giveaway: september house

Today I'm delighted to introduce Corinne of SeptemberHouse, the most lovely little etsy shop teeming with dreamy embroidery, patterns, and more. Corinne does all of her designing, embroidering, and pattern publishing right here in St. Paul, MN. Her work has also recently been featured in the holiday edition of Good Housekeeping mag. How nifty is that? I so wish I'd had one of her patterns in hand last weekend, snowed-in and cozy on the couch.
A SeptemberHouse project is the perfect thing to keep your hands busy during your long holiday travels. If not, wouldn't learning to embroider make a fine New Year's Resolution? This week, Corinne is kindly giving away a $20 gift certificate to her shop! {You don't even need to be a needlepoint whiz to enjoy it. There's something for everyone: from embroidered pendant necklaces ready to wear, to fabric calendar panels ready for embellishment.} Leave one or three comments below to win. Here's how:

1. Like September House on facebook. {Leave a comment stating you did so.}

2. Visit the etsy shop and leave a comment sharing your favorite item or pattern.

3. Leave a comment sharing how you unwind during the hustle-bustle of the season.

Giveaway ends Friday 12/17!


QA with Corinne:

1. Your embroidery projects are so fresh and lovely. Where do you find your inspiration?
Thank you! My inspiration comes from all around me. Some of my favorite pieces have been inspired by something in my own backyard, a vintage book found at a thrift store or my two young sons. You just never know when ideas will come. I keep a running list of potential projects going so when something finally arrives in my shop you can bet that it sat on the waiting list for months or over a year before it finally got it’s chance to come to life. I feel so lucky that I always have something to look forward to.

2. Do you create your own patterns? Or, can you share a bit about your creative process?
I love designing patterns almost as much as I love stitching them up. To me, embroidery is enjoyable and challenging but pattern design gives me a chance to also tap into my love for drawing and design which makes the whole process more rewarding for me. Everything I make starts out in simple sketches. Once I have something I’m happy with I scan it or sketch it on a wacom tablet so that I can make any further adjustments digitally. Once it’s cleaned up it’s time to stitch. Watching a design come to life in embroidery is probably my favorite part of the process.
I can’t even count how many designs made it through part of, or even all of those steps only to be shelved in the end. One thing I have learned, though, is to never ever throw those old ideas away completely. I’m amazed at how often they creep back in and evolve into something amazing.

3. Describe your perfect day.
First of all, my perfect day would have more than 24 hours in it! It would start with coffee and sunshine for sure. The rest of the day would be filled with an outdoor adventure, family, a good book, some chocolate and of course a nice BIG chunk of uninterrupted creative time.

4. Everyone loves to give+receive handmade goodies. What is your most cherished handmade possession?
This is a tough one. I’m lucky because I have so many talented and creative people in my family so a number of amazing items have come my way over the years. A crocheted bedspread made by my great grandmother, a quilt my grandmother made for my husband and I for our wedding, a knitted afghan from my mother, a coffee table made by my father, drawings from my sons – how could I ever choose just one favorite? I can’t even describe how lucky I feel to have these things that were made so lovingly by all these family members. "Cherish" doesn’t seem like a big enough word.

5. Where can we find more of your work?
My etsy shop
My patterns are also available on Magpie Patterns
My blog, So September is a good place to find out more about me and my creative process {and also some free tutorials and patterns!}