Introducing: Just My Type
Spring 2013 Fabric Collection

This is going to be literally the quickest new fabric reveal I have ever done. I am leaving for Portland to attend the International Quilt Market at the crack of dawn tomorrow and I haven't even packed yet, so as soon as I hit publish on this baby I am running home to do just that.

A little about Just My Type: It is a vintage type-inspired collection designed with a retro color palette and printed with a faux linen texture, for the “look” of linen but the “feel” of quilting cotton.

The collection boasts 25 prints produced on premium quality quilting weight cotton.

This collection is so new that it's not even up on the Michael Miller website yet, but I thought I should let you guys know what I was showcasing this week, in case any of you are going to attend the show. Here is a breakdown of all the prints (I promise to expand on this more when I get back!)

How about some inspiration images, eh? We didn't get a chance to sew up too much because we've only had the fabric here for about 7 days. But we did manage to make a few cute dresses from our Spring 2013 pattern collection. Below, from left to right are: Grace, Bailey, Riley and Quinn.

Of course, a few pillows for the booth...

And some other booth décor items. :)

And another little surprise before I go... JUST MY TYPE PRECUTS! Yeah, baby!
(these are just prototypes but they should look a lot like this when they're done)

Would love to hear what you think of my new collection. At this time tomorrow I should hopefully be in Portland getting ready to start setting up my booth, so it would be nice to have some comments to read while I'm away. :)

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! :)

Spring 2013 Sewing Pattern Reveal

As I was digging my toes into the soft and warm sands of the Bahamas last week, and feeling sorry for all my friends back in the Midwest, it occurred to me that I still haven't blogged about our new patterns. WOW, I'm really behind! I guess I had vacation on my brain. Can you blame me?

So, without much further ado, I present to you our 4 newest patterns. Click on the pattern name to go to its listing on our site.

First up, it's BAILEY...

Bubble Shorts and Romper With Shirred Back

Sizes 12M - 5T

Bailey is a girls' romper with shorts option. The romper features a comfy shirred back panel and suspender straps that attach with snaps. The shorts have a flat front with elasticized back and adorable bubble hems. A pair of contrasting color inset pockets complete the ensemble.

Check out these adorable photos from my testers. The following 2 are by Courtney Davis and Bella Vie Photography:

And this one is by Andrea Thomas Lambe and Lyndsey Sullivan Photography:

Next up, it's GRACE.

Smock-style Tunic with Ruffled Cropped Pants

Sizes 2T - 10 

Grace is an adorable smock-like tunic with coordinating cropped pants. The tunic pulls over the shoulders with two small buttons in the center front for ease of dressing. The pants have an elasticized back waistband with flat front. Tiny ruffles, accent bands and adorable pockets add an extra touch of flair!

Now, for some sweet tester pics! This one is from Cheryl Santos and Mike Kohberger Photography:

And this one is from Bridgett Wright:

Next up, it's QUINN.

Knee-length Dress With Front Button Closure, Gathered Skirt and Sleeves

Sizes 2T - 10  

Quinn is a classic-style dress with front button closure, a full gathered skirt and adorable bubble sleeves. The bias binding along the front closure adds a bit of contrast and boutique feel. This dress features a longer skirt (knee-length) but can be easily shortened, if desired. Mix and match your favorite designer fabrics for a unique look. 

I just adore these tester pics!!! This sweet pink and green version is from Bridgett Wright:

 

And this playful and colorful version is from Liz Mouse:

And last but not least, here is RILEY.

Peasant-style Dress With Round Neckline and Large Bow

Sizes 2T - 10 

Riley is an adorable peasant-style dress with a rounded neck band, a paneled front body and a whimsical bow detail that will make every girl twirl with delight. Choose a long- or short-sleeved version and make it with or without the contrast ruffles for a different look every time. 

Check these out! So sweet! This is one of my favorite pics of all time by Andrea Thomas Lambe and Natalie Kimball Photography:

And this cutie is by Cheryl Santos and Mike Kohberger Photography:

That's it, folks! Would love to hear what you think.

I'd like to thank all of my pattern testers and photographers for a marvelous job! You all know how much we appreciate all of your help!! And a big hug to all the adorable models! xoxo

If you are interested in purchasing these patterns, they are in stock and ready to ship on our website or check with your favorite fabric and sewing pattern retailer to see if they have them in stock. We have been shipping wholesale orders every day since they came in!

Also, stay tuned as we will be releasing some brand new and super adorable new PDF pattern later this week!

Introducing... MODKID® Micro Minis!

It is reveal time, ladies and gentlemen! We are over the moon excited to announce this brand new product for us, called MODKID® Micro Minis!





haha... now that I got your attention, let me tell you about these. MODKID® Micro Minis are a collection of sewing-card-style patterns that fit in the palm of your hand, are easy to sew and inexpensive to buy. These Micro Minis are perfect for classes, workshops, gifts and more.

Here are some specs for you:

• Finished size 4.25"w x 5.5"h
• Full color inside and out
• Printed on coated card stock
• Packaged in a crystal-clear resealable poly bag with a large hanging hole
• MSRP $4.95 USD

Those of you already familiar with our line of MODKID patterns will notice the same high quality and attention to detail we are known for, from the detailed assembly instructions to the easy-to-follow diagrams, just in a new teensy-tiny format. Also, we did not skimp on testing. All of our patterns are thoroughly tested by sewists just like you from all across the country. A special thanks goes to Liz Mouse, Andrea Thomas-Lambe, Cheryl Santos, Bridgett Wright, Kristen McVane, Terri Hoffacker and Pat Alberts for your helpful feedback!

OK. Let's go through these one by one.

DAPPER

Layered bow tie and adjustable suspenders in child and adult sizes.

For the little (or big) man in your life, we've designed this set of layered bow tie and adjustable suspenders perfect for all special occasions. He has never looked more handsome!

HOUNDSTOOTH QUILT

Finished size: 50" w x 70" h

We designed this bright, modern and bold quilt based on my Vintage Houndstooth print from my Textured Basics fabric collection. It looks equally as adorable made up in 2 colors, like this:

 

WRAP SKIRT

Sizes XS-L women

Our easy-to-sew wrap skirt for women is feminine, figure-flattering and fashionable! This is the perfect canvas for that bold print you've been dying to use. Best suited for XS - L women.

JEWELRY ROLL

Quilted roll-up bag with several compartments

Bring your favorite jewelry pieces everywhere you go with this fabulous Jewelry Roll. Inside, it has two necklace and ring holders, six separate pockets of varying sizes and a zippered pouch to keep your most valued possessions safely tucked in. It rolls up into a sweet and compact little package that will fit easily into your purse or carry-on luggage. Finished size: 19.5"w x 9.5"h (Open)

MOD CASES

Quilted ipad, iphone and eyeglass cases with accessory pockets

Protect your most prized possessions with these quilted designer cases. These are the perfect stash-buster projects because they use small scraps of fabric, but look oh, so cool when finished! 

LUNCH BAG

Finished Size 10"h x 7"w x 6"d

Be fashionable — even at lunchtime — with this super chic insulated lunch bag. It has plenty of room for your food and drink, plus an extra little interior pocket to hold an ice pack. It features a padded handle and Velcro® closure.

All of our Micro Mini Patterns are currently in stock and ready to ship! RETAILERS: If you will be attending the International Quilt Market next week in Houston, please come by my booth (#1318) to see these in person. The first 10 store owners to come by will receive a free sample set of all 6 patterns!

And for all of you out there, please leave us a comment and let us know what you think of this new format and the projects we've offered. We'd love to know what sorts of projects you'd like to see for future Micro Minis (or regular-sized patterns). We will draw a winner next Wednesday who will receive a sample set of all 6 Micro Mini Patterns!

Happy Sewing!

UPDATE! Contest is now closed. We used Random.org to choose a winning comment and it was... lucky number 6!

KellyS1:31 PM

Love these! I am really drawn to the minis already available in my LQS because of the price. I would love to see more clothing for women/girls, purses, and especially more quilts. Thank you for coming out with these!

CONGRATS, Kelly! Please email us with your mailing address at info AT modkidboutique DOT com to claim your prize!

Introducing... Textured Basics!

I am thrilled to announce my newest fabric collection with Michael Miller Fabrics, being revealed next week at International Quilt Market (Booth #1318) and shipping to stores in November. My heart skips a beat when I look at it... Textured Basics features six basic geometric prints, designed in six delicious colors (plus a "multi") and printed with a faux canvas texture, for the “look” of canvas but the “feel” of quilting cotton. There is even a Natural Basic Texture, which is perfect for quilt backgrounds and sashings, all printed on premium quality quilting weight cotton.



Here is a full color card of all 43 SKUs... if you'd like to print it, just click on this image, which will take you to Flickr, and download the largest file size, so you can get a good quality print-out.



Of course, as it is always the case when we release a new fabric collection – which usually coincides with Quilt Market booth prep – we have been busy little bees creating items made with Textured Basics. Below are some of our projects and ... pssst... here's a little secret for you: you will be seeing some sneak peeks of new patterns for the Fall. These will be fully-revealed tomorrow (hopefully) as soon as we get them up on our site. It is a new format for us, so we're super excited!

First of all -- and possibly the project we are most enamored with -- is this Houndstooth Quilt. It came out so bold, modern and fun! And yes, there will be a pattern... more like a sewing card... well, you'll see tomorrow!



I designed this easy-to-piece quilt, Emalee pieced it in one afternoon and my friend Lisa Feeney of Sew Memorable Quilts quilted and bound it for us. Isn't it awesome?



And because we loved this design so much, we even came up with a lap quilt version of it in pinks and creams, which we thought would be perfect for a baby's nursery:



Here's my girl, Sophie, modeling this woven version of the Hailey dress (View D) made up in Diamonds Tangerine with a ruffle made of Vintage Houndstooth Multi. Doesn't she look adorable?



A trio of MODKID  cuties... from left to right, Piper in Houndstooth and Shoreline, Baby Hannah in Cool Dots and Swell Stripe, and Kyoko in Hexies and Shoreline.



And because we love that fabric combo for Piper so much, we created another colorway of it, which can be seen in the United Notions booth next weekend at International Quilt Market!



This fabulous wrap skirt for women will be another pattern being revealed tomorrow, so this is all I will show or say about that for now.



Same goes for these mod cases. I just adore how the bold prints work so well for these!



Emalee sewed up some bold pillows for my mini booth. You can never have enough pillows and I'm thinking some of these would make awesome free tutorials for the blog! ;)



Last, but certainly not least, this is all I can show you at this time of this super fun quilt. If you are attending Quilt Market next week and want to see the full thing in person, head on over to the GenerationQ booth (#960). For the rest of you, you'll get to see the full thing soon, soon... in a future issue of the magazine. ;)



OK, that's it for the fabric reveal. Stay tuned for the new patterns reveal coming tomorrow. If you have an iPhone or iPad and would like to sport some Textured Basics, check out the cases I've designed on Zazzle. I got mine in the mail yesterday. It's this one.



So, what do you think of Texture Basics?

Itsy bitsy sneak peek

If you follow MODKID on Facebook, then you've probably already seen the sneak peeks of our Fall 2012 Pattern collection... back-to-school edition. If you don't, then I invite you to "like" our MODKID page to get the latest and greatest news on all things MODKID.

Here's an itsy bitsy sneak peek... way more photos and info on Facebook. But, if you don't do FB, don't fret, we will do a full reveal next week here on the blog. I am just waiting to shoot a couple of covers and receive some more tester photos before I can do the whole reveal.



Here are a few FAQs we've been receiving on FB:

When will these patterns be ready to order?
These patterns will go to print the week of August 20th, so depending on how quickly we can get them back from the printer, they should be ready to ship by end of August or beginning of September.

Can we pre-order these patterns?
Retailers will be able to pre-order them as soon as we get them up on our site. This should be sometime next week... look for our e-newsletter! To be added to our mailing list, please send a request to jjyoung@modkidboutique.com. Sorry, there is no pre-ordering on consumer orders.

What size does the baby pattern come in?
Our Baby Hannah pattern will come in sizes 6M - 36M.

What sizes does the tween pattern come in?
Our tween/teen pattern, Hailey, will come in sizes 10, 12, 14 and 16 (girls). It can be sewn with knits or wovens.

Will you make a women's version of this tween pattern?
If the tweens/teens version sells well and there is enough demand for a women's version, we will definitely consider it.

Are any online shops carrying the Heaven & Helsinki knits yet?
Last I heard, the new knits would ship in mid-August (just in time for this pattern release!)  but if I get new info, I will update it here too!

Stay tuned for a full reveal next week here on the blog!

Spring/Summer 2012 Releases

Heaven & Helsinki and 5 new patterns!

We are gearing up to exhibit at the International Quilt Market next week (May 17 - 20) in Kansas City and are just so excited to show all of our new goodies! In addition to the Sewing MODKID Style book and the Andalucia reprint, we are also showcasing a brand new fabric collection and five brand new sewing patterns! So without much further ado, let's get started...

My newest collection for Michael Miller Fabrics is titled Heaven & Helsinki:



As the name and logo imply, it is a Scandinavian collection with a nod to Mid Century Modern design. Those two things, by the way, have been an obsession of mine for most of my life. I grew up in a very "Mod" home designed by my own father, who at one point studied under a pupil of Frank Lloyd Wright's. The furnishings and décor in my childhood home were also very "Mid-Century Modern"in style... we had a Danish dining room table and some pretty funky Mod lamps throughout the house. I clearly remember our family room sofa, low profile, straight lines and with that wide wooden frame around the cushions, a style typical of Scandinavian design.

So I drew inspiration from all of this plus from some of my current furniture pieces and décor, and sprinkled in some current trends in fashion and design, to bring to you this collection, which makes my heart go pitter-patter every time I gaze upon it.

The collection is made up of 31 prints, divided into two colorways, Retro and Metro, printed on premium quality quilting cotton.





We have had a blast creating pieces with these prints and I simply cannot wait to show these off...



Let's begin with the garments, which are always my favorite part. Here you see from left to right: a Gretchen dress, a Julia skirt with a piece of fabric wrapped around the torso (for lack of time to make another top), a Hannah 2-pc short set (new Summer pattern), a Natalie & Nate girl romper, and finally an adorable Claudia dress (another Summer 2012 pattern).



Here are some close ups. Don't you just love those Puffy Birds?!



The little houses, which I call City Block, are so fun to use for borders and skirting like this...



And of course, we have Tulips galore!!!



Check out this chair Emalee covered in my Loves Me Not (Metro) fabric. The pillows are from our newest mini-pattern...



Of course, my mom has made some AMAZING purses for us to take to Market. That woman never ceases to amaze me! Check these out!! We will be making patterns for future releases out of these, for sure!



Here are a couple of close-ups...





We also made an AWESOME quilt, of which I'm only showing you a tiny portion, because it really deserves a post all its own. It involves the Central Illinois Modern Quilt Guild again.... you guys are gonna LOVE this one!!



Finally, we will have 5 new patterns at Quilt Market, and these are so new they're not even up on our site yet. You are seeing these here first! :) And I promise to do a full write up of each of these when I return from Market.

CLAUDIA
Claudia is a sweet dress with a paper-bag-style skirt, a Peter Pan collar and side-seam rounded pockets. The pattern includes options for 3 sleeve lengths, all with ruffled trims, plus a long sash-style belt. Zipper closure at center back for easy dressing. Mix and match designer fabrics for a boutique look! Sizes 2T - 10 (Girls)



HANNAH
Hannah is a set of adorable flat-fronted shorts and capri pants with inset pockets, contrast cuffs and a flared hem reminiscent of nautical sailing pants. Pair them up with our easy-to-sew Carefree Cropped Top and she will be the cutest girl at her next beach or pool party.  Sizes 2T - 10 (Girls)


MORGAN
Morgan is a playful, color-blocked dress with a very Mod style for knit fabrics only. It features side inset pockets, a contrast hem band and inverted box pleats in the center front and back. Mix and match designer fabrics for a boutique look! Sizes 2T - 10 (Girls)



MINI-ADDISON
Here by popular demand!!! Dolly version of our very popular Addison dress, with the same vintage style as the girl's version. For 18" and 15" dolls.



NORDIC SNOWFLAKE PILLOW
Our newest "LITE" pattern! Pieced and quilted pillow cover. Fits any standard 18" square pillow form.



So there you have it! There is one more reveal (for the Heaven & Helsinki knits) coming up next Friday, the 18th, but I would LOVE to hear what you guys think of the new goodies! And for those of you attending Quilt Market next week, here is the schedule of events again:

Thursday, May 17:

Schoolhouse at 12:45 - 1:15 p.m., Room 2503B

We will preview all the new fabrics and patterns,
then show a MODKID Fashion Show video (first time ever shown!)

4 books will be given away at the end, courtesy of Wiley,

and EVERY attendee will receive a free pattern from our Summer 2012 line!

Friday, May 18:

Book signing at 11:00 a.m. at the MODKID booth, Booth #3024-26

The first 20 books are free, so be sure to get there on time.
After that, books will be available for purchase at wholesale price.

Saturday, May 19:

Book Signing at United Notions, 3:00 p.m., Booth #110-117

Sunday, May 20:

Book Signing at Brewer, 11:15 a.m., Booth #2824-2833