Off to a great start...

Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you all had a great New Year's celebration. We enjoyed dinner at a Japanese steakhouse with the girls, then I spent a quiet evening at home accompanied by a good movie, a great beer, a delicious bowl of popcorn and an amazing guy. What else could I ask for?

New Years Day was a fun and relaxing one. I rolled out of bed at noon, took a long hot shower then visited a local quilt shop that was featuring my fabrics and patterns during their annual Football Widows' sale (that title cracks me up every time). Then we went to the movie theater with the kids and friends and ended up spending a couple of hours (and more money than I wished to) at Barnes & Noble. It was a great start to the year.

But after all that goofing off, it was time to get back to business. I cracked the whip this weekend and had Jon and Val working overtime proofing patterns for me while I edited, printed proofs and edited some more. My testers' pattern notes were strewn all over the studio floor while Jon and I mulled over nit-picky things like comma placements, unnecessary quote marks and appropriate registration marks until my eyeballs bled!



All that hard work paid off because late last night I printed the final production proofs and all 6 patterns went off to get printed this morning! PHEW! What a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I felt like a mom letting her first-born go off to Kindergarten... a mixture of excitement and trepidation, of wanting to hold on one minute longer but also to let go once and for all.

So, now that I find myself with some time on my hands I thought I'd address some Frequently Asked Questions we've received over the past few weeks via email, blog comments or Twitter regarding our new set of patterns.

When will the new patterns be available? We expect to take delivery of the new patterns on January 18th at which time we will begin packing and shipping wholesale pre-orders in the order that they were received. Check with your favorite local or online retailer to see if they will be carrying our new patterns.

What is the finished size of your Hummingbird Quilt? And is this project considered for beginner, intermediate or advanced sewists? The Hummingbird Quilt has a finished size of 42"w x 60"h. I think it is perfect as a wall hanging but would also look super cute on a crib or toddler bed or even draped over a comfy sofa. I consider this a beginner project because there is no piecing involved... it's all raw-edge applique. Plus, as with all my other patterns, I give detailed step-by-step instructions in addition to loads of photos and diagrams to help you along.

A million thanks to my quilt pattern testers Lori Porten and Paula Shasteen for the test quilts below. Lori made the Mustard colorway quilt (left) and Paula made the Stone colorway quilt (right).



What type of dolls do your doll patterns fit? Our Mini-Modkid patterns were designed to fit the standard 18" doll, like American Girl Dolls, Our Generation Dolls and My Disney Girl Doll (seen below on the American Girl Dolls)



Do they fit the Bitty Babies and Bitty Twins too? The tops and dresses are a perfect fit for the 15" dolls, like Bitty Twins. However, the pants are too long for their little chubby legs. Check out the photo below showing Mini-Ava, Mini-Kyoko and Mini-Frida on the Bitty Twin Dolls. Middle photo (Mini-Kyoko) courtesy of our pattern tester, Jen Smith Moore.



Do the mini outfits fit Build-A-Bears? Just like with the Bitty dolls above, the tops, skirts and dresses fit the bears but the pants do not. Check out the Mini-Ava 2-pc. set on Sophie's BABW bear (left).

Are you planning on making some for Blythe dolls too?? We haven't discussed this yet, but never say never, right? ;)

By chance would they be available to fit a My Twinn doll? (23" tall) I do not have that type of doll at home to try these outfits on but my guess is the clothes would be too small for them.

The following are Q&A's I've posted here before but are worth re-posting for new visitors:

Will you allow sale of items produced with your sewing patterns?
Having come from the children's boutique community myself, I am a great supporter of the "indie" or "cottage" industry. All of my sewing patterns come with a legal line that reads: "Modkid LLC allows the right to use this pattern to create items sewn by the purchaser and only the purchaser for personal use or sale. Please direct inquiries for any other commercial use to info@modkidboutique.com. Any printed or electronic reproduction of this pattern in part or whole is strictly prohibited." This pretty much means that YES, you can sell these items if you are an independent sewist (home sewer), but if you intend to mass-produce these items, you need to contact us to work out a licensing agreement.

Can we use your photos for the sale and promotion of your fabrics and patterns on our website?
Absolutely! That's what they're there for! All retailers are welcome to use the product images I have uploaded to my Flickr account. I even have them organized in sets for you: MODKID Patterns Set, Flora & Fauna set, Mezzanine Set, and Andalucia Set.

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

These are all the FAQs I have for now, but if I've left anything out or if any of you have any questions you're dying to ask, by all means leave them below in the comments section or feel free to email me at info@modkidboutique.com

RETAILERS: You can pre-order the 6 new patterns now in the WHOLESALE section of our website.

I want to thank each & every one of you for your amazing support in 2009! I am woozy with the anticipation of what 2010 may bring for us. :)

KYOKO at TALA



When Kathy Miller told me a couple of weeks ago that they wanted to feature my Kyoko sewing pattern at their upcoming L.A. Textiles Show (a.k.a. TALA) on April 14 - 16, I was thrilled! Of course, we didn't have Mezzanine yardage yet to work with, so she said I could pick fabrics from one their new collections to make a sample. I was immediately drawn to this large floral, Flower Shower, and its coordinating stripe, Stripe Hype. And of course, I paired it up with a staple of mine, the Berry Ta Dot and some of their adorable printed bias tape. I just LOVE how this turned out!



As soon as the box of fabric & trims got here I got to sewing (I wanted to get it all done before my sewing patterns were delivered!) Sydney insisted on trying it on, so how could I refuse? We got these adorable pictures done just minutes before it shipped off to MMF! Check out the action shot! What a ham...



If you are in the LA area and plan to attend the Textiles Show, stop by the MMF booth and say hi to Kyoko (it won't have Sydney inside of it, but it'll still be cute!) Oh, and a little birdie told me that they will be showing Mezzanine at the show! WOOHOOO! You can be one of the first stores to get it in stock! :)

On another note, I've been a little quiet around here because of this:



That's just the view from one side of my dining room. This is what our foyer looks like:



Boxes & boxes & boxes of patterns arrived last Wednesday and we've been printing packing slips and boxing up orders ever since. It's become a family affair as we try to make it into a fun game at times so the kids don't feel slighted. We let them count the patterns, then we double check their counting. They get to help stack the lighter boxes by the front door but often end up distracted by bubble wrap.... who doesn't? I already had a little mishap involving my index finger and the metal teeth of my tape gun, OUCH!, and last night I accidentally printed two sets of shipping labels for each box, so we had to go back in and void the second set. Fun, fun, fun! I guess practice makes perfect, eh? But nevertheless, all pattern pre-orders will be shipped out this week so they'll be arriving at a store near you shortly!

Well, since I'm actually sitting down at the computer for a few minutes (which seems like a luxury these days!) I figured I'd do another Q & A session.

1. When will the patterns be available for purchase on your website?
All patterns are in stock and ready to ship. However, we need to fulfill all wholesale pre-orders and I would like my retailers to have enough time to get them in and start selling them on their own sites before I do. So, give me a few days and the site will open up for consumers to shop!


2. Do you have a list of retailers that stock your patterns?
I am compiling a list this week and will post it on our website a.s.a.p. In the meantime, check out this announcement on Boutique Café, where some retailers have been leaving their links. Also check out this wonderful review by MiscellaneousFinds4U which also features some store links! :)

We are happy to report that we have retailers in the U.S., Canada, Australia and Germany at the moment! If you are a retailer and would like to carry our line of MODKID patterns in your store, please go to our website at and click on the WHOLESALE link to fill out an application.


3. Can I purchase your fabric and ribbons as well as patterns on your site?
No. At the moment we are only selling our MODKID sewing patterns on our site. If you are a retailer interested in purchasing my 2 fabric collections, Andalucia and Mezzanine, please contact Michael Miller Fabrics at info@michaelmillerfabric.com and they will pair you up with a sales rep in your area. Wholesale ribbon purchases can be made through Caroline Devoy at www.jcarolinecreative.com


4. Are the Sophie 3-Way Pants available for pre-order right now?
The Sophie 3-Way Pants are currently in development and will be available for pre-order with our next set of patterns, probably around June/July 2009.


And the following one is an oldie but goodie (I get this question so much, I thought it merited re-posting the answer)

5. Do you allow sales of items made with your sewing patterns?
All of my sewing patterns come with a legal line that reads: "Modkid LLC allows the right to use this pattern to create items sewn by the purchaser and only the purchaser for personal use or sale. Please direct inquiries for any other commercial use to info@modkidboutique.com. Any printed or electronic reproduction of this pattern in part or whole is strictly prohibited." This pretty much means that YES, you can sell these items if you are an independent sewer and if all items are sewn by YOU and only YOU, but if you intend to mass-produce these items or have them manufactured by an outside source, you need to contact me to work out a licensing agreement.


Thank you all for sticking around with me even though I've been such an bad blogger this past couple of weeks. I promise to be way more chatty (chattier?) when I get all these patterns shipped out... first things first!

WINNERS and FAQs

Thank you all so much for the wonderful, wonderful comments on my Blogiversary post. I read each and every one of the 305 comments and was smiling from ear to ear the entire time. Since I would have had an impossible time picking winners on my own I left it up to chance and used the good ol' randomizer to pick the three winners. Here were the results:

(I know it's hard to read, but you can click the image to enlarge it on your screen)

So, without much further ado, I present to you the 3 winners of the Blogiversary prizes!!!

#220 = Debbie and April said...

Oh my, I love both, but I think fire. Everything is just so yummy.........

*****

#226 = Cindy said...

Earth is lovely. Congrats on your 2-year anniversary! Cindy

*****

#127 = Nonerz said...

I'm lovin' both, but would have to pick FIRE because I could use those colors for my next quilting project!

CONGRATULATIONS, ladies! Please email me at info@modkidboutique at your earliest convenience to claim your prize!

And since I have your attention now, I wanted to take this opportunity to answer some frequently asked questions...

1. Will Andalucia be produced in the "Aqua" colorway?
   I get this question A LOT, probably because I was naive enough to sneak peek some Aqua strike-offs last year before the final editing of the collection was finished. The answer to this question is: there is no plan for that at the moment. Of course, "never say never," right? It's just not something that has been discussed yet. The good news is that Caroline Devoy, of www.jcarolinecreative.com, is definitely producing 4 of my Andalucia jacquard ribbons in the AQUA colorway and they are divine! I've already seen the first proofs and they mix & match perfectly with the kiwi and petal fabrics in my Andalucia collection because they have those same colors mixed in with the aqua/turquoise tones. Look for that reveal here on my blog in the next couple of weeks! :)
   
   
2. Where can I purchase your ribbon?
   My Andalucia jacquard ribbons are produced and distributed by Caroline Devoy, of www.jcarolinecreative.com. You can contact her for any wholesale inquiries or if you're just looking to purchase a yard of this & that, you can find them in her store as well as at several other fabric retailers. Check the link list on my right sidebar >>>>> a lot of those retailers carry the ribbon as well the fabric!
   
   
3. When will your patterns be ready for purchase?
   My sewing patterns are in the works right now. I will have 4 patterns available for my first run, with plans to develop at least 4 more for my 2nd run. These will be available for wholesale purchase by retail stores and distributors in the next few weeks. If you are a retail store or a distributor interested in carrying the MODKID line of sewing patterns, please email me at info@modkidboutique.com to be added to the database. An email will follow shortly with ordering information and pricing.
   
   I will also have these patterns available for purchase in my web store and at Quilt Market in May, 2009 (if not sooner).
   
   
4. Will you allow sale of items produced with your sewing patterns?
   Having come from the children's boutique community myself, I am a great supporter of the "indie" or "cottage" industry. All of my sewing patterns will come with a legal line that reads: "Modkid LLC allows the right to use this pattern to create items sewn by the purchaser and only the purchaser for personal use or sale. Please direct inquiries for any other commercial use to info@modkidboutique.com. Any printed or electronic reproduction of this pattern in part or whole is strictly prohibited. " This pretty much means that YES, you can sell these items if you are an independent sewer, but if you intend to mass-produce these items, you need to contact me to work out a licensing agreement.
   
   
5. Do you need any more pattern testers?
   I truly appreciate the overwhelming response that I've received regarding pattern testing. At the moment, I have all the testers I need for the patterns I am producing, but should I need more testers in the future I'll put out a request here on my blog and on Twitter.
   
   
6. This one is not so much a question but a request from all of you. In my last post, I asked for you guys to give me suggestions for "colors you'd like to see in future fabric collections" and by golly you did! An overwhelming majority of you out there mentioned something in the "blue" family! I saw lots of "aquas," "turquoises," "peacocks," "seafoam," in the comments and I smiled every time because, guess what?! Mezzanine has an entire colorway in those tones!! YIPPEE! And this time I can say that with confidence because the final editing is complete! :) I'm preparing a super-duper introduction for Mezzanine, so hang on, but for now this is all you get:

If anyone has any more questions or requests that I haven't addressed here, please leave them in the comments section below this blog post and I'll try to address them soon! Thanks again, everyone! Exciting times are ahead. I'll be showing you the front cover of Kyoko (which is on its way to the testers) this week, as well as a sneak peek of pattern #4. The reveal of Mezzanine will follow shortly after.