Pinewood Acres by Penny Rose Fabrics

Penny Rose Fabrics has just released a new line called Pinewood Acres and it's full of all things outdoorsy and rustic.  Now, I know what you're thinking.... I'm neither rustic nor outdoorsy, but then I saw these cute deer antlers and thought they were so cute and could be transformed into a chic little winter dress.  I chose Pinewood Acres Antlers in Cream.

While I had visions in my head of heading to a Christmas tree farm for pictures, our weather turned quite chilly for our Southern blood (...lol) so we headed for the most outdoorsy, indoor place I could think of...


Y'all, we headed to Bass Pro Shop.  They have a gorgeous lobby that they decorate for Christmas. 

I sewed Napoli by Little Lizard King.  It's a classic babydoll bodice, fully functioning buttons (so she can do it all by herself!) and a vintage length, which really suits her.    The cotton woven helps keep the shape of the silhouette (as opposed to my rayon version here).

The repeat of the pattern made it easy to match across the placket (which makes my heart happy!).  I know some people shy away from buttonholes, but I just have to give a little shoutout to my Singer Quantum Stylist.  I created 7 perfect buttonholes in about 4 minutes time!

I couldn't resist adding pockets.  These were self-drafted (quite literally just eye-balled it...lol). I added them last minute, but I'm so glad I did!  I wish I'd had the foresight of pockets because I would have ordered Pinewood Acres Grain in Brown.  Instead, I grabbed some brown quilting cotton  (for structure) and dark brown micro-suede and then added some cream lace. 

I hope you've been inspired to step outside of your comfort zone! Thank you Penny Rose Fabrics and Riley Blake Designs for the fabric!!  My girls always wonder who the next package of happy mail is for!!

{EasyPress 2 by Cricut} A Crafter's Must-Have

*** This post contains affiliate links.  Product shown in post was sent to me for free in exchange for posting.  All thoughts are mine!! ***

10 Reasons Why the EasyPress 2 Should be at the Top of Your  Wish List

Jumbo on left, mini on right

#1  It's extremely user friendly!

• Cricut has done the best job of taking the guesswork out of crafting!  There is no guessing as to whether you are using the right temperature or pressing for the correct amount of time.  With only a few buttons to set the temperature and time, there's no learning curve.

Be sure to bookmark their INTERACTIVE PRESSING GUIDE and with a few bits of information you input, a step-by-step guide with appear, complete with pressing temperature and time.  

• Cricut also sends you a sample project for you to practice with before you use the EasyPress 2 on your own materials.  

Here is the finished Sample Project!

#2 It's transportable!

• Craft night with the girls?  Headed on vacation but want to do some iron-on in your downtime?  The EasyPress 2 is lightweight and transports easily.  Remember the sample project?  It doubles as a carrying case!!

It fits perfectly inside -- including the base!!

I had a "pressing" party with a co-worker of mine when we made t-shirts for the staff for a "Pink Out" Day for breast cancer.  She has a heat press, but was way too bulky to bring to school.  I packed up both my mini EasyPress2 and my large EasyPress 2 and we each had one to use!

#3 It's fast!!

• It heats up quickly, with the mini heating up to the maximum temperature in under 60 seconds.  The largest heats up to the maximum temperature in under 3 minutes which is a fraction of the time it takes a heat press to heat up.  

#4 It has an even heating plate.

• Ordinary irons aren't always even temperatures and of course, has steam holes throughout the base.  The EasyPress 2 has a ceramic-coated surface and two heating elements for edge-to-edge heat. Also, there's no chance of accidentally leaving the steam on. 

#5 It has a built-in timer.

• With the push of a button, you can have the EasyPress 2 count for you.  I can't tell you how many times that I'd be counting in my head with my regular iron and I'd probably only press for a fraction of the time I actually needed to.   With my EP2, I press Start and don't have to worry about it!

#6 It stores easily.

• I can't be the only crafter out there without a dedicated sewing/crafting room.  In fact, my crafting corner is literally 3 feet from my bed.  Space is limited so my items need to be able to fit on my shelf by my sewing desk.

#7 You can literally craft anywhere (where there's a plug, of course 😉)

• With the EasyPress 2 base to protect your surface, you can craft where you can!  For my blog posts, I can take pictures easier if I craft on the floor (because I'm super short...lol).  I've successfully used my EasyPress 2 on the wood floor without issue!  (Make sure the kids aren't around if you have it on the floor).  

The base has been improved from the original Easy Press to keep your surface 60% cooler.  Here's a side by side view of both bases.

Base comparison: Left is Original EasyPress, Right is EasyPress 2.  Notice how much higher the new one sits off the ground!

Side by side comparison (top view) Left is Original Easy Press, Right is EasyPress 2.  Notice the holes are much smaller on the new design.

#8 You get to pick your size!

• Bigger isn't always better if you iron-on to small items!  If you specialize in small items, pick the mini!!  It fits perfectly between the seams of a baby shirt and is SO cute in real life.  The plate is 6x7.  I used the mini for these cute animal purses.  Retails: $139.00 ON SALE TODAY $99.00
• The medium is perfect for most projects, including bags and kids shirts.  It's the same size as the original Easy Press, 9x9. Retails: $189.00 ON SALE TODAY $149.00
• The largest size is 12x10 and is for big projects.  My friend made an amazing bedskirt for her daughter using the largest!  Retails $249.00 ON SALE TODAY $199.00

Cricut.com is offering Free Economy Shipping on orders $49+. Use code FREESHIP49

#9 More temperatures, more possibilites!

• The Original EasyPress heats to just 350F while the EasyPress 2 heats to 400F. It also supports a bigger range of materials!  

#10 It's update-able!!

• Nothing is more frustrating than to buy something only to have a newer item release shortly after with updated firmware.  Cricut has included a mini USB port to be able to update the firmware on the EasyPress 2!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cricut. The opinions and text are all mine.