Spring 2013 - Red Valentino

 

{All images from Style.com}

Valentino's lower priced Red Valentino line caught my eye this season too! Mostly because of the gorgeously painted backdrop they used for the photo's as well as the flirty Spring dresses. Isn't that backdrop amazing? I love the soft and dream-like colors they used in it, to paint such a tropical story. It makes it look so much more romantic and whimsical. And aren't those printed dresses and flowery necklaces beautiful? Let's just skip winter and go straight to Spring, no?!?

Spring 2013 - Dries van Noten

 {All images from Style.com}

Good Monday morning! It's pretty dark and gloomy outside, which inspired me to share the Dries van Noten runway with you today. Gorgeous, luxe fabrics mix with deep colors, and combine masculine and feminine dressing - all of which is being labeled 'grunge couture'. Don't you just love all the print mixing?!? I love how the sheer floral prints layer on top of plaid peeking through...

I always pay attention when such dark colors are used for Spring - especially when it's from such a big designer. I'm excited to see it play out in the marketplace. When I think of how this relates to paper products, I think of using vellum's, a dusting of silver or gold over prints, navy, chocolate and opalescent foils.

Spring 2013 - Tucker

{All images from Style.com}

Tucker is up next for sharing Spring 2013 runway inspiration. This collection is very wearable and not very over the top like so many runway shows - although I happen to LOVE over the top! The colors are fantastic in this collection, aren't they? Greens and oranges with a pop of yellow + Teal with reds and berry tones = very sell-able color palettes!

Spring 2013 - Peter Pilotto

 {All images from Style.com}

Next up on the Spring 2013 runways that I wanted to share with you is Peter Pilotto. This runway collection is digital printing at it's best! Such a visual feast! I love how they collaged so many prints together. Keep your eye out...you'll be seeing a LOT more of the blue and red color combo as I continue to share. What I like about their use of these two colors is that they infuse other quirky and unexpected colors which make it feel less Americana.

Spring 2013 - Erdem

{All images from Style.com}

I've been spending the past few weeks taking snapshots of the Spring / Summer 2013 runway's, gathering inspiration, and I thought I'd start sharing some of them with you today! Especially with Winter upon us, I though bringing you some beautiful and fresh color might just make your Friday that much cheerier!

First up, Erdem. The glowing color palette mixed with the sheer fabrics, applique flowers and lace truly make this a gorgeous collection! Wouldn't you agree? I love the accents of shiny and mirrored silver metallic shoes and sunglasses (foil on products, anyone??!) and the neon-like color treatment to traditional lace. Now THAT is how you revive traditional elements! LOVE!

Black Friday Sale starts NOW!

Hi Everyone! I wanted to let you know that I am starting my Black Friday sale TODAY!

Buy 2 boxes of cards from my Big Cartel Pop-up Shop and get a FREE 2013 Desk Calendar + FREE Shipping! (That's $29 worth of FREE!)

Enter promo code: BLACKFRIDAY at checkout

Black Friday sale starts today and ends Monday, November 26th at midnight.

This is the perfect time to get your holiday cards started and get a free calendar gift for yourself or for a friend. And free shipping? What could be better?!?

Have fun shopping!

2013 Desk Calendar Giveaway!

In celebration of my birthday next week, I'm giving away one of my 2013 Desk Calendars! I feel much more comfortable giving than receiving, that's for sure! So let me treat you, as a treat to me.

Here are the details:

The giveaway starts today and goes until Tuesday, November 20th at 12:00 noon.

ENTER TO WIN ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE

To be eligible to enter: 'Like' my Facebook page, and under my post about this giveaway, comment and let me know which month's page of my calendar you like the most. If you already like my Facebook page, (thank you SO much!), you are already eligible to enter to win. Please follow the same directions as new followers, to enter. 

You can view my calendar pages here:
My Pop-up Shop 
Etsy

One entry per person. Winner to be chosen by me by random. I will announce the winner on Wednesday, November 21st.

Good luck everyone!!

My Studio & Organization Tips

Those who know me, know that I love to organize - to have a place for everything and everything in it's place. I must admit though, that many times I am so focused on the work that needs to be done that things hardly ever stay  pretty and get put back into their homes. That would be quite an amazing super-hero talent and I admire those who have it! Well, as Fall has been settling in, I definitely got bit by an organizing bug at the same time as discovering The Container Store! (Which, for any of you have been there, you know already how much trouble that means!)

So instead of just putting things back in their places, I decided to completely rethink what was working for me and what wasn't and use my creativity to brainstorm ideas on solutions that would work best. Since I put so much work into it, I thought I'd share what I discovered with you, in the hopes that it would help you figure out what you need most in your surroundings, as well as to inspire you to get organized - at whatever level that means for you.

So, to get started, I would suggest taking a piece of paper and writing down (single or multiple) answers to these questions with regards to your stuff, how you work, and organization:

1) What annoys you the most?

2) What do you always find yourself reaching for?

3) What are the main things that you use every day and week? 

4) What is on your desk that you don't use often?

5) Where are your piles accumulating?

For example, here are my answers to these questions, along with some thoughts on solutions:

1) What annoys you the most?  

That I don't have desk space to work on my current project. BUT I am juggling multiple projects at one time, and need immediate access to these items. That my printer runs out of paper and ink constantly and I'm getting into bins and drawers to get ink and paper. That the piles on my desk get in the way of putting paper in my printer. That there are piles of mini notes & post-its....

SOLUTION: Add a desk shelf so I can stack my projects & have easy access to them. Move my printer ink and paper into a more accessible location. Find something to put my mini notes & post-its in when I need a clear desk

2) What do you always find yourself reaching for?  

Printer ink, printer paper, art supplies, ribbon, Pantone books, personal stationery...

SOLUTION: Put these items closer and in easier to access drawers and containers

3) What are the main things that you use every day and week?

Ruler, memo pad, sketchbook, note book, desk calendar, client folders...

SOLUTION: Make sure these items are on my desk and at arms reach length

4) What is on your desk that you don't use often?  

Books, journal, receipt organizer...

SOLUTION: Move those items off my desk to free up real estate

5) What is in that junk pile that you keep?  

Royalty statements, important notes, printer paper samples...

SOLUTION: Find a way to organize these by importance. Also, allow myself to have a 'junk' section where I put things I need about once a month.

6) Where are your piles accumulating?  

On top of my printer, on the floor, on my drawing table, on top of my calendar that I need to always look at...

SOLUTION: Add a desk shelf to put these on! Spend 5 min at the end of each day putting things back in their places.

 

After many hours in the Container Store and Ikea, here are my actual solutions:

1) I added a shelf to my desk (GALANT series from Ikea) that I could stack all of my working projects on. This way they are easy to get to and allow me some desk space for working on another project. This has been SUCH a lifesaver!

2) My junk pile reorganized. I purchased these beauties from The Container Store. One shelf is devoted to royalty statements and the 2nd shelf is devoted to items of medium importance. Right next to that are these mini drawers that I put the post-its and mini notes in that have info on them that I still need and want.

3) I purchased this to keep track of the items I need to add to my Art Licensing Manager database

4) Mini mood boards I created, using these fabulous magnet/cork boards, to put behind my monitor, to offer visual stimulation when working

5) My client folders (using my new file folders with my art!)

6) Office supplies

7) Easily accessible printer ink and business cards

8) Pantone books

9) A mini organizer to keep important notes and information I need to access

10) Research binders

11) Organizer that holds my sketchbooks and notebooks

12) These amazing sliding drawer bins that allow me to hide anything I don't want on my desk

Off to the left of my desk I re-organized quite a few things and purchased some items to make the area a little prettier.
1) Stacking Storage bin to hold my print inspiration tears
2) Stacking Storage bin to hold my color inspiration tears
3) Filing system to hold my organized print inspiration tears by type of print (graphic floral, painted/hand-drawn florals, geometrics, paisley, ethnic, medallions, damask, lace, texture.....)
4) Ikea flat files to store my drawing papers, hand-drawings, portfolio items, etc.
5) Matching magazine files to hold important magazines that I want to keep and don't want to tear from
6) Paper sorter with slide out trays to hold all the different types of papers I need to access for my printer, and other types of papers I need to access a lot.

Whew! As you can see, I spent a LOT of time re-organizing and finding solutions. Some of what I had was working before too, but I wanted to make things a little prettier (I am definitely an artist who likes to be surrounded by beauty!). I was definitely ready for a change too. I find that since my studio is quite small in comparison with the number of things I have in it, that I need to be quite organized or else my work environment will get frustrating and not be a pleasant place to work=not OK. I have found that it is SO MUCH EASIER now to pick-up my desk and studio because there is a place for everything that crosses my path. What used to take me time to think about where to put something, I am now saving it.

I admit, a lot of these solutions are kind of a no-brainer, but for me, it was actually taking the time to sit down and do something about it. I hope my organizing has inspired you to find out what you need to make your space more productive, or to introduce you to some fun new products out there that might be a solution for you! I'd love to hear what works best for you!

Mini Mood Boards

I've been organizing my studio like crazy lately (more on that next week...). It all started with me wanting to have something pretty in the background, while I'm working away at my computer. I learned from working in cubicles at Nordstrom, that when the cubicle walls were left the dull gray, that I truly felt very uninspired and had less creative energy. So I would cover my cubicle walls with fabric and papers that were full of color and gorgeousness. Surprisingly this completely helped! I definitely would feel my creative juices flowing and much more energized.

I've been working at home now for about a year and a half, and completely thought that the huge window I get to look out of and see beautiful trees and sky would be enough...but I found I was really ready for a change of environment. SO I finally decided to create mini mood boards to place behind my monitor, so I could just be surrounded by pretty colors and patterns and see them off in the background.

 

I found these Brocade Magnet Boards at The Container Store, and I HIGHLY recommend them! They are laser cut metal, and the blue that is behind the metal is cork board! (see where I'm going with this??) SO you can use magnets AND push pins!! I ended up gathering cards, swatches of paper and other do-dads that I had and used my iPop magnets and some push pins to hold everything in place. Now I just love sitting at my desk and being surrounded by prettiness! It's been very inspiring.

What have you discovered that helps you feel creative and energized in your working environment?

My Pop-up Shop & 2013 Desk Calendars are Here!

 {My 2013 Desk Calendar is here!}

Hi everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I've decided to open up a pop-up shop with Big Cartel to sell a few of my products. I just absolutely LOVED the holiday cards that Blend produced of my Hip Holiday collection, and just HAD to find a way to make them available to you!

If you're looking to send beautiful and special holiday cards this season, please consider mine! I personally love to send out multiple types of holiday cards each year - design-savvy ones for my designer friends, something unique for those I work with, and a photo card for family. And if you need the perfect gift for an office party, for your friend who has her own business, your mom, sister, or teenage daughter's desk — or even for yourself, then my 2013 Desk Calendar would be perfect!

{6 different 3-D Holiday Cards available in my Shop}

 

In the shop I've got boxes of 6 different holiday card designs to choose from, the 3-D gift tags, and my new 2013 desk calendar! Just to let you know, I've only got 6 boxes of most card designs and the gift tags available, so if you are interested, please snatch them up quickly because once they're gone, they're gone! {FYI: I do have 10 boxes available of the 'Peace On Earth' Forest and the 'Merry Christmas' Reindeer cards - and loads of calendars!}. Last year I sold out of my calendars in 2 weeks. I've ordered more this year just to be safe!

Due to the seasonality of the items in my pop-up shop, it will only be open until December 26th. 

{The 3-D Gift Tags available in my shop}

I've also opened up my Etsy shop again to sell my 2013 Desk Calendars too. If you are only interested in a desk calendar, then I would recommend buying it through Etsy, and you'll save about $1 on shipping.

{Individual pages from my 2013 Desk Calendar}

 

Why sell on Big Cartel & not Etsy?
After I read through Etsy's guidelines on what can and can't be sold on Etsy, they called out that manufactured goods (even though they look handmade) are not keeping with the spirit of Etsy and shouldn't be sold there. Since my holiday cards and gift tags are manufactured (& not physically handmade by me), I just didn't feel right about putting them on there because of this.

Thanks so much for taking a moment to visit my shop(s) and for considering my holiday cards, gift tags and desk calendar for prettying up your holiday and gift giving!!

Uppercase Magazine Feature!

I received my Uppercase magazine, Issue 15 in the mail a few weeks ago, and things have been so busy that it's just been sitting on my table waiting for me to dive into it. I finally decided to take a delicious minute and indulge myself by soaking up the creativity of this issue. And as I was working my way through the magazine, I came across my work featured in it! I shouted 'What?!' out-loud and freaking out my husband(which is always awesome). What an awesome surprise!! {Thank you Uppercase!!}

The feature was about their theme 'Pixel Perfect' which showcases multiple artist's interpretation of artwork created with pixels or small elements to create a larger cohesive piece. My feature is on my 'Cross Stitch Roses' artwork (which is currently on fabric, in my Hope Chest collection) and the 10'x10' backdrop of this artwork that I painted. I talk about what inspired this artwork and my thought process behind it. 

I'm a HUGE fan of Janine Vangool's Uppercase Magazine. I discovered it during one of my many visits to Anthropologie - plopped myself down on their beautiful couches and flipped through it. I was taken aback by the fabulous, matte paper, the gorgeous design of the magazine and the quality of the artists featured, and have been hooked ever since. I even went online and ordered some back issues and the Dottie Angel book {which is a beautiful MUST for your bookcase!}. And then I subscribed which means I get guaranteed happiness in my mailbox 4 times a year.

If you haven't heard of Uppercase, here's an explanation from their website:
UPPERCASE publishes books and magazines for the creative and curious: products that spark the imagination and inspire creativity. Our eponymous magazine, now in its fourth year, is loved by readers around the world and has been recognized for its design excellence. Our books profile up-and-coming artists or explore emerging trends in design and creativity.

On a side note - I highly recommend you subscribe! It's $80 a year for 4 beautiful and inspiring issues - which I understand is a lot of dough for a magazine subscription. For me, I really wanted to be a part of supporting an independent magazine who is putting out gorgeous and relevant content, inspiring me in my creative work, promoting artists and creativity - and when it comes from a creator who is living her calling in life, it's just icing on the cake.

Thanks Uppercase for the feature!

Hope Chest Stationery & Desk Organization Products!

 {Hope Chest Single Greeting Card, Happy Birthday}

I'm so excited to share with you today the rest of the samples that came in the big box I mentioned in my last post! My Hope Chest collection that is currently in fabric, is now also in stationery and desk organization products! I absolutely LOVE seeing this collection in paper form - especially when it's all decked out in glitter!
 

 {L to R: Kite Note Paper Holder, Single Thank You Greeting Card, Note Pad Set of 3, Watering Can Sticky Note Folio, Single Birthday Greeting Card}

There's quite a few items in this collection from note pads to cards and sticky notes, file folders, note pads, etc.! The colors are beautiful and the products are nice and high quality. I took the products out of their packaging so I could get non-glaring pics, but what's even more special (to me) is that the product packaging dons my logo on the front, for branded product.

 {Portable Note Pad, File Folder set of 12 of 4 designs}

I'm just DYING over this super-cute scooter! It comes in a lovely clear box and includes a set of 10 note cards, 5 each of 2 designs. What a great hostess gift, yes?

 

Seeing my logo printed on the back like a license plate is like icing on the cake for me. SO CUTE! 

 

I've already started using them and scattering them throughout my office. This collection of licensed product is seriously a dream come true for me. For those of you who know me, I love to organize, and I spend a lot of time in my studio. So to have a chance to decorate my space with my own products is truly super-special.

{Inside of Watering Can Sticky Note Folio}

I hope you get a chance to get your hands on some of these pieces, either as gifts for the upcoming holiday season or for your own personal happiness! I'll try to keep you posted on where you can find these.

If you are a store interested in carrying any of these lovelies, from Hip Holiday and/or Hope Chest, please contact Blend, the licensing division of Anna Griffin, Inc. at 888.817.8170 to place an order.

Hip Holiday Cards, Invitations & More!

I happily received a huge box of samples on my doorstep and I just HAD to share pics of them with you! These products are from my 'Hip Holiday' collection, and from one of my licensee's, Blend, the licensing division of Anna Griffin, Inc. and are just gorgeous! I love it when you see samples from a licensee and they blow you out of the water with their attention to detail, quality & craftsmanship and design skills. It just makes me gush with happiness!

{3-D Gift Tags, 2 each of 4 designs}

What makes me super-duper excited is that these products are all 'Josephine Kimberling' branded (can you see my logo on the front of the packaging?!?). EEK!!!

 {Greeting Cards, sold individually or in a box of 10 per design}

I absolutely LOVE the holiday cards!! They are 3-D and have a combination of foil or glitter or ribbon on them which makes them extra special. If you're in the market for some holiday cards, please keep mine in mind! I'll keep you posted when I know where you can find them. Which is your favorite? I'd love to know! 

{Imprintable Invitations with diecuts & tip-ons accented with glitter or foil or luscious ribbon! Sold 10 per box of 1 design}

I had already shown you some shots of these products during my Surtex 2012 blog post, when they were debuting at the National Stationery Show at the same time, but thought I'd share (a little bit) better pics and details with you here, now that I have a real camera instead of my phone with me.

{From L to R: Note Pad Set of 3, Paper Placemats pack of 24, 60 foil Sticker Seals, Set of 10 Place Cards and 3D Handmade Stickers 12 per pack}

Getting packages of samples in the mail is truly one of the many fun aspects of licensing. It's really fun to see (and share pics with you!) of the finished products, because it makes it more real - especially since it can take many months for product to be developed.  I truly enjoy what I do and am excited to keep growing my business.

I also received some Hope Chest stationery and office products that I'll share with you later this week! Stay tuned!

Rainbow Bright

This morning as I was waiting for the sun to rise, I looked out of my window and saw this gorgeous rainbow peeking through the fog and mist. I've never seen one show up in such a hazy sky before. Isn't it beautiful?! Just thought I'd share some prettiness with you this Friday morning. Have a good one!

Hope Chest Sewing Detials - Part 2

I'm back as promised, to give you the rest of the sewing details from the garments we made for my Hope Chest photo shoot! The following include some of my FAVORITES!

PROJECT IDEA #5
This pattern is Vogue #V1255 by Rebecca Taylor, and uses my fabric Cross Stitch Roses in Red. This is one of my favorite garments as I love the ruffles on the tunic, and think this print fits the look and feel of the garment really well! This tunic has ties on the side, but I belted it for the photo shoot to add more waist definition. Also, I quickly made a rustic looking necklace to add to the look by stringing an old key I bought from BHLDN on a leather necklace. Add some skinny jeans and boots, and you're set for fall!

PROJECT IDEA #6
This dress was made from Victory Pattern's Anouk sewing pattern and use my Chic Wallflower, Turquoise and Stripe Soiree, Blue fabrics. I love this sewing pattern because you can make a top or a dress from it - both of which are super-cute and great additions to your closet! I also love the ties that allow a waistline to be added to the garments.

Since I was already using 2 different fabric patterns, I thought it would be too much to add a third, so I used an orange solid fabric for the center area. However, in the photo's with the Anouk sewing pattern, I love how they use a stripe here, and how it gets all 'chopped up' with the sewing details. It's nice that there are so many different ways you can create these garments.

PROJECT IDEA #7
This gorgeous dress is made from Simplicity #1802 by Cynthia Rowley, and uses my fabrics Hope Chest Floral, Blue and Flower Bed, Blue. I must say that is is my absolute favorite! It's so gorgeous in person it's not even funny. My sewing master Karin sewed this one up and used flat yellow piping to nicely contrast all the different sections. I decided to use the Hope Chest Floral, Blue in the center godets, instead of Flower Bed, Blue as I thought this would make the dress look more pulled together.

I made a fabric pouf out of Geometric Crochet, Blue and attached it to the dress to add a little more whimsy.

Project Idea #8
For this dress I used Simplicity #1939 by Cynthia Rowley and used 4 different fabrics to create a patchwork look. The fabrics I used are Hope Chest Floral in Olive for the main print, and also used it in the skirt patchwork along with Stripe Soiree in Olive, Chic Wallflower in Pink and Geometric Crochet in Citron. The patchwork isn't included in the sewing pattern, but I just sewed together 11" x 12" rectangles, 8 across and 3 high, with a 1/4" seam allowance. If I had to do it again, I would have made the rectangles 10 across, so they were a longer and skinnier rectangle and allowed for a 5/8" seam allowance.

To be honest, this dress was a tricky one to make look fabulous. Maybe it's my personal opinion or aesthetic, but when dresses are tight around the waist it can look way '80s which I don't love. I chose to make this dress though so I only have myself to blame! Thankfully this model looked terrific in it and was able to pull it off.

I do think the top portion of the dress is fantastic and would be great as a top tucked into skinny jeans. I had brought my sewing scissors to the photo shoot prepared to chop this dress up on site to turn it into a top just in case it didn't work as a dress. Also, to make the dress look more updated, we bubbled the front hem of the dress under for a high-low hem. In the end, I think it turned out pretty good!

Well, that brings me to the end of sharing with you the sewing patterns my friend Karin and I made for my Hope Chest photo shoot! I hope you enjoyed hearing a little bit more about the process. To see more garment details from this photo shoot and my previous ones, please visit my Inspiration page on my website.

Which garment out of the 8 is your favorite and why? I'd LOVE to hear!!

Hope Chest Sewing Details

Hi everyone! I thought I'd share with you some of the garment sewing details, from my Hope Chest photo shoot. Did you know that on my website's inspiration page, I include each of the garments we made for each collection, as well as which sewing pattern was used and which fabrics too? Since I've gotten some requests, I thought I'd go ahead and share more info with you in this blog post.

My goal when creating a fabric collection has always been to create patterns that can be worn. Having fashion in my background has caused this to be a passion of mine. When I set out to find sewing patterns to use for each photo shoot, I strive to find things that are fashionable and current with today's trends, as well as put my prints together in a way that would inspire women to feel beautiful and well put together when wearing them.

Here's some sewing details for you!

PROJECT IDEA #1
This pattern is from Victory Patterns, which is a new company I discovered while scouring Etsy. The name of this intermediate pattern is Ava, and it's just gorgeous! I used my Hope Flourish, Pink fabric along with some white netting for the neckline and sleeves, which I left with a raw edge. I made this one myself, but needed help from my expert sewing friend for the center sweetheart point connecting the mesh to the printed fabric top. I love how it turned out! Such a great top!
 

PROJECT IDEA #2:
I just love all the peplum styling details that are out now! They are super flattering and feminine, which I love. For this garment, I used Vogue #V8815 by Rebecca Taylor and my fabric Cross-Stitch roses. This sewing pattern is labeled 'very easy', however my sewing friend decided it would be best to line the top with matching white fabric, which I think made it look it's best. She positioned the fabric so that I could cross-stitch on top of the printed cross-stitch rose design, and I tied a hot pink double sided satin ribbon around the waist to ground the look of the bold cross-stitching.

 

I have never done cross-stitching before, so this was definitely an experience! It took me hours upon hours to do! I ended up just 'tracing' and cross-stitching directly on top of one of the motifs from the fabric. My fabric design's motifs rotate, which doesn't lend itself to traditional cross-stitching, but that's OK - I love it anyway! Also, finally, with the photo shoot the next morning, I just didn't have another 3 hours or so to cross stitch the leaves, so instead I added some wool felt leaves that I cut out and stitched down. Overall, I love how this top turned out! I will definitely be wearing this one myself!

PROJECT IDEA #3:

For this next sewing pattern, I chose Simplicity #2192 by Cynthia Rowley and used my Hope Flourish, Citron print. Instead of creating a tie out of self fabric, I used some ribbon. I have to say, this is one of my favorite prints of this collection because of the colors and how they play out in the design. Love! This skirt is so unique...and super short! So I'd definitely recommend wearing it in the winter with some solid tights, ha ha! Or of you're a pattern genius then just make it a tad longer and it'll be just right.

 

PROJECT IDEA #4:

Wow! I was really proud of myself for sewing this one! I lined up the patterns on the top and the skirt just right and centered the motifs too. Whew! For this garment, I used Simplicity #2178 by Cynthia Rowley along with my fabrics Fancy That, Pink and Geometric Crochet, Citron. I used the Geometric Crochet, Citron fabric to make the waist, shoulder strap, and underside of the shoulder tie, contrast. I love mixing these prints in a subtle way!

 

Next week I'll share with you the sewing details for the remaining 4 garments. Stay tuned!

Oh, and if you're looking to purchase any of these fabrics, head on over to any of these online locations: 

Hawthorne Threads

Pink Chalk Fabrics

Fabric.com

Hope Chest Photos!

{My favorite photo!}

Over the weekend, I've been posting the photo's from my Hope Chest photo shoot on my website, Facebook & Flickr. Have you had a chance to see them yet? I just got them back and am have been so excited to see my fabrics and all of our hard sewing work looking so glamorous.

 
 

I've been wanting to do a photo shoot at a carousel for a few years now, and this time I felt it really worked with the look of the fabrics. I was able to book out the carousel at the Woodland Park Zoo for a couple of hours before the zoo opened, which made it very hassle free to get the shots in that we wanted without a lot of extra people walking around. Also, this carousel was indoors, which was even more reassuring with our temperamental Seattle 'summer' weather.

My friend Karin and I put in a lot of work sewing up samples a few weeks leading up to the shoot. Karin and I worked at Nordstrom together and she's an amazing and award winning fashion designer, so she tackled the more difficult garments. This year I had 4 models with 2 outfit changes each for a total of 8 garments, which we sewed up in 2 weeks! It was pretty crazy! But each time something got finished, it felt really satisfying and it was fun to see the group and my vision start to come together.

Since I don't have my own line of sewing patterns (...yet?) I usually use the designer patterns from Simplicity and Vogue, (with Cynthia Rowley and Rebecca Taylor being my favorites), as well as scour Etsy to see if I can find some new indie designers with great designs. This year, I found Victory Patterns, and really loved a lot of their looks! Have you heard of them yet? I of course love the patterns of other fabric designers, but don't feel it's right to use them when showcasing my fabric collection.

{My Hope Chest fabric collection}

Photo shoots can be kinda hectic, but in a good way. I prepare all of the garments, jewelry, accessories, shoes, etc the night before, making sure everything is pressed and hung nicely. I usually ask the models to bring loads of shoes that we can select from, and I pour through my closet gathering many things from shoes to cami's to jewelry and hair accessories. And I map out a plan of which model will theoretically wear what. A few of the models I hadn't met before so I was crossing my fingers quite a bit, but thankfully everything worked out really well!

{All the girls looking gorgeous at the carousel!}

I had my Cross Stitch Roses backdrop that we set-up to get a few shots in front of. I love how bright and bold the backdrop turned out!! I'm definitely going to need to hang this up in my studio...probably for curtains! Along with the backdrop I laid out some props that went with my Hope Chest fabric theme, such as flowers, old keys and books (this was a great excuse for me to finally buy some of the Penguin Hardcover Classics with the beautifully patterned covers!).

{Love these books whose contents inspired my Hope Chest collection}

My awesome photographer Natalie, from Natalie G. Photography did wonders capturing the look of this shoot. Wouldn't you agree? This is the fourth photo shoot we've worked together on, and each year the photo's get better and better which I didn't even think was possible.

{Me and the girls}

Well, I hope you enjoy getting a little behind the scenes glimpse of my Hope Chest photo shoot! Any questions at all, just let me know and I'm happy to try to answer. I'll do another post explaining the garments I chose, soon. Thanks so much for taking a peek at my photos! What are your favorites? I hope they inspire you to use the collection for your next project!

PS - If you're a store interested in using my photo's to promote my Hope Chest fabric line, please contact me to let me know your needs. Thanks!