MODKIDBOUTIQUE

2012-01-27T15:46:00.006-06:00

The BIGGEST giveaway we've ever hosted!

Hello, friends! If you're coming over here from Making It Fun (The Michael Miller Fabrics blog) then welcome! If this is your first stop, then I ask you to please go over there and read part 1 first.

Yes, you read right... this is the BIGGEST giveaway we've ever hosted! We are just head over heals in love with our newest fabric collection, Lush, and the new MODKID Spring 2012 Sewing Patterns to go with it, so we've prepared an awesome contest for you all.

The folks at Michael Miller Fabrics have graciously donated 1-yard cuts (yes, that's right!) of EVERY print in the collection! WOW, are you sure you have enough space in your sewing room for this? This is a HUGE bundle! And to top it off, we will send another lucky winner our entire Spring 2012 Sewing Pattern collection... that is 4 brand new patterns, hot off the press!

Here's what to do:

If you haven't gone over to Making It Fun, please do that now and check out my Designer Spotlight.
Come back and let us know what your favorite print in the Lush collection is and/or your favorite new MODKID pattern.
For an extra chance to win, leave a comment at Making It Fun. We will be picking a winner from there too!

Winner #1 will receive 1-yard cuts of the entire SWEET colorway... that's 16 yards of fabric!!

Winner #2 will receive 1-yard cuts of the entire SUNNY colorway... that's 19 yards of fabric!!

Winner #3 will receive all 4 of MODKID's Spring 2012 Patterns!

All winners will be randomly chosen next Sunday, February 5th, 2012. Don't forget to leave us a way to contact you if you are one of the lucky winners!

So, there ya have it... what will you do with all this if you win? WOW! Best of luck to you all!!!

2012-01-23T14:22:00.003-06:00

True story...

The new sewing patterns went to print today and I can finally breath a huge sigh of relief. I wouldn't be lying if I said this was by far the most time-consuming and stressful of all of our pattern releases. And it's probably in part because I became a little (or a lot) OCD in the last moments before handing over the files. Now that it's all over, I think we made the right decisions, but at the time I was second-guessing myself and probably stressing out everyone around me in the process. haha

Case in point, this past Friday I was about to collect all files and burn the disk when I looked at one of our covers and thought it probably needed another "view" shown so everyone out there could easily see that the dress looks so different if sewn with other options and fabric combos. Keep in mind that we've already told the printing company that the files are on their way and they have scheduled their presses accordingly. I called Emalee and Jon over to my desk and presented my idea to them: re-shooting the cover with two models (two views) instead of one. This meant that Emalee had to drop everything and sew a new dress, Jon had to call the printer and say "Stop the presses!", and I had to call my friend Nikki and ask if we could pretty please borrow her adorable daughter for a quickie photo shoot that evening. Luckily all three of these people didn't look at me like I had three heads (or maybe they did behind my back) but we made it work...

Emalee sewed a new version of this dress in record time (seriously, the girl works magic on that sewing machine... sparks fly all around!). Jon got the printing company to agree to receiving the files today (Monday) instead of Friday as expected. And Nikki, brought cute little Anna, all full of smiles over to MODKID HQ after school.

I always let the girls goof off a bit before the real shoot so they can get comfortable with the camera (plus it's a great way for me to play with the lighting and get it just right) so here are a few of the practice shots we took that evening.

Silly girls...

Cracking up...

Cute daydreamy looks...

Then we got the pose I wanted but lo and behold, they didn't both look "perfect" in it, even though we shot over 50 photos of this pose alone! As you see below, the girls each looked better in a different version of the same shot.

So that's where my other pal, Photoshop, came to the rescue. Take a girl from here and a girl from there, even out the background, sharpen a little over here, brighten a little over there, some creative cropping and VOILA!

Then as I was ready to hit SAVE, my computer crashed and I had to start all over again from scratch. The photos were still there, but I lost all the Photoshop work I did for the past hour+. That's when I said "That's it! I'm done for today!" We ordered Chinese take-out, got a couple of beers, let the kids play in the back with the Wii and had a good laugh. On Saturday, I came in and worked my magic, in the quiet and peaceful studio, and the final picture turned out even better than the first one... so I guess everything happens for a reason. ;)

Retailers: if you have a wholesale account, you can log on to our wholesale site and pre-order all the new patterns. For the rest of you, you'll have to wait a couple of weeks to see them all up there... heehee... but I will sneak peek them all as I usually do here, so stay tuned!!

2012-01-19T10:03:00.005-06:00

On being a hypocrite...

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook or even here on ye olde blog, you've probably noticed that I've been really absent on the social media front lately. I hate to use this as an excuse because really, it's all work-related, but I have just been swamped with work. All the new patterns go to print tomorrow so we are knee deep in editing and proofing this week. The book comes out in just 8 short weeks so we are finishing up the promotions and marketing plan which includes blog tours, parties and a very special schoolhouse session at the Spring Quilt Market. Throw on top of that my busiest fabric season EVER -- two lines and three different substrates! More on all of that soon.

But, as the last of the patterns are being proofed by Emalee I found myself with a few minutes to spare this morning, so I thought I'd update the blog, but with what? My brain is mush right now because of being torn in a million different directions, lack of sleep and what not, so I can't do a serious work-related post at the moment.

Been thinking a lot about parenthood and about how it changes you... one might even venture to say it makes you somewhat of a hypocrite at times. The things I used to roll my eyes at and even mock out loud when I was young and single, are the things I find myself doing (and proudly) now.

Case in point, before kids came around, I used to think New Years Eve was not New Years Eve without a rocking party and a killer hangover the next day. Now, I find nothing wrong with staying home with the family, letting the kids stay up till midnight for once (even if one of them doesn't quite make it) and hugging and kissing at the stroke of midnight. The 20-year-old me would've thought the 40-year-old me was uncool, sad and utterly boring.

But more recently, the topic of music came up. I admit that I'm definitely not a prude when it comes to music or TV. As a kid and young teen it was all about Madonna and George Michael and we all know what some of their lyrics were like! Then later on, it was darker genres of music... I was all about alternative and industrial bands. The lyrics of some of these songs are utterly disturbing... but I loved them! And somehow I turned out alright (or so I hope).

Now, when it comes to my kids, it's a totally different story. They were listening to Pandora last night, the Selena Gomez station. I was working on my laptop just a few feet away, thinking it was all cool and fun. Then a Rihanna song came on. It was Rude Boy. Now, I'm not a Pandora expert, but I glanced over and saw that they had the lyrics up on the screen... and Sydney was looking at them! Eeeeek! I jumped out of my chair and skipped the song so fast she didn't know what happened... it was like supersonic speed!

So, I started thinking today and a facebook conversation between family and friends was sparked about this. Ya know, I never intended to be a "freaky mom". I know all too well that kids will be exposed to things worse than this in life (through school, friends, TV, etc.) and I can't shelter them forever. I also know that it's better if they are educated about things and if they feel free -- and comfortable -- to ask us questions if they are ever confused about something. That's why, as they grow older, I hope they see Jon and I as "friends" besides just "mom and dad".

But a little part of me just can't help but be overprotective and want my girls to stay little and innocent for as long as possible. I mean, I just cringe at the thought of my 7 year old singing (even if it's in her head) "Come on rude boy, boy, can you get it up?" or "Sex in the air... I love the smell of it!" Eeeek! Just typing that made me get chills all over. And again... the 20-year-old me would've thought I was ridiculous. But then again, the 20-year-old me would've hated Rihanna for a whole other reason... too mainstream! ;)

All of this talk about kids growing up too fast got me thinking about the little things... the little accomplishments that are bitter-sweet. Like, for example, the first time they are able to take a shower alone. Sydney (7) just started showering unassisted about 6 months ago. Of course, one of us always sits right outside the bathroom door... just in case. I usually just bring my laptop and check email or something. But as much as this alleviates our workload as parents, it's a little sad when they don't need you for everything. Also, I know this is going to seem so trivial and dumb to anyone out there who doesn't have kids but, the first time they understand that they have to hold on to the cuff of their long-sleeved shirts or sweaters before they put their jackets on because otherwise the sleeve will ride all the way up... that day is HUGE! And I mean tear-jerking huge... as in, WOW, she's all grown up! sniff, sniff. Then I remember all the times I whined about why they don't understand that and I have to go and fix the situation. Am I alone?

Mark my words... this little one up there ^^^ is gonna be trouble one day (regardless of what music she listens to!)

Anyway, well... looks like Emalee is done proofing, so I need to go and make some edits now. It's been fun, but that's it for now, folks. Deep thoughts, by Patty Young. ;)

2012-01-12T19:34:00.004-06:00

Treat Yourself with a MODKID Discount Code

My latest fabric line, Lush, is finally hitting stores worldwide so we've decided to celebrate with some new treats and a discount. We've created a couple of sampler packs for you to test out our new Lush ribbons and now you can even have a 10% discount on your order! This applies not only to ribbon but to anything on our site, patterns, pin tins, fabric scrap bags and kits! In the coupon code box on the checkout form, please enter the code JAN10, and your order will update the total to reflect this coupon code. Please note, MODKID only sells directly to consumers in the USA. Coupon code expires January 31, 2012.

Lush Ribbon Sampler #5 has all the pink and orange tone ribbons:

And Lush Ribbon Sampler #6 has all the turquoise and green tone ribbons:

Our Woven Fabric Scrap Bags now come with bits & pieces of LUSH among other lines, so this is your chance to test out the new goodies... at a discount!(Limited quantities available).

And what better thing to make with your fabric scraps than these adorable Modern Lotus Pillow Covers? This super easy to make mini-pattern is now in stock and ready to ship!

Like I said above, the JAN10 coupon code will get you 10% your total order on ribbons, patterns, pin tins, kits and fabric scrap bags, and it expires on January 31st, so this is your chance to stock up for the new year!

Happy Shopping!

2012-01-04T10:19:00.003-06:00

Thinking back and looking forward

We hosted Christmas at our house this year, which meant that all of my family from Florida came up and all of Jon's family from Chicago-area came down... luckily not all at once, so it wasn't super crazy (just a little). :) This was the first time in years that we had all of my family together under one roof -- well, actually, the first time EVER, if you take into account that our newest member is only 4 months old -- so we took this opportunity to try to get a nice family picture.

We all gathered at MODKID HQ late on December 22nd (after celebrating my sister's birthday), turned on the self-timer, and tried to get serious for a photo. Here's a look behind the scenes at our attempt to get everyone to stand in one spot, look forward, not close their eyes and smile for the camera (easier said that done, when you have 10 people ranging in ages from 4 months to 69 years!)

Of course, the kids behaved properly and did what they were told... can't say the same for the adults.

This one was almost perfect but baby Natalie was looking down and a few of us were looking, hmmmm... not so enthused.

So, with the help of my BFF (Photoshop) I took a face from here and another one from there, put them all together and... voila!

I drove my parents -- the last remaining guests at our house -- to the airport yesterday so now it's eerily quiet and a tad sad, so I'm trying to keep myself occupied with the piles and piles of work that awaits me at the office. Forgive me if you've sent an email that I haven't responded to yet. I promise I will get to it this week... or next!

I am really looking forward to this year. It's going to be a year of firsts in so many ways. This is the year I become a published author... YIPPEE!!! (and speaking of that, I didn't forget that I still owe you guys another book sneak peek... I'm working on it!). This is also the year in which I offer my fabric designs in more than one new exciting substrate... DOUBLE YIPPEE! (more on that soon, soon!) And lastly, we hope this is the year we grow our company beyond our wildest dreams. Ohhhh... we have so many plans and so many aspirations. My imagination goes non-stop!

I thank you all for your support in 2011 and I wish 2012 is the best year EVER for you too! Now, get back to work!! :)

2011-12-24T17:11:00.001-06:00

Happy Holidays and a Prosperous New Year!

From the MODKID team to all of you!!

2011-12-12T13:35:00.003-06:00

This 'n That

I've been immersed in the studio working non-stop on some pretty exciting new projects that I hope to share with you soon. Was meaning to blog about First Fridays last week, but time got away from me. Funny how that happens around this time of the year. But then a couple more exciting things happened yesterday and today, so now this is going to be one of those hodge-podge kind of posts, like this one from a few months ago.

We were so thrilled to be featured in our local newspaper, The Pantagraph, yesterday. They did a two-page spread on Modkid HQ, myself, Jon and Emalee... pretty much everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask about my life, background, how we started the company and how we make things work. If you're not local to Central Illinois, you can catch the article online here.

It was in the MONEY section, so I hope that's a sign of good things to come. ;)

There's Emalee with one of her designs and Jon showing off the ribbons in the warehouse.

Then, this morning, I get a tweet from my good friends Kim and Kris, from The DIY Dish, saying that the segment we taped back in September at The Creative Connection Event is finally up on their site. I share a Holiday craft that has been a tradition in my home for a few years now. I hope you check it out. I am incredibly honored to be in the same segment with the amazingly talented Kim Stoegbauer and Susan Branch. (!!!)

Here's a link to the video on You Tube or you can go directly to The DIY Dish and watch it there.

Finally, I wanted to share some images I captured from our December First Fridays event, because it was beyond my wildest dreams... from the wonderful window display design to the adorable little girls modeling MODKID dresses and accessories to the swarms of visitors -- old friends and new faces -- who stopped by. It really was an awesome evening!

So that the girls wouldn't get bored just standing up there with nothing to do, we gave them some glittery paper, funny-shaped scissors and had them cut snowflakes out. Boy, they LOVED this activity!

Just look at the concentration! Love those faces! :)

The girls waved at the passers-by and made everyone smile.

As more little girls came to the studio, we'd throw a MODKID on them and let them stand up there with the others.

The girls even got a surprise visit from their favorite jolly ol' man.

They told him they were very nice this year. Hmmmm... we'll see if he believes them.

Thank you to my sweet friends, Nikki Barr and Anna Snyder for letting their sweet and beautiful daughters be the MODKID Girls for that evening!

Up next.... book sneak peek #3! Stay tuned...

2011-12-05T12:56:00.003-06:00

Sophie's Hogwarts Party

My baby turned double digits this weekend. She was thrilled to be officially a "tween". I was filled with nostalgia and mixed emotions over how fast she's growing. I tried to fight the tears by keeping myself occupied with turning our house into Hogwarts for Sophie's 10'th Birthday Celebration.

Earlier that day (before the party started) she opened the family's presents, a.k.a. The Purple Tower, because she was just way too excited to wait till the party that evening.

Of course, she was way more pumped about some presents than others. ;)

Then it was time for the celebration to begin. Here's a wide view of our main area...

Let's take a closer look, shall we?

We had lots of candles and miscellaneous jars filled with curious objects...

A very gothic-looking platform held various test tubes filled with Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans (in reality they were regular jellybeans with funny names).

Gummy worms of every color made their appearance and some very spooky 2-ft. gummy snakes slithered their way in and out of the test tubes...

Favor boxes held pencils, lip glosses and some Harry-Potter themed gifts...

On our kitchen island there were potions and mysterious fluids. Don't worry, we didn't give the kids any alcohol... these were just for ambience! ;)

Although you wouldn't know it from this picture...

The first activity of the evening was the Sorting Hat Ceremony (see the end of this post for sources). The kids were utterly amazed that the hat actually talked!

Each girl was sorted into the four Houses...

Then we moved into the kitchen where the girls got to use their magic wands to turn clear liquids into surprise new colors. Each color meant something different. Green meant you could switch houses, which made the Slitherin girls very happy! haha

The Dining Hall was decorated in black and purple (Sophie's favorite colors) with candles and star-shaped confetti...

After dinner they decorated their own cupcakes in some Hogwarts colors...

Then it was time to open presents (again). I am always amazed at how much the kids enjoy this activity!

Awwww... hugs all around!

This little group of mischiefs was ready to watch a Harry Potter movie marathon....

And... this is what the adults did while the kids were in the basement, a.k.a. The Dungeon, watching Harry Potter movies, in case you were wondering.

Sources:

Test Tubes, favor boxes and bottle labels: Martha Stewart's Halloween Collection (bought the day after Halloween for 75% off)
Platform for test tubes: the styrofoam that held our flat screen TV inside its box, spray-painted black with holes cut into the top for the test tubes.
Jelly Beans, gummy worms and gummy snakes: we purchased these from our local Chocolatier, which happens to be right around the corner from MODKID HQ (lucky me, eh?)
Favor Box fillers, purple dinnerware and colored icing: Party City
Sorting Hat: purchased on Amazon with a small walkie-talkie inside of it so Jon could sort the kids into their "houses" from another room. To let him know when each girl was ready to be sorted, Jon's brother Sean would text him.
Color-changing drinks: squeeze 3-5 drops of food coloring onto the bottom of each cup and let it dry overnight. Before the game begins, fill each cup halfway with ice so the kids don't see the color drops. Give each kid a wand (drink stirrer) then fill the cups with a clear liquid (water, Sprite or 7-up). Tell them to use their wand to magically change their drink color.
Wands: cocktail stirrers from Party City (on the clearance rack -- 16 stirrers for 50-cents!)

2011-12-04T21:29:00.004-06:00

WWC's 12 Days of Christmas

MODKID is thrilled to be participating in Where Women Create's 12 Days of Christmas for the third year in a row. Last year we donated a bunch of sewing goodies, but this year we decided to give away something that EVERYONE could enjoy, whether they sew or not... and what's better than one of our MEGAN purses, already sewn, packaged up and ready to ship?!

This is the exact purse featured in the cover of our MEGAN pattern, designed by my mom and sewn here in the studio by Emalee using Grand Bazaar fabrics and ribbons. To enter the giveaway go HERE and leave a comment on the WWC Blog to be entered to win this and several other prizes donated by the wonderful women featured these 12 days.

Best of luck, everyone! Stay tuned this week as we recap our busiest weekend of the season... including our December First Fridays event (you have to see these pictures!) and Sophie's Harry Potter Birthday Party (so much fun!!). See you soon!!

2011-11-30T12:54:00.007-06:00

A Very Mod Christmas

I love living in a small-ish town where everyone is so supportive, helpful and genuinely excited about being a part of our little business. The friendships we have made in the past few months of having our MODKID HQ here are absolutely priceless!!

Last month I told you guys about how the Modern Quilt Guild ladies pitched in to create some of the most amazing quilted projects I've ever seen. Well, this time Jon, Emalee and I were blessed with the help of our friends, The Barrs, and 4 wonderful girls from Illinois State University's Apparel, Merchandising & Design Department: Megan Bjorn, Alethea Hemauer, Paige Kent and Jessica Lottinville. Talk about The Season of Giving... these wonderful people worked tirelessly to create our amazing window display for the upcoming December First Fridays event, which is in just 3 short days!

It all started out with a super cool idea by my friend Nikki. She came here one day talking about floating trees and Christmas light waterfalls. Shortly thereafter, Emalee, Nikki, Megan, Alethea, Paige, Jessica and I were brainstorming, sketching ideas on paper and figuring out the logistics.

Several shopping trips later, we were ready and eager to get started. The Sunday after Thanksgiving Jon and Justin hung our Christmas light waterfall, complete with a soft curtain of white mesh to soften it up a bit.

Then yesterday, the Merchandising girls came by to get the rest of the display done. The floating tree proved to be the most challenging part, since the ornament strings kept twisting into one another and tangling themselves into a colossal web. Luckily, Em & Em gathered up the patience to untangle each and every strand. A million thanks to sweet Emily Parks (currently referred to as Ms. Parks by her adoring students) for stopping by and helping us out!

How many people does it take to put up a floating tree? Well, it appears the answer is seven! And one photographer. haha

Even as we were hanging the tree, those pesky strands kept gravitating towards one another... eeeek!

Then it was time to get the base nice and leveled (easier said than done, by the way!). A little higher here! No, a little lower there! This strand needs to go 1" to the right! No, your other right!

We all let out a huge sigh of relief once this little project was finished! Then it was time to step back and admire the masterpiece... ahhhhh.

The rest of the display went together without a hitch.

Wrapping faux presents...

With cute ragged fabric bows...

Making the windows nice and "snowy" (you'd think by now and in the heart of the Midwest, we'd have some real snow, but nope!)

And adding the finishing touches... TADA!

A million thanks to the Merchandising girls, Megan, Alethea, Paige and Jennifer, for all your help, your smiles and your positive attitude. This is BY FAR the coolest window in Downtown Bloomington (at least in my eyes)! And a special thanks to their teacher, Elisabeth Reed, for connecting me with these great girls.

Also, a million thanks to Nikki Barr, Justin Barr and Emalee Grambo for all of your help and super cool ideas! It was definitely worth all the headaches and late nights, no?

And last, but not least, big hugs and kisses to the adorable MODKID models, Sydney, Sophie and Anna for being such great troopers and coming out to model for my First Fridays invitation. It turned out so awesome!!!

If you are in the Central Illinois area, please stop by and see us this Friday, December 2nd from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. We will have music, refreshments and live window display PLUS lots of items for sale! In addition, all of the other businesses downtown will have activities, food, displays and sales going on. There's even pictures with Santa and free gift-wrapping at a few venues. This event is not to be missed!!

2011-11-16T10:23:00.003-06:00

Sewing MODKID Style, Sneak Peek #2

Sorry it has taken me so long to get to this next sneak peek. I know I promised them monthly until release date, but this month has been particularly crazy, with Quilt Market catch up, new fabric & pattern release planning and birthdays/holidays galore. Thank you all for the reminders and your patience.

When I set out to design projects for Sewing MODKID Style, I wanted to create a wide variety of styles that would appeal not only to the girly-girl, like my little Sydney, but also to the young, cool girl (or the 9-going-on-16-year-old) like my Sophie. I know -- from personal experience -- that not all girls love to run around in twirly skirts and cutesy tops, so this book has a selection of projects that are designed for the Sophies of the world. I call it Urban Chic because with the right mix of fabrics and trims you can take these pieces from basic to boutique in a snap!

Here are "big girls" Sophie, Maddie and Emersyn (with Sydney tagging along for good measure) sporting their Not-So-Plain Tees, Leg Warmers and Fingerless Gloves... or as kids like to call them these days... texting gloves, haha.

Above photos by Dawn Bergeron Photography.

The girls had such fun this day playing with skateboards, scooters and cameras...

Sophie is also wearing the Leggings pattern from the book sewn in a denim knit to resemble skinny jeans or jeggings.

That [above] is one of my absolute FAVORITE pictures of Sophie I've ever captured, by the way. It totally helps when a kid feels comfortable in what they're wearing and in their environment. I've learned this the hard way, believe me. Oh, and Sophie's rocking skateboard? You can get one just like it here. :)

If you missed my last sneak peek, you can go back and check out the first few projects I revealed (much more girly-girl) and the book's cover too. So much more to come... stay tuned!

Sewing MODKID Style will be in stores in March of 2012 and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Overstock, Book Depository, Easons, Books-a-Million and Sew Mama Sew. (Retailers: if you have my book on your site, please let me know so we can add you to the list!) A full list of retailers will be available on the WILEY website.

2011-11-03T12:27:00.003-05:00

Fall Quilt Market 2011 recap

This time I traveled solo, so we decided to do a small booth, as in half-a-booth, as in a tiny, little wedge of space that I could set-up and call my own...

It looks way bigger in pictures than it was in actuality, but I'm not complaining. It was stress-free and fun and still did a pretty good job of showcasing the new fabrics, the new patterns, the beautiful quilts and even a few new products.

Here are a few detailed shots...

The best (absolute best) part of Quilt Market is the constant stream of happy visitors. Oh, how I love to chat with these ladies that I only get to see once or twice a year! I'm sure you'll recognize these smiling faces...

Jenny Fish was my lovely assistant during Schoolhouse and I am ever so grateful!

I even got to meet Cindy Kitchel, Vice President and Publisher at Wiley. What a treat!!

Another one of my favorite parts is the parties! Who can forget the parties... every night, all night long?! :)

I will leave you with some breathtaking images I captured from our hotel room on my last day in Houston. My roomie and I got up extra early on this day so we could try to make the most of our last day at Quilt Market. It was still dark outside, so I captured these images from our 13th-floor hotel room:

The convention center at dawn...

As the sun was coming up over the horizon...

And a few minutes later, after my shower...

Then the downtown Houston skyline at dawn...

And after my shower...

I always enjoy my time in Houston. It feels like home. Until next year...

2011-11-02T11:42:00.004-05:00

Happy [belated] Halloween!

I am still sorting through all my Quilt Market photos, so I thought I'd post my Halloween pics so there wouldn't be such an empty lull on the blog. Oh, and I also owe you all the 2nd sneak peek of my book. It's all coming this week, I promise. But for now... here is our little freak show...

Sydney was a Fairy Devil or Devil Fairy (it fit her personality oh so well!)

Sophie was Ginny Weasley (Harry Potter's girlfriend)

Jon and I went as The Walking Dead...

I even spent a few minutes playing with Photoshop to create this nifty screen saver for Jon. It fooled a few into thinking it was real! mwa-ha-ha-haaaaa

If you want to use the above photo as your screen-saver, just click on the image, which will take you to Flickr, and download the largest size.

2011-10-26T16:45:00.004-05:00

LUSH Ribbon... and a few more sneaks!

First off... BIG CONGRATS to Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom for being the randomly-selected winner of our LUSH contest. Please email Emalee at egrambo@modkidboutique.com with your address so we can get your prize to you.

I'm heading to Houston tomorrow morning but before I leave I wanted to share the last LUSH-related surprise. Yes, folks, we will have ribbon too!!! This is literally fresh off the press... we got the samples in, rolled them up, took a picture and sent them off. We don't even have them up on our site yet so don't bother looking, but we promise to have them up soon.

There are 6 luscious designs to mix and match with your Lush fabrics...

The two designs on the far left are 1.5" wide and the other four designs are 7/8" wide.

The two on the far right are reversible.

Just like our Grand Bazaar ribbons, these are 100% polyester jacquard.

Emalee quickly whipped up a Megan purse to showcase the fabrics and ribbons. Yes, she is freaky fast like that!

How awesome is this?!?

She also made a Naomi and a Mini-Naomi for my booth, which will be coming in my suitcase with me (the garments, not the models, sadly).

Cuteness all around!!

OK, now I really do wish I could bring the model with me... sniff...

Last time before I leave, here is my Quilt Market info:

Booth #1653
Schoolhouse at 1:55 p.m. - 2:10 p.m. in room #361 D&E.
I will be giving away a wonderful surprise to every attendee!!!

2011-10-24T14:53:00.003-05:00

The LUSH Quilts
(a.k.a. I *heart* The Central Illinois Modern Quilt Guild)

First of all I wanted to thank you all for the sweet comments regarding my Lush fabric line. We are beyond excited about it! There is still time to enter the giveaway so go on over there and leave us a comment.

I mentioned before that my booth would be quite empty if it wasn't for the kind hearts of the members of The Central Illinois Modern Quilt Guild. These ladies sacrificed their entire weekend to help us make some amazing quilted projects for our Quilt Market display, so I'd like to dedicate this post to Terry, Pat, Melissa, Arlene, Jean, Vicky, Mary and of course, Emalee. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Quilt #1 in progress...

And here are the finished products. Cool, eh?!? An extra special thanks to Ann Anderson and Mary Edwards who quilted the 2 bigger quilts in record time (literally in just hours!)

The large Stargazer Lilies that extend beyond on the side panels are appliquéd on...

There are 4 layers of quilt batting just under the "Lush" letters to give it that raised and poofy look...

We used the left-over fabric selvedge to hang this pennant-style quilt.

Come see these beauties in person this weekend at The International Quilt Market in Houston, TX, booth #1653.

2011-10-19T14:18:00.003-05:00

Introducing... LUSH!

Lush is my 7th fabric collection for Michael Miller Fabrics. For this line, I drew inspiration from one of my favorite places on Earth, the Missouri Botanical Gardens, so it is filled with gorgeous, bright florals of all different sizes and shapes.

Lush’s 41 prints are divided into two colorways: Sunny, with its vibrant oranges, hot pinks and citrons...

... and Sweet, with its soft hues of aqua, lavender and green.

It also includes my very first range of coordinating solids, 6 luscious colors to mix and match with my prints.

So, how about some inspiration images, eh? The fabric arrived just last Thursday so we turned Modkid HQ into a sweat shop the past few days, sewing everything from quilts to pillows to garments. Luckily I had the help from the amazing women of the Central Illinois Modern Quilt Guild (stay tuned for a whole post about the sew-in!)

We designed this pillow weeks ago, when we only had strike-offs to play with...

And we loved the outcome so much that we turned it into a mini-pattern which includes a full-size applique template (no enlarging or taping together!) plus all the detailed instructions and diagrams for making this adorable applique pillow and patchwork piping.

We also made some garments. Here are Kyoko and Addison looking very Easter-ish. :)

And here is a little sneak peek of the two quilted projects the CIMQG made during their 2-day sew-in this past weekend (more photos and details to come!)

This one is a long skinny "pennant" style quilt, with a pointed end. I love it so much!!

I would LOVE to hear what you think of Lush. We are mighty proud of it here at the studio, but we're a bit biased. ;) Leave me a comment below and you'll be entered to win a copy of our new mini-pattern Modern Lotus Pillow, a large bag of LUSH fabric scraps (all Lush, nothing else!) and a half-yard of one of my solids... everything you'll need to complete this project!! We will choose a winner a week from today.

A week from now I'll be headed down to Houston to show off the collection and a few surprise goodies that I haven't even mentioned here (because they're not ready to show). So... if you are coming down to the International Quilt Market next week, please come see me in booth #1653. Also, if you are there on Friday, please come down to my schoolhouse at 1:55 p.m. - 2:10 p.m. in room #361 D&E. I will be giving away a wonderful surprise to every attendee!!!

2011-10-10T11:25:00.006-05:00

Pink isn't just a color... it's an attitude!

Our baby girl turned 7 (SEVEN!) this weekend and we celebrated it the way any little princess would want to.... by having a Hollywood Diva party! Ohhhhh... it was so much fun, we didn't want it to ever end! Everything was pink and sparkly and glittery and girly! We turned Modkid HQ into party central and I want to share some of the highlights with you. Plus, I have included some FREE downloads at the end of this post so you too can give your girl a Hollywood Diva party!

We had super pink cupcakes with famous diva sayings on top...

There were famous quotes from classic divas, like Coco Chanel and Marilyn Monroe, and some more recent ones, like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Lady Gaga (of course!).

This was Sydney's personal cupcake...

I also used the same famous quotes to decorate the goodie boxes, which were hot pink Chinese take out containers filled with all the little items any diva should have, like lip gloss, glittery emery boards, funky pony tail holders, heart-shaped barrettes, faux diamonds and lots of bracelets!

We had some very pink finger foods...

Balanced out by others not-so-pink but still as yummy...

We even had "girlie-cocktails" for the little divas (Fruit punch + 7up + Maraschino cherries + little umbrellas + pink plastic champaign flutes from Hobby Lobby)

And, boy, were those the BIG HIT of the party!!! :)

The girls played dress-up and had their picture taken in our photo studio...

Then they strutted they stuff down the "pink carpet"...

We pulled up the white backdrop so they could have a dance party on our dance floor...

They made beaded jewelry (no pictures of that because I was helping the girls with their bracelets).

We sang Happy Birthday...

And opened presents...

Almost everything Sydney received was PINK! :) She is a happy girl right now! And mama scored big points for what she called "The best party EVER!" YAY!!! :)

I figured, there might be one or two or 3000 readers out there with little divas in their lives with birthdays coming up, so I wanted to share the graphic file for my cupcake-toppers and goodie-bag-labels. Click on the images below to be taken directly to my Flickr pool, then download the largest file available (original). These will print at 100% on your home printer on letter-size paper.

Print these cake-toppers on card stock if you can. They will be much sturdier that way. I bought my 90 lb. card stock at Office Max. Print two sheets so you can glue them back to back with a toothpick sandwiched in between. We used a hot glue gun for this.

Print the goodie-bag-labels onto full or half-sheet label paper (sticky-back), then cut them out with scissors and adhere to the front of your goodie boxes or bags. If you don't have adhesive paper, you can print them onto the same card stock as the cake toppers and just use spray adhesive, a glue stick or a hot glue gun.

Hope you can put these to good use! And please share if you do. I always love checking out other people's birthday parties. :)

2011-10-06T10:34:00.006-05:00

Think Different.

The news last night of Steve Jobs' passing affected me way more than I thought it would. I had to force myself to get off my iPhone because everyone's comments and all the videos shared were just too overwhelming to me. I lay awake last night thinking of how I could blog this without sounding too pretentious or making it all about me. I even debated not blogging it at all but then I thought, how could I not pay tribute to the man who changed the world? I didn't know Steve personally, I never met any of his family members or friends and I can't pretend to know what his effect was on the rest of the world. I only know how it affected my little world. So here it goes...

Growing up in Costa Rica in the 70s and 80s, I didn't have much (or any) exposure to computers. It wasn't really until I attended UCF and got my first job as a student assistant in the Art Department in 1989 that I had my first real experience with a computer. It was a Mac. I believe it was the Mac SE/30 but I may be wrong. My memory is kind of foggy. The screen was white and black (no colors) and I believe it only had two applications: MacWrite and MacPaint, but I thought it was the coolest thing since sliced bread! I typed exams and reports for the professors on this machine. The year after that we got a Classic and I thought it just couldn't get any better than that. haha. In the years and decades that followed, I'm pretty sure I worked on almost every version of Mac available out there... I fondly remember the Quadra, the Performa, the iMac G3 (tangerine, of course!) and so many others.

Today, I can honestly (and proudly) say that MODKID is an Apple-based company. I am typing this on a MacBookPro 17". All of our fabric and sewing patterns are designed on a Mac. We communicate with each other on our iPhones. We entertain our kids with an iPad. We blast iTunes at Modkid HQ every day. Even our resident PC user (Jon) has an iMac on his desk for designing our website and email blasts.

One of my favorite Steve Jobs quotes is this one from his 2005 Stanford commencement speech:

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

I believe this with all my heart and live it every day. I was lucky enough that my parents didn't force me to choose a career I wasn't passionate about. They never told me they wanted me to be a doctor or a lawyer. They never made me feel like I was making a poor choice. I knew from as far back as I can remember that I wanted to be an artist. I can't imagine my world without art. I can't imagine being or doing anything else.

The "Think Different." campaign is all about that. It's about the people who made a difference in the world because they were different. Because they were rebels. Because they were crazy enough to do what others were too scared to.

If there is anything I hope I pass on to my two daughters is this desire to do something that makes them feel good and proud inside... a desire to not conform to anyone else's opinions or expectations of them. A desire to follow their passion and intuition.

Rest in Peace, Steve Jobs. You were an inspiration to us all and you will be greatly missed.

2011-10-03T17:20:00.008-05:00

Sewing MODKID Style
Sneak Peek #1

At this time last year, I was getting ready to turn in the first quarter of my book's manuscript, my heart filled to the brim with excitement and trepidation. I knew I loved it, but would my publisher love it? Well, they did! And their words of encouragement fueled me the rest of the way through. The following 6 months we lived and breathed book. And I mean all of us... me, Jon, Emalee, the kids, our friends and our friends' kids. It was definitely a labor of love, with emphasis on the word labor (well, and love too!) :)

The other day, as I lay in bed on a lazy Saturday morning I was awakened by a text from my friend, Mary, telling me that my book was on the Barnes & Noble site (yes, I sleep with my iPhone, don't you?). I couldn't believe it was already up there! I mean, didn't I just start writing this thing? Well, I guess not... it has been a year, actually! I ran downstairs to pull it up on my computer, because my tiny iPhone screen just didn't do it justice and there it was... in all its glory...

WOW! I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or scream, so instead I texted the link to every person I could think of (whether they cared or not!). Then I hopped on Twitter and Facebook and shared the link like one proud mama and her newborn baby.

Then, I waited for the OK from Wiley to blog it because I wanted to tell you all the little details and show you some more images from it. Well, the green light came last Friday and we agreed that I should break up my reveals into 6 installments, because the book will be out in stores exactly 6 months from now.

YAY! So here's the 411:

The book will be hardcover and spiral-bound (much like the ones you are used to seeing from Anna Maria)
It will have 160 pages (and yes, I know online it says 144 but we ended up adding an extra 16 pages at the end because I wanted to add a glossary, a resources page and a few more pretty pictures.)
It will come with full size pattern sheets (no enlarging or taping together!) and detailed instructions for 20 sewing projects that span from accessories, to separates to full ensembles.
All the illustrations, instructions and patterns were done completely and solely by me, and they are in the exact same style that you are already accustomed to seeing in my sewing patterns.
The patterns range in sizes from 2T to 10 and styles range from easy and simple (the kind you can do in 1 or 2 hours) to fancy and intricate (in case you want to spend some quality time with your machine).
The book comes with an in-depth guide on knit fabrics and stretch trims AND it teaches you how to make the projects with your serger or your sewing machine, with loads of tips & tricks along the way.

So, here are a couple of sneak peek photos. Since the book-writing took almost a year and it spanned all seasons of the year, so do the photos, as you'll see. In addition, we were able to take a few family vacations near and far, and used those as an excuse to get some more book photos done (or was it the other way around?!?)

Sewing MODKID Style is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble , Overstock, Book Depository, Easons, Books-a-Million and Sew Mama Sew. (Retailers: if you have my book on your site, please let me know so we can add you to the list!) A full list of retailers will be available on the WILEY website.

Thanks for taking this little sneak peek tour with me. Stay tuned each month between now and March, 2012, as I will reveal more and more projects from the book. And... thank you all for your support! :)

***UPDATE! A sweet blog reader just informed me that the book is also available in Canada, which reminded me that I had also seen it for sale in Amazon UK. YAY, we're global! :)***

2011-09-28T16:12:00.003-05:00

New goodies on the site!

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook then you already know that I've been keeping some secrets and I was bursting at the seams in anticipation of the day I could let the cat out of the bag. But yesterday, we finally got the shipment in of my new, totally fabulous Designer Pins and we worked around the clock photographing, editing and uploading them to the site, because I just couldn't wait one more day to share these with you.

Just look at these candy-licious colors!!

I could just eat them up, but then again, I wouldn't want to end up like my friend, Jana. But I digress... the pin heads are molded in the shapes of two of my favorite Grand Bazaar fabric designs... the Spades and the Spears. Here are the Splendid Spears...

I worked alongside Brewer to produce this exciting new product line and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. The pins come inside cute little tins like these, 100 pins in each tin...

And the tins are embossed with my logo (squeal!!!)

And as if that wasn't adorable enough, the whole kit & caboodle comes beautifully packaged in a custom-designed clear box, perfect for gift-giving (or to keep for yourself, whatever floats your boat!)

And what do you think of the names, Splendid Spears and Spade Parade? Jon came up with those all on his own.... see, we all chip in on the creative process around here!

Our Designer Pin Tins are available on our website now, so stock up for the Holidays... these are perfect for stocking stuffers, teacher gifts or for your sewing group gift exchange! :)

No, they are not that big... haha... that is a dolly-sized dress up there ^^^ (the Mini-Naomi)!

On other news, a few of you expressed an interest in purchasing the kits my students used in my Creative Connection classes, so we have made a few more and they are now listed on our website in very limited quantities. These kits include EVERYTHING you need to make these two projects, including the printed pattern, the fabric and all the notions needed (even the thread!!)...

Here is the French Window Pillow Cover kit:

And the Sun & Surf Tote kit:

Click on any of the photos above to be taken directly to the kits on our website.

Thanks, everyone!! xoxo

2011-09-20T11:49:00.003-05:00

TCCE in a nutshell

I think I have a TCCE hangover! I'm having the hardest time getting back to work and I have soooo much to do. This happens to me every time I return from Quilt Market too. I think it's just all of that creativity surrounding me coupled with the lack of sleep, sugar overload and long hours on the road (or in the air, in this case)... eventually it catches up to you. So, I figured if I blogged today, maybe I can finally put that chapter of my life behind and get on with it... haha (we'll see)

The day I arrived I immediately gravitated towards "the fabric gals"... we pretty much stuck together like white on rice.

From left to right: Kris and Kim from The DIY Dish, me, Jana Nielson, Paula Prass, Betz White and Lizzy House.

But do you blame me? These girls are a hoot!

Here's me with The DIY Dish girls and Paula Prass...

One of the best parts about this trip for me was to be able to spend some quality time with my fabulous room mate, Betz White. Here she is all dolled up for the autograph party...

I was also thrilled and honored to be a featured artist on The DIY Dish. Here we are after filming the segment... passers by kept asking us if we were all related! haha! Kim and Kris are always a pleasure to talk to and they tell me my show will air sometime in November. I did a fun Holiday craft on the show and talked a little bit about my upcoming book, Sewing MODKID Style. I'll let you know when the show is up so you can all check it out!

And I thought it was an absolute treat to be able to hear Holly Becker and Cristina Ferrare speak at the Keynote Dinner the first night. They both had such inspiring stories and one of my goals was to get to meet them in person... and I did!

Here I am with Holly Becker. She is actually about a foot taller than I am, but she was sweet enough to crouch down to my level...

Here she is signing my copy of her DECORATE book, which I love, by the way!

Here I am with Cristina Ferrare (who, by the way, does the best Oprah impersonation I've ever heard!)

Lastly, I was honored to be asked to teach two classes at TCCE and I can't say enough about my sweet students.... they were THE BEST!!!

My cutting table with the goodies donated by Olfa and Prym-Dritz:

The classroom was outfitted with Janome sewing machines and each student received a kit containing everything they needed to complete the project.

My Sun & Surf Tote students cutting their pieces...

My French Window Pillow students sewing their hearts out...

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of all my students, but here's a few I grabbed before they left. Thank you all... your projects turned out so awesome!!

Phew... now wish me luck getting through everything else on my plate. I have a 7-year old's birthday party to plan, a sewing pattern release to complete, and a booth to design for Quilt Market.... each just as important as the next.

2011-09-02T14:52:00.004-05:00

Counting down the days

The Creative Connection Event is exactly 2 weeks from today and I simply can. not. wait. It's gonna be so awesome meeting up with all the great personalities at this show... I already have a list as long as my arm of women I want to get to know. If you haven't made a decision as to what classes to take, I want to let you know that although my Friday classes are now closed, I still have a few spots open in my Saturday classes.

Click on the links or photos below to learn more about my two classes...

FRENCH WINDOW PILLOW COVER
Saturday, September 17, 2011

Teacher: Patty Young

Time: 2:30 pm - 5:30 pm

Registration code: SPM

SUN & SURF TOTE
Saturday, September 17, 2011

Teacher: Patty Young

Time: 11:00 am - 2:00 pm

Registration code: SAM

And if you are a beginner sewer and are a bit apprehensive, please don't worry... I will have EVERYTHING there for you to get started with. You only need to bring your smile and eagerness to learn something new. :)

And, in case you haven't seen my prior posts on this subject, I have A TON of goodies to give away to all my students... rotary cutters, rulers, self-healing mats, and lots of other things!! So, in addition to a super cute project made by YOU, you will be going home with some awesome freebies from my sponsoring companies, OLFA, Prym Consumer USA and Dill Buttons. How cool is that!?!

Hope to see you all there!!

2011-08-25T16:14:00.006-05:00

Megan and Mini-Naomi

I'm glad to report that all sewing pattern pre-orders are officially out, so be expecting the new MODKID line-up to pop-up here and there in the next few days! So, without much further ado, may I present the last two patterns...

Megan Everyday Bag
Megan is the perfect everyday purse. It’s large enough to carry all your essential things but it’s not bulky, like a tote. Lots of details make Megan special, including an interior zippered pocket that divides the inside into two separate areas and keeps your most important belongings safe. It also has a separate interior pocket which is perfect for holding your keys and cell phone for quick reach.

The pattern was designed by my mom, Maria Prann, and she is the bag-making expert, so you know it must be awesome!

It's just the perfect size!

Check out this gorgeous version by my tester, Valerie Haberer...

Have fun embellishing the front flap with designer ribbons and trims. Add cute rings or grommets and even turn it into a funky messenger bag with an adjustable strap following our easy instructions.

Mini-Naomi
(Dolly-sized version of our popular Naomi pattern for girls)
Mini-Naomi is the quintessential “beach dress”for your 18" and 15" dolly... casual, lightweight, comfortable and oh, so adorable! It features “shabby chic” raw-edge braided straps, a sweet ruffled hem, a cute little patch pocket with ruffled edges and a soft and comfy shirred back. This pattern also includes the Mini Sun & Surf Tote to complete the sea-side ensemble!

This pattern, just like all of our other dolly-sized patterns, was designed by Valerie Haberer of Sew Much More.

It comes with a miniature version of our Sun & Surf Tote... how adorable is this?!?

All new patterns will be up on our website next week, but in the meantime, check your favorite retailer to see if they will have them in.

2011-08-23T11:05:00.005-05:00

Something for the ladies

Our new sewing patterns were delivered at MODKID HQ yesterday, so all wholesale pre-orders will be shipping out this week! WOOHOO! As I was looking at the piles of boxes strewn all across the floor, I realized I've only blogged about one so far, so I'm going to double up on my reveals this week because we have so much going on. Today, we'll be talking about the women's wear portion of our line-up.

Gabrielle
Gabrielle is a flirty summer dress, perfect for a family party, a girls’ night out or a casual outdoor wedding. It includes four different options -- Views A (dress) and B (shirt) feature four skinny shoulder straps that tie at the shoulders for a sweet and casual look. Views C (dress) and D (shirt) feature a backless bodice and two wider straps that loop in the back and tie into a long, beautiful bow. Have fun combining fabric designs for a casual, eclectic look or make it all out of one fabric for a dressier look. You’ll soon find that the sizing on Gabrielle is quite generous because it cinches at the waist with a drawstring and above the bust with elastic.

Check out all the different options included within this pattern:

The dress version, View A:

The shirt version, View D:

My sweet tester, Kristen McVane, did two View C dresses, one in woven fabrics (using my Grand Bazaar shirtings) and one in knits (using my cotton interlocks). I love them both!

And my other tester, Marie Villa, did an adorable version of the View A dress in Grand Bazaar's, Sari Wrap Melon:

Annnd... the pattern cover (showing View A and View D):

Juliana
(the women's version of our girl's Julia skirt)
Here by popular demand, Juliana is a sweet skirt that is as easy to sew as it is to wear. There are no zippers, buttons or snaps to apply; just a couple of casings to sew. The double-layer super full skirt can be made with or without the drawstring detail. A template and detailed instructions for creating a fabric broach or hair flower are included within this pattern, for those who wish to add extra embellishment to a pre-purchased top.

A million thanks to my tester, Anna Garner, for this awesome version in Turkish Garden and Spade:

And to my other tester, Marie Villa, for this super sweet version in Mehndi Stripe and Spade:

The pattern cover...

Again, retailers, the patterns are no longer on pre-order status, so if you haven't placed your order yet, you can do so on the site now.

Stay tuned for a couple more reveals this week...

2011-08-18T13:46:00.005-05:00

New Additions!

My sister had a beautiful and healthy baby girl two days ago, Natalie Quinn. I just adore that name and we are all overfilled with joy. She is in Florida and I'm up here in the Midwest, so I cannot wait till the day I get to meet my new little niece. My baby girl is no longer the baby of the family but we are OK with that. Change is good and babies are even better!

We have some new additions of our own too. Nooo, not babies! It's five brand new sewing patterns and we are thrilled about them. But before I start the reveal, I need to announce the winner of the STUDIOS Magazine contest:

Random.org picked comment #27 and that is...
~Lollipop Doodles~ said... CONGRATULATIONS!! Your excitement and enthusiam is ABSOLUTELY contagious!! Couldn't be happier for you and the company. It's just BEAUTIFUL...Felicidades!!

Please email us your mailing address to info@modkidboutique.com and we'll send you a copy of the STUDIOS Magazine that features MODKID HQ. CONGRATS and ENJOY!!

OK, so let's get rolling with the pattern reveals... I will start with the one that seems to have everyone's hearts aflutter on Facebook...

ADDISON

Addison is a sweet, classic, vintage-inspired dress with lots of heirloom details... perfect for a family portrait, a wedding or a school event. It features a three-button closure on the bodice, sweet bubble-style sleeves and a long sash that ties into a pretty bow in the back. A set of tabs at the front gives the overskirt a scalloped look and lets the underskirt peek out ever so slightly.

A huge thanks to my little models Anna and Sydney for the beautiful pictures and to my lovely assistant, Emalee, for the gorgeous design!

Addison comes in sizes 2T to 10 and will be available for purchase the first week of September. Ask your local fabric shop if they will be carrying the new MODKID patterns... we are accepting pre-orders NOW!

I would also like to extend a HUGE thank you to my testers, Debbie Peasley and Melissa Baker for helping me work though all the initial kinks so that we could present to you a flawless product. I am forever indebted to them! And... as always, their modeled photos were TDF cute! Just check these out...

Above 3 photos courtesy of Emily Butler at LandoJake Photography.

Above three photos courtesy of Meli Baker at JamClothingCo.

Again, we are taking wholesale pre-orders now but the patterns will be available on our website the first of September. Can't wait to hear what you all think!

OH, and I almost forgot, here's the pattern cover shot in my new marigold studio. :)

Stay tuned for more reveals... but in the meantime, a couple of announcements and questions:

I opened a Flickr group for Grand Bazaar. Please join and share your creations!
We are officially sold out of Scrap Bags but we'll be adding more soon... don't worry.
Any interest in Knit Scrap Bags? We have a few of those I can add to the site.
Don't forget to check out our Scrap Lab Kits and Ribbon Samplers... only a few left!

2011-08-16T13:23:00.010-05:00

Scrap Lab Super Friends

Today is the day that the Fall 2011 issue of Quilts and More (a Better Homes & Gardens publication) goes on news stands and, although I am a huge fan of all of their publications, I am especially excited about this one because it features a very special section titled, SCRAP LAB.

A few months back, I received an exciting email from Jill Mead, the Editor of Quilts and More, explaining the whole Scrap Lab concept to me. In essence, their design team, which is comprised of none other than the fabulous duo of Joanna Figueroa and Camille Roskelley, choose a fabric collection and design small projects, from a prescribed quantity of fabric, that would be great for gifts or to keep for yourself. Well, my heart skipped a beat when I read that they had chosen Sanctuary for the next Scrap Bag challenge and wanted little ol' me to play along! What? Two of my most favorite ladies in the industry? Sewing? With *my* fabric? and it's all going to be published? In a national magazine? I'm IN!!

Fast forward 8 months and here it is now... in pages 12-21 of the Fall 2011 issue of Quilts and More:

Joanna designed an adorable pillow. Camille made a set of modern placemats. And I designed a pair of lightweight stripwork scarves... one for you and one for your bff! Yes, if you click on that link, you'll be able to download the scarf directions, which is a web exclusive. The other two projects are printed in the magazine, so you'll have to run out and get a copy. Trust me, you won't be disappointed... it is chock full of good reads and awesome projects!

And the best part... the exact Scrap Lab Kit that all three of us used for the projects in this magazine is available NOW in limited quantities from our web store. It is only $15.00 and that price includes shipping!! (domestic orders only, please).

The Scrap Lab Kit includes: •1/2 yard of Dahlia Lama Seafoam •Fat Quarter Glass Tiles Seafoam •Fat Quarter Zen Garden Gray •Fat Quarter Solid White. All packaged up nicely in a cute MODKID bag. By the way, I must mention that I had to pull some major strings to get a nearly full bolt of the Zen Garden Gray fabric (lowest fat quarter on that picture), since it is now completely out-of-print and even MMF is out of it! Again... limited quantities of this kit available, so get yours TODAY!

2011-08-11T13:07:00.007-05:00

Hot off the press!

You guys have no idea how long I've had to bite my tongue before I could spill the beans about this amazing feature in STUDIOS Magazine. This is the first time MODKID HQ has been featured in a national magazine and we couldn't be more thrilled! The issue just came out so run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore, and snatch yourself a copy. My local Barnes & Noble said theirs flew off the shelves almost as soon as they came in... eeee!

This issue just happens to feature one of my all time favorite interior designers... Genevieve Gorder of HGTV. I've been a fan of hers since the old Trading Spaces days. And now I am so honored to be sharing the pages of this awesome publication with someone of her caliber. In addition to Genevieve, there are also articles on Anna Maria Horner, Lotta Jansdotter and so many others!

And... of course... there are six glorious pages featuring over a dozen large detailed photos and even a floorplan of MODKID HQ. Just look at this... (I'm so giddy)

**I do have an extra copy here -- complimentary from the publisher -- that I'd love to give away, so leave me a comment below and I'll draw a lucky winner a week from today.**

Let's see, what other fun things are happening? QuiltHome featured yours truly in this week's e-newsletter (there's even a fun little video they shot at Quilt Market!!!) and is currently running an AWESOME sale on all things Patty Young. They have GRAND BAZAAR fabric & ribbons in so go check them out!! The coupon code QHAPY25 is good for 25% off all my fabrics, ribbons, and patterns. The coupon expires on Monday, August 15, at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.

Also, The Creative Connection blog has a feature on me as well this week and we are giving away a 6-pattern bundle to a lucky winner for leaving a comment over there...

And last but not least, if you've visited our website this week, you've already noticed that we've been making lots of updates. There is way more to come so please keep checking... we have a new tab called KITS & SAMPLERS that will have fabric scrap bags and ribbon sampler boxes for those of you who just want a little taste test. Also, all of the new FALL 2011 patterns are up there but not available for purchase yet, as they are still at the printer. Watch for a full reveal next week!

So, I guess these are Exciting Thing #8, 9, 10 and 11! :)

2011-08-02T15:56:00.008-05:00

Exciting things!

There's so much going on right now at MODKID HQ that I can barely keep up. Let's see...

Exciting Thing #1:

We got new signage at the studio. It was such a thrilling experience to see it finally come to life like this. We got a big, big, BIG logo in the front window...

And a smaller door sign...

If you squint you can see Sydney supervising from the inside... heeheee!

It was a proud moment for all of us.

*************

Exciting Thing #2:

We are having a 2nd Open House and this time it includes a SAMPLE SALE!! We heard it repeatedly last time we opened our doors: are you selling any of your sewn samples? Last time we weren't prepared, but this time we are and boy, do we have some goodies for you! Lots and lots of finished product that we've accumulated over the years... girls clothing, pillows, women's garments, purses... something for everyone!

MODKID SAMPLE SALE
Friday, August 5 · 5:00pm - 8:00pm

MODKID HQ

109 W. Monroe St.

Bloomington, IL 61701

If you're in the area and plan to attend, please RSVP on our FaceBook event so we can plan for enough food and drinks for everyone. Yes, folks, we'll have snacks and libations!

Disclaimer: the above photos were taken a few weeks back and do not represent the exact selection of items available for sale.

*************

Exciting Thing #3

We randomly selected three winners from last week's blog contest. Each one of these lucky ladies will receive a ribbon sampler especially selected by us.

#79
Robin said...
My niece is an American Girl Doll fan so I think I'd like to make her a couple of those ADORABLE doll outfits. Thanks for the chance to win!

#1

Fiona said...

It all looks so beautiful! That wall colour is amazing and works really well with your new line.

#98
Marsi said...
Beautiful! I love making handbags and messenger bags for kids as gifts, so that fabric & ribbon would work perfect. Congratulations on your on going success.

CONGRATULATIONS, ladies!! Please email us at info@modkiboutique.com with your mailing info to claim your prize.

*************

Exciting Thing #4:

If you were not selected to win the ribbon samplers, don't get discouraged... there is another chance to win! I was featured on Where Women Create last Friday as part of my involvement in The Creative Connection Event and I am giving away a MODKID Sewing Pattern Bundle to one lucky reader. So, pop on over there and leave a comment for another chance at winning some MODKID goodies.

*************

Exciting Thing #5:

And speaking of The Creative Connection Event, we received yet another bundle of crafty goodness from another one of our dear sponsors. The wonderful folks at Prym-Dritz Consumer USA, just sent over a large box of sewing notions to give away at my classes. Check this out:

This is just the top layer of the large box! There are large snap-on grommets (the same ones we use in the Sun & Surf Tote), rotary cutters, rulers and self-healing mats galore!

I have so many donated items now that EVERY student will be able to walk away with a free goodie or two from our wonderful sponsors! YAY!

So, in case you missed it before click here to read more about the Sun & Surf Tote class and here for the French Window Pillow class. Register soon because these classes fill up fast and there's limited enrollment!

*************

Exciting Thing #6:

We're getting über organized. Just because the outside of our studio looks pretty and the design areas are fun and colorful, it doesn't mean that the warehouse can't be all of those too. Jon's been keeping himself super busy the past few weeks organizing our warehouse and I think he's done a fantastic job of it. He says it's not finished, but I think it looks blog-worthy so far, dontcha think?

Check out all those colorful, yummy ribbons sitting pretty on this shelf...

Lots and lots and lotsa boxed patterns on these shelves...

Assembled patterns ready to go out are right here, front and center...

So, that's it for our exciting things this week!

Exciting things coming up? A massive sewing pattern reveal next week. A new licensed product reveal either this week or next. And some awesome magazine features in August and September. Stay tuned!!!

xoxo,
patty

***Edited to add...***

Exciting Thing #7:
The amazing John Adams (a.k.a. Quilt Dad) informed me in the blog comments yesterday that I am also featured in Issue #6 of Fatquarterly!! WOOHOO! I read the article last night and it is fantastic... so much information there on sewing with knits and shirtings, plus everything you ever needed to know about Grand Bazaar fabric and ribbons (broken down per design!). There are also lots of other designer features and some fantastic quilt and pillow patterns included in this issue. It's well worth the money to subscribe... so go, get it NOW! :)

2011-07-25T16:20:00.007-05:00

Grand Bazaar is in da house!

Based on the amount of emails we've been receiving and posts like this one, I gather you all are itching to get sewing with Grand Bazaar, eh? Well, the great news is that your wait is over. News from the powers that be say that Grand Bazaar started to ship last week and continues on this week, so you should be seeing it pop up here & there any day now! WOOHOO!

We've been getting busy around the studio preparing for our next pattern release, which features Grand Bazaar heavily. Jon built me a nifty little photo studio at MODKID HQ... check it out:

Photo buffs out there: yes, I know the lights are not in the proper position. We are still working on getting everything situated right, but ain't it cool anyway?!

We have a 10' x 8' light wood floating floor that sits over the real wood floors for when I need to switch off the floor color. There's a seamless white backdrop hanging overhead for when I need a clean and modern look, but I don't know when I'll actually use it... I am absolutely madly in love with that marigold color on the walls! I take no credit for that since it was already painted that color when we moved in, but I am giddy with excitement over the gorgeousness of the photos with this sunny wall. Just look at these...

New Kyoko in Persian Wall and Spade.

New Julia in Playful Paisley and Sun Dot.

Dolls, dolls and more dolls...

Purses...

Everything looks good against that yellow wall. YIPPEE! And ooops.... I do believe I just gave you guys a little sneak peek of our Fall pattern release. But just wait... there's waaaay more where that came from! A full reveal is in the works (I just don't have it all photographed yet).

Soooo, to celebrate the arrival of my baby, Grand Bazaar, I will give away three ribbon samplers to three lucky readers. These ribbons coordinate perfectly with the fabrics and are so much fun to use!

Leave me a comment and tell me what you'll make with the fabric and the ribbons when you get them. I'll pick 3 winners for a ribbon sampler, like the ones shown below, a week from today. I love to hear from all you guys!!

Edited: if you're wondering where to get your Grand Bazaar mug like the one on the post I linked to above, just go to my Zazzle store. I have the whole collection here at the studio and can honestly say they are top notch quality! :)

Edited, again: uhmmm... please leave a way for us to contact you if you win! ;)

**THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED AND WINNERS ARE POSTED HERE.***

2011-07-11T20:50:00.004-05:00

The Creative Connection Event

Have you heard about this thing? It's three whole days of creative, crafty goodness, or as they say on their website: a national conference and market celebrating creative women and entrepreneurs. I couldn't attend last year because it happened around the same time as my first manuscript was due for my book and unfortunately I just couldn't tear myself away. However, I was tickled pink when co-founder, Jo Packham, asked if I wanted to teach at this year's event! Of course I said yes... and now I want to tell you all about it...

I'll be teaching two classes (click on the name to be taken directly to the class page):

Sun & Surf Tote
At the start of this class I will hand you a kit that contains everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING, you need to complete this awesome tote... from the fabric, to the interfacing to all the notions, including buttons, grommets and even the thread! You will even get the original pattern, so you can take it home and make it again and again. You will walk away with a finished tote, just like the one pictured below, that is perfect for a trip to the beach, swim lessons or a day at the park. Hmmm...maybe it can even become your carry-on luggage for your return trip!

French Window Pillow Cover
Just like with my other class, you will receive a signature MODKID bag containing everything you need to complete this adorable pillow cover, including all the fabrics, the printed tutorial, the binding, thread and even a cute MODKID woven tag! All fabrics are from my Sanctuary line for Michael Miller Fabrics.

Last week, all the materials started arriving from all the wonderful companies I'm working with. Check out this awesome stack of fabric bolts courtesy of Michael Miller Fabrics...

And how about these adorable decorative buttons from Dill Buttons of America , Inc. There are enough buttons here for everyone to have 1 and then some (whatever we don't use, I'll give away at the end of the class).

And last, but certainly not least, I received a box of goodies from my good friends at OLFA. There are circle cutters and rotary cutters galore. We'll get to play with these in class and at the end of the class, I'll draw names for a giveaway.

So, in case you missed it above click here to read more about the Sun & Surf Tote class and here for the French Window Pillow class. Register soon because these classes fill up fast and there's limited enrollment!

Oh, I will also be participating in a roundtable pitch slam session -- Pitch To Become A Designer for a Textile/Licensing Manufacturer. If you've ever wanted to become a licensed textile designer, here's your chance to pitch your collection to a group of experts! I will be sharing the roundtable with Heather Bailey and Suzy Ultman. After pitching their ideas, participants will be able to spend some time with artists that have been through the whole licensing process. The experts in this category are Kathy Miller and Lilla Rogers. Learn more about this Pitch Slam session here.

Hope to see you all there this September! Let me know if anyone has any questions. And if you're attending, let me know too... I'd love to get to know my students in advance!

xoxo

2011-06-20T11:29:00.003-05:00

Summertime

... and the living is easy.

You know you've been slacking on your social media when out of town relatives start asking what's going on because you haven't updated the blog in weeks! Ooops, sorry, everyone! But you know how it is... kids out of school, work, work and more work, then some fun stuff mixed in here and there.

This Summer we've decided not to enroll the girls in a Summer camp, so they've just been spending a lot of QT at MODKID HQ. It's not as bad as it sounds, though. Jon built them a little playroom in the back. It has books, a flat screen TV, a Wii game console with a ton of games and an art table. They go back & forth between reading, drawing and playing most of the day. Then at 3 p.m. every day (weather permitting) we go for a walk around the center square and visit all of our downtown neighbor stores. They've all gotten to know the girls quite well! ;) We usually end up coming back with some sort of trinket... or a smoothie!

Then every once in a while, we take little day trips here & there to break up the monotony...

On the work front, I do have some fun announcements coming up, but have just been waiting to tie some loose ends before I can reveal everything. So stay tuned, everyone! And have a fantastic Summer!!!

2011-06-02T11:13:00.006-05:00

First Fridays Event

One of the cool things about having a studio space in the Historic Downtown area is being constantly immersed in the culture and festivities surrounding us... stuff we normally miss out on because, well, we just don't get out much. Case in point, we had heard rumors of a First Fridays Event before but had never attended, even though it seemed like it was right up our alley... original art being displayed at various venues, free food and drinks from all the wonderful downtown eateries, music, charity auctions, etc. Well, we were just tickled pink when we got asked if we wanted to participate in this month's event, so we said YES! [insert squeals of delight mixed with frantic cleaning and decorating] We will be participating in the ART WALK portion of the event, which is a charity art auction to benefit the Mulberry School.

Now, the cool thing about this is that the First Fridays Event is happening in conjunction with something else called Tour De Metro, which also sounds super cool. Excerpt from the website: The Tour de Metro is a showcase of downtown living spaces. Ever walked in downtown and wondered what it’d be like to live in a loft? Maybe you’ve pondered what the view of the city would be like? Wonder and ponder no more! With a passport, you will be welcomed into six select downtown homes, as well as nourished by food from downtown restaurants.

So, the Tour De Metro costs $25 per person, but if you just want to come downtown for the First Fridays Event, it's absolutely FREE, and you'll still get wined and dined AND... get to see MODKID HQ all spruced up and maybe even walk away with some sewing patterns or ribbon samplers. YAY!

That's right... for tomorrow night's event we will open up a mini store in the MODKID lounge so you can browse & shop at your leisure while you check out the local art and sample some yummy food!

Here's a little preview of what you'll see...

I can't show you any more because I need to save the rest of the photos for an exciting surprise I can't reveal just yet (you know how it goes!). So, I guess if you want to see the rest, you'll just have to come on down and see with your own two eyes!

More info on the event:

FIRST FRIDAYS EVENT
Downtown Bloomington, IL
Friday, June 3rd, 2011
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. (Art Walk)
8:00 p.m. (Art Auction at the Coffee Hound)

Hope to see you there!!!

2011-05-27T17:21:00.005-05:00

SURTEX 2011
(or why I love my husband more than words can describe)

... because he flew the red eye from Salt Lake City to New York City, got off the plane and took a cab straight to the Javits Center where he proceeded to turn this...

... into this! All by himself! Yes.

Then he eventually checked into our hotel and rested until I arrived later that evening. After about 4 hours of sleep, we got up the next morning and headed back to the convention center to start Day 1 of 3 of the Surtex art licensing show. (Click on that link to read more about it if you're not sure what the show is). After having done Quilt Market booths for 3 years this was a bit of a culture shock for me, but all in all I think (hope) we nailed it.

Here are a few close up shots of our booth...

My Zazzle mugs....

My art portfolios (these took me days and days and days to make so I'm mighty proud of them).

A cool Kalencom bag we managed to grab a sample of right before the show. Jon actually walked through the streets of New York all by himself carrying this bag the night before the show! Yup. I love him.

And our sign (which I completely forgot to print before we left so I had to print it quickly at the business center).

Jon did manage to get this one picture of me in the booth...

And he captured this one of me and The Perfect Bookmark. LOL! Oh, and a better view of my Vogs.

I'm deep into Surtex follow-up as we speak so there's nothing yet to report. But rest assured that as soon as something super exciting happens, you'll be the first to know. :)

Have a great LONG weekend, everyone! xoxo

2011-05-23T14:13:00.006-05:00

Like a time lapse movie...

This past weekend I slept like 40 hours total. Seriously, I wanted so badly to hang out and catch up with friends and family but I just kept falling asleep every moment I could... on the couch, on the bed, I even fell asleep on the floor while the kids played video games and I clutched a big fluffy pillow. I guess I was overdue for some R&R since for the last month or so I've averaged like 3 hours a night (or less on some nights!)

When I replay the sequence of events that happened in the past 2 weeks, it sorta feels like one of those time-lapse movies. Ya know what mean?

• May 10th - Jon, Emalee and I drove to Chicago then flew to Salt Lake City
• May 11th - First day of Quilt Market set-up

• May 12th - More booth set up
• Schoolhouse -- I met up with The Dancing Kyokos

Well, they didn't really dance but they did look amazing in their own versions of the Kyoko Misses', didn't they?! From left to right, Julie Herman (Jaybird Quilts), Kristin Link (Sew Mama Sew), me, Melanie Thornton (Above All Fabrics), Traci Butler (Hip Fabrics), Kelsea (Stash Quilts) and Mary Abreu (InTown Quilters). Not pictured, Emalee Grambo. I am forever thankful to all you lovely ladies for making my Kyoko Fashion Show a reality! It was by far the funnest schoolhouse session I've ever had. :)

• Sample Spree (yes, we actually did it!) Ahh, there's Emalee in her Kyoko!

• May 13th -- Day 1 of Quilt Market

• I was interviewed by Daria Muirhead of Boutique Café

• Then by Heidi Porth of Quilt Home

• Then by Pat Sloan of American Patchwork & Quilting (yes, 3 interviews in the same day! I guess everyone got wind that I was leaving early...)

I was also surprised by Kathy Miller & team with a big box of cupcakes (not all for me) to celebrate my birthday and also Christine's (we both had our 40th in May!). YUM!

• That evening we had our Michael Miller Fabrics sales meeting in which I had to recreate my Schoolhouse talk but without the aid of my Dancing Kyokos so it wasn't nearly as fun. After dinner, Jon flew across the country to NY to set up our Surtex booth the next day.

• May 14th - half day of Quilt Market for me because I flew to NYC that afternoon to exhibit at the Surtex licensing show for the following 3 days.

• The SHY Girls (Sweet Hot Yams) and other sweet friends surprised me for my birthday and brought me a Mocha Coconut (they even had them make it the way I like it -- on ice, not blended) and a Birthday Pop. Love my girls!!

Like I said before, I flew to NYC that afternoon and the rest of the story I will save for another post, but for now I'll leave you with a few more pics of my booth at Quilt Market. This time we went simple with a single booth and no hard walls, but still saturated with color and pattern. :)

A million thanks to my lovely assistant, Emalee, who sewed about 95% of the items you see in my booth and also to my sweet mom and dear friend Valerie who made some awesome purses and accessories to add the finishing touch to our display!

2011-05-09T16:47:00.005-05:00

Andddd... we're off!

It's been an insane last few days to say the least. Jon threw me a surprise 40th b-day party on Saturday and I did not suspect at thing. Even the kids kept it well hidden... so much behind-the-scenes planning and scheming! I thought I was coming back to the office to work on my Surtex art boards but when I glanced in the windows there was like 30 or 40 people inside waving and smiling. WOW... it was so cool (and super sweet)! Jon took this pic of me as I drove up... my mouth agape as my friend, Nikki (the crazy camera strap girl) points and screams! haha

Of course, it put me way behind on work so I had to spend all of Mother's Day printing and assembling my boards. But that's OK, like I said last night on Twitter, I love my job and wouldn't trade this craziness for anything in the world.

Before I get too deep into my post I wanted to thank all of you who commented on our ribbon release (we are so excited about it!!) and announce the contest winners. The randomizer picked #7 and #109 out of 199 comments...

#7 Carolina said...
Beautiful! I'd love a camera strap (my poor camera is still "stock"), or some of those purdy ribbons! : ) 6:11 PM

#109 audreypawdrey said... Beautiful! I love these ribbons, and they will be perfect for embellishments! 8:22 AM

Congratulations to you both! Carolina won the My Funky Camera strap and AudreyPawdrey won the ribbon bundle. Ladies, please email me at info@modkidboutique at your earliest convenience with your mailing address. We'll get your prizes to you right after we return from Quilt Market.

And speaking of Quilt Market, here is some info for all of you who will be attending this week.

Patty Young Designs / MODKID LLC
Booth #429

Schoolhouse
Thursday, May 12th, 2:50 p.m. - 3:05 p.m. in Room 255 B

Sample Spree
Thursday, May 12th, 8:00 p.m.
Look for us!!! We'll be selling limited quantities of pattern bundles, ribbon sampler sets and {maybe, if they get here in time} a brand new exciting product!

We will also be attending SURTEX in NYC, May 15th - 17th (yes, I know, I've lost my mind!). So if you are attending that show, come see us in booth #469.

Here's our Surtex postcard:

It's gonna be a crazy week, but I wanted to leave you with some cute pics of Sydney and her BFF, Anna, playing in the little playroom Jon built for the kids at MODKID HQ. There's always time for fun! :)

Until next time...

2011-05-04T17:11:00.007-05:00

Introducing... Grand Bazaar RIBBON!

I promised another product reveal today and I was not about to disappoint! Three years ago I designed a collection of 16 jacquard ribbons for J. Caroline Creative using my Andalucia designs. They were so popular that I still get tons of inquiries for them today. So, we've decided to do another line of ribbons, except this time we produced them ourselves, bringing Caroline in as a consultant. :)

May I present to you, Grand Bazaar Jacquard Ribbons...

There are 16 designs total, 8 of them are 1.5" wide and the other 8 are 7/8" wide, 100% Polyester and absolutely gorgeous, if I shall say so myself.

They coordinate perfectly with my Grand Bazaar line of cotton textiles for Michael Miller Fabrics.

There are 6 tone-on-tone prints that are completely reversible and oh, so soft (I am especially excited about those!) so they can be used for things like headbands, hair bows, shoulder straps, or... wait for it... the ties on the Kyoko obi! :)

As you can tell, we've had a blast photographing these every which way possible. Then oooh-ing and ahhh-ing over the vibrant colors...

In case you need ideas on what to make with these luscious ribbons, here are some inspiration shots...

Emalee made these amazing pillows. Yes, folks, these pillows are made with ribbons ONLY... all sewn together in a row!

Here are a couple of close ups. I just adore these!!!

My amazing friend, Gaby, at My Funky Camera, made a bunch of camera straps for me and... she sent me some extras to give away! I'll give one of these straps to a lucky blog reader if you leave me a comment. The others are coming with me to Quilt Market so I can randomly give them away too. See... I told you she was amazing!!!

Here's my BFF Nikki (the crazy camera lady, haha) modeling a bunch of straps! She got to keep one too for her awesome modeling job.

Then, my other awesome friend, Valerie at Sew Much More, made this super cool Sun & Surf Tote using the Persian Skies colorway of Grand Bazaar with some coordinating ribbon.

Isn't it awesome to have friends like these?!? I'm so lucky!!! :)

If you're coming to Quilt Market next week don't forget to stop by our table at Sample Spree. We have prepared some sampler sets of this ribbon so you can take it home and preview it (or touch it, smell it, roll around in it, whatever floats your boat!) Here's a sneak of what's coming with us to Salt Lake City...

Only limited quantities of these kits available and we're not making anymore, so get 'em while they're hot!

***RETAILERS: The ribbon won't be up for purchase until after we return from Quilt Market (end of May), but if you'd like to receive a wholesale price sheet via email, let Jon know at jjyoung@modkidboutique.com and he'll send it to you right away!***

Don't forget to leave a comment to be entered to win a gorgeous camera strap from My Funky Camera! And just because I'm feeling happy and generous... a second winner will receive a sampler package of ribbon!! I'll choose the winners next Monday. Go, go, go!!

2011-05-02T12:13:00.003-05:00

Introducing... Grand Bazaar

My newest textile collection is inspired by the colors, textures and aromas in Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar, one of the world’s largest and oldest covered markets. You can almost smell the exotic spices, feel the silkiness of the Persian rugs and take in the bright colored lamps and pottery. The 26 prints in Grand Bazaar are divided into 3 color palettes infused with the depth, intensity and richness reminiscent of this ancient culture. Enjoy!

How 'bout some inspiration images? We made lots of pillows, of course!

Emalee made this awesome quilt top (which I love!) and we'll have a free pattern of it available at Quilt Market. If you're not attending the show, don't fret, I'll upload a PDF of it here when we return.

Here's a little sneak peek of the finished product. Come see it (and Emalee) at our booth!

We also made a Naomi dress for Sydney to model on our Spring 2011 catalog. The photoshoot was a ton of fun and we had a hard time deciding on the best photo to use.

In the end we decided on this one. :) The Spring catalogs will be available at our booth (#429).

The collection is printed on 100% cotton shirting, just like Sanctuary, which makes it so soft and drapy... perfect for apparel and quilts but also suitable for pillows, purses, drapes... you name it!

Hope you love it as much as we do. Let me know what you think! We have a couple more reveals coming this week but I need to space them out a bit so please check back on Wednesday and Friday for more fun MODKID stuff. :)

xoxo

2011-04-15T11:03:00.003-05:00

Introducing... Penelope Plus!

Thank you all for the super positive reception of Naomi and the new Kyoko Tweens' and Misses' patterns. I am giddy with excitement about this new line-up! Last pattern reveal, but certainly not least, is Penelope Plus. We get A TON of requests for Women's Plus-Size patterns and when Kathy Miller did a quilt shop tour back in the Summer, she found out that this was the most requested pattern, so I knew it was a must!

Penelope Plus comes in sizes 1X (16-18), 2X (20-22) and 3X (24-26) and 6 different versions so you can have a different look for each day of the week. :) See more detailed sizing info and fabric requirements on the site.

Here are a couple of my favorite photos from the cover shoot with my beautiful model, Felicia. She is wearing View C in Aromatherapy Berry with Zen Garden Ocean for the neck band and ruffle.

A million thanks to my pattern testers, Carrie Siegel and Jenni Alexander for the wonderful feedback!

For that perfect “Just Like Me” look, check out our girl’s Penny pattern (sizes 2T - 10 girls) and our Misses’ Penelope pattern (sizes XS - XL), sold separately.

Again, these are just sneak peeks. The patterns will be in stock at the beginning of May. Retailers, you can pre-order all new patterns NOW on our website. Log-in with your user name & password and happy shopping! :)

2011-04-14T11:05:00.004-05:00

Introducing... Kyoko Tweens' and Kyoko Misses'

This is the moment you've all been waiting for! Seriously, if I had a dollar for every email, tweet, FaceBook comment and random request I get for offering Kyoko in larger sizes... well, I could finally pay for someone to come over and tackle the huge piles of laundry that are slowly taking over my house and planning a coup... but I digress. Kyoko has always been our best selling sewing pattern and by far our most requested one to be offered in tweens, teens and women's sizes. So here ya go... your wish is my command!

First off, Kyoko Tweens'... it comes in sizes 8 - 14 and can be sewn with woven or knit fabrics! A million thanks to my cover models, Karli (age 12) and Sophie (age 9) for the beautiful photo.

And a million thanks to my pattern testers, Marie Villa and Gabriela Marrosu for all your helpful feedback and wonderful photos.

The woven version looks just like our original Kyoko, with the stripwork skirt and bias trim, but has added elastic around the empire waist to cinch it in when it's not worn with the Obi.

The knit version has a solid skirt panel, instead of a stripwork skirt, to minimize the thickness of the seams, and uses stretch neck and sleeve bands instead of bias tape.

Our women's version, Kyoko Misses', comes in a super wide range of sizes... XS to XXL!

And just like the Tweens' version of this pattern, it can be made with woven or knits, as you prefer. The shirt version looks so cute and comfy with a pair of jeans... doesn't it?

I had a TON of testers for this pattern because I wanted it to be perfect and believe me... they gave me a run for my money! haha I so appreciate all their input, photos and hard work to get this pattern sized and working perfectly! So, a million thanks, with hugs & kisses thrown in, to Marie Villa, Kristen McVane, Melanie O'Brien, Laura Westwood and Mary Abreu. I seriously couldn't have done this without all of you!!

Read Melanie's review of the pattern here.

How 'bout some tester photos?!

And I totally *heart* this one showing the Misses' and Tweens' version together! Thanks, Marie! You rock!!

So, there ya have it! Let me know what you think. Sizing charts and fabric requirements are on the site and everything is broken down by components as you've all requested.

PHEW! Can I sleep now? Ohhh, nope, I still have 1 more pattern reveal (coming tomorrow) plus new fabric reveal next week and some new products to share! Stay tuned...

Retailers: you can pre-order the new patterns on our website now.

2011-04-13T11:18:00.006-05:00

Let the Sneak Peeks begin!
Introducing.... NAOMI!

Naomi is the quintessential “beach dress”... casual, lightweight, comfortable and oh, so adorable! It features “shabby chic” raw-edge braided straps, a sweet ruffled hem, a cute little patch pocket with ruffled edges and a soft and comfy shirred back. Perfect for a seaside wedding, a family picnic or a casual trip to the farmer’s market, Naomi can be made in dress length or shirt length to suit your child’s needs. Mix and match your favorite fabric prints for a whimsical look.

Naomi comes in sizes 2T - 10 (girls) and is designed to be sewn with woven fabrics 44"/45" wide, like quilting weight cottons, shirtings, voiles, gauzes, lawns, linens and muslins.

You may remember my Hilton Head photos from a couple weeks back... the girls had such a fun time playing at the beach!

Sydney sported the dress version in size 6...

And Sophie wore the shirt version of NAOMI in size 10.

The raw-edge braided straps give this dress that sweet "shabby chic" look. Before we had a name for it, we all called it the "Sun Goddess" dress! haha

Now, how about some gorgeous inspiration images courtesy of my amazing pattern testers, Melissa Baker and Gina Neitzel?

Aren't they adorable?!? I know I always go overboard with pictures here but you guys don't mind, do you?

*** NOTE: This is just a sneak-peek! Naomi (and all the other Spring 2011 sewing patterns) will be available for purchase at the beginning of May. Retailers, you should have already received a pre-order e-newsletter this morning, but if you are not on our mailing list, please email jjyoung@modkidboutique.com to be added right away. ***

Stay tuned as many, many more reveals are on their way!!

2011-04-10T16:05:00.005-05:00

Vintage Findings for MODKID HQ

First of all, I have a couple copies of Quilter's Home magazine going out to these two randomly selected winners:

#10 - Erin Stewart Hill said... I can't wait for the book to be out. Congratulations! And, thanks for the giveaway!

and
#26 - Kymmie said... CAN'T WAIT to read!!! Am very excited for you!

CONGRATS, ladies!! Please email your mailing addresses to info@modkidboutique.com and we'll get these mags in the mail to you right away. And thank you to all who entered and commented.

We've been working day & night trying to get MODKID HQ all set up, but of course, work keeps getting in the way (not complaining here!). The other day as I was walking around downtown I came across Neighborhood Thrift unloading a truck full of Mid-Century Modern furniture they had acquired that day from an estate sale. I could've fully furnished MODKID HQ (and my home) in these things since I love, love, love Mid-Century style, but I had to be selective. Here are a few things I picked up...

This awesome chair and matching ottoman!!! Oh, I love it so much!

Here's a view from the other side. We also bought that super Mod side table cause it seemed like they all wanted to play together so well. ;)

I picked up this 1950's solid wood frame full-length mirror to use in one of my dressing rooms. Love the simplicity of the frame.

And, yes, this vintage Singer is definitely NOT Mid-Century (more like turn of the century!) but I had to get it because it was $5.00 (yes, FIVE DOLLARS!) I about passed out when I saw the price tag. Anyone know how to find out the year on these things? I've looked everywhere on it. By the way, you will see this beauty pop up in lots of new catalog photography (and in the book!) It makes such an awesome photo prop. :)

The last couple of weeks at MODKID HQ have looked a little like this...

And this...

And this...

Yes, folks, those are all pattern boxes!

We definitely have our work cut out for us. But, it's oh, so much fun!!!

Stay tuned in the next few days as the BIG REVEALS start to pop up here on the blog. We have 4 new Spring 2011 sewing patterns to reveal, as well as the new Spring fabric collection and some exciting new products that I promise will not disappoint!!! I know, I know... patience, my dear! I'm workin' on it...

xoxo

2011-04-01T19:41:00.006-05:00

Maggots, giant roaches and eggplant
***UPDATE: My comp copies are here! I'll give 2 copies away... leave a comment to be entered!***

When I started seeing these topics being discussed in my twitter feed I knew there could only be one reason... the April-May 2011 issue of Quilter's Home magazine -- featuring a very candid interview with yours truly -- is finally out in news stands!

I won't spoil the surprise, you're just gonna have to go out and get one. My comp copies haven't come in yet, so I ran out to my local B&N and found it. Since I didn't have anyone with me, I had to brag to the guy at the check out counter... haha... he was just a little confused to say the least.

Here's a sneak peek. I'm on page 80.

And since I'm in a great mood (despite my recent phone troubles) I'll share my other good news: I finished my book! WAHOO!!! It's on the way to the publisher as I write this!!! I've already seen a fabulous preliminary design pass and let me just tell you, those creative folks at Wiley Publishing ROCK! Now it goes into editing and testing, then printing, so we should be seeing it in news stands within 10 - 12 months. Then I'll really have something to brag about with the check out guy at B&N. ;)

***UPDATE: My comp copies are here! I'll give 2 copies away... leave a comment to be entered!***

2011-03-28T08:41:00.005-05:00

Spring Break 2011
... and the WORST trip to IKEA EVER!!! :(

First of all, I want to thank all of you for the most wonderful comments and warm wishes regarding our MODKID HQ. We are thrilled about this new adventure and are working tirelessly to make it all come together. Of course, since not everything always works out how you'd expect it to, we signed the papers just days before we were supposed to leave for our Spring Break trip.... something we had planned a long time ago. We couldn't cancel it because reservations were made and other family members were meeting us there too, so that would've been just plain rude. Plus, the kids deserved a fun trip (Jon and I did too, but in all honesty, we just wanted to move into the office right away).

So, we packed our bags and headed to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where it was all about fun in the sun — a far cry from the 30 degree weather we left behind...

On one particular day, the sun was out and the skies were clear but it was just a tad too cool to go in the water, so we took a nice walk on the beach and I took the opportunity to shoot some photos for a new pattern coming out in April (yes, folks... it's SNEAK PEEK TIME!) :)

Another day, we found out that Savannah, GA was just a short 35 minute drive from our resort so we decided to make a day of it. Jon and I had visited before on our 5th wedding anniversary, but we really wanted to go again with the kids and my parents.

A rare shot with me in it...

I just adore the architecture in Savannah. All that exposed brick and stone make my heart sing. The history and culture is palpable in every nook and cranny of this place.

Loved this dragon lamp post!

The kids loved it too... thank goodness!

Then, as I tweeted our location, a sweet tweep told me to check out Savannah Bee Company and boy, am I so glad she did! This place was AH-MAZING! Honey tasting, bath soaps and other products made with wax, a place for the kids to play and watch movies...it was just so cool!

And of course... bee and honeycomb imagery EVERYWHERE (you know I felt right at home!)

On our way back home we spent the night in Asheville, North Carolina, a town that Jon and I have been wanting to visit for quite some time now. It was everything we expected and more!

The night we arrived, we had dinner at a wonderful Thai restaurant with a relative I had never met before! This is Josephine, a cousin of mine from my paternal grandfather's side of the family.

The next morning as we drove through the picturesque Historic Biltmore Village in search for a place to eat, we accidentally ran into Waechter's Fine Fabrics. I immediately recognized the name because they appeared in an episode of "On the Road with Austin and Santino" in which I had spotted several of my MODKID patterns made up into store samples. What a treat!

Sydney looked out our car window and shouted... it's mama's fabric on the window! They had a wonderful display of knits right on the front window!

Inside, the place was a sewist's paradise!

We even got our picture taken with the owner, Joyce Yarling, holding one of their fine creations... a Sydney Hooded Dress made with dupioni silks, created for the Holiday issue of SEW WOW magazine (pages 109-110)

The nice ladies at Waechter's told us to eat at Books and Breadboard. What a lovely cafe! Wonderful service, food and presentation. (You know I'm a sucker for nice packaging!)

The rest of our day was spent galavanting through Asheville. We drove by the Biltmore Estates, visited the Grove Arcade and spent some quality time at a park across form the Courthouse.

Photo opps galore!

It was the perfect trip!

So here's the part where you feel sorry for me:

When we got back home, Jon and I headed to IKEA so we could get some things for the office. I had a specific list (on my iPhone notes app) and a budget in mind. We were so proud of ourselves for keeping to the budget while still staying true to our aesthetic. When, BAM! My iPhone4 gets stolen practically in front of our eyes! :( I say "practically" because I did walk away from it momentarily while I looked at a piece of furniture, but it was gone in a flash! As soon as I turned around and saw it was gone, I yelled over to Jon to call my phone. He did and the jerk actually answered it! Jon heard some muffled voices for a few seconds (like they had their hand covering the speaker and were trying to decide what to do) then they hung up. We called it like a thousand more times and never heard a response so they must've turned it off immediately. JERKS! I spent some quality time with IKEA security and visited the Lost & Found and few times, exchanging numbers just in case, but nothing.

And before you all start telling me about Find My iPhone and Mobile Me or any other tracking device, let me just say that I was stupid enough not to turn on the Find my iPhone setting on my lost phone so there's no way to track it. I also did not have it passcoded (yes, stupid, I know!) We have tried everything under the sun to find it, believe me! Of course, after we figured out it was a lost cause, we deactivated the service and changed all my passwords, etc. so at least the jerk can't get into my accounts or use the phone. They can still sell it in the Black Market but oh, well, what can I do? In the meantime, I'll be using this lovely replacement because I'll be damned if I'm gonna spend another $700 on a new iPhone just 2 months before the iPhone5 is released!

In case you're wondering, that ^^^ is my old iPhone 3GS that broke right before Spring Quilt Market, last year. And the year before that I had a broken booth. Hmmm... hope there's no correlation! I can make & receive calls with it but the screen is way too damaged to type on it so I can't email, tweet or text. :(

Anyway... that was my sob story! Now, make me feel better by voting for Flora & Fauna at the Modern Madness game over on FatQuarterly. I am so proud of my girl, F&F, for making it into the Sweet 16!!! :)

xoxo

2011-03-13T23:40:00.007-05:00

Introducing... MODKID HQ!

If you follow me on Twitter then you already know that about 4 or so months ago we made the decision to no longer move to Florida but stay and grow our business here in the Midwest. You probably also know that for weeks now we've been looking for a commercial space that MODKID could call home but nothing was quite right. Too big, too small, too expensive, needs too much work, etc. etc. etc.

Well, about a week ago Jon and I were driving through our downtown district, daydreaming about how awesome it would be if we could find a cool, lofty office space among the trendy cafés, funky boutiques and eclectic eateries. "Drive down that road again!" I would say as he quietly obliged. "Have we gone this way yet?", "How about over there?" All of a sudden, out of the corner of my eye I spotted a sign on a window. I quickly jotted down the number on my iPhone notes app and urged Jon to stop the car for a quick peek. It was freezing outside, so my sweet hubby told me to stay in the car while he checked it out. He peeks in the windows for what seemed like an eternity then runs back with a curious smirk on his face. "Patty, you have to come see this! I think we found it." Totally annoyed, because surely he must be pulling my leg, I shake my head and roll my eyes. He walks off and beckons me with a smile. I think, "Oh, what the heck" and tighten up my scarf.

This is what I saw when I looked in the windows.

If I had designed a space from scratch... well, let's just say that I felt violated! Like someone had stepped into my brain, snapped a photo of my dream space and created it for themselves without even asking for permission. The nerve!

The days that followed were utter torture. Again, if you follow me on twitter, you know. Waiting, talking, negotiating, waiting some more, making myself seriously ill over the thought of losing it. Yes, that's what it was like. Saturday night we found ourselves sipping hot tea with the owner of the building at the Chinese restaurant next door. We brought our top negotiator (Sydney)... because, who could say no to that face? We would've brought two negotiators, but Sophie was away at a sleepover.

Well, I won't drag this out any longer... ladies & gents, meet... MODKID HQ!

This is the view of the right wall looking from the front of the building. Original hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, 18' tin ceilings, lots of windows...

A little bit further down the wall... there's even a clothing rack for all of my trunk show samples! This place used to be home to a posh bridal shop.

Further down the wall we see the first of two bay doors... perfect for bringing in large shipments (probably fabric in this door, since we'll use the one in the back for bringing in pallets of patterns)

The rear portion of the building will be Jon's area, which will eventually house his desk, racks of patterns and a fulfillment area.

Here's the 2nd bay door and a cool glass block window that lets in tons of light in this back room.

Now, we've turned back around and are looking towards the front of the building. The door on the left there is for the unisex bathroom.

There are two dressing rooms on the left side, which is perfect for days like today when I have a handful of beautiful models shooting pattern covers. And yes, first order of business: switching out those ugly black curtains with some pretty Patty Young fabric!

You may have spotted these already, but I wanted to give you a closer look at the tin ceiling and the gorgeous brushed nickel chandeliers. There are 12 of these beauties! TWELVE! I die!

To give you an idea of how much character this place has, every now & then you see these...

I thought they were stickers at first, but noooo... they are tin (or some sort of metal) and are bolted right to the wood. I assume they are covering something, but I don't want to find out. They are staying put. Here's another one... cool, eh?

For those history buffs out there, Jon's been doing a little research on the building and he just found out tonight that this used to be the headquarters of State Farm Insurance from 1922 to 1924. WOW! Read more here. There's an old picture of our building from the 20's in the third section down.

Anyway, I think it's safe to say that we are overjoyed with our new venture and are already feeling right at home...

I hope you guys don't mind that I'm gonna be documenting the whole office decor process here on ye olde blog. Thanks for coming along for the ride! :)

2011-03-12T11:00:00.003-06:00

Jumping on the bandwagon...

Our littlest princess, Sydney, usually wavers between wanting to do everything big sister does and marching to the beat of her own drum. For weeks now, she's declared that she would never cut her hair but alas Thursday night we found ourselves making yet another donation to the wonderful folks at Locks of Love.

I came prepared with my entire camera equipment, including my brand spanking new, totally awesome lens. Of course, as luck would have it, I had forgotten to charge my battery pack after my last big shoot and it was completely drained. :( So... iPhone comes to the rescue again.

One last look at her long locks...

Too late now...

Finishing touches...

VOILA!!!

We're so proud of our little princess! Way to go, Sydney!!!

If you're still reading, I wanted to thank all of you who voted for Flora & Fauna in FatQuarterly's Modern Madness game. We won! WOOOHOOO! And now SANCTUARY is up and I really need your votes because it's getting tough in there. Go here to vote!

2011-03-03T13:50:00.004-06:00

Bags, totes and purses... oh my!

I love purses so much I could easily be nicknamed The Bag Lady. But I'm sure I'm not alone so I wanted to pop in here today and share a few fun finds of cool bags made with my Sanctuary line.

First off, check out this great big tote made by my friend, Dana Rainwater at Bug A Boo Baby. I have known Dana for nearly two decades (oh my, how time flies!) and she never ceases to amaze me with her creativity. Dana currently owns her own business here in Bloomington, IL designing custom bags like this one and baby items galore!

Dana also designs these super stylish clutches...

Speaking of clutches, I ran across these photos in my Sanctuary Flickr group and couldn't help but share. I had to do a little digging but I finally found the Etsy store where Tickled Paisley sells these.

I also love this other find from my Flickr group, a gorgeous Dahlia Lama purse from Mama Roux.

Have you guys seen this Sanctuary version of our popular Stella purse pattern that my mom has for sale in her Etsy store? This is a one-of-a-kind creation, so if you don't grab it now, it'll be gone for sure! :)

My mom designed this pattern for me last year, based on a simple sketch I emailed her. How cool is that? She got it spot on! :)

If you're wondering what's kept me so quiet and distant for the past few days, well let's see if I can sum it up. I've been...

Reviewing strike offs for my next fabric collection. I am so in love with this one! (and yes, I know I always say that but that's how it goes!) Rich, exotic, happy colors. So different and yet, so me. Can't wait to show you.
Sending out tester packages for the next round of MODKID patterns... Girls, Tweens, Misses and Women's Plus. It's all there! No, no boy stuff yet, but I promise I will tackle that in a future release. I need more time.
Finishing up the final chapters of my book for Wiley. Yes, I can't believe I said FINAL. I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel... it's getting brighter and brighter (hope that doesn't mean I'm dying!)
Preparing and finalizing artwork for 3 new licensed products that I am over the moon excited about. I can't spill the beans till it's all a done deal (I know! That kills me more than you know!) but all I can say is that my mom will LOVE the first two but my dad will SQUEAL when he sees the third! (well, that is, if my dad's way of showing excitement was by squealing. In reality he will probably just smile and say "WOW! That's great. Can I have one?"
Working on a FREE tutorial for this quilt. Yes, I know I promised that tute like 5 months ago. I usually don't stall like that (well, you know) but as you see, I've been a little busy. I hope you guys still want it...

Now it's back to work for me. But, while I'm here (since I don't know when I'll get the chance to pop back in) I wanted to tell you guys about a fun game going on over at FatQuarterly. It's the fabric aficionados version of March Madness... called Modern Madness. I had to have Jon explain the whole brackets and predictions thing to me, haha. Instead of basketball teams, they have the top 64 fabric lines on a board (or do they call those brackets? I dunno!) All I know is that I am thrilled and honored to be included twice: Flora & Fauna and Sanctuary made the cut. WOOHOO!

Round 1 Region 1 is on right now, with Flora & Fauna in the running! So fans, please pop on over and vote for your adorable hummingbirds, bees and moths... oh and don't forget those sweet daisies, blossoms and dandelions. heeheee If you need a refresher, click.

2011-02-26T02:56:00.004-06:00

11 years ago today...

I married my best friend.

Thanks for taking me along on this crazy cool ride!!!

Paris, France 1998

Trafalgar Square, London, England, 1998

Our Wedding Day (the happiest day of my life!), Florida, 2000

Madrid, Spain, 2000

Cordoba, Spain, 2000

Seville, Spain, 2000

Tangier, Morocco, 2000

Montreal, Canada, 2002

South Beach, Miami, FL, 2006

Coco Cay, Bahamas, 2007

Yes, that's us!!!

Illinois, 2009

Here's to a lifetime of wedded bliss! Let the good times roll!

Will you still need me,
will you still feed me,
When I'm sixty-four?

2011-02-16T21:36:00.003-06:00

Show me your Sanctuary

Now that my 5th fabric collection (wow, I actually had to turn around and count them!) for Michael Miller Fabrics, titled Sanctuary, is in stores worldwide, I am starting to see projects popping up left and right in my Flickr pool. If I haven't told you before, the most rewarding part of being a fabric designer is seeing what all you creative minds out there do with my fabric. I could sit at the computer all day and browse through your photos but then I wouldn't get any more fabric designed and that would defeat the purpose. ;)

But anyhow, I wanted to invite all you out there to post your photos in my Sanctuary Flickr Group. From time to time, I pick a few of my favorites and post them here on the blog. Here are my current favorites:

This breathtaking Frida dress by Bailey Girls:

This adorable top by Melanie at Above All Fabric:

This amazing quilt by Red Pepper Quilts:

Here's a full view (love the symmetry!)

This super cool and funky pillow by imalisawork. I just adore the fussy-cutting on this!

This super cute bag by Valerie at Sew Much More:

And let's not forget the KNITS!

Check out this knit version of Kyoko made by the über-talented Jenny at Sew Pretty Dresses:

So let's see those beauties! If you have a project that you've recently completed using my Sanctuary wovens or knits, I invite you to share them with us in my Sanctuary Flickr Pool!

2011-02-09T14:47:00.004-06:00

Favor Box Redux for the Season

A couple of years ago I designed some cute favor boxes for my sister's bridal shower, which I shared a tutorial for here on the blog. I thought it would be neat to do these in pink for Valentine's Day favors. I made a couple of prototypes and the girls went batty for them so I thought I'd share these with you guys since they're so easy to make.

I have a couple of templates you can use for this. Click HERE FOR THE PDF or HERE FOR THE JPG of the favor box. Both templates are the same, just different formats. Print them out at 100% on a letter-size sheet. Use card stock or other thick paper.

Now... as you can see, the templates come without personalization (no names -- unless your kids have the same names as mine, in which case email me and I can send you mine!) You can either have you child sign their name on the flat sheets with a permanent marker or if you're feeling extra crafty, open up the JPG in your preferred image editing software and type in your child's name. I used the font Century Gothic in white with a soft drop shadow, but any sans-serif font will do.

Assembly is easy as pie:

Cut them out on the solid line.
Fold them on the dashed lines.
Glue them where it says to.
Punch holes on the circles at the top and thread some pretty ribbon through.

If you are the visual type, click here for a step-by-step photo guide of the ones I made for the bridal shower.

There were only a few of things I did differently:

I used a hot glue gun to glue the flaps, but if you are having your children help you with assembly, I strongly suggest using my original idea of double-stick tape or a glue stick.
I cut my ribbons at 12" long and omitted the beads.
I filled my favor boxes with shredded papers and a small assortment V-Day chocolates, which already come in pretty colors & shapes, instead of my custom candy wraps.

Finally, if you look over there >>> on my sidebar, I have a BLANK template, in case you want to use some sort of patterned paper or create your own design for the inside of the box. How fun would it be to print blank ones and have the kids decorate them?! :) There is also a teal-colored version on the side bar (the original one I used for the bridal shower) in case pink's not your favorite. ;)

Happy V-Day, all! :)

2011-02-06T16:35:00.003-06:00

Another hairy situation

A couple of years ago, our sweet Sophie donated more than half of her beautiful red hair to Locks of Love, a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss. Well, this weekend she decided to do it again and we couldn't be any more proud of her! Here's a little step-by-step documentation of the process.

One last look at her long locks...

Sophie's hairdresser, Brooke, had to divide her hair into two pigtails because it was too thick to cut through one...

And so it begins...

Chop, chop, chop one side...

Chop, chop, chop the other side...

DONE!

Now, getting ready for a sweet, new, more "grown-up" do...

Mission accomplished!

Thanks, Brooke, you did a fantastic job and Sophie is so, so happy with her new hair! :)

Sophie's locks of love are currently in a zip lock bag and ready to go out to a new recipient tomorrow. :) Happy Sunday, all!

2011-02-03T20:53:00.005-06:00

Blizzard 2011

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who voted in last week's poll. Your feedback is very much appreciated and I simply cannot wait to put all these findings to work. Our next pattern release is already well under way and I'm happy to report that a lot of your requests are already being addressed, but in the following one we hope to get to the rest of the requests. This is all so fun! (a lot of work, but tons of fun!)

Well, I don't know about you, but Jon and I have been spending A LOT of quality time with our kids this week. Unless you've been living under a rock (and believe me, sometimes I feel that way) you most likely have heard all about the BLIZZARD OF THE CENTURY! We totally predicted it was going to disappoint, but believe you me, it lived up to all that hype. We picked up the kids from school Monday afternoon and already the snow was coming down by the bucketfuls and the wind gusts were out of this world. All I can say is that I was extremely thankful for our brand new tires and for a hubby that can take command of the road like nobody's business (this tropical girl would've crashed into someone in no time!)

This was the view from the passenger seat on the way to school that Monday afternoon...

The next 3 days were spent here at home doing some mega cooking, mega baking, mega dancing, mega Wii playing and lots of mega sleeping. Oh and crossing our fingers that the power would stay on so we could do all of the above, well, except the mega sleeping.

After a major case of cabin fever I insisted we go outside and brave the circumstances today but I was pleasantly surprised when we saw clear skies and the sun shining brightly through the snow covered branches... it was the calm after the storm.

The girls immediately wanted to climb this mega snowdrift in front of our house. This thing is taller than me!! (yes, I know, bring on the short jokes.)

Queens of the mountain!

Don't let these smiling faces and the sun rays fool ya... the temps were still in single digits! I only stayed out long enough to snap these few shots then my little (ehem!) Costa Rican butt ran back inside as fast as it could...

This was the view out our back door. Yes, the snow is almost up to the top of that table and our grill -- the same one that was ice skating all by itself on the porch at the beginning of the storm -- is now buried somewhere under all that! I guess we won't be grilling for a while...

I know this storm affected lots of you out there, so I am sending big hugs and warm wishes across all of the Midwest and Northeast regions!!! Tomorrow, it's back to school for the kids and back to work for us!! Can't wait!

2011-01-21T15:04:00.003-06:00

Tell us!!

We are deep into MODKID 2011 production planning and we'd love to hear from you! Please tell us what types of sewing patterns you want to see from us in the coming months. We get requests via email all the time, but we thought this would be a more effective way to get all requests in one place. If your wish is not shown in these options, feel free to leave us a comment. Also, if you have any specific requests, like a certain kid pattern that you'd like to see made for you, by all means tell us in the comments too!

Online Surveys & Market Research

2011-01-12T16:30:00.005-06:00

I'm still here!
and I come bearing gifts....

Nope, I didn't fall off the face of the Earth. I've just been totally buried in work, which is a lot better than being totally buried in snow! I was just telling my friend this morning that during the Winter months I basically become a hermit. I hate to drive in the snow and I hate what the frigid temps do to my skin and my mood, so I opt to stay in the warmth and safety of my home... for months! Cabin fever? Sure. Winter blues? Of course! But the upside is that I GET TONS OF WORK DONE! :)

Case in point, in the past few weeks, I've:

Turned in a new fabric collection to Michael Miller that I am completely, totally in love with and am counting the days (or months) till I can share with you all!
Completed about 75% of the book and can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel! It's dim but I can see it!
Conducted a phone interview for a national publication... more details to come!
Accepted and designed a cool project for another national publication... (you guessed it) details to come!
Turned in my paperwork for Spring International Quilt Market and Schoolhouse
Turned in my paperwork (and payment *gulp!*) for the SURTEX licensing show in New York. Big Apple... here I come!!!
Planned out MODKID 2011 sewing pattern production.
Got very little sleep due to all of the above.

Oh, and since I didn't think my plate was full enough, I prepared a sweet tutorial for this easy patchwork pillow that I call French Window (although Jon thought it looked more like Tic Tac Toe... to each his own!)

It uses my newest fabric collection, Sanctuary, now in stores worldwide, and like I stated above, it goes together like a breeze. Not to mention that it's fun to look at during those dreary, cold Winter months... a nice little reminder of warmer, more colorful days to come! :)

Here's what you'll need:

(1) One 24" pillowform. We used one the nice folks from Fairfield sent over to the studio.
(9) Nine 6 1/2" x 6 1/2" squares of assorted Sanctuary fabrics. We used: Building Blocks in Seafoam and Sherbert, Orchid Feng Shui in Ocean and Berry, Dahlia Lama in Seafoam and Espresso, Zen Garden in Pear and Sherbert and Glass Tiles in Aqua.
(6) Six 1 1/4" wide x 6 1/2" high strips of solid white fabric
(2) Two 20" wide x 1 1/4" high strips of solid white fabric
(2) Two 20" high x 2 1/2" wide strips of solid white fabric
(2) Two 24" wide x 2 1/2" high strips of solid white fabric
For the pillow backing: (2) two 15" wide x 24" high pieces of fabric. We used Aromatherapy Sherbert.

Here's how you put the patchwork-y front together:
NOTE: ALL SEAM ALLOWANCES ARE 1/4"

And voila! You have a beautiful patchwork pillow front that looks like a french window (or a tic tac toe board!).

We did the back of the pillow envelope style, which is so easy and fun because you don't have to install any zippers or buttons and you don't have to hand stitch anything shut. The pillow just slips in and out of the envelope back for easy washing. LOVE IT!

Here's how we make our envelope backs:

On our sample pillow we sandwiched some lovely espresso brown piping in between the front and back of the pillow before sewing it together. It gives it a very professional finish, I think.

And that's it!

FINAL NOTE: I make all my pillow covers so the finished size is slightly smaller than the size of the pillow insert. I think it makes for a nicer fit, not too loose or saggy. ;)

Hope you enjoyed this little tute. Feel free to share it with your friends! And... stay warm out there!!

{the view outside my window}

2011-01-01T13:44:00.004-06:00

Happy New Year!

I would like to wish a happy, healthy and prosperous 2011 to everyone out there and a special congratulations to Kimberly of The SEWphisticated Mama, whose comment #90 was randomly chosen as the winner of the QUILT Magazine contest! CONGRATS, Kimberly! Please contact me at your earliest convenience with your mailing address and I'll send a little care package your way.

Thank you all for the well wishes this past week! Just like everything else, the flu came & went and now we are sitting here enjoying the last few days of Winter vacation. I hope you all had a great New Year's Eve celebration. I was lucky enough to be able to spend it with my 3 most favorite people in the whole wide world, and here are a few shots from our evening...

I had such a fun time last night with these three goofballs that I decided that my New Year's resolution is to spend more quality time with the ones I love. I do love my work and would never feel like myself without it... and let's face it: it pays the bills, so in a round-about way, I am showing my love for my family by working my butt off. But sometimes I get so immersed in it that I forget to pause and enjoy the beauty that's right in front of my eyes. This coming year I would like to find that perfect balance. After all, they're only little once, right?

Here's to a great 2011! CHEERS!!!

2010-12-28T12:13:00.003-06:00

blechhhhh...

I know it's odd to be following up a post tiled Holiday Cheer with this but there's a good reason, I promise. The Influenza Virus has been playing musical chairs with my family members the past few days and has finally landed on me. The girls were surprisingly good sports and mustered through first, second and third Christmas, only one of which was in our own home. See? That's what happens when your extended family is spread all over the place. And yes, I know I could've asked them all to come to us, but then I would've had to clean. And do laundry. And dishes. Jon was a pretty good sport too and drove us here & there without much complaint. But then he pretty much didn't move from his spot on his brother's couch in Chicago for 2 whole days. Me? I thought I was safe (I may or may not have mocked the situation) but now I feel like my body's slowly dying from the inside out and I will soon wake up as a flesh-eating zombie. Ok, so maybe I've been watching a little too much TV.

There surely is never a good time to be sick, but this week between Christmas and New Year's is like no-man's land, so I guess if I'd have to choose I'd choose this week to convalesce and do absolutely nothing for days. And yes, there is a reason why I'm writing to you from my sick bed: to tell you that I'll extend the QUILT Magazine contest until the end of the week because, 1. the last thing I want to do right now is pick winners and wrap pretty packages, and 2. I wouldn't want to send any unwelcome visitors to my lucky winner. So, you have until Friday to enter. We'll randomly pick a winner this coming weekend and in the New Year, I'll send a flu-free package to a lucky winner. And hey, I am notorious for adding extra goodies to my prize packages so you never know what else you'll get...

Now I'll leave you with these cute pix of Sophie, Sydney and their cousin Asja at the St. Louis Zoo last week. Oh, what fun they all had!!

In case I don't pop back in here... HAPPY NEW YEAR, everyone!!!

2010-12-23T21:42:00.003-06:00

Holiday Cheer
See below for giveaway!

I'm writing to you from a cozy hotel room in St. Louis where this is the view out my window...

I'm feeling extremely thankful right now and want to share some Holiday cheer with you all. Right before I left, I got a little surprise in the mail... my comp copies of the latest issue of QUILT Magazine featuring a complete pattern & instructions of my Playdate Quilt. Yes, this picture was taken on our hotel bed... sorry, that's the best I could do on such short notice...haha

You have no idea how many email inquiries I have gotten for this pattern ever since I showed the quilt at the Spring Quilt Market in Minneapolis and for months now I've been saying "Soon, soon, it's coming soon!" but not really knowing when. Well, it's here now! YIPPEEE! Here is what the cover looks like and you can pick it up at most bookstores and news stands right now.

The best part is... you can actually purchase a full quilt kit for this quilt and make it in a weekend for your favorite kid. The article says that the kits are available at Fat Quarter Shop but I was just notified that they were so popular that they sold out right away. WOW! Luckily, my good friends at Quilt Home have picked up the ball and are offering the quilt kit at limited quantities, so go on and get yours HERE before it's gone.

In case you need a reminder of what the quilt looks like, here ya go...

WEB BONUS: You can also go to the QUILT Magazine website and download a free template for a dress for your rag doll friends. ;)

***I do have 1 extra copy of the magazine to give away and I will sweeten the deal by adding 1 rag doll panel so you can make these sweet dolls. Just leave me a comment and when I return next week, I will pick a random lucky winner. And... hey, please leave a way to contact you if you win! ***

Don't forget to check out QUILT HOME for all your fabric needs. They carry every single one of my fabric lines and all of my patterns! :)

Sorry I have to be brief. It's been a long day and I have to catch some zzz's before another long day tomorrow. In case I don't pop in back here, HAPPY HOLIDAYS to all!

2010-12-13T18:31:00.005-06:00

Life in a Northern town...

Let's see if I can sum up today in stream-of-consciousness style: It started off with a bout of insomnia like it often happens when I have tons of work going on. Which is pretty much all the time. Exhaustion finally did me in sometime in the wee hours of the morning. Then, just as I had finally dozed off, I was rudely-awakened by a phone call sometime around 5:29 a.m. Jumped out of bed and grabbed the phone in a flash (cause you just never know what it could be at that time) and was annoyed to hear the automated message from the girls' school saying that school was canceled due to inclement weather. Inclement weather? Yes, it's snowing. Yes, it's cold. But what's new? This is a Northern town. The kids woke up at their normal time, because... that's what they do. Luckily I have a husband that 1. does not suffer from insomnia, 2. loves mornings, 3. is a pretty awesome daddy. I tried to sleep in but the kids kept coming in my room with their various "important" announcements: "Mama, there's no school today!" Yes, I know. "Mama, the elf is on top of the refrigerator!" Really? "Mama, can I have a snack?" Sure. I finally got up, still with probably less than 2 hours of sleep under my belt and started assembling my next fabric collection for Michael Miller Fabrics. Yes, the one that I've been working on non-stop for the past several weeks. It's finally time to send it in. My self-imposed deadline was end-of-day today... before 5, so I could take it all to FedEx before they closed. Print. Print. Print. All day long. Re-size. Print. Re-color. Print. Almost done! Almost there... Bang! Printer runs out of ink. Yep, the same ink that I have to special-order from Epson... 2-day delivery. Hmmm... can I just send these last 3 designs to Kinko's & call it a day? Can I still make it to FedEx in time? Hey, aren't Kinko's and FedEx the same thing now? Still not enough time. Other end of town. Snowing. Cold. Late. Ugh.

Oh well! At least I can smile when I look at this little face...

And where's the other little face, you ask? Hmmm... most likely inside playing a video game. What else would a 9-year-old-going-on-16 do on a snow day?

2010-12-06T10:12:00.004-06:00

NINE!

Once upon a time, nine years ago to be exact, a little baby girl entered this world. She was tiny, beautiful and perfect in every way and we loved her so. She had a crazy, wild tuft of red hair atop her head which was a sign of a most unique personality just waiting to blossom... and blossom it did!

The years went by and when her ninth birthday approached she wanted to celebrate, with all her closest friends and family members, in a place where she could climb to great heights and face her wildest fears.

During this joyous occasion, our ginger-headed princess learned a few valuable lessons. In life sometimes you have to listen to your elders and follow directions...

... and if you play by the rules you’ll be safe and have fun.

If you’re afraid to just go for it, sometimes it helps to start small...

... and if at first you don't succeed, it’s no big deal.

You just get back up, dust yourself off and try again.

Then when you’re ready for the real thing, you’ll have the confidence to push yourself.

And if you start to doubt yourself and look back, you’ll always see us cheering you on. Because we believe in you!

And guess what? Just when you think you’ve reached the top of the summit, there’s an even higher mountain waiting just ‘round the corner.

But you’ll soon figure out that after you conquer your first real mountain, each one after that will get easier and easier.

If I had one wish for you, it would be that every one of your wildest wishes will come true.

And of course, that you can have your cake and eat it too!

Happy Birthday, my sweet Sophie!!!

Love, Mama & Daddy

P.S. I don’t follow you around with my camera to purposely annoy the crap out of you. I just want to record every waking moment of your existence... is that so wrong?

2010-12-06T09:42:00.006-06:00

WWC's 12 Days of Christmas

I am thrilled and honored to have been asked again to participate in Where Women Create's 12 Days of Christmas. Last year was tons of fun and this year it's all about Holiday traditions. I would love for you to pop in there and read mine. In addition I would love for you to leave a comment and let me know what YOUR Holiday tradition is. As a mom of a young family I am constantly looking for ideas to make our Holiday season extra special.

Check out the prize that I've donated to be given away to one lucky WWC reader:

It's five 1-yard cuts of Sanctuary (my newest fabric line for Michael Miller Fabrics) and 5 assorted MODKID sewing patterns. (Retail Value: $110) Leave a comment on the WWC blog to be entered to win this and several other prizes donated by the wonderful women featured these 12 days...

Good luck, everyone!