WWC in da house...

Lemme hear ya say "heeeeeey!"



Get your own autographed copy HERE. Don't forget to let us know who to dedicate it to (even if it's your own name). :) Limited quantities available...

OH, and guess who else will be in da house today?!? You guessed it...



These four lovely ladies will be coming to a retailer near you in the next few days!

OH, and let's not forget the new and improved Kyoko! She's ready to come to your house with a fresh new cover, a new inspiration gallery and a completely re-designed back page with sizing charts and lots more info. Ask your favorite retailer if they have the new MODKID patterns on order!



We're buzzing around like little bees at the MODKID studio today... come join the fun! :)

And sometimes I sew for fun...

It's not all business all the time around here. Sydney had her school recital last Thursday. She was asked to dress like a peasant woman from Abe Lincoln's time. I hope I came close to it... (Thank goodness I had all this vintage fabric and trims on hand.)



She had so much fun with her BFFs...



And we had a great time watching her belt out her Old Abe Lincoln song. She practiced it so many times at home we all knew it by heart...



This is by far my favorite pic from the evening!



Don't forget to enter the Mommy & Me Giveaway below. Still a few days left. Also, the Where Women Create magazines are being uploaded to our website as we speak. Check back tonight if you want to get your own signed copy! Limited availability. ;)

Mommy & Me Giveaway

This is the one you've all been waiting for! With Mother's Day fast approaching I thought this would be a great chance to win some lovelies for yourself, your mother, your daughter, your sister, your best friend or any woman that makes your life special.

*****

We'll start with none other than The Vintage Pearl. Erin and I go waaay back to my old eBay children's custom boutique days. Seems we always ended up in the same launch groups and cooperating on projects. I always loved her jewelry (and bought plenty of it for myself back in the day) so you can imagine my surprise when I received an email from Erin offering to make me one of her precious stamped necklaces and participate in this giveaway! I was so happy to learn that her company has grown exponentially in the past couple of years and browsing through her store was an absolute pleasure... pure eye candy if I shall say so myself. Just look at the necklace she made me! *gasp* I am in love with that dainty ampersand... aren't you?



Erin has so graciously donated 2... yes, TWO $50.00 Gift Certificates to be used for any purchase in her online store, and if you've ever browsed her store, you know that you can easily pick something for $50.00... the only problem is what to pick! I know it took me like 2 days to decide on mine (I wanted one of each! heehee). So, leave a comment below and enter to win one of these 2 amazing certificates. And in the meantime, check out Erin's blog, where she is currently running a Mother's Day promotion.

*****

My second giveaway is sponsored by the lovely Linda Edson of Lily and Ebony (a.k.a. Allegro Fabrics). Linda and I also go way back to the custom boutique days and it makes me smile when I see how far her business has grown. Allegro Fabrics has been a supporter of all my endeavors since the very beginning. They carry my fabric collections and my sewing patterns and a little birdie told me they have recently ordered the new knits and patterns. :) Stop by Allegro Fabrics... it is a lovely place to browse around if you are a sewing aficionado like myself!



Now, about the giveaway... in Linda's own words:

Flora and Fauna daisies are the perfect flower for Mother's Day! When this group came through the door at AllegroFabrics, I knew a dress would be in the making. I love how it turned out; had it modeled and photographed and asked Patty if she would like me to make a custom one for a giveaway on her blog. She agreed! I am so honored.......This will be a custom dress, made in sizes 2-6, sent in time for Mother's Day, sewn by LilyandEbony.
To enter the giveaway, just sign the guest book at AllegroFabrics with Flora and Fauna Dress Giveaway in the message box. That's it! A random drawing will take place in one week. Here is the link to the AllegroFabrics Guest Book.
http://allegrofabrics.com./guestbook.htm
Linda
AllegroFabrics
LilyandEbony Clothing Design

So, there ya have it... what a great giveaway item! How sweet is this outfit?!? It just makes my heart melt! Here's a couple more pictures, because a blog can never have too much eye candy. ;)

*****

And finally, I couldn't let these two ladies have all the fun. Since I love my mom and I know you all must have a crafty lady who inspires you everyday, I am giving away a bundle of crafty goodness. My shipment of WHERE WOMEN CREATE magazines just arrived on our doorstep yesterday and I have set one of them aside for a lucky winner. This lucky winner will also receive 5 full yards from my Flora & Fauna collection. Yes, that is 1 yard each of 5 assorted coordinating designs! (and, if you prefer a different colorway, I can do that instead... I'm easy that way!) ;)



Leave a comment below to win this crafty bundle. Four lucky winners will be chosen one week from today, Friday, April 30th 2010, one for each prize detailed above. Please don't forget to leave an email addy where we can contact you if you win.



**I know a lot of you are waiting patiently to get your signed copy of the magazine. We will be adding them to the website shortly and will announce as soon as they're up there.**

Pattern Reveal: Mini-Nina

Valerie has done it again! She has waved her magic wand and miniaturized another one of our sewing patterns... and we are just tickled pink! Nina is one of our best selling patterns, not to mention the easiest to sew and most versatile. Now, we are pleased to present Mini-Nina, dolly-sized all-season's peasant top and easy-peasy skirt for your 15" and 18" doll. Yes, this pattern will fit all your American Girl Dolls, My Generation, Bitty Twins and Build-A-Bears.



Check out how cute the "Just Like Me" pictures look. Here is Melissa Baker's adorable daughter with her AGD modeling the sleeveless versions...



Sydney and her dolly are wearing the short-sleeved version...



And Sophie and her dolly are sporting the long-sleeved version...



My other tester, Ellie Roberts, made one of each... aren't they sweet!?!



Mini-Nina, together with the other 3 new patterns, are available NOW for wholesale pre-order on our website (new patterns are only viewable after you log in). Retailers, log in using your email and password to place your order. New patterns will be in stock the first week of May. Consumers, please check with your favorite retailer and see if they've ordered the new MODKID patterns. See the bottom of this page for a list of retailers that currently stock MODKID patterns.



Come back and see us tomorrow for THE MOTHER OF ALL GIVEAWAYS! ('nuff said!) ;)

Oh, Stella!

I've been itching to have my own purse pattern since I started MODKID. I am a bag freak – own several dozens of them — but there was just one problem: I'm not a bag maker. I had (note: past tense) never made a purse, mostly because my mom always made them for me, so why bother, right? So, naturally, I turned to the expert for this one. Many of you have purchased Marieliz Creations purse designs on Etsy and have been clamoring for a pattern from her. Well here it is!



My mom and I stayed up late one night chatting on the phone about purse designs ideas. And if you know me, you know I was talking a million miles an hour and jumping from one thing to the other. Our conversation went something like this:

ME: I want it to be a structured bag... ya know... the kind that stand on their own... not slouchy.
MOM: OK.
ME: And... I want it to have a cell phone pocket... on the outside... so I don't have to dig in my purse to find the phone every time it rings.
MOM: Uh-huh
ME: Oh, but I also want it to have some pockets on the inside... at least 2... so I can put my car keys and my chapstick and other things in them...
MOM: Yup.
ME: I also want it to have only 1 handle because when I wear purses with 2 handles, one of them always falls of the shoulder and it is so annoying...
MOM: OK, listen, sounds like you really know what you want, so why don't you just send me a drawing and some dimensions and I'll go from there...

So, I did. I sent her this...



And then I thought we should offer some more options so I also sent her this...



Mom went to work on this idea. There was silence for about a week and then she resurfaced with an awesome pattern that just made me tear up in excitement. AND... this sewn sample:



I couldn't believe how my drawing had come to life, not one detail overlooked! The handle, the pockets, the shape, the size... all was there, just right! I digitized all of her drawings in Illustrator and typeset her instructions in inDesign and then the inevitable... I was gonna have to sew up my very first purse. SCARY! I needed to (whether I wanted to or not) because I had to make the step-by-step mechanical drawings and how could I draw them if I didn't even know how the darn thing went together? So I did.

I made my very first purse (so friggin' proud!):



And the other side showing the patchwork design:



Then the true test came... my pattern testers. I sent the test pattern to Valerie Haberer, and she sent me this beauty back:



Then I sent it to Amy Priddy and I got this gorgeousness back:



What more could I ask for? Sooooo gorgeous! And just how I envisioned it, down to the very last detail! I went to work on finishing up the pattern edits based on my testers' awesome feedback, played around with a few cover shot options...



... and VOILA! May I present to you STELLA: Modern Handbag sewing pattern.



This, and all of our new patterns, are currently up for pre-order on the wholesale portion of our website only (new patterns are only viewable after you log in). Retailers, log in using your email and password to place your order. New patterns will be in stock the first week of May. Consumers, please check with your favorite retailer and see if they've ordered the new MODKID patterns. See the bottom of this page for a list of retailers that currently stock MODKID patterns.

Next up... Mini-Nina! :)

**UPDATE** Forgot to show a top view of the bags. They close up with a zipper. :) Thanks to Rebecca for reminding me in the comments section.

Hot off the press!

A year and two months ago, Jon and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary in Chicago. We had a few minutes to kill before our dinner reservations so we walked into the Borders on Michigan Avenue to browse. I headed towards the craft/sewing magazine section as I usually do and my eye was caught immediately by a new (to me) magazine... Where Women Create. I couldn't believe how beautiful this thing was! I was completely immersed in the stories and captivated by the gorgeous full spread photos and I remember telling Jon, wouldn't it be great if my studio was featured in this magazine someday? someday.

About 6 months later, while we were vacationing in South Florida, I received an email from Jo Packham (editor and creator of Where Women Create) followed by a super sweet phone call. She said they were going to be in the area in 3 days and would love to shoot my studio. Talk about a turn of events!!! Luckily we were scheduled to fly back that day and I went into frantic studio clean up mode for the next couple days.

The day of the shoot I got hair, nails & toes done and picked up fresh daisies all before noon. I even went shopping for a new outfit that I didn't even end up wearing that day... I must've changed a half a dozen times! The shoot went off without a hitch (I even turned the camera back on them!) and now... eight months later...



I seriously cannot believe it. It's truly a dream come true! To be a part of this gorgeous magazine and share pages with these amazing women... I can't even describe the feeling! And my name even made it to the cover!

I don't want to give away too much so I'll just show some little sneaks. Six glorious pages!







Thank you, thank you, thank you Jo and team for a most amazing experience... I will never forget this and what a wonderful keepsake I now have! :)

I'm starting a little collection... are you?



**We ordered a bunch of copies to autograph and sell at Quilt Market so if you'll be attending, please stop by and get yours. You can also find the magazine in stores like Barnes and Noble, Borders, Michaels, JoAnns & Hobby Lobby. However... if you can't find it locally or just want to get a signed copy from me, let us know. We can put them up on the site as soon as they arrive. :)**

Eight going on Sixteen



WOW! I seriously never anticipated such response to my knits announcement. My inbox has been flooded with questions and I can't even keep up with the Twitter and Facebook comments. THANK YOU! (I mean it!) And to think for a while there I was afraid I'd be the only one in the world sewing with these! Well, you proved me wrong. Can't wait to see what you guys sew up.

For those of you who have expressed some apprehension about sewing with knits, NO FEAR! Knits are easy peasy to work with and you'll be so amazed as to how fast you can complete a project because you are cutting out so many steps you'd normally do with woven fabrics. From time to time I will post tips, tricks and tutorials here on the blog. And I must also mention that my new knit patterns come with full knit-sewing instructions for the beginner.

So, now on to the topic of this post... my "big girl." She seldom models for me anymore because she seems to think it's not "cool" (who knew?) And she thinks most dresses make her look "like a baby" (geez, I thought she was my baby!) She pretty much could live in an old pair of jeans and a rugged tee (who's child is this anyway?)

So I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when she said she liked my Abigail pattern and wanted me to make her one. After I picked myself off the floor, I offered to make her 1 or 20 with the fabrics of her choice.





She even agreed to a mini photoshoot... if she could pick her own accessories! How could I refuse?



And... as icing on the cake, she decided to wear her new Abigail to her school concert Monday night. There she is in the back row, where they put the "tall" kids (that was never my issue! haha)



Ahhhh! Life is sweet! :)

Let's talk about stretch, baby!

Clearly I must've run into the textiles genie at some point because Michael Miller just granted me my biggest wish yet.... KNITS (a.k.a. stretch fabrics). For as long as I've been sewing clothes I've wanted these. I would've been happy with any cute, great quality and affordable knit, but... cute, great quality and affordable knits with my name printed on the selvedge? Pinch me because I must be dreaming!

Check these out! We have the ever so popular Mod Blooms and Mod Dots from Andalucia in the aqua colorway, which was originally cut from the quilting cotton collection, but that's OK because they are much better suited for this! We also have 4 glorious colors of Blossoms from Flora & Fauna. In addition, Michael Miller has also produced 3 of their adorable house prints, Carnival Bloom, Elvira and Scandi Chirp. Now, watch that drool... you don't want to ruin your keyboard!



What, you want coordinates? Ask and you shall receive. We have dots, solids and stripes (OH MY!) in every color combo imaginable!



All of these are produced on 100% cotton interlock, which means they won't curl on the edges like the lighter weight jerseys do. It also means they have 50% stretch, which makes them perfect for just about any project... t-shirts, dresses, leggings, yoga pants, skirts, you name it. I'm even planning to make some pillowcases and sheets for the kids... oh, how soft would those be?! :)

And speaking of making stuff, I have been in absolute sewing heaven these past few days! I love how versatile these are and how fast I can make an outfit that looks almost store-bought! True story: before we left for Florida a couple of weeks ago, I sewed 8 (count them: EIGHT!) pieces of clothing in a span of about 12 hours... with breaks in between!

I made this dress for myself (no, I didn't make Jon's t-shirt, although I totally could've!)



Would you be interested in a pattern for this dress, with several options of course? I've been avoiding designing women's patterns for several reasons, but the knits might just push me over to the other side. They are so forgiving so you don't have to mess with those pesky darts & such. If you ladies want this pattern, I can make it happen... for the Summer release.

I also made several pieces for the kids to wear:









And, of course, to commemorate the release of the knits, I have designed 2 children's clothing patterns that will debut at Spring Quilt Market, May 21 - 23, 2010.

Abigail is a sweet a-line gored dress with 2 length options and 2 sleeve options.





Maya is a 2-piece set (ruffled shirt and yoga skirt) also with 2 sleeve-options and comes with a dress version.







My testers have been having a blast playing with the new knits and patterns. Although you are welcome to use any of my photos for promoting my items on your site, please do not use my testers' photos without their written permission.

This one is from Melissa Baker (love, love, LOVE this picture!)



And how cool is this shot from Kristen Hallagan.



An adorable version of Abigail from Anna Garner. Photo courtesy of Jamie Erwin Photography.



And last, but not least, this sweet Abigail dress by Jennifer Moore.



I'm sure you want to see the pattern covers, so here they are...





Yes, they go up to size 8! :) All new patterns will be available for pre-order in a couple of weeks, so they are not up on our website yet.

For all questions regarding the knit fabrics, please contact Michael Miller Fabrics.

For any questions regarding the new patterns, or to be added to our mailing list, please contact Jon Young at jjyoung@modkidboutique.com

I'm anxious to hear your thoughts! Please share. :)

**UPDATE** Kathy Miller just posted the full knits group on her blog complete with SKU#s and print names. Check it out!