Let's talk about stretch, baby!

Clearly I must've run into the textiles genie at some point because Michael Miller just granted me my biggest wish yet.... KNITS (a.k.a. stretch fabrics). For as long as I've been sewing clothes I've wanted these. I would've been happy with any cute, great quality and affordable knit, but... cute, great quality and affordable knits with my name printed on the selvedge? Pinch me because I must be dreaming!

Check these out! We have the ever so popular Mod Blooms and Mod Dots from Andalucia in the aqua colorway, which was originally cut from the quilting cotton collection, but that's OK because they are much better suited for this! We also have 4 glorious colors of Blossoms from Flora & Fauna. In addition, Michael Miller has also produced 3 of their adorable house prints, Carnival Bloom, Elvira and Scandi Chirp. Now, watch that drool... you don't want to ruin your keyboard!



What, you want coordinates? Ask and you shall receive. We have dots, solids and stripes (OH MY!) in every color combo imaginable!



All of these are produced on 100% cotton interlock, which means they won't curl on the edges like the lighter weight jerseys do. It also means they have 50% stretch, which makes them perfect for just about any project... t-shirts, dresses, leggings, yoga pants, skirts, you name it. I'm even planning to make some pillowcases and sheets for the kids... oh, how soft would those be?! :)

And speaking of making stuff, I have been in absolute sewing heaven these past few days! I love how versatile these are and how fast I can make an outfit that looks almost store-bought! True story: before we left for Florida a couple of weeks ago, I sewed 8 (count them: EIGHT!) pieces of clothing in a span of about 12 hours... with breaks in between!

I made this dress for myself (no, I didn't make Jon's t-shirt, although I totally could've!)



Would you be interested in a pattern for this dress, with several options of course? I've been avoiding designing women's patterns for several reasons, but the knits might just push me over to the other side. They are so forgiving so you don't have to mess with those pesky darts & such. If you ladies want this pattern, I can make it happen... for the Summer release.

I also made several pieces for the kids to wear:









And, of course, to commemorate the release of the knits, I have designed 2 children's clothing patterns that will debut at Spring Quilt Market, May 21 - 23, 2010.

Abigail is a sweet a-line gored dress with 2 length options and 2 sleeve options.





Maya is a 2-piece set (ruffled shirt and yoga skirt) also with 2 sleeve-options and comes with a dress version.







My testers have been having a blast playing with the new knits and patterns. Although you are welcome to use any of my photos for promoting my items on your site, please do not use my testers' photos without their written permission.

This one is from Melissa Baker (love, love, LOVE this picture!)



And how cool is this shot from Kristen Hallagan.



An adorable version of Abigail from Anna Garner. Photo courtesy of Jamie Erwin Photography.



And last, but not least, this sweet Abigail dress by Jennifer Moore.



I'm sure you want to see the pattern covers, so here they are...





Yes, they go up to size 8! :) All new patterns will be available for pre-order in a couple of weeks, so they are not up on our website yet.

For all questions regarding the knit fabrics, please contact Michael Miller Fabrics.

For any questions regarding the new patterns, or to be added to our mailing list, please contact Jon Young at jjyoung@modkidboutique.com

I'm anxious to hear your thoughts! Please share. :)

**UPDATE** Kathy Miller just posted the full knits group on her blog complete with SKU#s and print names. Check it out!