It's giveaway day at SewMamaSew, and I'm so happy to be partcipating. Thank you for popping over to check out my giveaway. I hope you will stay awhile and poke around. The main focus of this blog is saving money and it includes tasty recipes, sewing projects and lots of other goodies. I have a very popular weekly newsletter that you can sign up for at www.groceryshrink.com It is free and spam free too. Just for signing up I'll send you my favorite homemade cleaning recipes. They are tried and true, will save you a bundle in cash and are healthy for your family too.
I had planned the lovely things I would make and giveaway, but life happened to me again. So I hope you don't mind that I am giving away a sewing pattern that I made myself and sell over at my shop www.blesseddesigns.net/store This pattern is our #1 seller and is fabulous for nursing, but just as lovely if you are not. It includes pieces for a sleep bra, nightgown, cami, and tummy cover (which makes a nice curvy tube top too.) It is sized for cups A-C, but has simple instructions to make a full bust adjustment for our well-blessed mamas. It is soft with no hardware, but the fabric is designed to cradle you like an underwire. It is a printed pattern with full size pieces on large heavy paper.
To enter, leave a comment. I'd love to hear a frugal thing you do or an area you wish you could cut back. I will choose a winner on Sunday night at 8pm by random number generator and notify her by email. Good luck! I hope you win.
Oh, wonderful that the patterns work well for nursing mamas! Hmm. I use cloth diapers. They are very frugal, with estimated savings of $1000-$2000 per child! Plus, I love them. š
I’m cutting back on eating out. I spend a lot of money because I’m too lazy to pack my lunch or cook dinner.
Your patterns look fantastic. I am expecting my first in September so they will come in very useful indeed! I try to be frugal where I can, and keeping a record of what I spend is the best way to do it! However, with me giving up work to have a baby we need all the help we can get so have signed up to your weekly newsletter too! Thanks x
Count me in!!
I take lots of things from work that they just throw out that i take home and use, like Banner Vinyl that they use on billboards – i take them home and cut them up and use the to sew up big parcel envelopes to send my products out in that i sell. I also use vinyl sticker offcuts to cut out and make stencils for screenprinting…
What a great blog, I’m so glad to have found you through Sew Mama Sew.
Instead of buying clothes I am learning more about sewing and trying to become better at it. I’m trying to not just make garments but to get my skills up to where I actually want to wear what I create.
That looks like a really great pattern – crossing my fingers here! At the moment I’m really wishing I had a rain water tank to collect all the autumn rain falling on our roof! Not that the garden needs it but it seems such a waste and come summer it would be fantastic.
My frugal thing is using cloth nappies! Very kind to the environment and my baby’s bum.
I’ve never seen your blog or your pattern before. Wow…so pretty! My husband would probably do backflips if I made some of those pretty undies. And yep, after 4 kids, I need a little tummy control š
Ok – frugalness time. One way that I stay frugal is use paperbackswap.com. If your not familiar with it, you list your old books and then request the ones in the system you want. I’ve gotten some real gems. And guess what??…All for the price of postage!! š
Ooh, cutting back! I really need to cut back on buying new fabrics. Everytime I see a nice design, I have to have it. It is an obsession and it really gets expensive (here in Germany it is almost twice as much as in America). So, I told everyone around me that I am not allowed to buy anything anymore and it works quite well until now. Because I just discovered that buying patterns can be an obsession, too š
I am pretty frugal when it comes to shopping for groceries and the kids’ clothes, but my one weakness is stuff I don’t need that I find at yardsales.
two words: garage sales! ok two more: cloth diapers š
simply.simon.sisters(at)gmail.com
You know I have followed Blessed Designs for a long time. Your patterns are really lovely. So I really want to win! My family of 5 frequently eat out for under $10. I love doing this. We go on kids eat free night and our favorite place has 2 kids for every one adult entree. So we get the two free kids meals and split them between our 3 kids (ages 7,4,&2) and then my hubby and I split one meal. It is either that or we have a coupon for buy one get one free on adult entrees and order one for us and split the other one up for our kids. We always get enough to eat and don’t break our bank!
I’m a very frugal person . At least that’s what my family tells me. One way I’m frugal is by knowing what things cost. Checking receipts , making sure the right price was entered. Going over my phone bills, gas bills and comparing them to past bills. Being aware of every penny helps.
What a fabulous pattern!
This year (just last weekend in fact) I planted my very first vegetable garden – cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, watermelon, muskmelon, salad greens, string beans and lots of herbs. In the end it might not end up being all that frugal, but I am so excited about home grown veggies!
Great pattern. I am just learning to be frugal in my grocery shopping though I do try not to buy excessive items in general I like to splurge on food and I prefer not to cook from scratch all the time.
This pattern looks wonderful, and I’ll use it though my baby is 6 now. We do much that is frugal – walk to shops in our own neighbourhood, buy used, refashion clothes, eat at home, pack our own snacks and lunches, barter with friends, host potlucks, travel as foot passengers on the ferry instead of taking the car, bake our own bread, grow our own herbs (so expensive to buy, and often go to waste)…
I’m so glad I found your blog! always looking for new ways to save…the other blog i use often is similar. Have you been to http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/ ?
anyway. One area I wish I could cut back on is my love of cold cereals. They’re horrible for me and even tho i only buy them on a really good sale, they’re still expensive.
I’m pretty low key and typical on the ways I’m frugal…shopping on budget, cooking all our meals (- cold cereals) etc. Gotta start somewhere!
So even if i don’t win, I kinda did win by finding your blog. Awesome!
Em
We make our own laundry soap. So easy, clean, and green…and my daughter’s eczema is GONE! I love that we’re saving money and being green!
I do a lot of frugal things. The biggest impact on my life is couponing and then matching those coupons to sales. I love my coupons!
This would be amazing! My baby girl will be here in about 10 weeks and I’ll be nursing her more than I did my first AND I’ll cloth diaper!
I wish I wasn’t so obsessed with coffee shops! I’ve recently been getting SO much better at brewing at home (well, only when my husband does it for me!). Love the pattern, hope I win!
We grow our own veggies here. I use cloth diapers and wipes. š I love the pattern as I am a nursing mom. š
I wish I could get rid of the expensive satellite tv habit, but it’s still a social thing to get together and watch shows for us, so internet hasn’t replaced it quite yet. What a neat pattern!
Great patterns. To be frugal, I have started using our local library more. Instead of buying or renting movies, we check them out of the library. We get to see all the great movies, but no cost! This has saved us tons, as my husband loves to watch movies.
I have been wanting to try sewing intimates. ONe way I save money is to buy the meat that is on special every week. It keeps the grocery budget down and helps me cup up with new meals I don’t normally cook.
I love the patterns!! I have started to make my own baking soda shampoo and vinegar rinse conditioner saving myself lots of $$ every month! I am also starting to make my own clothes and repurpose the clothes I already own.
Wow, that pattern is really nice. As a college student, I’m not really sure if there’s anything I do that NOT frugal, lol. I rarely shop at chain stores anymore for clothes. I go to thrift stores and Goodwill to find all my clothes now.
We eat at home! My kids love helping me prepare food and we save money — I hardly ever have to throw out forgotten food.
Bulk baby, bulk!
So what if the TP is stashed everywhere!
I try to be frugal by making four of a meal and freezing three – less tempting to order in if I have some meals on hand. I would love to win this – what a great pattern to work with for when this babe arrives!
This is a great giveaway!
My most frugal trick is to buy second hand. I always look on Craig’s List for the items I “need” and shop at thrift stores weekly for other items, especially kid’s clothing.
thanks for sharing
CUTE pattern. I have to admit that I hope never to need this pattern myself since I’m way beyond the age of needing that but my sons fiancee one day may need this type of thing and I’ll have plenty of time to learn the pattern for that.
Thank you.
our Harris Teeter offers triple coupons once a month! its going on right now and I just bought three sacks of groceries for $12 last night! Great topic for comments:)
Oh, I would love to win this pattern. I can’t wear underwires anymore due to a lumpectomy and I have a heck of a time finding softer bras that still offer support.
Thank you for adding my name to the drawing. I have subscribed to your newsletter, what a great site you have.
I make my own laundry detergent in order to save money and because it is a little gentler on my sensitive skin.
WOW! – What a great giveaway – Thanks! I make my own laundry detergent…
Hello! The patterns look lovely – and comfortable for someone like me who has eczema most of the time š and a lot of underwear is irritating. This way I can choose a lovely fabric that suits me.
To be frugal, I make a lot of my own clothes, and find scraps of fabric in our UK charity shops to make things like bags and purses. I also never throw food away, reusing rice and vegetables in a salad the next day for example.
Sara
xxx
A great looking pattern, thanks for the giveaway. A frugal thing I have started doing recently, buying thrifted shirts or using an old one in the closet for sewing the lining in a purse or bag.
I’d love to be able to cut back our living expense, but alas, we must have a home. Otherwise, we just do things like use cloth diapers, wipes and napkins.
Oh, I’m in need of something like this! I’ve been nursing my baby now for 8 months and still haven’t bought a nursing bra!!!! I can’t find any that are comfy enough!
To be frugal- I joined a local co-op that sells organic produce and other misc items- it saves us LOADS of money, and I also use cloth dipes for my baby!
Being frugal is fun- it allows me to be creative in searching for ways to save money!
I have like a million pregnant friends and family, this would be great gifts. I am an accomplished jean patcher since my husband is an accomplished jean ripper! I try and cut WAAY back on paper towels and napkin use too.
to be frugal and green, i use a pile of white terry shop rags from costco instead of paper towels and hand towels. washed in front loader and line dried.
love your pattern! i never win anything, but it’s fun to try.
Hi…I am so in love with the concept for your blog and I am totally putting you on my reader! My frugal tip is to buy the good freezer ziplock bags and reuse them a million times. It has saved me a bunch of money since I am a ziplock freak. ALSO, I am totally in love with the pattern. My favorite maternity bra was the sleep bra by Medela, which looks the same. I still wear them now to sleep in even though I am not nursing and they are thread bare, I can’t stand to get rid of them. Thanks!
I’d like to cut down on my food budget. Mostly that requires not eating out as much. We’re getting there, but emotional issues do not always allow for it. So on to a lighter note…I would love to try to make a bra for myself. I am nursing at the moment and haven’t been able to find any bras that I like at my local stores…they’re few and far between.
Oh this pattern would come in so handy for me since I about to have my first baby! My frugal tip? My husband and I canceled our phone and TV subscriptions to save money! We don’t even miss them!
that’s so generous! i am looking for lots of ways to cut back since daddy is out of work right now š eating at home and making enough for lunch the next day really works for us.
singinsweet2002@yahoo.com
I’ve got shopping down for drugstore items, now just working on the food part. We tend to not eat the stuff that goes on sales with coupons for some reason. Working on it though.
Trying to be frugal—don’t buy what I don’t need—use coupons—eat beans. L0L, I need to work more on being frugal.
This is a fabulous giveaway – don’t worry about not having time to make anything…I ran out of time myself and didn’t get an entry up š definitely next time! I am frugal with food..I hate throwing anything away. I save cheese rinds and broccoli stalks in the freezer for soups etc.
Thanks for the great opportunity!
We are very into trying to buy things second-hand, especially kid stuff. Love the patterns!
This is a wonderful giveaway!
I live quite frugally–and happily–growing much of my food, cooking from scratch, thrift shopping, etc.