Market Review and a GIVEAWAY!!

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED AS OF SUNDAY, JUNE 6TH AT 11:59 CDT

Hey All,
It has been CRAZY around here since we got back from market over a week ago. My apologies for not getting this posted sooner, but I had patterns to stuff and orders to ship, so that had to come first. Now that I have that all completed, it is time to share the booth and other stuff with you from market. I know some photos are floating around on Facebook and other blogs, so some of this will be repeats of stuff you have seen somewhere else, but hang with me...there is some real goodness here at the end of the post!

We had a great market. The response to the new designs was fantastic, not to mention how much everyone loves the book. We had two golden copies at market for preview. The photos on the blog here and at the website just aren't a proper substitute for holding the book in your hands and being able to experience it in person. What can I say? Krause did a beautiful job with the layout, photography, just everything about it is perfection! We are still on schedule for shipping at the end of the month, so those of you who have ordered...just hang in there...we'll get those books out as soon as we get them here!

Here's a bit about what I was wearing at market:

Day 1: I am wearing Monique in some luscious cotton from Rowan. These are some Phillip Jacobs prints with a bit of Kaffe Fassett thrown in (the dots)...this fabric is so soft that it feels like voile. It was just a dream to sew with and to wear. I am not normally drawn to vibrant yellows, but I LOVE this fabric!

Day 2: I am wearing the Sophia Trench Coat with the Sabrina Tunic underneath. These are fabulous new fabrics from Moda that were shown at the show called "It's A Hoot". It was designed by MoMo and there are large stylized owls on the print as well as other great elements. I really love the colors and how the large scale print works with the trench coat design. It lets those fabrics really sing! Just an FYI, the coat is made entirely from twills in that line and the dress is made from the regular cottons. It drew a lot of attention and I have to say that I loved wearing it!

Here I am with Gene Stewart from Moda (you can see him over on the right). We were recording a short video about my new designs and book for him to share with customers who couldn't make it to market.

Day 3: I am wearing the Claire Cami Dress. It was our most popular pattern at market...super simple to make and I must say the quintessential summer dress. This one is made from Sandi Henderson's Meadowsweet fabric with Michael Miller. I just love that fabric!

We also had some sightings of my designs being worn by other vendors at market...which is always a treat. Here are the girls that were working in the Quilted Fish's booth. They are all wearing variations of my Emaline Skirt. Don't they look adorable?

Here I am with Amanda Herring of the Quilted Fish. We first met at the Pittsburgh market last year and she is a delight, not to mention VERY talented! She has her first fabric line coming out with Riley Blake in the fall and it is fabulous. Be sure to check it out. She is also wearing the Emaline Skirt. See how great it looks on the whole Quilted Fish crew!

Here is Pillow & Maxfield wearing my Torii Tunic in their new fabrics for Michael Miller, Pretty Bird. Don't they look wonderful? I just can't get over how fun it is to see my designs all over the place and know how much people enjoy them. It does my heart good, I tell you.

Last, but certainly not least, here is a photo of my husband Keith and me on the first day of market. This man is wonderful! You should hear (and some of you have) how well he knows the designs. He can talk the talk with the best of them and he does a great job with the orders at market while I am somewhere talking (usually in the aisle or running around when he lets me out of the booth!) None of this would be possible without all of his support. We will be celebrating 18 years of marriage here in a week or so...I am so glad to have him in my life. We make a great team!

Now for the part you have been patiently waiting for me to get to....if you have made it this far in the post, then certainly, you deserve to be awarded.....

TIME FOR THAT GIVEAWAY!!!

I will be giving away 2 SETS OF THE NEW PATTERNS! That is one each of Monique, Claire, and Rachel...so there will be 2 lucky winners as of Monday morning. Just leave a comment about how you simply can't live without these patterns and you will be entered! The giveaway starts now and goes through 11:59 PM CDT on Sunday evening. Winners will be posted on Monday morning....good luck to all and as always.....

HAPPY SEWING!

Big News!!

Hey Everyone!
Just wanted to let you know that the new designs are NOW available for sale on our website here in the New Products section at the bottom of our homepage....AND the book is available for pre-order too! We are offering it at a special promotional price of $25.99 until it is in house next month. When you place your order, it will not be processed until we receive our stock. We will notify you when it ships. Please also remember that you can request to have your autographed copy personalized. Just leave your instructions in the comments section when you place your order.

I got my promotional copies on Monday afternoon....the book is just beautiful! My publisher did such a wonderful job with the layout and photographs...I know you are going to LOVE it! Go on over and take a peek....there are some more shots of the projects as well as some points of interest about the book, too. Below is another project from Sew Serendipity. This is the Ruffled Skirt.

Time is drawing close for market now. We will be leaving in a week and there isn't a ton left to do, but I still have a few things I want to sew before we fly out. If anyone is attending the show in Minneapolis, please come by and say hello! We would love to visit with you and show off all the new goodies. We will be in booth #1835. I am also going to do a presentation at Schoolhouse the day before market opens, showing the projects from the book and discussing the layout. If you will be in attendance, be sure to check it out!

Until next time.....Happy Sewing!

Sew Serendipity Book, Part I

Hey Everyone! The time has finally come to begin sharing bits of my first book with you. I should be receiving a couple of promotional copies in the next few days, and I can tell you, it still doesn't seem real yet. I guess until that darling is in my hot little hands, this still all seems like a dream!

At the top of this post is the cover. This is one of the many skirt projects in the book. Doesn't the model have great legs? I wish those were mine! (so, no, that is NOT me!) For those of you familiar with how I approach designs in my patterns, you will be pleased to know that I have followed a similar format for the book. There are skirt, tunic/dress, and jacket designs in the book to total 18 projects (so, that is 6 each). Just some technical stuff, the book is a hardback with a concealed spiral binding so it will lay open when you sew (a great feature, I think). The pattern pieces are full-size and printed on tissue that you will find in a pocket on the inside cover....no enlarging at the copier for these pattern pieces!

I loved playing around with the different projects so much that you will find many of them can go together. So, not only are these great projects, but you can actually build a wardrobe from these designs. Here is another beauty shot of a jacket and skirt that you will find in the book (this is one of my personal favorites):

In writing the manuscript, I thought about all the things that I would love to include in a pattern, but just don't have the space. Therefore, there are chapters that tell all about how to measure yourself and how to apply it to different parts of the pattern pieces to get a great custom fit. Sewing is only part of the magic that happens when you are making clothing for yourself. If you don't feel like a million bucks wearing something you made yourself, then a part of the process was not fully utilized. I aim to help in all aspects through the book with tips for choosing fabrics and making the design your own in addition to fitting tips and fully photographed step by step sewing techniques (yes, those are my actual hands!) that are some of my favorites to use.

In the next several posts, I will be sharing more photos of the book as well as how the book is laid out and the special way I decided to approach the design work. Stay tuned and let me know what you think so far!

The book goes on sale in June. We will post an official way to order through our website at that time and you can order your own personal SIGNED copy if you wish! For those of you attending market, I will have the projects from the book on display along with the promotional copy for you to take a closer look. We will be in booth #1835, so come by and say hey!

Happy, happy sewing!!

New Designs for Spring!

Wow, it has been a while since I last wrote to the blog. Things have been pretty busy around the studio...lots of thread and snips of fabric flying about as I prepare for Market next month. I just finished writing instructions and finalizing the pattern pieces for three new designs. We spent the weekend in intermittent rain getting the beauty shots for the new covers....I am happy to report that everything is now safely at the printer and should be in stock ready to sell in early May!

I thought I would take a little time today to share the new ones with you so you can begin anticipating their release!

The first one is the Monique Dress. It is a great easy to sew dress with a decided retro feel. The neckline lays so beautifully...I am so proud of that! The waistline is raised (somewhat Empire) for a flattering fit, which most of you know is something I readily do on all my dress/tunic patterns. I really had fun with the pieced bodice and playing with a variety of fabrics. I think the different details on each dress really make each one unique. Here are a few samples of what I am talking about.....

The next design is the Claire Cami Dress. This one is REALLY easy to make, since there is no zipper or anything. The result is an easy fitting dress with a drawstring closure (high-waisted, again) that you pull as tight or loose as you would like when wearing. This one is a cinch to sew and makes for a perfect summer dress....cool and comfortable. With 5 different lengths included on the pattern pieces, you can make a great tunic or a long flowy dress...so many options and so much fun!

The last design is the Rachel Cross Body Bag. This is my first foray into cross body bags, and I am very happy with the result. I made it with 4 different pocket variations to change it up a bit. I think the adjustable handle with all the great hardware really sets this one off. The hardest part about this bag is deciding which fabric to use!

Drop me a line and let me know your thoughts about the new babies. I am anxious to get them in and share them with you.

Stay tuned....there will be a BOOK page reveal very soon......so excited!

Until then, happy sewing (as always!)

Sewing with Nancy!

Hey All!
I am back from my whirlwind trip to Wisconsin to tape a two part segment with Nancy Zieman for Sewing with Nancy. It was a wonderful trip and a fabulous opportunity. What can I say about Nancy? She is a true professional. This was my first experience with television, and she made it so easy. She wrote the outline for our script and we planned each step extensively the day before taping so that everything would go smoothly. You couldn't ask for nicer people or an easier process!

I landed in Madison last Tuesday and then arrived later that afternoon in Beaver Dam where I did a brief talk about the book, Sew Serendipity (coming in June), to a group of people who are affiliated with Nancy's Notions and her production company. That pretty much wrapped up Day 1.

Day 2 was our planning day. I worked with Nancy and her staff to prepare for Thursday's taping. I had spent the previous week sewing samples in different stages of development so that the "magic" of sewing could occur instantly for our viewing audience. You can't imagine how detailed that can be when sewing. There were parts of each sample that I had to make several times to be able to step it out. We spent Day 2 finalizing the sequence of samples and steps and tied up a few loose ends. We had to make some tissue pattern pieces and sew a couple of small items, but that was about it. It was a busy productive day. Here is a photo of Nancy, Donna, and me as we began our day.

Day 3 was where the magic happened! We traveled to Madison to the University of Wisconsin. The PBS studios are located on campus. I was told a bit of interesting trivia about the building. It seems that it does not have a front entrance! This is because it was built in the late 60's/early 70's when the protests for the Vietnam War were going strong and there was a fear that the protesters would get into the building and take over the station. As a result, the building is a sum of mazes and if you don't know where you are going, you can get lost easily!

Below you can see photos of the studio where we taped. You can see the enormous spotlights on the ceiling, the great camera crew (operating with HD cameras, I might add...very cool) and the control room. It is simply amazing how many people it takes to do a show like this. Everyone was so professional...it made the experience so enjoyable and dare I say it....easy!

We did the first segment talking about three of the skirts from my book and about different techniques from each one. It was amazing how quickly you forget the cameras are there and just do what you need to. We did have a couple of takes on some segments, but overall, we got a lot of them in the first try....that made me feel really good! We did the second segment on three of the jackets from the book. Again, we demonstrated the different detailing and techniques for those. At the end of the segment, there is a showcase of photos from the book showing the projects all beautifully modeled. We also had time for a bonus segment where Nancy does a brief interview with me regarding the layout and details of the book...a good promo for the DVD of our segment and the book.

Here's a photo of Nancy preparing to tape one of the technique cutaways for the segment.

Just a reminder....the book will be available at the end of June and the DVD in the fall. Our segments are scheduled for late September and early October on your local PBS station. Air dates will vary based on your local channel's schedule.....I am sure I will blog the time when our local station will air it here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Now, back to work and getting ready for spring market....never a dull moment here!

Our BIG Snow

As I am sure most of you have already heard on the news, we got a record snowfall last week here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas. Thursday, February 11th was the single snowiest day in our history! We estimate that we received somewhere in the neighborhood of 12 inches....it was unbelievable! It snowed for a straight 24 hours. Many people were without electricity, around 250,000 as of Friday morning. We were very lucky in that we never lost power, so we stayed nice and warm.

Can you believe this is our neighborhood here in Texas? We can't!

We were not so lucky with our beautiful live oak tree that had about 20 years of good growth on it. The snow was very wet, and as result, quite heavy. The tree eventually succombed to the weight and we woke up to a disaster Friday morning, as our tree had split right down the middle. See the photo below for the carnage. Needless to say, we are very sad to lose it. We are glad it did not damage the house or block the street, but it is still with heavy hearts that we realize there is no way to save it. So we are now in the process of clearing it and shopping for new trees.

We think that after seeing what can happen to a live oak in snow (and we have experienced some scary stuff in the past with ice too), we're choosing a different type of oak for replacement. We are currently debating between the Burr or Chinkapin Oak. They are both native to this part of Texas and are disease resistant. They also tolerate the heat well, which is equally important in these parts. We would welcome any advice regarding our choice here, so feel free to chime in! It will be hard to have small trees for the next several years, but there isn't a lot of choice to be made.

Since this was our only tree and we have to start over, we will be putting in three trees at one time. Our front yard is large and we always wanted more, so this is as good a time as any to go ahead with that plan. Looks like there is going to be a lot of yard work this year!

On another note, I will be going to Wisconsin in a couple of weeks to tape a segment with Nancy Zieman for Sewing with Nancy! I am excited to be a part of her show. We will be focusing on some of the projects for my book. I will be taking photos of the process of the shoot for the show. It is scheduled to show later on in the year, probably fall. I will let you know as soon as I know more.

Guess that is about it for now....need to get sewing and working on those spring market patterns...hopefully I will have some goodies to share from that soon!

Keep warm and Happy Sewing!

Scissor Mat Tutorial

Hey Everyone! Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and New Year. I want to thank everyone who left a comment about the Christmas decor...yes, it is exhausting to get all of the decorations up and then again put away for another season! I am grateful for all of the kind comments that were left and happy to hear that you enjoyed the tour!

Now, back to work with a fresh perspective and renewed energy for the new year! I thought I would start off with a tutorial on what I like to call a scissor mat. This is a super simple project and you can make many in one sitting if desired. The idea came to me once I had my new spiffy sewing table and island. I didn't realize that I was a "scissor hurler" until I had nice surfaces to work on and then thought with horror that I didn't want to scuff them up unneccesarily. I mean really, I DO throw scissors and machine feet around when I get going in the studio. It is a wonder that anything survives the abuse I hand out!

This idea is easily adaptable to make coasters, hot pads, placemats, etc., nearly anything you can think of that you would like to have a little padding underneath. Just change the size to suit your needs. I would suggest a square for coasters (maybe a 4"-5" square) and hot pads (9" square) and a large rectangle for placemats. When I make placemats, I cut my rectangles to 13" x 18" and quilt them with my walking foot after assembly. I find that placemats only really need one layer of fleece, so if you are making some, apply the fusible fleece to the back of only one of the fabrics.

I used 2 - 10" squares in the tutorial from a layer cake I had lying around, but you can use anything you want. Scraps would be a great idea. You can even piece them together and make them scrappy if you want. 2 - 10" squares will yield two mats.

Here's what you need:
2 - 5" x 10" pieces of fabric
2 - 5" x 10" pieces of fusible fleece (I like Pellon's Thermolam Plus)
all the regular necessities: rotary cutter, ruler, mat, scissors, thread, iron, and sewing machine

1.  Start by cutting the 5" x 10" pieces of fabric. I used two contrasting fabrics. Note that I am starting from 2 - 10" squares and cutting them in half. I just set the extra pieces of fabric aside for future use.

2.  Next, cut 2 - 5" x 10" pieces of fusible fleece.

3. Lay the wrong side of each fabric piece against the fusible side of the fleece.

4. Iron each fabric and fleece piece together.

5. Lay the two pieces right sides of fabric together and pin, leaving an opening to turn the mat right side out.

6. Stitch together, starting along one of the long sides with a 3/8" seam allowance. Pivot at each corner and backstitch at the beginning and ending of the stitching.

7. Don't forget to leave an opening!

8. Clip each corner diagonally.

9. Turn the mat right side out and press, turning in the opening edges and pressing them flat.

10.  Edgestitch around the entire mat, 1/4" in from the finished edge.

Ta-Da! You are finished! This mat is also handy for throwing your machine feet onto as well. I have also noticed that since I started using my mats, it is easier to locate my scissors when the studio gets messy.

Happy Sewing!