Hey there I'm back...but only for a minute because I'm gonna be awfully busy for the next couple months!

A couple of weeks ago Becca fellow sewing blogger and designer of Moxie Patterns contacted me about my interest in reviewing her Verity shirt and dress pattern.  You may remember this pattern from a few years back.  I distinctly remember the split cowl version. 😍  She's re-launching the pattern to include an extended size range and a little girl's size range.  There is also a 4th neckline option, the peter pan collar.  Yes please!!

A stress reliever for me, like most of us makers is sewing.  Sometimes though I find myself getting stressed out by it particularly when I'm sewing clothing.  When that happens I go to projects like pillowcovers or a pattern I've got all the kinks worked out in and could sew in my sleep like my favorite leggings pattern.  I've seen other bloggers call these, palate cleansers.  For me it's anything really that calls for no fitting required!  While mindlessly scrolling Instagram like one does I came across my next stress relief project or shall I say palate cleanser, The Butcher Bag.  A simple fold-over style convertible clutch/crossbody. 

It's nice to go back to the basics, especially after a sewing fail or a garment that requires complicated things like buttons or zippers. I heart those patterns that you can sew up in a few hours and they will play nice with other items in your closet. I have one of those patterns to share with you today. This top is just about as easy to make as it is to put on.

Hello there! I'm back again with a make I've had completed for some time now. I have a million and one excuses for my absence. The main two being   1.  It's been hot as hell out and I've not been able to pry myself out of the air conditioned house to do much of anything outside and   2.  I've been blog depressed.  The desire for perfection wears on a person and it ends up taking the fun out of everything. I spend more time than I want publishing a post. I'm taking my time back and putting the fun back into this hobby by keeping it short and sweet from now on.

It's official, Shanni Loves is now blogging under a new name, The Modern Tomato!  How do you like the new digs? I'm pretty excited so I thought I'd do a quick post to show you around the new joint.

My first post of 2016 showing the last thing I made from 2015.  What have I been doing those 3 months in between??  HIBERNATING!!!

This is the Irena Knit by Itch to Stitch.  I was a tester for the pattern back in November when I also tested the Liana Stretch jeans.  I always have such luck with the fitting of Kennis's patterns so that makes me a big fan.  I just purchased the Mila shirt and have a lightweight chambray waiting to be cut.  I'm super excited to get started on my first make for Spring.

Enough daydreaming about Spring....this top has gotten a lot of wear this winter.  I made this tester version up in a interlock knit because it was all I had on hand.  The pattern is really meant to be made up with sweater knits.  I fully intended making up another version in a sweater knit from the released pattern but busy life got in the way.

Here in the next week or so there will be some changes with the blog.  Shanni Loves will be no more.  I'm going to do something I've wanted to do for the past 3 years but was too scared/technically challenged to do so.....I'm changing my blog name.  My web address will expire in April and if I'm going to do it then now would be the time.  I guess it took me 3 years to do this because I wanted to make sure the name I chose would be the last.  The name "The Modern Tomato" has stuck with me that long.  Modern because my clothing tastes have changed and I want to sew more modern designs and tomato because it represents the pincushion shape.   My husband says it sounds like a food blog.  True, but I think anyone that has this obsession of sewing like we do will get it.  Even those who don't should catch on quickly because I've thrown a graphic of a tomato pincushion into the name to hint at the fact it's a sewing blog.  I'd like to expand on other topics though but don't expect to see any posts on cooking.  My kitchen is far too smokey to take any food pictures.  Ha Ha.

The name of my social accounts will change as well.  Those will probably come first.  The blog may be offline for a couple days while I work through the change.  Hopefully the transition is smooth and the next time you visit this blog the change over should of happened and you'll be viewing themoderntomato.com.  Feel free to go ahead and update your readers if you like.  Currently themoderntomato.com is redirecting to shanniloves.com.  Once the change is made that will be flip flopped.   If any of you have gone through a blog name change and have any pointers for me please comment.  Until next time....
 

Hey there!  Having fully recovered from a turkey comatose I'm finally awake and eager to share with you a new pattern.  Kennis from Itch to Stitch released her Liana Stretch Jeans pattern yesterday and I've got my tester version to share with you.

A few weeks ago Diane from Gatorbunny Sews contacted me to see if I'd be interested in participating in the Creative Sewing Challenge hosted by herself and Melissa of Malicia Designs.

Last Fall I made some candy corn bunting to decorate my office at work. I wrote up a tutorial and everything and it never did see the light of day on the blog. I did share it back in January at Cut Out and Keep but who really cares about Fall/Halloween decor in the middle of winter?? I patiently waited until the appropriate time to share it all with you. 

Fall is my favorite time of year.  While some of y'all have been crying over the end of summer I've been over here happily trading out my sandals for boots....a little to prematurely I might add.  While it's officially Fall here the temps feel otherwise.  It's kind of a challenge getting dressed for work.  The mornings may start off chilly but by midday it's back in the 80's and your shedding clothing.  That's where layers come in.  I never got around to sewing up a maxi dress for the summer so I thought some heavier knit and layering pieces like a jean jacket would make it a good transition piece for the Fall.

I created this tutorial for Cut Out and Keep's website back in January and never got a chance to share it here on the blog.  Sewing life is stagnant at the moment so now is as good a time as ever to share this easy project with you all.  We need a little inspiration sometimes to get us going or just a little reminder that it's OK, mistakes happen, just pick up your seam ripper and move on.  So if your interested in DIY'ing your own inspirational banner to jazz up your sewing space then please read on.

I made these culottes, oohhh, about a couple months ago.  Standing in front of the mirror, Vito sitting next to me, I had a meh moment.  "Are these really my style?" "Where will I wear these?" "Do they make my butt look big?" Vito quickly got up and exited the room.  With every intention of getting pictures for the blog I laid them on my ironing board as a reminder.  Yep, they laid there for two months until I finally got sick of  working around them.  My second go around in front of the mirror had me questioning my antics the months before.  I actually like these a lot.  

Minions...they're everywhere!  On my television, on my cereal box, in my Happy Meals...#noshame and in my Pinterest feed.   After their debut in Despicable Me I along with a million others was left wanting to see more of these adorable little guys.  I'm probably the only one who hasn't seen the Minion movie yet.  It grossed $115.2 million in North America alone it's opening weekend!!  So to celebrate these loveable yellow dudes and to add to my Happy Meal collection I made a pincushion.

Hey there friends! Coming back from a long weekend is always rough isn't it? I hope everyone who celebrated had a Happy 4th. I got to watch my Grandpa get honored with the Veteran of the Year award for our county which was pretty awesome then we finished the day off with some fireworks at a family cookout.

I finished out Sewing Pattern Review's Fabric Stash contest with another easy pattern (I'm all about easy these days) the Colette Mabel.  The contest ended with a total of 1,010.15 yards being sewn.  The top contestant sewn up 93.125 yards!!  Can you even imagine?  It was hard enough for me to crank out my tiny 3 yard projects.  The life of a slacker.

Hello there, I'm back!  Holy crap has it really been 2 months!?  A lot has been going on... some house remodeling, another round of SOA but mostly I've just lost me mojo.  I haven't even kept up with my bloglovin' reader and I really hate that it got to the point where I had to hit the "mark all as read" button.  I apologize for my lack of commenting on your blogs. I miss you guys!  I've decided to peel myself from the couch, dust off the old machine, turn up the tunes and get down to business.  I needed a little encouragement to get back into the swing of things so I entered a contest. whaaaa!?!?!

Sewing Pattern Review's Fabric Stash Contest..

Well hellooo there!  Sure has been hard for me to get back into the swing of this blogging thing.  Maybe now that the weather has finally sobered up and taken a right turn towards the direction of Spring I will feel inspired to get outside to take pictures of my makes. 

Hello there and welcome my first make of 2015!  Well a majority of this dress was made in 2014 but I finished it in 2015 so I'm just gonna claim it my first make of 2015. Okeedokee?!  It's the Marbella Dress and it's the first pattern from a new independent designer, Kennis Wong of Itch to Stitch.