All work and no play...

...makes Patty a dull girl. So whenever I have a little lull in my workflow I plan spontaneous trips just to break up the monotony. It just so happened that this past weekend was one of those "I actually have nothing to do" kind of weekends and it also so happened that it was the 4th of July weekend and Jon had Friday off. So we booked an impromptu trip to St. Louis... one of my most favorite US cities! I know I've blabbed here & there about how much I love St. Louis. Not only does the city have incredible history & character but it also has some of the best attractions for kids... the City Museum, the St. Louis Zoo, the MO Botanical Gardens, to mention just a few! And every year, on the 4th of July they have Fair St. Louis... another fabulous attraction.

On Saturday morning we watched the Independence Day Parade just outside our hotel...



Yes, we all got beads and didn't even have to flash anyone! ;)



Then we met up with my sweet niece, Asja, and the girls had an absolute blast!!! After a round of hugs & kisses,





The girls did their best gangsta pose around the arch...







Some got into it a lot more than others...



And, well, I'm not quite sure what this pose was all about...



Then in the late afternoon, we headed out to the City Museum. What an incredibly fun place that is! I strongly recommend it if you are ever in the area. We went a couple of years ago and had such a blast that we decided it was time to go again...







I just couldn't resist this photo montage! How fun is this!?!



On Sunday we spent the day at the Botanical Gardens... seriously one of my favorite places in the whole world. This place is like a dream... so lush and wonderful!



And the Chihulys... oh, the Chihulys!!!



I got a chance to play with my new camera and get up close & personal with some of their exotic flowers & plants...









Sophie got up close & personal too...



Actually, the best pictures I got at the gardens were of the girls, but I can't show you too much right now because I'd be revealing my next sewing pattern collection (yes, I just can't stop working.... it's a sickness, I tell ya!) So here are just a few teenie-tiny sneak peeks:







My three most favorite people...

Eye Candy

I am always filled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation when I send sewing pattern files to print. Part of me is relieved that the weeks and weeks of hard work and sleepless nights has finally come to fruition and looking forward to seeing the printed pieces, and part of me can't help but worry that something could go terribly wrong. Luckily my print vendor understands my fear and has agreed to a rigorous proofing procedure. This might add extra days to the process but in my book it is something I cannot do without. I am extremely happy to report that my first 4 patterns are so far error-free and I intend to keep this streak going! :)

OK, so, since my next 2 patterns, the Sophie 3-Way Pants and the Sydney Euro Hoodie, finally went off to the printer this morning, how about some eye candy for you guys? These are the gorgeous photos I received from my pattern testers this week. I just couldn't keep them to myself!

First off, Meli of Jam Clothing Co. tested the Sydney Euro Hoodie, View B with short sleeves and pointed hood. Isn't her daughter Ava absolutely adorable? I am a sucker for great photography so these pictures just grabbed me!





Meli also sewed up a tunic version of Sydney (with long sleeves and pointed hood) using my ModBlooms corduroy and paired it up with the Sophie 3-Way Pants (View B). AHHHH... love these!





Next, Anna Garner, of Sweet Dreams Designs, tested both the Sydney and Sophie patterns. She used a professional modeling/photography service for her pictures, and it shows! Check out this adorable little girl, Tamar, in her Sydney Hoodie Dress (View B with a rounded hood).





Her little twin sister, Yael, looks like she's having a blast in her hoodie! Photos of Tamar and Yael appear courtesy of Teresa Maureen Photography in Austin, TX.



The Sweetest Thing Photography supplied these amazing photos of the Sophie 3-Way Pants, also sewn up by Anna of Sweet Dreams Designs. I just love these!!





And last, but certainly NOT least, are these super fun photos from Mandy Graham of AbbyChase Designs. You may recognize these sweet little girls from the inside pages of my Kyoko pattern. Yep, I asked Mandy if she'd want to do this again and was so glad she said yes because I just adore these girls' funky poses... so much attitude!



Mandy tested all 3 views of the Sophie 3-Way Pants in 3 different sizes!!!





Hope you all enjoyed the fashion show and a million thanks again to all my pattern testers for all your hard work and amazing photos!!! For those of you waiting on these patterns, they are scheduled to be delivered on July 15th, so we will box & ship the following week. Retailers can place their pre-orders on our website right now (log in to the WHOLESALE page with your password to see the new patterns).

Here's a sneak peek of the pattern covers:

Winners!

I know you all are waiting patiently (NOT!) to hear who were the 3 winners of my blog contest, so without much farther ado...

Winner #1 -- (comment #59)
Always Inspire said...
Your fabrics are just fabulous! What to say....hmmmm, well, I'm
just about 35 weeks pregnant, and feel like a whale! I am beyond
excited to meet our third little guy, but a little sad to know that
this will be the last time that I experience being pregnant.
Cheers!
Julie

Winner #2 -- (comment #160)
sgraham said...
Gorgeous fabrics, and the patterns are fabulous!! My girl just
got into juniors sizes, do the patterns come in those sizes? I hope
so!!!

Winner #3 -- (comment #235)
Karen said...
As always your designs and fabric (and daughter!) look gorgeous Patty.
I made a shirt for one of my 3 year-old girls in Andalucia Mod blooms the other day and asked her if she liked it.
Her response - "It's a ripper".
Good enough foe me!

Ladies, please email me at info@modkidboutique.com at your earliest convenience to claim your prize!! Thank you all for entering! Wish I could give each & every one of you a prize. But don't worry, more contests are coming soon! I already have a fun idea for one! ;)

Check back here soon... my next post will have some major eye candy!!! :)

Family Fest and Frida Fun

I recently spotted a super cute top at a women's clothing store that was a tad reminiscent of my Frida sewing pattern. That got my wheels spinning, of course. So on Saturday night I happened to mention on Twitter that I might tackle grading my Frida pattern up for women's sizes. This is how the conversation played out (notice how it took a PG13 turn once the guys got involved! LOL!)

@pattyyoung: So, if I make Frida in big sizes what should I call it? "Frida Grande"?... LMAO!
@bluenickel5: don't think grande will work....vente?
@Fabritopia: Joey says you should call it "Frida Lard"!! I'm embarrassed.
@pattyyoung: ahahaahaahah... I'm about to pee over here!
@jjyoung11: "Frida Gigante"?
@bluenickel5: nope that won't sell either....that only sells condoms....oops...did I just say that??
@jjyoung11: It could work. "Bias trimmed for her pleasure."
@bluenickel5: ... the bias comment .....hilarious!
@Fabritopia: "Mucho Frida"?
@myfunkycamera: Fridototota
@pattyyoung: LOVE IT! I almost just wrote "Fridota" but you 1-upped me! ;)
@pattyyoung: Time for another contest? Sure they'll come up w/ something better than Frida Grande, Frida Gigante, Frida Lard, Fridatotota or Mucho Frida.
@Fabritopia: I got it! "Frida Gordita"!!!!
@pattyyoung YESSSSSSSSS! You nailed it!!!!! That's it, no need for a contest anymore!
@jjyoung11 Well played.
@thequiltshoppe: How about "Momma Frida" or "Mama Mia Frida"
@pattyyoung: hahaha... LOVE THEM!
@yummygoods: Lady Frida
@pattyyoung: awww... that's actually not bad, Melissa. (most of the others have been just comical!) :)
@bluenickel5: Now that is elegant....bravo..MA!

I think I went to bed soon after this so the game sort of trailed off, but it made for quite an entertaining Saturday night on the 'puter. ;)

On Sunday we decided to checkout a local Family Fest. I heard on the radio that Ralph's World was going to perform so I thought that would be fun for the girls. After the previous night's Frida conversation, I couldn't help myself and dressed Sydney in a Frida, just for fun. As we were paying for our admission tickets, the lady at the counter spotted Sydney and the conversation went something like this:

Lady at counter: "That is an adorable dress you're wearing!"
Sydney: "Thanks. My mom made it"
Lady at counter: "WOW! Your mom made that? That is truly special!"
Sydney: "I know!"

Jon and I just looked at each other and had a little private chuckle (Sydney is the epitome of a walking advertisement). Here she is with Ralph:



Ralph's World on stage:



In between sets, the girls had their faces painted:





Bound their own books:



Got themselves some funky balloon creations:



And even met this silly guy:



Then towards the end of the show, they got to go up on stage and be part of the band...



All in all it was a fun weekend for all!

Don't forget the contest is still going! Thank you all for the super sweet comments you've been leaving! I have laughed at your jokes, gotten a tad red-faced reading your compliments and even gotten a bit teary-eyed a couple of times. Once we hit 300 comments I announced on Twitter that I added A 3RD PRIZE! A 3rd lucky winner will walk away with 2 of my MODKID patterns... WOOOHOO! I'll draw the winners end of day on Tuesday and announce them soon after... good luck, everyone!

More show & tell... and a great GIVEAWAY!

Thank you all for your wonderful comments about my new corduroy. I am giddy beyond words! It's been a great few days... certainly can't complain! I finished and sent off artwork for my next line of fabrics last week. I completed both of my new patterns, the Sophie 3-way Pants and the Sydney Euro Hoodie, and sent them off to my testers. I managed a great photoshoot on Saturday morning and then spent the remainder of the weekend lounging on the couch. I must've needed the rest because I think I slept like 20 hours this weekend! (that's unheard of around here, by the way)

I spent the first part of my week visiting local quilt shops to show Mezzanine and the new corduroy, then received the great news that Mezzanine is SOLD OUT and going into the 2nd printing! WOOHOO! Thanks to all who pre-ordered! I'm floored by the support. :)

So, since I'm feeling great right about now I think it is time for a fun giveaway! But first I'm gonna make you sit through a sampling of this weekend's photoshoot... mwahahaha!

First is Sydney modeling a new ensemble that showcases ModBlooms Earth in 21-wale corduroy paired up with Tiny Dots in quilting-weight cotton. This ensemble is made up of the Sydney Hoodie (View B with short solid skirt) and the Sophie 3-Way Pants (View B).





Then here she is in the Sydney Hoodie Dress (View B with full stripwork skirt) done up in Mezzanine fabrics. I truly adore these photos of her! I MUST get these blown up & framed for my studio:





OK, thanks for being so patient through my little show & tell. Now on to the GIVEAWAY! I will pick 2 winners from the comments left on this post.

1. Winner #1 will receive a 6-piece fat quarter set of my new Mezzanine line for Michael Miller Fabrics.
2. Winner #2 will receive a 6-piece fat quarter set of my Andalucia line for Michael Miller Fabrics, and to sweeten the deal I will throw in some ModBlooms Corduroy! :)

Disclaimer: these photos are for illustration purposes only. Prize packages will be assembled after winners are chosen!

So, I thought long and hard about what kind of contest I could have for this giveaway. Something sewing-related? Been there, done that! A fun rhyme? Jona already stole that idea! A joke? A recipe? Definitely been done! ;) So, since I couldn't come up with anything clever and I was just DYING to get this up today, I thought I'd just make it super easy on you and let you just leave any ol' comment. Say anything! Feel free to say something funny or clever just for the heck of it. I could use the laugh! Oh, and if you feel so inclined you can tell me how much you love my fabric or patterns... haha... it won't get you any extra points since I'll be choosing a winner with the help of the trusty ol' randomizer, but it'll sure make me smile! ;)

So go on... comment away! I'll choose the winners one week from today (Tuesday, June 30th, 2009).

P.S. Don't forget to leave some sort of contact info in case you win... or just make your name a clickable link so I can find ya!

**THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED at 448 comments!
Thank you all for your wonderful comments.
I will announce the winners tomorrow.**

Babywale!

Nooooo, not baby whale (although isn't this baby Beluga whale from the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago adorable?)



I'm actually excited about a bolt of luscious, scrumptious, incredibly soft ModBlooms Earth in 21-wale corduroy that arrived at my doorstep last week:



Let's take closer look...



Gorgeous, isn't it? Wish you could feel the velvety softness. I immediately had to cut into it and make a version of the Sophie 3-Way Pants in it. These pictures will appear in the pattern instruction booklets, since I took very detailed pics of every step of construction as I was making these.



I love pairing up corduroy with other fabrics, like quilting cottons for example. The contrast in textures is so interesting! Check out how cool it looks with the Kiwi Tiny Dots!



Oh, and for all of you who have been emailing me about the Sophie 3-Way Pants pattern, I'm happy to report that it is off to the testers as I write this, which means it is near completion. As soon as I get those notes from my dear testers, I will put it into editing mode and send to print.



OK, so since this post has such a random feel to it already, I'll tell you about our weekend. I thought it was such a coincidence that when I Googled "baby whale" for the image on top of this post, the first photo I found was of that adorable baby beluga from the Shedd Aquarium because we just spent an entire day there on Saturday! Yup! We met up with my cousin Olga and her hubby Jorge, who were here all the way from Puerto Rico to attend the Neocon conference in Chicago. It was a lovely day (a little cool for June, but we were indoors most of the day so it didn't matter.)

We saw a 4-D movie called "Planet Earth"...



Hung out and gossiped about family (of course!)



Played in "underwater caves"...



Posed for photos outside the Beluga exhibit...



I was mesmerized by the beautiful jellyfish...



and all those creepy spiky things that live at the bottom of the ocean...



But what really got my attention were these amazing octopus-wrapped Art Deco lamps we spotted in the lobby. Jeez, how can I get one of these for my studio?!?



Have I ever mentioned my obsession with octopi? One of these days I'll have to scan in some of the dozens & dozens of octopus drawings I've done that I hope will someday find a home in some kind of printed medium, whether it is textiles or paper...

Alrighty... stay tuned for a wickedly cool giveaway I'm putting together! Coming up soon!!! :)

A World Of Thanks...

I've been meaning to write this post for days now but between last days of school, work, work and more work, time just seems to be running away from me constantly. But rest assured I've been thinking about all you amazing women who went above and beyond to help me with my Mezzanine and MODKID debut at Quilt Market.

First and foremost, I'd like to a send HUGE virtual hug & kiss to my mom, who not only came all the way from Florida to take care of the kids, house and everything in between for 13 days, but also came loaded up with gorgeous goodies made with Mezzanine. All of the items below can be found on her Esty store, by the way, in case you wanted one for yourself.

This first one happens to be the purse I carry as my everyday purse. It holds EVERYTHING and I'm not kidding! If you know me well, you know how much junk I like to carry all the time with me and this purse does the trick (by the way, this is the 3rd purse I've owned in this style... I just love it!)

How 'bout this gorgeous and petite cocktail purse?


And on the other end of the spectrum, an extra-large tote, perfect for going to the beach, day camps, shopping, you name it!


Another special person I'd like to send a virtual hug & kiss to is Amy Priddy of priddycreations. Amy made this amazing camera bag for me in record time. And when I say record time I mean: she got the fabric on the Saturday before I left for Market, made the bag on Sunday (which just happened to be Mother's Day... yah!) and had it in the mail Monday morning... on the way to Pittsburgh, because it wouldn't have gotten here on time. My dear friend, Ronda Opipery, was nice enough to receive the package for me and deliver it to my hotel in Pittsburgh. The gorgeous camera bag was there waiting for me at the front desk when I checked in on Wednesday. How sweet is that! Thanks a million Amy & Ronda!

If you desire a bag just like this one, check this out, Amy is offering it in her Etsy store!

Next, I'd like to thank my dear friend Heather Kaeb, of thepolkadottotspot, for making me a whole new slew of adorable fabric jingle balls. These were a huge hit at Market again, and she is offering them in her Etsy store along with a few other sweet goodies made with Mezzanine.


And last, but certainly not least, a HUGE HUGE thank you hug to my dear friends Kristen Hallagan (gocksfrocks) and Myrinda Dixon (fabrichound) for staying late after the show ended and practically dismantling my entire booth by themselves. What was I doing? Taking pictures, of course! ;) And Jon? Stuck in traffic with the trailer! Seriously, these ladies didn't waste a second and as soon as the show was over they grabbed screwdriver & hammer and got to work...


Thank you all SO MUCH for going above & beyond in so many ways! LOVE YA!!!

Birds on the Barbie

After we returned from Quilt Market last week we wanted to have a little cookout with my folks before they returned home to sunny Florida. Jon picked up some awesome steaks and fixings. As mom and I prepared the food for grilling Jon went out to light the grill and what did he find?



Let's take a closer look, shall we?



Now... all together "AWWWWWW"



Needless to say, we put the food in the freezer and went out to dinner instead that night.

In the next week we saw the birds more than double in size and change from fuzzy to feathery. What a great experience for the kids that was! The mama bird was a hardworking one... bringing food & water for her babies 24-7. My girls even set out a little bucket filled with water so she wouldn't have to fly too far for it. :)

Here's a brave little one almost ready to fly the coop...





On Memorial Day (almost a week after we first discovered the nest) we went out to check on the birdies and they had all left. Well, all except for one who quickly took off as soon as we opened the grill lid. We couldn't believe how well he flew! He landed on a tall tree branch and was quickly joined by the mama bird so we knew he would be alright.

With an empty nest on our hands, and a house full of hungry guests, Jon and grandpa set out to clean the grill right away. Here is grandpa scrubbing hard as Jon sprays it from a distance with the pressure washer. They both got soaked! The rest of us watched and laughed from inside the house.



The girls and Auntie Alicia prepared a scrumptious side of veggie skewers...



Getting ready to grill... YUM!



We kicked off the Summer season with a super yummy grilled feast of steaks, potatoes, corn & veggies on our bird-free grill. Boy, that pressure washer sure did a job on the grill... I don't think that thing has been this clean since it was brand new!



Oh and we even grilled a hot dog for Uncle Sean and Auntie Alicia's dog, Scooter.

How was your Memorial Day?

Market Report (Spring 2009)

PHEW! What a whirlwind these past few days have been. In the past 7 days, we've driven all the way to Pittsburgh & back (approx. 10 hrs. each way), assembled & disassembled a trade show booth and attended a 3-day show! I am wiped out, so this posting will be short on words but BIG on visuals. ;)

Pre-Show fun!

Before the show even began, we kicked off the festivities by gathering together at the Omni hotel for what we called the Fabric 2.faux (or Fabric 1.8, as Caroline so affectionately called it when we prank-called her in the midst of the party). At my table, left to right: Susan Day (Michael Miller sales rep), BariJ., Sandi Henderson, me, Paula Prass & Jennifer Storey:



Across from us sat Mary Beth (from True Up), Scott Hansen (Blue Nickel Studios), Jona & Joey (Fabritopia), Myrinda (Fabric Hound), Jessica Levitt (Juicy Bits) and Mary (Flourishes)



And a fave picture of two of my fave ladies:



The show started at 9:30 am on Friday, May 15th (my birthday!!!)

A few shots of our booth. I'm so friggin' proud of this thing it's not even funny!









I didn't get to walk around much this time (since I was selling my MODKID sewing patterns in addition to showcasing my new fabric collection, Mezzanine), so the pictures I captured were from whoever was nice enough to come by and say hi! ;)

Kathy Miller of Michael Miller Fabrics:



Ronda Opipery (of SundaRose) and her friend, Robin:



Sandi Henderson:



Melanie Thornton (Above All Fabrics) & friend:



The dynamic duo behind Lanie Jane Fabrics:



Fabric superstars Laura Gunn, BariJ & Genevieve Gail:



The sweet faces behind Fat Quarter Shop:



Another supermodel-tall fabric designer and sweet, sweet girl, Erin McMorris:



The talented and super sweet Jenean Morrison:



Ruth Jakiela (of Sew Love Fabrics) and her adorable 13-year old daughter, Chloe, who happens to be an aspiring fabric designer and asked me to autograph her amazing sketchbook... gasp! Watch for her... this girl is going places!!!



Chelsea Andersen, of Pink Fig fame, and probably the only picture available of me wearing my Mezzanine tunic (yes, I did wear it!!!)



And of course, it wouldn't be Quilt Market for me without my amazing hubby, Jon, who built (and rebuilt) the gorgeous booth you see behind us:



A Few Special Moments:

Soaking my feet with Paula and Sandi after a long day on the Quilt Market floor:





Michael Miller Fabrics dinner party at Sonoma Grill... fun, fun fun!!



Michael Miller Fabrics won 2nd place in the Multiple Booths category at Quilt Market ... again!



And last, but certainly NOT least, I had a mini surprise birthday party on Friday (the day I turned 21... again) at the show, masterminded by Jona and Myrinda. They surprised me with a balloon bouquet and a truly star-studded birthday card (even signed by some designers who I am completely sure couldn't possible know who I am! LOL!)



The crowd gathered by my booth and sang Happy Birthday and then hung around for pictures. It was SO FUN, made me feel so special and I was totally surprised! Thank you all!!!

I'm bringing denim back!

Don't know if it was ever gone, but if I start seeing children's boutique clothing all over the place using denim in conjunction with cool designer fabrics I'm taking full credit for it! haha! Just go with it, OK? It'll make me feel better (read to the bottom of this post to find out why I need a little cheering up right now) ;)

It all started when I posted this picture on my Mezzanine reveal. The oodles of oohs and aahhs I received prompted me to go... hmmm.



Next thing you know I had made another Frida...



A new Kyoko (which has GOT to be my fave version to date!)...





Several Sophie 3-Way Pants...





And a Sydney Euro Hoodie (pattern will debut at Quilt Market and will be available for ordering soon after!)



I'm just loving this denim thing. It goes so well with pretty much every print in my Mezzanine collection and I love accenting it with contrast top-stitching, appliqués, decorative trims, etc.

Oh, and I did promise you another little Quilt Market booth sneak peek, didn't I? Here ya go...



These are podiums or cubes or whatever you might want to call them (to me they look like life sized wooden blocks, like the kind kids are enamored with!) to display my dress forms. They are painted in colors taken right out of Mezzanine. :)

Sooooo, if you've read to the bottom of this post to find out why I need cheering up, the quick & dirty version goes something like this: we built the booth up in our garage (like, put the walls & columns up to see how it all went together), then just as we were ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the beautiful work of art we had created, we hit the garage door opener and stood there in disbelief, open-mouthed as the edge of the garage door grabbed one corner of the booth and brought the whole thing down with it... crashing to the ground! We all screamed OH NO, OH NO, OH NO! (yes, by "all" I mean my mom and my kids too... eeek!). I held it together for the family but I was sobbing inside. The shelf was ripped clear out of the columns and as the columns came tumbling down the top corner of one ripped a huge crater into one of the walls. Jon and I have the same recollection of it happening in slow motion, like in the movies, when in reality it happened so fast we could've never saved it. And if we had jumped in we probably would've ended up with a concussion.

To all of you who follow me on Twitter and gave me all your warm wishes and good vibes as I spilled my heart out yesterday... THANK YOU! You don't even know how comforted I felt. Witnessing this was so painful, but I'm happy to report that it is coming back together VERY nicely. If you'll be attending Quilt Market in a couple of days, be sure to come by and give Jon a big HIGH FIVE for his hard work and dedication.

Here's the Quilt Market info again...

booth #2531
Schoolhouse Presentation:
12:15 PM - 12:45 PM (room #305)