideas in a shop.  **And I just saw on Instagram that Sew Caroline is offering a sale this weekend - 20% off anything is the shop with code HAPPYHAPPY  through 2/8

Tula Pink Technology Cases	Sew Caroline Sewing Fun	See Kate Sew Sewing Swag
Swoon Sewing Tshirt	Fabricworm Gift Card	Swoon Patterns Subscription
Class at your Local Shop	Gift Certificate to Wawak for awesome sewing supplies	Craftsy Course

InLinkz.com

My personal favorite would have to be anything from your local sewing or fabric store (shop local!), the Swoon Patterns subscription, and the Tula Pink device case.  The Swoon subscription is high on my own list.  I'd love to own all her patterns and the subscription currently includes all patterns that she has released to date, plus any other patterns that she releases until April 2015 (after that, a new subscription will be offered for new patterns).  With the subscription, it works out to be about $2.50 per pattern, which is an amazing deal!  And while I haven't yet sewn with any Tula Pink fabric, it would be so fun to have a phone case!  But I love all the sewing swag, so it's hard to pick.  The gift certificate for fabric and to Wawak solves the problem of choosing something when you aren't sure what the receiver already owns and you want to be practical.  

What are your favorites, or what did I forget?  Leave a comment to let me know!