Hailey Misses and BundleUp!

"Ask and you shall receive" has always been our motto here at MODKID! So many times we have designed specific patterns based on customer feedback and popular demand, and this is no exception. When we released our Hailey Girls pattern a few months back, a little girls' version of our already popular Hailey pattern for tweens/teens, it immediately became one of our top sellers and its popularity was followed by countless requests for a women's version.

Well, your wait is finally over! And as if this release wasn't exciting enough, we have added it to the current BUNDLE UP collection, so you can get not only this awesome pattern, but 11 other patterns for women, designed by the industry's top PDF pattern designers!! (NOTE: If you are interested in Hailey Misses alone, the pattern will be listed on our Etsy and Craftsy stores on July 10th.)

Let's talk about Hailey Misses first and then I'll tell you all about the BundleUp collection.

Hailey is a flirty dress and shirt with several length options designed for women. It is a versatile pattern sewn with either wovens or knits, and with no zippers, buttons, or snaps, it sews up in a flash. A comfy and stretchy shirred section below the bust creates a feminine silhouette while making this garment versatile for women of all shapes and sizes.

Never sewn with knits before? No worries! Sewing with knits is easy and fun with this step-by-step guide which includes lots of tips, photos and diagrams to guide you along.

Our tester, Kara Orr of www.leighleecollection.blogspot.com sewed up View B (Tunic) in a woven cotton fabric.

Our pattern tester, Courtney Davis (www.sweeterthancupcakes.blogspot.com) sewed up View A (Top) in a soft jersey fabric.

Our pattern tester, Crystal Dekker (www.thatswhatshecrafted.blogspot.com), made View A (Top) in chiffon with the idea of wearing it with a little cami underneath.

And last, but certainly not least, our tester, Jenny Fish, at www.sewprettydresses.blogspot.com, sewed up View C (Dress with no ruffle) of Hailey Misses and she used Zig Zag Dot (jersey) from Heaven & Helsinki by Patty Young. Read Jenny's review here.

We've also found two additional non-tester pattern reviews here and here.

Now, for information about BundleUp:

Bundle UP is a collective of your favorite established PDF sewing pattern designers coming together to offer you a sweet deal on both hot new patterns and your favorite closet staples from past releases. We’ve selected the perfect patterns with YOU in mind- mix and match styles, and patterns with multiple views and lots of options. No matter the occasion, we’ve got you covered.

Soooo... Who is part of the new BundleUp, you ask?

Anddddd... What sort of patterns will I find in the new BundleUp? Well, I'm glad you asked, because we happen to think you can create an entire Summer wardrobe with just the patterns in this bundle. Check it out: (And, yes! The coloring book is a FREE download included with the purchase of your bundle!! Yippee!)

Ok!!! Anything else I should know?

As a matter of fact, yes!  There is a HUGE giveaway associated with the new BundleUp. If you sew up a pattern from the bundle and share it here, you can be entered to win this amazing prize package!

So, what are you waiting for?? Get the Bundle, start sewing and enter the giveaway!!! It's what all the cool kids are doing these days! :)

Contest Winner!

Thank you all for your comments last week on my Scrap Lab post. Random.org chose comment #10 which is...

Mary on Lake Pulaski2:47 PM

I would love a copy of a magazine that has projects by you, Carrie and Julie!

Mary, please contact us at info (at) modkidboutique (dot) com with your mailing address and we'll get a copy of the latest Quilts and More magazine, featuring our Scarp Lab projects, in the mail to you.

CONGRATULATIONS!!

2013 Scrap Lab #1

Who doesn't like playing with scraps and seeing what awesome creation they can come up with? Last year I was honored to be asked to be a lead designer in a feature column called SCRAP LAB, in the magazine Quilts and More (a Better Homes and Gardens publication). For the next four issues of Quilts and More, I will be working closely with the amazing Carrie Nelson, of Miss Rosie's Quilts, and choosing a guest star each time to create fun projects using different scraps of fabric.

In the first installment of Scrap Lab, we chose to work with the awesome Julie Herman, of Jaybird Quilts, and my newest fabric collection, Textured Basics. I was thrilled to see the super cool projects those two designers came up with... and even more thrilled when I saw the cover featuring our pillow design in the top right corner!! Wooohooo!

The Summer 2013 issue of Quilts and More is available NOW in news stands and features adorable projects by Carrie, Julie and yours truly. You can even find Julie's table setting pattern for free online HERE!

If you would like to try your hand at sewing up one of our Scrap Lab projects, we are offering a FABRIC KIT, so you can make any of the projects featured in the magazine!

The Scrap Lab Kit includes:

• 1/2 yard of Natural Texture
• Fat Eighth of the 6 fabric prints shown from above Textured Basics

It sells for $15.00 including shipping within the US.
(Magazine not included)

Want to win a free copy of this magazine? Leave us a comment below and we will draw a winner this Friday, May 10th. Best of luck!!

Winners, a Flash SALE and New Product reveal!


Thank you all for your sweet comments on our newest PDF pattern, the Holly Jumper Dress. I read each and every one of the 96 comments that came in and was pleased to see how many of you already owned a MODKID pattern or a copy of my book and just were hesitant to try PDFs. There were also a few comments from folks who came from the PDF industry, but had never tried a MODKID pattern before. Regardless, there were so many great comments that we couldn't choose winners ourselves, so we left it up to chance. We used Random.org to choose 3 winners, and the results were:

Comment #32:

Kelly Smith3:28 PM

I love PDF patterns. I am horrible about losing my patterns, but I always make sure my PDFs are backed up in many places. I haven't tried any of your yet, but I love the Holly dress. This will be the first spring/summer that my girl has been walking so I can't wait to make her some cute dresses.

Comment #35:

Angela4:40 PM

I have some of your paper patterns, but haven't yet bought one of your PDF patterns. Holly is a gorgeous girl's dress and I would so love to,win it :-)

Comment #77:
Gorby family blog9:53 PM

I love that Holly goes up to a size 10. My oldest daughter doesn't get many handmades anymore since so many patterns stop at size 8. It's a beautiful dress and I'd love to make one for her!

Congrats to all the winners!! Please take a look at our PDF pattern offerings on our Etsy store, and email us your choice at info (at) modkidboutique (dot) com, so we can get it to you right away. 

Since so many of you commented that you had not yet tried one of our PDF patterns, we thought we'd make it a little easier on you and give you a 20% off code to use in the next 24 hours... use code TRYMODKID2 to receive 20% off you entire order on our Etsy store! This code is only valid on our Etsy store and is not valid on our website for paper patterns or books. It expires Friday, May 3rd at 12 noon CST.

While I have you all here, I also wanted to talk a little about what's been going on in the design front. As some of you might now, I am a licensed designer for Silhouette America, designing shapes to use on their Cameo machine, which die cuts on paper, vinyl, fabric and other surfaces. Well... true story: I had designer's block recently. It happens to the best of us, I've been told, haha. I didn't upload any new shapes to my Silhouette shop for about 2 weeks because I just couldn't come up with anything new to draw. I needed to draw something that just felt... well.. me. Do you know what I mean?

I dug deep and deeper and then I had an A-HA moment. I thought, why not go back to my roots and draw up my favorite things? What are my favorite things?? Well, I seem to have an almost unhealthy obsession with mid-century modern chairs. I own a couple at home and drool every time I see one at a local auction house. So, I drew up some shapes based on my favorite mod chairs...

Then, I looked around my house and found my other obsession... vintage cameras! I own probably 2 or 3 dozen of these beauties and they are sprinkled all over my house and studio. I just adore looking at them...

Finally, I thought, why stop there? Let's draw everything retro and vintage! haha

Anyway, you can find my new retro and vintage shapes, along with the rest of my Silhouette Shape Collection, HERE.

Wondering what's going on in the fabric front? Well, we are busy getting ready for the International Quilt Market, which this Spring happens to take place in one of my favorite cities in the whole wide world, Portland, OR! This is a special Market for me because I feel I've come full circle. The first Market I ever attended, 5 years ago, was in Portland, and here I am, 5 years later and 12 fabric collections in. I am not ready to completely show you my new fabric collection, but how about a little sneak peek? OK...

That's it. Not giving any more hints! Stay tuned for a full reveal... soon! :)

HOLLY JUMPER DRESS
MODKID's Newest PDF Sewing Pattern

Well, as you have probably noticed already, we are really embracing the PDF revolution! We started producing these downloadable e-patterns in November of last year, and so far we have 6 already produced with a few more on the way.  So far we are hearing wonderful things about them, but we'd love to hear more. Leave us a comment for your chance to win a free PDF pattern of your choice!

Today, we are thrilled to announce the newest addition to our e-pattern line up. It's called the HOLLY JUMPER DRESS. Holly is an adorable jumper dress that can be worn with or without an undershirt. It features a series of skinny shoulder straps that weave in a beautiful pattern onto a racerback bodice, and two very full gathered skirts for maximum twirl power. A couple of drawstrings at the front give the overskirt a scalloped look, letting the underskirt peek out ever so slightly. It comes in sizes 2T to 10 all in the same pattern, just like our paper patterns do.

Find it on ETSY and CRAFTSY (and coming soon to an e-vendor near you!) :)

My favorite feature in this pattern is the back bodice. Here's a closer look at the way those four straps intertwine in the back. LOVE IT!

Above photos are courtesy of M.A.S. Photography.

I also love the scalloped skirt. Those drawstrings are so sweet! Check out the amazing photos I've received from my testers...

A million thanks to my pattern tester, Elizabeth Shepherd,  for the wonderful test sample and pattern feedback. Above photos courtesy of child photographer, Jessica Castaneda from Jessica Idalia Photography. Our adorable model, Brie, is wearing a Holly dress made with Puffy Bird, from Heaven & Helsinki, and Diamonds, from Textured Basics.

Now, take a look at this adorable version...

 Worn with an undershirt...

A million thanks to my pattern tester, Linda Edson (www.allegrofabrics.com), for the wonderful test sample and pattern feedback. Above photos courtesy of Sofia Laos Photography. Her adorable model, Nicky, is wearing a Holly dress made with Spare a Square, from Heaven & Helsinki, and Shoreline, from Textured Basics.

Here are a couple of other photos of Holly I've received, not sewn in my fabric, but still precious. :)

Above two photos courtesy of Teresa Abel Martin 

Above photo courtesy of Jenny McCourt © 2013 Kim Russell Photography

Hope you enjoyed the photos! Again, you can find HOLLY on our Etsy and Craftsy stores, and soon it will be at a few e-vendors out there too!

Now, I just want to do something fun. Since this whole downloadable pattern thing is still a new venture for us, I would love to hear your feedback. Have your purchased one of our e-patterns before? If so, what did you think of it? If not, are there any specific patterns you are hoping to see from us? Anything new you are excited about getting?

Here's is a quick recap of our current e-pattern offerings. You can see them all here on Etsy:

We also have a few new ones in the works. Here is a sneak peek of a couple currently out in testing:

Please leave us a comment and on Wednesday, we will draw 3 winners who will each get to choose a FREE e-pattern from our Etsy store. Please leave us a way to contact you if you are a lucky winner! GOOD LUCK!!

Introducing: Sew Red
Win your own copy... see end of post


... and exhale! Phew, I feel like I've been holding my breath for months! I'm so excited to finally be able to tell you about this exciting project I am honored to be a part of. Sew Red is finally out in the world, just in time for American Heart Month, and I couldn't be prouder!



I met Laura Zander, creator of Sew Red, a follow-up book to Knit Red, at Spring Quilt Market 2012 in Kansas City. I have to thank the amazing Nancy Jewell, of Westminster Fibers, for making the introduction. I'll never forget it... she said, "Do you like the color red?" I chuckled because anyone who knows me knows that red is my favorite color. I said, "Like it? I love it! As a matter of fact, my company logo is red and so are all of our marketing materials!" I pulled out a red Modkid pen from my purse and handed it to her. After she was convinced that I was indeed a fan of the color red, she proceeded to explain the project, a book filled with sewing and quilting projects in honor of women's heart health. She had me at "women's heart health", which has always been a personal cause for me, having had a grandmother fall victim to heart disease many years ago.

As if I wasn't already convinced, Laura then started rattling off a list of the other designers who would be involved. This list sounded like a who's who in the fabric and sewing world! Amy Butler, Nancy Zieman, Denyse Schmidt, Kaffe Fasset, Ty Pennington, Aneela Hoey, Tula Pink, Kaari Meng... and the list goes on and on. I thought to myself, "Am I worthy?"

Laura asked me to design a project using mostly red fabrics (that wouldn't be a problem for me) and add a blurb about how women's heart health is important to me. I knew I had to tell my grandma's story!

My maternal grandmother, known as Mama Alicia to all who loved her, died of a heart attack in 1979. We all lived in Costa Rica at the time and there was no easy way to “call 911” like we do here in the States. She collapsed on the street while walking back from church. A neighbor called the local hospital but they didn’t have a driver for the ambulance at the time. Then they called a taxi cab but the driver did not want to be responsible for her. Finally, they reached a family member but by the time they got there it was too late. The story was incredibly sad and made my mother rethink the way she eats and lives. My mother is now in her late 60s and goes to the gym every day and follows a gluten-free and dairy-free diet. She is healthier than most young people I know. To this day, my mother has been quite an inspiration to her children and grand children.

The project I designed is called Sonoma Purse and it's an easy-to-sew pleated bag made from just three fat quarters of fabric:



You can add extra details like the Grand Bazaar ribbon we added to the handle...


Sonoma Purse by Patty Young from Sew Red by Laura Zander, published by Sixth&Spring Books. Photo by Rose Callahan copyright © 2012 by Sixth&Spring Books/Soho Publishing. Used by permission.

Do check out the book. It has 27 projects that range from quilts to garments to accessories designed by the industry's top talent. The book's design is top notch and the photography is outstanding, plus it includes heart-healthy recipes and personal stories from all the designers involved.

And as if that wasn't reason enough to run out and get this book: Jimmy Beans Wool has agreed to contribute a minimum of 5% of their gross profits from the sale of this Stitch Red product to the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health in support of The Heart Truth® and women's heart health education and research.

Win your own copy of SEW RED! Leave us a comment below and let us know if and how heart disease has affected your life and what you are doing to live a heart-healthy life. We will pick a winner next Friday, Feb. 22nd, 2013. Please leave a way to contact you if you are the lucky winner. Best of luck to you all!!

A huge thanks, some winners and a couple of announcements!

When I asked for ideas, suggestions and comments in my last post, I wasn't expecting you guys to give me such detailed responses. I am deeply touched by your comments and how much thought and care was put into them. Please know that each and every one of your ideas has been written down and will be reviewed and examined in the coming months. After all, we are here to make things that make you happy! It is just an added bonus that they make us happy too. :)

Here are the three winners of the contest. Each of you will be emailed a $25.00 coupon code to use on our website. CONGRATS to all!

(for the rest of you, please scroll down to the bottom of this post, where I address a few more of your suggestions and share some links and NEWS!) 

*********

jednoiglec2:38 PM

Fabric themes - my favorite line are Mezzanine, Flora&Fauna and Heaven&Helsinki - I would love to buy more of such designs. I love especially these designs of you which are tonal (one of my favorite is blossom in lime and dandelions in mustard).
Fabric Colors - more lime, definitely more lime! (I love especially this from Flora&Fauna - your lime fabrics from this collection are the most precious to my heart and I've got special amount in my stash) I love also your mustard (from Flora&Fauna) and amaranth.
Fabric substrates - quilting weight and flannel - I would love to make a blanket having quilting cottons on one side and your flannel at the back!
Sewing patterns - another book would be the best:) I know that it would be hard to publish it in 2013, but we can wait:)))
Tutorials and PDFs - some simple dress for mum and its daughter
Classes, workshops, lectures, events of any kind - I'm international, so I won't give any ideas (I don't want to be dissapointed that I won't take part in it...)
Other products - I love ribbons and I would love to see more of it with your designs.

Rebecca2:59 PM

For fabric themes, first I just want to say that the basics are great - keep expanding on those. I also like flourishes, swirls - prints that can be done in girlie and neutral colorways, but not always with flowers or butterflies.

For colorways, I usually go for aqua, purple, gray, orange. And fabric lines with colorways that focus on just two or three colors.

I mostly use cottons, but also love to find matching minky's for backing and baby items.

For patterns, some more for purses and bags would be great, as well as accessories. And maybe a pattern with baby accessories that coordinate - like boxes, burp cloths, receiving blankets, changing pad, diaper organizer, etc.

I usually purchase quilts and bag patterns in downloadable format - these are the type of patterns I make most and don't often require many pattern pieces.

I'd love to see a bunch of sewers make one design, and see all the variations. Maybe like a blog tour? It's so fun seeing how one pattern looks amazing in so many different fabric combinations and little variations in detail.

Your coordinating ribbon and rickracks are a lot of fun, maybe you could expand on those with embellishments? And have matching thread to your lines? And every time you have a new line, you could offer a free quilt download that showcases all the prints?

You're doing an amazing job, and your designs are beautiful! I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with in 2013!

Beth9:16 PM

I love your fabrics - so bright and colorful. My favorite colors are the cool blues, turquoise, teal, purple... so keep doing what you do! I have wished a couple times to have them in flannels or thin-wale corduroys in addition to the quilting cottons and knits.
As far as sewing patterns - I echo everyone else's requests for more baby and boy stuff.
Downloadable PDFs are great for the ease of printing what I want (and no more), as well as the ability to read the pattern off my iPad while I sew.
I would love to have time to come to a class, workshop, lecture, or any event that would allow me time to sew or craft with like minded folks - especially if you were teaching or working with us! At this point (as a nursing mom) I can't quite plan on whole day/weekend events, but look forward to that again someday.
For other products - your ribbons are great, so keep the embellishments coming (buttons, elastics, lace trims, ric rac). I like to do other kinds of crafting too, so things like papers/cards, washi tape, vinyl or heat transfer material would be fun.
I look forward to seeing what will be created in 2013. Thanks for inviting us to dream with you!

 *********

Again, thank you so much! These are all awesome suggestions as are so many of the other ones we received! 

I did want to address a few other questions/comments we received this past week:

• A few of you asked about virtual tours of our studio. Did you know that I did a Skype interview with Monica Lee at Smart Creative Women last year and I actually grabbed my laptop off my desk and took you all on a virtual tour of the studio? Yes, and in that interview you not only get to see the full studio (even the warehouse) and meet my assistants, but also learn about my journey into fabric and pattern design. If you missed it back then, I encourage you to check it out. Here is Part 1, and here is Part 2.
• A few others asked about sewing tutorials, especially tutorials for sewing with knits. I am pleased to announce that we will have a collection of new sewing tutorial videos out this year. I am filming the first of many next week down at the BabyLock headquarters! Can't wait!! But in the meantime, please check out the 5 sewing videos we have on YouTube. Our next few will be more professionally shot and will cover many more techniques, I promise!
• I also saw a few requests for blog tours, where different bloggers sew the same item from a pattern and share their versions. I absolutely LOVE that idea and would love to get one going soon. If you guys have suggestions as to which project you'd like to make or how to go about it specifically, please leave those in the comments section below.
• Some of you asked for paper products (scrapbooking, cards, etc.) and I am so happy to announce that my partnership with Silhouette has led me to make several other contacts in the paper crafting industry and this year I will be launching 1 or maybe 2 paper collections based on my fabric designs. More on that very soon!
• More PDF patterns are in the works as well. In the meantime, please check out our current PDF patterns (yes, I know there are only 2, but we are designing more literally as I type this!) on YCMT, Craftsy and Fat Quarter Shop.
• LECTURES: if you are local to the Central Illinois region, I will be doing a couple of lectures in the coming weeks.
  - Tuesday, January 22nd at 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. for the Bloomington-Normal Modern Quilt Guild. Lecture will take place at the Bloomington Public Library and will be followed by a Mini-Modkid Store.
  - Saturday, February 23rd at 1:00 p.m. for the Lincoln Quilt Guild. Meeting will be at
  Jefferson St Christian Church in Lincoln, IL and there will also be a Mini-Modkid store there.

OK... off I go to make more pretty things! Thank you all again from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to sit down and write all these suggestions for us. We simply CANNOT WAIT to get started on all these new fun projects!

Looking ahead to 2013
Also, a coupon code and an awesome giveaway!

Yes, yes, I know it's already mid-January and I should've done this post a couple weeks ago. But with the kids being on Winter break and me trying to catch up on all the work that piled up, I'm just now getting to this. Well, 2012 is over and I find myself reflecting on all that we did last year.

• My first book, Sewing MODKID Style, went on sale in April.
• We launched not one, not two, not three, but FOUR fabric collections! (this is a first). First, we had Andalucia 2012, which was a reprint in different colors of my debut line. Then we had Heaven & Helsinki, which was offered in wovens and knits. And then we had Textured Basics in the Fall. OK, so maybe it was 3.5 lines ;)
• We launched 15 new sewing patterns, including 6 Micro Minis! This puts our grand total at 54! WHOA! (and I still remember when we launched our first four in the Spring of '09... almost 4 years ago! Seems like just yesterday. How time flies. sniff, sniff)
• We offered several free tutorials: Umbrella Redux, V-Day Fortunes, and Elf Stocking.
• We were featured on print, web and TV! And then more print. And even more print. All in all, we were featured in 5 national and international magazines in 2012.
• I started offering my designs as digital cutting files on Silhouette America.

WOW! That was a crazy busy year! And... 2013 is already shaping up to be even busier than last year (based on the amount of contracts I've had to review in the past few days!). But... before we get into the nitty gritty of designing and producing, we would like to hear from you! Yes, YOU!

In the comments section, we would like to hear your ideas:

• Fabric themes (more of something, less of something?)
• Fabric Colors (again... more of something, less of something?)
• Fabric substrates (anything besides quilting cotton? or are you happy with just the cottons?)
• Sewing patterns: any specific requests? (more girls, boys, baby, toddler. women's, plus sizes, home decor items?)
• Tutorials and PDFs. We do have a couple of PDF patterns on YCMT and Craftsy, but would like to do more! Anything in particular you'd like to see in downloadable format?
• Classes, workshops, lectures, events of any kind?
• Other products. What other products out there (does not have to be sewing-related) would you like to see Patty or MODKID lend their signature style to?

Tell us anything... this is your chance to be heard!

For your time, we are offering you:
10% off anything on the MODKID site with the code BLOGSPECIAL.
This coupon code expires 1/15/2013.

But, also, we will review all your suggestions and choose our 3 favorites. Those 3 people will receive a $25.00 gift certificate to our web store, so make them good, people!! You have until this time next week to get your ideas in! GO!

A winner and new products from MODKID

Hello, all! First off I want to thank you all for entering our GenerationQ Magazine giveaway. Your comments were all lovely, as usual, but we had to choose one winner, so we used the random number generator and this time... it's lucky number FIVE!!

DianeY11:17 AM

Love this magazine! I have the first 2 issues and plan to buy this one when I find it online. Seems none of the few quilt shops in Hawaii carry it! It would be cool to win a copy. Thanks for the chance

Congrats, Diane! Looks like we'll be sending this mag to sunny Hawaii (wish I could come with!!) Please email your mailing address to Emalee at egrambo@modkidboutique.com and she will get your magazine to you right away.

So... on to exciting new projects! At Quilt Market, I had an extensive conversation with the amazing Carla Crim (a.k.a. The Scientific Seamstress) and although I had [several times] claimed that we don't do PDF patterns, by the end of our meal, she had me convinced that this was the thing to do (that tricky girl!). This led to a conversation with Kim of YouCanMakeThis.com and now we are excited to announce our first PDF pattern!

May I present to you... MODKID MOD OWL STUFFIE! We made a few of these last year as Christmas presents to my girls, nieces and friends. They were such a hit that we decided to test it out as our first PDF pattern.



This adorable Owl pattern is available now as a download at:

• Craftsy
• You Can Make This
• Fat Quarter Shop

The pattern is $7.95 no matter where you purchase it from (choose your favorite site!) and it comes as an 8-page downloadable PDF document. Print it at 100% (no scaling) right to your desktop printer. Not need to enlarge the pattern... it has been tiled so all you have to do is print, cut, tape and sew! Step-by-step sewing instructions, detailed diagrams and tons of photos are also included in true MODKID fashion.

In addition to the PDF patterns (yes, that is plural because we have some more in the works!), we also have some new offerings in the Silhouette Online Store. Check out these adorable shapes you can download and use for cards, scrapbooking, party invitations, gift tags and so much more!



And this is not all. I have some amazing projects to share with you in the coming weeks. So, please check back here often to see all the fun little goodies we have been working on at the MODKID studio!

Happy Holidays, friends!

A peek inside our living quarters

The newest issue of GenerationQ magazine (Winter 2012) is on its way right now to book stores and quilt shops across the nation and I am excited to announce that it includes an 8-page spread on our home and studio. This is the one that features my buddy, and fellow fabric designer, Thomas Knauer (and his adorable daughter, Bee), on the cover. It's definitely a must get!

I let privacy go out the window and, for the first time ever, take you inside our home to show you where we cook, eat, hang out, and visit with friends. We even show you our daughters' bedrooms (yes, they picked up for a change)! Then, we take a little stroll over to the MODKID studio — which is about 10 minutes from our home — and visit with Emalee while she sews up a quilt that will appear in a future issue. Oh, so much to share! In this issue, you'll learn about my decorating style, my influences and background. Also, I speak about our transition from home-studio to full-fledged studio space... and all the trials and tribulations associated with that.



Psst... I've made this picture small on purpose... because I want you to go get the issue and read the article. In addition, you'll get some amazing projects, product reviews and more cool stories to peruse!

Go get one... NOW! If you can't find it at your local quilt shop or book store, here is a list of online retailers that carry GenerationQ magazine.

But, I do happen to have an extra copy of this issue in my hands and since I'm letting go of my hoarder tendencies, I am giving it away! If you'd like your chance at winning a copy of this issue, please leave a comment below. Don't forget to leave a way for us to contact you if you are the lucky winner. A winner will be randomly chosen next Wednesday, November 14th.

Best of luck!!

Winner and weekend recap

Thank you to all who commented on our One Million Pillowcase post. As promised we have randomly chosen a winner who will receive enough fabric to make 2 pillowcases and the pillowcase template of her choice. The winner is comment #31:

midnight hysteria3:48 PM

i would love to make some (2) pillowcases and donate them to the children's hospital in seattle, the oncology floor -- although my granddaughter was treated at primary childrens in slc, i know the need for bright and cheery pillowcases for children who are confined to hospital for looooong periods of time .... thanks so much .... darlene

Darlene, many congrats on winning. It sounds like a wonderful cause and I am so happy to contribute to it! Please send your mailing address and template choice to info AT modkidboutique DOT com at your earliest convenience and we'll get the package out to you.

This past weekend I had a lecture and book signing at The Fabric Nosherie in St. Louis in celebration of their one year anniversary. Since it is a relatively short drive from our house, I decided to bring the whole Young clan and extend my visit into a family weekend getaway.

Well, little did I know that the girls would actually want to be part of my presentation! This is definitely a first. Here is Shannon, owner of The Nosh, introducing me...



And introducing the "real designers". I am rolling my eyes because Sydney just hopped in front of me and did one of those "TA-DA! Here I am!" poses with arms outstretched and all. That girl!



I want to thank all of the sweet ladies and kids who attended my lecture. We all had a lot of fun and I had a wonderful time meeting each and every one of you.



Here I am with the lovely Ms. Shannon.



And a shot of the *packed* store!



I will definitely be going back there every time we visit St. Louis.

One Million Pillowcase Challenge
57 closer to the goal!



I was honored when the team at American Patchwork and Quilting asked me to help promote this amazing event called the One Million Pillowcase Challenge. In case you have never heard of this, APQ is tring to reach their goal of sewing 1 million pillowcases and donating them to charities around the country. I was so touched by this program that I decided that MODKID should become a participating shop... and so we did! Next thing you know we had people coming out of the woodwork to help us help APQ reach their goal.

We had a sew-in last Friday with some local sewing and quilting enthusiasts and check out what we made...



Everyone brought their machines, set up camp at MODKID and sewed up some beauties, using patterns readily available here and fabric donated by us.



Even my girls pitched in...



All in all, we finished 18 pillowcases that day, including a couple sent in by my mom.



If you'd like to see some of these up close and read about what fabrics and patterns we used, click here, here and here.

But that's not all! My former intern, Jessica, organized a sewing group at Illinois State University's Apparel Merchandising and Design Association, and they were able to make 39 more pillowcases! Just look at all these young girls sewing their hearts out at the ISU Sewing Lab! It's so great seeing a whole community come together for a wonderful cause like this one.







Yesterday, Emalee and I collected all the pillowcases, divided them into 3 groups and delivered them to the following charities:

The Crisis Nursery

Children's Home & Aid

1119 E. Taylor, Bloomington, IL 61701 

***

The Clare House

Center for Battered Women
703 E. Washington Street, Bloomington, IL

***

The Child Advocacy Center 

200 W. Front St.,  Suite 500 B
Bloomington, IL  61701

We got to tour their facilities and hear their stories, and just felt so lucky to be able to help out like this. I would like to thank each an every one of you who helped us with this cause... Terri, Pat, Jen, Beth, Carissa, Vicky, Maria (a.k.a "Mami"), Sophie, Sydney, Erin, Emalee, Jessica and all of the AMDA students! Also, a big thanks to APQ for organizing this wonderful event!

Would you like to make your own pillowcase at home? Leave us a comment and on Monday, Sept. 24th we'll randomly draw a winner who will receive enough fabric to make two pillowcases plus a full-color print out of the pattern of your choice from the APQ site. You can keep one and donate the other, or donate both... it's up to you. You can find a charity in your hometown or send the pillowcase(s) back to us and we'll take them to one of the charities above. Please, don't forget to leave a way for us to contact you if you win. GOOD LUCK!!

Sewn Hats Winner!

Thank you to all who commented on my Sewn Hats giveaway post. I had a great time reading through your comments. The Random Generator chose a winner from the 50 comments we received and here it is... drum roll...

Comment #18 is:

Melissa12:50 AM

We have five heads in my family and they all love hats!

Many congrats to Melissa on winning your very own copy of Sewn Hats! Now you can cover those five heads in style! :) Melissa, please email us at info AT modkidboutique DOT com with your mailing address and I will forward your information to Wiley so they can send you your book.

All... stay tuned as tomorrow I will be sharing a new venture I have been involved in! If you follow us on Facebook or Twitter, then you most likely already know, but I am super excited about it and I am preparing a nice little post with sample projects and much more! See ya!!

Sewn Hats Book Tour and Giveaway

I am so thrilled to tell you about this exciting new book that I've had the pleasure of contributing to. Sewn Hats is a collection of 35 hat patterns contributed by industry experts and curated by Carla Crim, a.k.a The Scientific Seamstress.

People are often curious about how long things take in this industry. I get that question repeatedly... how long does it take for a fabric collection to come out? ... for a pattern to be produced? ... for a book to be published? Well, let me tell ya, it's a long time for patterns and fabric, but not nearly as long as it is for books! You really have to have patience in this industry (and that's definitely not my virtue!). I was curious about how long this one took, because Sewing MODKID Style seemed to take forever and a day. Well, I was originally approached by Wiley on January 5, 2011 to ask if I was interested in contributing to Sewn Hats. WOW, that's exactly a year and 8 months ago! But let me tell you, it was well worth it! This book is spectacular!



When I first got the book in my greedy little hands last Thursday, I was immediately surprised by three things:

1. First, the book has 35 patterns, people! WOW! I know, from personal experience, all the work, time and effort that goes into each and every project of a book like this, so to see this times 35 is truly exceptional... and unusual! Talk about bang for your buck!
2. My pattern is the first one in the book! I also know, from personal experience, that I usually end up last because my last name starts with a Y, haha! Well, I guess they weren't going alphabetically this time. ;)
3. Lastly, I was not aware until I held the book in my hands, of just who all had been contributing to this little masterpiece. Seriously, this list reads like a who's who in our industry. These are fellow designers and authors who I have loved and admired for quite some time... Joanna, Mary, Betz, Melissa, Jennifer, Bari and so, so many more! Not to mention Ms. Carla herself! I am not worthy!!

So, without much further ado, let me present to you my own project for this book, which I titled, Sunny Days Hat. As the title describes, it's a sweet little sun hat with a ruffled brim and a decorative ribbon detail that weaves in and out of the hat. But the best part is that since it has no visible seams the hat is fully reversible! So you can use different fabrics for each side and have a completely different look each time she wears it. It comes in 3 sizes, so it will grow with her.

Here are some of the photos we took for the project. These first 2 were shot at the Missouri Botanical Gardens:





And these three were shot here at Modkid. You may recognize that sweet little blond girl, Elizabeth, from two of our most recent patterns, Chloé and Hannah. Boy, how much she's grown! She was only 3 then! And look how short Sydney's hair was! It's halfway down her back now. :)







So... I hope you enjoyed this little tour of Sewn Hats. Do you like to sew hats? Do you collect sewing books? What's your favorite thing to sew? Please leave us a comment and be entered to win your very own copy of the book, courtesy of Wiley Publishing. A winner will be announced a week from today, on Wednesday, September 12th, 2012. Please leave a way to contact you if you win. Good luck all!!

Follow along with the Sewn Hats Blog Tour:

9/4 -  Scientificseamstress.blogspot.com

9/5 -  Mod Kid Boutique

9/6 – FrenchGeneral.blogspot.com

9/10 – Pink Chalk Studio

9/11 -  LuluBliss.com

9/13 – Green Bee Patterns

9/14 – Goosie Girl Boutique

9/17 – Melissa Lilac Lane

9/19 – OneGirlCircus.com

9/20 – Tie Dyed Diva Designs

9/21 – Figgys Patterns

9/25 – Craftiness is not Optional

9/26 – Bari J.

9/27 – Confessions of a Craft Addict

9/28 – SisBoom.com

10/1 – Sew Mama Sew

10/2 – Aesthetic Nest

10/3 – Blue Nickel Studios

10/4 – Betz White

10/8 – YummyGoods.com

10/10-  Wiley Craft