Quick Quilts #100



Excuse me while I squeal! If you follow me on Twitter you already know of my frantic search for the elusive new issue of Quick Quilts magazine that features a 2-page spread on yours truly. I tweeted from my local Barnes & Noble last Friday morning, then from Borders, then from Joann's and even from my local grocery store. No one had it. I was so bummed. I even tweeted when I failed to find it at the big Borders in Chicago last Saturday.

And yes, I am getting complimentary copies from the editor, Lisa (who, by the way, just gave birth to an adorable baby boy and still took time out of her busy schedule to email me electronic copies of the spread... so sweet!) but I just wanted to, you know, walk by a busy magazine section, casually pick up the issue and just go "well, will you look at that?!"



I'm sure you've already figured out that I finally found it. Yep, I went to Walmart this morning to pick up a couple of things and there it was! I almost didn't believe it and there was no one around for me to proudly shriek to, well, except for Sydney. I shoved the mag in her face (even pointing out the picture of her in the top) and her response was "UGH! Is it lunchtime yet?" Oh well. I'm super excited nevertheless. My first magazine appearance!



Sorry for the many pictures... I couldn't help myself! The article talks a little about my background, my inspiration for Andalucia and future projects. It even includes a link to a free quilt pattern! If your local stores don't carry Quick Quilts and you'd like to subscribe to the magazine, here is their link: http://www.quiltmag.com/ And here's a link to the super sweet, very simple to make FREE quilt pattern designed by Miranda Stewart: Moorish Tapestry

Blue Monday

I'm feeling quite blue this morning (but in a good way!). I started seeing quite a few color parallels as I was editing my photos so I thought it was time for a wacky-fun blog posting.


(Photo courtesy of Caroline Devoy.)

The ribbons you see above are fresh in from the manufacturer and ready to be worked into some happy little spring-time projects. The top two are from Jessica Jones and the bottom 4 are mine. But check out how well Jessica's aqua/chocolate bloom ribbon coordinates with my aqua/chocolate birdie damask! If anyone out there makes something using these 2 together, please share a picture!

These ribbons are the new jacquard collection available by the yard and by the roll at jcarolinecreative. I'm just giddy to get some of my Andalucia designs in the aqua colorway... and I know a lot of you out there are too, based on the amount of daily requests I get! ;) The kiwi/greens in these ribbons will be a perfect match to the kiwi colorways in Andalucia and the little splashes of pink will match the Petal colorways, so have fun with them! (I'm thinking: Easter!)

The color blue has followed me around this past weekend too. Jon and I celebrated our 9-year anniversary (yes, this time we didn't forget it!) in the windy city, sans kids! WOOHOO! We dropped off the girls at my in-laws' place in Chicago then checked into the Wyndham near the Magnificent Mile. Those of you who follow me on Twitter got my tweets from the Apple Store, where Jon & I drooled over the latest & greatest, and later from Borders where I tried to find the elusive issue of Quick Quilts featuring my article (I still haven't found it, by the way! haha!)

After window shopping in sub-zero temperatures (brrrr!) we headed out to Greek Islands. Jon wore a blue shirt & jacket... and we had blue menus.



And even our Greek waiter with the sexy Greek accent wore blue... OPA!
(haha, check out the guy in the back!)



After dinner we caught a late showing of the ... you guessed it: Blue Man Group!



All this talk of blue is making me really crave Spring/Summer weather, how 'bout you? But since I can't have that right now, I'll be content with listening to this song over & over again this morning (the Weimaraner in that video looks exactly like the one Jon & I used to have in FL years ago! His name was Blu. I miss him.)

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.

Awesome Twosome!
My 2-Year Blogiversary Giveaway



It's been TWO AWESOME YEARS from the day, exactly 2 years ago, that I started sharing my life with the bloggy community. It felt strange at first -- talking about my family, my feelings, my personal experiences -- with what seemed like total strangers. But now it feels perfectly normal... and best of all, I've made some great friendships and met tons of new bloggy folks in the process!

So, today I am celebrating the number 2. Two years blogging. Two sweet daughters. Two great colorways in Andalucia each of which is comprised of two basic color families. And of course, TWO WINNERS!



Yes, that's right! I will pick TWO WINNERS among the comments left on this post. Each will win their choice of colorways from Andalucia, Earth or Fire. All you have to do is leave a comment below this post and tell me which is your favorite!

Here's a closer look at the Earth bundle. It has 5 fat quarters of different fabric designs, 3 1-yard cuts of coordinating jacquard ribbons and a few charm squares (with pinked edges and all!)



Here's a closer look at the Fire bundle. Again... it has 5 fat quarters of different fabric designs, 3 1-yard cuts of coordinating jacquard ribbons and a few charm squares.



An even CLOSER look at the Earth bundle...



And an even CLOSER look at the Fire bundle...



So, tell me which is your favorite and a week from today I will pick a winner from those who chose Earth and a winner from those who chose Fire. That's all I'm asking for this contest, but if you feel inclined to tell me more information -- like colors you'd like to see in future fabric collections, your favorite themes, shapes, imagery -- you'd make me a happy camper! :)

Thanks for sticking with me these past 2 years. Here's to 20 more!!! :)

**UPDATE!!**
Tonight I tweeted that if we could make it to 200 comments on here, I would add on a 3rd fabulous prize for a 3rd winner. And by golly you did it! (and then some!) Of course, this messes up that whole "2" thing I got going on, but no worries... I figured it out. My 3rd winner will win this set of TWO gorgeous camera accessories so graciously donated by Reneé and Taryn of Silly Jilly Boutique!

(3rd winner will receive a hand-made removable camera strap & lens cozy made with Mod Blooms Fire, from the Andalucia collection. Vintage camera & case not included)

Let's see if we can make it to 300 now! :)

**THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!
Thank you all for your wonderful comments.
I will announce the winners tomorrow.**

Plusing

I mentioned plusing in my last post and now feel like I need to expand on it since I've been experiencing lots of it lately. The word is a common industry term that is not found in the dictionary because it is considered "jargon," but I did find this great definition of it while doing a Google search:

Plusing n. the act of continuously improving something; adding detail and tweaks to something already satisfactory. Also plus-ing, plussing.

I thought that pretty much summed it up! :) Well, a great example of plusing happened to me just recently with my Frida pattern. One of my testers suggested I add a different option to the sleeves to make them more "capped" instead of "flared". I experimented with her suggestion and VOILA! Love it!

Check out the new capped sleeves on VIEW C of Frida. Oh, I love how different this view looks from A & B and believe it or not it uses all the same pattern pieces! And that's what it's all about... having different options to play with so you can keep re-using the patterns and get a different outcome each time. :)

Since I was in an experimenting mode, I decided to try out some different fabrics too. I did the bodice in a really soft baby-wale corduroy and lined the whole thing with a coordinating voile. Turned out great and is perfect for layering during the cooler months! Plus I had fun adding a trim to the skirt ruffle. Here is a close-up showing the Flora Petal ribbon in 7/8" width. I could totally see this done with ric-rac, vintage lace, pom-pom trim.... oooh, the possibilities are endless.

Frida is now off to the testers for one final look and should be going into production soon.

Update on the other patterns: Lil' Chef is back from the testers, has been edited and is ready for production! WOOHOO! Kyoko is still in development but should be ready to test soon! You should see how cute the short-sleeved version turned out! I'll photograph it this week for you all to see. Pattern #4 should be ready for a sneak peek here in the next couple of weeks.

To all who have asked when these will be available, I wish I could give you a concrete date. I hope to have them up for pre-order a few weeks before Quilt Market (so, maybe sometime in late March-April?) but at the latest I'll have them ready for the show in May, and for ordering through my website soon after. If you are a retailer or a distributor and would like to be added to the pre-order contact list, please email me at info@modkidboutique.com

I've been working non-stop on these and have had very little to no time to play lately. But, since all work an no play makes Patty a dull girl (heeheee), I decided to take a personal day on Saturday. Ohhhh, it was so much fun!

First we went out to lunch, then we caught a matinee of Coraline. If you haven't seen it yet, I would highly recommend it. I think this movie would especially appeal to anyone in the crafting, sewing, artsy industry as every aspect and every detail of the movie set was handmade... from the hand-painted popcorn that doubled as cherry blossoms to the minuscule hand-knitted gloves and hand-sewn PJs that Coraline wore. It was AMAZING to say the least! I'd seriously watch that movie over an over again. :)

Then we went to Old Navy so I could pick up some jeans for the girls. They had kids' denim on sale for $9.99, what a deal! I plan to embellish them with some of my woven ribbons. :)

Then we headed off to Bath & Body Works to pick up some yummy smelling stuff for the house. I especially love these and these.

And finally, since it was getting dark and we had no groceries back at the house, we went out to dinner. I was craving buffalo wings for some strange reason. LOL!

I haven't had a day like that in ages so I felt so spoiled... movies, shopping and dinner all in one day?!?! I was almost tricked into believing I had a life.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

I want to extend a huge virtual hug to my amazing research & development team (that's you guys out there, yeah!) for all the valuable help you've given me in the design & creation of my new line of boutique sewing patterns! (I'm preparing some nice goodies for a giveaway, so stay tuned!)

On my last posting I asked for suggestions regarding the "public restroom girls" -- or as one commenter, Annie, affectionately called them, "Potty girls" (hahaha) -- and lots of you out there piped up with great suggestions that would've never occurred to me!

Lisa, a.k.a thedomesticdiva, suggested adding "a simple bow in grayscale onto of their heads," which I thought was a fantastic idea! And lots of you agreed. But then, it got even better: binkiebo and trillium suggested adding "pigtails" or a "hair curli-que" and I immediately went "A-HA! why not both?" (btw, in the marketing world we call this "plusing," meaning adding one great idea on top of another to make an even greater one.)

So, I went back to the drawing board and made some quick changes to the restroom girls and VOILA!



So, what do you think? Better?
(BTW, those of you waiting to test Frida for me may have to wait a couple more days, sorry. I ran out of the big paper I use for tiling my pattern pieces and can't find it locally so I'll need to order it online so I can get these printed out and on their way to you guys!)

Also, anyone want a sneak peek of pattern #3? Well, you're getting one anyway.



I'm thinking of calling this one Kyoko, which means "child of the city" in Japanese. I'm not sold on this name yet, so if my R & D team has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. I thought this pattern had a very metropolitan & chic look but with an obvious Asian flair so the "child of the city" name was fitting.

It has a criss-cross bodice with a very full attached stripwork skirt and features super flared out bell sleeves in short & long versions (so cute!) And the pièce de résistance is this amazing obi-style sash that just pulls the whole thing together. My favorite part is that it uses my 7/8" wide ribbon (or really any 7/8" wide ribbon you want to use) to cinch it closed, and it's a cinch to make... seriously, you can make this sash in less than 5 minutes!

For the test sample I used an old European fabric I've had sitting around my studio for years (don't ask me where I got it 'cause I have NO IDEA!) and paired it up with my Petal Jester and Michael Miller's Aqua Dumb Dots (one of my favorite fabric staples). For the ribbon I used my Petal Jester 7/8" wide jaquard ribbon.

I'm about to sew up a VIEW A for Sydney to model and another VIEW B using just my fabric for the cover of the instruction manual. Fun, fun, fun!

Oh, and speaking of changes, I gave my blog a little makeover yesterday, in case you didn't notice. ;) I thought it needed a fresh new look for the coming Spring months. I'm so excited about all the changes to come... just cannot wait to reveal everything to you guys. One thing at a time...

¿Donde está el baño?

So, I told you guys about my newly found relationship with Adobe Illustrator CS4, right? It's gotten so serious that my old buddy, Photoshop, is beginning to feel a tinge of jealousy and loneliness. The feeling is mutual, though. As much as I'm enjoying working with lines, I sure do miss the old pixels.

One of the things I've been working on in AI is the little mechanical diagrams that show what the pattern will look like when it's all finished... you know, the line art you usually see on the back of patterns and on the inside? I wanted to create a sort of "signature look" to my diagrams, something that looked modern and clean and simple and that could be easily recognizable. I came up with this idea of doing these sorta grayscale mod silhouettes of girls and drawing the outfit right on top in white so it would really stand out. The one I did for Lil'Chef is on the right and the ones for Frida are right below...

Well, I was feeling all proud of myself, just sitting back in my chair enjoying the fruits of my labor, when Jon walks in, takes a quick glance and goes, "They're like public restroom signs with boutique outfits on!"....

whomp... whoooooomp...

OK, so now you see my dilemma: I really liked these (and don't get me wrong, I still really do) but now I can't get the public restroom signage notion out of my head. Public restrooms aren't exactly a positive, comforting visual for most. You usually don't go in one unless you really, really have to, right? So, what do you all think? Keep them or flush them? hahaha I certainly don't want to conjure up any negative thoughts or bad memories! ;)

On a more positive note, I gave my new friend a break this weekend and hung out with my old buddy, Photoshop. I finished my Frida sewn samples using my Andalucia fabrics and the girls and I had a blast doing a photo shoot for the front cover. Here are some of the best ones...




I had about 50+ images to sort through and edit. Photoshop and I got reacquainted real fast and it was just like old times. In the end, the image you see here on the right was chosen, unanimously, by my creative team (a.k.a. Jon, Sophie & Sydney) for the front cover of Frida. I just adore the interaction between the girls, plus it shows Views A & B very clearly, and the kerchiefs too. I still have to sew a View C, and that photo will probably end up in the back cover, but for now I'm happy with what I got so far.

Just gotta figure out the bathroom signage dilemma, hahaha. I'd love to know what you all think. I promise you won't hurt my feelings either way! :)

P.S. My 2-year Blogiversary is coming up soon! Two years ago on February 16th, 2007 I wrote this post to introduce myself to the blogging community and never looked back. I've made tons of friends and valuable connections through my blog and am so thankful to all of my sweet commenters and followers. I have something special in store for this celebration, so please stay tuned!


P.P.S. So excited about the 1-yr. stay of the CPSIA! I know the battle is not over yet, but this gives the indie designers a lot more time to plan their future and give those folks at the CPSC a lot more time to read that silly law over more carefully and make the necessary changes. PHEW!

Day at the Museum

Last Saturday we took an impromptu road trip to the Indianapolis Children's Museum. I say impromptu because we had planned to go to Chicago but due to some unforeseen circumstances we were not able to go, so since we were all psyched up to go somewhere we decided to visit the #1 rated children's museum in the nation. It did NOT disappoint!

We saw gorgeous Chinese dragons...



... and HUGE dinosaurs!



Some of these had real fossilized bones, so that was exciting!



Then we saw miniature villages...



And played in tiny doll houses...



Even had lunch with the three bears...



We tried to stand as tall as the polar bear...



And pretended to be "under the sea"...



We saw incredible glass sculptures by Chihuly...





And marveled at the beauty of the glowing, colorful organic shapes above us...



All in all it was an amazing trip. And hey, did you notice that Sydney wore her Frida dress and matching head scarf? Yes, we finally gave it a test drive and it passed the Sydney test with flying colors! PHEW!

Chatty Patty

Jon always says I have the gift of gab, but I think today I've definitely outdone myself! So, if you're not sick of me yet, you can hear me, see me and read me at the following places:

Hear Me: Lori Vanmaanen of Sew Forth Now did a Podcast interview with me last Friday. If you have 41 minutes to spare (and who doesn't?) check this out... I chat about everything from growing up in a third-world country, to how I got into fabric design, to the CPSIA, to working with chopsticks (seriously!) And if you make it till the end of the interview, you'll even get a virtual sneak peek of my new fabric collection, Mezzanine. Nope, no pictures yet, but I do describe it in detail so if you have a good imagination you may be able to conjure up some images. It'll be fun to see how close you get, eh?

Click here for Sew Forth Now podcast

See Me: My dear friend, Daria, of Boutique Café, just posted a fun videocast of her visit with me at Fall Quilt Market. This interview is different from the live videocast I posted a while back. This one actually takes place on location at my booth, so you can get a feel of the space and the sewn items I presented. Please disregard the fact that I was chewing gum through the whole interview (how rude!) and that my name tag was hanging off one string until it finally popped off (eeek!)

Click here for Boutique Cafe videocast

Read Me: And finally, the nice folks at Quilt Home emailed me today to tell me that they just received the entire Andalucia line in their store and that they are featuring me on their most recent member newsletter. Oh, and to top it all off, they are offering a 20% discount on Andalucia purchases using the coupon code below... but hurry this offer ends on January 31st!


And since I'm in a chatty mood, I wanted to thank you all for the pattern love. So thrilled you all like Lil' Chef and Frida. Thanks so much for the suggestions on what sort of accessory to offer with Frida. An overwhelming majority voted for a head scarf (kerchief) so I got to work on a fun tutorial for it and it turned out super cute. Plus, I decided at the last minute to add a 3rd version to the pattern, so now it'll have Version A, B & C plus the kerchief! Fun, fun, fun! My next post will have some fun pictures of our day trip to Indianapolis in which Sydney wore her Frida dress and matching kerchief... it was a sure hit!

Testing, testing 1-2-3

Seems to be the million-dollar-word right now: testing. We're already feeling the impact of the CPSIA... companies all over the nation are beginning to test their products for lead and other harmful substances. Retailers already refuse to accept products from their vendors without testing certification. February 10th is just around the corner...

I was pleased to find out today that Michael Miller Fabrics just sent an email to all their customers stating that their 100% Cotton Sheeting and Flannel that Michael Miller Fabrics manufactures meets the hazardous material requirements of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act. (Click here to see test results.) Well, that's good to know! Now we just need to put all our strengths together to make sure they amend the law to accept "component testing."

In addition to this, I was browsing on Twitter this afternoon, when Anna from Sweet Dreams Designs twittered that she recently had Andalucia tested via XRF gun by The Smart Mama and it passed with flying colors! PHEW! Well, of course it did, but it's always reassuring to get that sort of info confirmed by 2 separate sources!

I've been doing a bit of "testing" of my own, but not on fabrics. I've been working day and night on my new line of boutique sewing patterns and I'm just giddy with excitement about it. Let's just say that I've had to become BFFs with Adobe Illustrator CS4... from drafting the pattern itself to making the small mechanical drawings that accompany the instructions, this is a job best suited for a vector program and Illustrator is IT for me.

The first pattern, Lil' Chef, was finished this past weekend and it is off to the "testers" this week with specific instructions to "not be shy about telling me if it stinks!" I want to make sure these are perfect in every way and if I need to re-draft it from scratch, I will. Here's a sneak peek of the front cover of the pattern instruction booklet (check out my little ham!):

I've also been hard at work on my second boutique pattern. This is a dress/tunic top that is loosely inspired by a Mexican housedress, but updated with some girlie details. I call it Frida. The pattern has been drafted and graded. The instructions have been written, but before I send this one off to my testers, I need to do my own testing (plus it helps me get rid of some of this old fabric stash that's been hanging 'round my studio for months... er... years!)

The little one, with the lemon fabric, was actually my 2nd test. The 1st one was so bad that I took it apart immediately and reused the fabric. eeek! This 2nd test was much better but the fit was not perfect yet. I'm lucky to have a live-in 3T/4T model and a 6/7 model to "test" these on. ;) I went on to make the one on the left with the gorgeous Madame Butterfly fabrics and I'm pleased to announce the fit was perfect and the target audience (a.k.a. Sophie) was thrilled with the result!

Frida also comes in dress length with two adorable patch pockets. I made this version in Sydney's size (3T/4T) to see how it fit and it was perfect again! Third time's a charm, right?! ;)

Check out the pocket detail... it has elastic at the top.

Both, the tunic top and the dress versions of Frida, have ties on the side. Frida is loose fitting so it can be worn over a tee during the Winter (as Sophie did today) or by itself during the warm months. I think it would also be cute made up in muslin cloth and used as an art smock over regular clothes.

I'm thinking of adding an accessory to this pattern... maybe a headscarf. Any ideas?

Now that I know Frida works, I just have to print out some copies, send it to my testers and make some prototypes out of Andalucia....hmmmm... or maybe even out of Mezzanine. What? What's Mezzanine, you say? Well, that's the name of my next fabric collection, due out at Spring Quilt Market (May 2009.) Shhhhh... that's all I can say about that! (don't even try to get any more out of me... you know I'm weak!)

OK, so speaking of testing, I think life was really trying to test my patience (or sanity) tonight! First, I lost my favorite serving plate as it slid off the counter -- with the dinner on top of it -- and broke into a million pieces on the kitchen floor. Then, as I was kissing the girls goodnight, I heard a super loud POW! coming from the first floor. I tip-toed down the stairs, afraid of what I might find. Well, what I discovered was that an almost full bottle of liquid detergent had fallen off the top of my washing machine and busted completely! There was a 1/2" deep film of blueness on the laundry room floor and splatter marks that went 5 feet up the wall and covered the washer, dryer and hamper. Yes, lovely!