Light Brights - Oh My!

Wow! Has it really been so long since I've blogged?! Well, I've been creating and drawing these past few months, and spending every extra hour doing so. I just get so focused and forget the world outside my design room door. Perhaps someday I will show you the projects I'm working on, but for today I must share with you the fabulous color that came in my mailbox!

I just received the J.Crew catalog and the colors really made my heart skip a beat - absolutely STUNNING! This is the way that I absolutely LOVE to see "neon" being used. Little hits here and there, mixed with soft pastels and loads of neutrals. Everything looks so fresh, feminine and beautiful. Makes me want to dig though my closet right now and say goodbye to the long standing jewel tones and hello to soft color! I like to call these new neon's "light brights". Take a peek and let me know if you love? Would you wear neon this way or incorporate it into your projects in little hits?
click on pictures to view fab color up close!

Some of my Product out at Nordstrom Now

Right now a lot of my product is in stores at Nordstrom. I work there for my day job and at night do the fabric thing on the side. This is almost the last of my product that will be shipping in BP (junior girl's), as I have moved to another position in the company and am not currently working on juniors clothing. Instead I get the chance to support all of the brands and do artwork on a wide variety of product lines. (Yay!) I thought I would take a minute to post some of my work here. If you're at Nordstrom shopping in BP any time soon, check out the Susina, Frenchi, Rubbish & Tildon lines, and chances are, you are looking at my work. Enjoy!

I Spy a Quarterly Challenge at AllPeopleQuilt.com

I came across an apron made out of my Hot Blossom fabrics, in the Fiesta colorway on the web today at AllPeopleQuilt.com, and am absolutely gushing. So fun!!! I love the blue piping they used with it! This is the first time I've seen someone else make something out of my fabrics, and could not be more overjoyed to see it! There's even a "How To" video showing step-by-step how to make the apron.

This sewing pattern is a part of the Quilts and More Quarterly Challenge. Each quarter, editors at Quilts and More and American Patchwork & Quilting will challenge you and a friend to create your own imaginative version of a fun project using a FREE downloadable pattern. Complete this 2nd challenge project (this apron) and upload your team photos (up to six photos). To be eligible for prizes, upload by June 15 at 11:59pm CT.

My Spring 2009 RTW Runway Faves

Spring is here! I'm sure for so many of you, spring has already begun, but here in Seattle, spring seems to be coming and going this year - one day is 70 degrees and sunny and the next is overcast with clouds and loads of rain. For the first time this spring, I was able to wear sandals - YAY! And I hope more of those days keep coming our way!

So, as per my previous posting a little bit back, here are some of my favorites from the Spring 2009 RTW runway's. There's so many beautiful color stories and patterns! These shows truly do inspire me and get my heart racing. It's so inspiring to me to see what fresh ideas come off the runways. Some of my favorite runways are always Anna Sui, Etro, Emilio Pucci, Missoni, and Matthew Williamson because each season they deliver such beautiful print stories. I got all these images from Style.com. Check out the shows in more detail and other designers I haven't listed here, and be prepared to be inspired.

So here we go!

ETRO: This show is by far my absolute favorite. The beautiful and intricately drawn paisley's, as well as the placement of them is stunning. I especially love the softness of the color stories, the sheer billowing fabrics, and the loose styling. This show definitely looks very ethno-romantic.
MATTHEW WILLIAMSON: The prints here are absolutely amazing! I love the techno/romantic/hippie vibe. The ombre in the prints and the overlapping of the printed elements are stunning.
ANNA SUI: This spring collection is bubbling over with such beautiful saturated colors. I love the earthiness mixed with the prettiness of the prints, fabrics and styling. The folk inspired prints look fresh mixed in with traditional elements such as plaid, stripes and ditsy florals.
MARNI: The '50s bubblegum palette mixed with hits of brights and off-beat neutrals really make the modern geometrics and prints from Marni outshine the rest. I love all the print mixing and layering of color!
EMILIO PUCCI: Talk about a new take on geometrics! I absolutely LOVE the patchwork quality of the geometric in the first maxi dress, as well as the kaleidoscope geometric of the last dress. Below are a few of my favorites from different runway collections...


From Left to Right: Erin Fetherston-this is my all time favorite image. The soft colored ombre is absolutely beautiful...and my favorite part of this image is that the girl's skin lookes sun burnt in an ombre pattern. Very creative! Missoni: This geometric is so unique and stunning. The cubism quality mixed with the ombred colors within the pattern make such a hard-edged geometric very soft and pretty. Burberry Prorsom: This runway show was very urban and earthy with the drenched looking colors diffusing together. Junya Watanabe: A new way to use batik and woodblock prints! This collection was very Africana meets Americana/farm country with all of the haystack & wildflower head-dresses and batik prints mixed with gingham and denim. Diane von Furstenberg: The sheer fabrics and vibrant color really makes for a new, feminine tropical feel. Very glamorous flower-child! Alexander McQueen: The patterns in this collection are like no other! Crystals, wood and nature elements collide together to create stunning digital prints. The models looked other-worldly and wood-nymph like.

And there you have it! I hope some of these prints really inspired you and led you to Style.com to check out further collections. I always love seeing what the fashion designers are up to in the world of print, as it takes us leaps forward into new and exciting directions.