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!!!

Wanna Play?

If you're seeing this on your reader, you might want to pop on over to get the full effect... my blog header and background have been updated in honor of my latest quilting cotton collection, PLAYDATE, for Michael Miller Fabrics. I know I say this every time, but I am so stinking excited about this one!

Inspiration can come from anywhere. Andalucia was inspired by our Honeymoon in the South of Spain. Mezzanine was inspired by an extended work trip to Northern Europe. Flora & Fauna was inspired by nature. Well, for Playdate I decided to stay close to home and draw inspiration from none other than my own kids... and boy am I glad I did! I sat them down and asked them to tell me their favorite things (a la Sound of Music). They started out rattling off the obvious: dolls, teddy bears, flowers, chocolate, lollipops... then the list started taking an interesting turn: Chinese lanterns, goldfish, princess tiaras...

I thought to myself, "OK, I can make this work!" So what do you think???



The collection has 17 designs divided into two color palettes, Recess (all the ones with light and bright backgrounds) and Slumber Party (all those with darker, deeper-toned backgrounds).



And yes, it comes with its own MODKID Rag Doll Panel fashioned after my very own Potty Girls!!! You have no idea how long I've been wanting to bring my Potty Girls to life... well, possibly ever since I dreamed them up a couple of years ago. :)



There are 3 dolls in each panel and they stand 18" tall with fronts and backs and come with full assembly instructions. They'll come to you wearing cute MODKID undies but I've been having a blast making little Mod knit dresses for them. :)



When the fabric starts hitting stores, I'll upload a template and tutorial for these 5-minute dresses... promise! :)




OK, so you guys wanna see how we've been using the rest of the prints in the collection? Ask and you shall receive. Of course Valerie had a Playdate of her own with all her dolly designs.... how adorable are these?



ACK! She's killing me with cuteness... the selvedge trim, the fussy-cut sequined goldfish, the retro sunglasses...



Of course, I couldn't resist sewing up two of our most popular girl sewing patterns, Kyoko and Frida, to showcase the collection next week at Quilt Market. Sydney says these are her favorites! (mission accomplished)





And I even made myself an outfit to wear to Schoolhouse (more info on that to come). This outfit uses my Pretty Flowers Turq print for the A-Line skirt and rolled rose pin combined with my Blossoms Citron knit for the blouse and yoga skirt band. Wait till you see the whole thing... it turned out stunning, if I shall say so myself. :)



I made a quilt and couple of cute pillows for Sydney's bed...





We are actually hauling Sydney's entire bedroom set up to Minneapolis next week for the show. Believe it or not, she doesn't mind one bit and is excited about sleeping in her inflatable sleeping bag for a few days "like camping in my own room". Gotta love kids! :)

The Goldfish print looks so cool as a lampshade... those goldfish just seem to pop!



And last, but certainly not least, may I present to you a new pattern I specifically designed for Playdate. This is the first in our line of mini-patterns, which we are calling MODKID LITE (half the calories, same great taste... haha... no, that's not the tagline, but would be kinda funny, eh?). They are smaller patterns and easier, quicker projects for the beginner sewist.



This is the SUN & SURF TOTE, perfect for a trip to the beach, swim lessons or a day at the park. It’s big enough to hold a couple of towels and has plenty of inside and outside pockets for all your smaller items.



And best of all, it is the perfect size to use as a diaper bag...



...or a market bag, while being stylish and unique! Features a padded strap for comfort and button & loop closure for easy access.



So there ya have it! New fabric and a new pattern, all in time for Quilt Market. PHEW! I'm exhausted!!! What do you think?

The Sun & Surf Tote pattern is already in stock and will be available for purchase at Quilt Market and up on our website as soon as we return. Playdate is available for pre-order through Michael Miller Fabrics.