I'm all Stitcherpated: A review of The Sublime Stitching Craft Pad ... and my first giveaway!

As though the new Jenny Hart patterns weren't enough last month, the embroidery brilliance and goodness is continuing through to March. I've had a chance to get my stitchy paws on the soon-to-be-released Craft Pad, and it doesn't disappoint.

I've seen images of the Craft Pad for a while now, and was itching to get my hands on it (there's a horse transfer in there that is screaming to be stitched for my horse-crazy daughter). The pad is just that: a fun little pad in a fold over case, with tear away pages. Some have one large image, most have 2-5 smaller images, and there's a mix of old favorite Sublime patterns and some brand spankin' new ones that are drool-worthy.

The new ones that have me all stitcherpated: jellyfish (which feature great little details perfect for french knots, my fave), harps and shamrocks (which will be stitched up soon as a St. Patrick's Day gift for my mom), a chandelier (I'm not even a big chandelier-lover in real life, but seeing the possibility for them in stitch form ... I suddenly want them on EVERYTHING), bugs (praying mantis and flies - not creepy, they're cute!), and an assortment of fun science-y things. And then there are the birds. Oh, the birds! Flamingos, hummingbirds, some cute little love birds (on their own and in a gorgeous full-page, intricate design) - the birds are divine.

I'm always amazed at how inspired I get just seeing a batch of new images from Jenny. They are so fun and playful and beautiful and remind me why I love love love embroidery so much. What I love about the designs in the Craft Pad is that there are the usual assortment of some very simple, fun designs, but there are also a handful of some larger, more intricate ones. The cover design gives a little taste of what you can expect from these larger pieces. They get me excited, because there are all kinds of possibilities for various stitches in these designs. I can't wait to try one.

The pad format is a lot of fun, too. I love pad-based stuff. I think it goes back to my childhood obsession with Mad Libs. Speaking of .... crafty-themed Mad Libs would rock ... I need to make some of those ....

While the pad doesn't have the full stitch instructions like the Sublime Stitching book does (that's a must-have for new embroiderers) it does have great basic transfer and embroidery instructions. I don't know why, but I *still* read the instructions that come in the envelopes of my Sublime Stitching patterns, and I did the same with the Craft Pad. What is it about Jenny's writing that makes me continue to read the instructions when I'm already pretty well-versed in them?

Now that you are dying to get a copy of the Craft Pad for yourself, I'll bring up my very first blog giveaway. I'm so excited - I've been so lucky to receive so many gifts from the blogging community. Not just "things" but great friendships, inspiration and education. I'm so happy to start returning the favor, even in a small way.

So! I have one copy of the yet-to-be-released Sublime Stitching Craft Pad to give away to one lucky commenter. That's right. You can get it before it's even available for purchase (which, by the way, is March 13)

The Rules!
- leave a comment here with what you favorite Sublime Stitching pattern is (so far, 'cause I'm sure you'll have a new fave from the Craft Pad)
- spell out your email address in the comment
- You can enter twice if you put a link on your blog to this book review and leave the link to it in your comment.
- Sadly, I'm short on funds and can't cover international shipping. If you are an international reader and are willing to cover shipping, comment away!
- I'll close comments and pick a winner on Friday, March 7 at midnight Central Standard Time. I'll post the winner on my blog over the weekend.

Enjoy! Can't wait to see what SS patterns are your favorites!