My Global Bazaar Fabric Collection Photo Shoot

My latest fabric collection 'Global Bazaar' with Blend Fabrics started shipping in January.
Woo-hoo! 4 weeks later, I FINALLY got my photos from my Global Bazaar photo shoot back last night, and I'm just dying to share them with you! If you follow me on Facebook, you've probably already had a chance to check them out on my website. However, for all of you who visit my blog, I wanted to share some of my favorite photos and a bit about the day.

 

My vision for my Global Bazaar photo shoot was to have a teepee on a beach. That's where it all started. From there I decided to cover some vintage suitcases with my fabrics from this collection to round out the theme, make some pillows, borrow the gorgeous quilts that were made by Metropolitan Quilt for Blend Fabrics, create a backdrop out of flag tape, and bring one of my living room chairs to the beach. What a day!

 {Vintage suitcases I covered with my fabrics}

I found these suitcases on CraigsList about a 2 hour drive away, and my husband and I took a morning to drive and pick them up. I covered all of the hardware with masking tape, and I spray painted the edges and the handles black. I then covered the suitcases with my fabrics using (original, matte finish) Mod Podge, a foam brush, and (multiple) fresh blades on an x-acto knife.   

{Close-up of my Global Bazaar fabric collection}

As I was determined to finish all 3 suitcases in one sitting, cutting around the hardware just about put me over the edge! It took me 6 hours to complete this project, and I must say that they are absolutely GORGEOUS in person! The Mod Podge dried completely clear. They still feel like fabric to the touch, as I didn't put a sealer on them since they're for decoration not for really traveling. 

 

Also, doing a photo shoot on the beach...in Seattle...in February was not particularly genius because of how cold it was. My poor models were freezing but I must say that they constantly had a smile on their faces and were having a blast! Whew!

For this photo shoot, I decided to keep it smaller than my previous ones, for many reasons. One being that this year, I'll have 3 fabric lines coming out with Blend Fabrics. Three!!! With 3 fabric collections vs. 1 this year, I need to conserve my resources and my energy to be able to do photo shoots for each. Speaking of which - I am in need of sewers who can help me out...but that's another blog post.

 {Victory Patterns 'Roxanne' and 'Simone'}

In keeping with a smaller shoot, I sewed two garments this time, and excitedly used patterns from Victory Patterns. I LOVE Victory Patterns due to their fashion forward styles. The garments fit like regular clothes too, which is dreamy. The garment on the left uses Victory Pattern 'Roxanne' and the garment on the right uses pattern 'Simone'.

 

I LOVE the back of the 'Simone' high-low hem dress with the contrasting pattern! I used my Global Bazaar fabrics: Global Bazaar floral Red, Chimera Gray, and Hand-drawn Stripe Red for piping.

The collar on this 'Roxanne' top is to-die-for! What a great sewing pattern!
For this pattern, I used my Global Bazaar fabric 'Dancing Geos Blue', along with a black sequin fabric and a solid pink cotton.

 

Above is a bolster pillow that I created (and hope to put together a free sewing pattern for you...).

I must say that I'm quite proud of myself for creating everything for this shoot on my own. Although, I know now that next time I will definitely need some help! It's just too much to do it all and be successful at running my business (& preparing for Surtex!) as well. I hope to blog soon about how much I need you. Stay tuned!



I hope you enjoy these Global Bazaar photos and that they inspire you to use my fabrics for your own creations! If  you'd like to see more photo's, I've uploaded them to Flickr, and also created a slide-show on my website for you to watch. Please do share what you create! I'd love to see!

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to!

Global Bazaar Fabric Collection Sneak Peek!

On Sunday I had my Global Bazaar fabric collection photo shoot! If you've been following along on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, you've had the chance to see some sneak peek photos already. Today, I'm including a few new photos that my photographer, Natalie, took using a super-old school Polaroid camera.

I can't WAIT to share the rest of the photos and story with you in the next few weeks! Please stay tuned!

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!

Gorgeous Hope Chest Dresses Made by Amy Friend

I just HAD to share with you a sneak peak of these gorgeous dresses that the amazingly talented Amy Friend made using my Hope Chest fabrics! Aren't these beautiful?? She just posted about them on her blog During Quiet Time today and I had to run out and share them with all of you.

I absolutely adore these dresses and the prints she chose to mix together! SO adorable!!
For more photo's and to read Amy's post about her sewing process, the pattern she used, etc., head on over to Amy's blog: During Quiet Time

Don't you just LOVE??!!

Hope Chest Fabric Giveaway at Pink Castle Fabrics!

{Hope Chest photo from Blend Fabrics}

Hi Everyone! Pink Castle Fabrics is having a Hope Chest give away!! They are giving away 2 fat quarter bundles, each containing 10 prints, of Hope Chest! All you need to do is head on over to the Pink Castle Fabrics blog and leave a comment about which is your favorite print from the collection or sign-up on their Widget to Win it List. Good luck everyone!!

Speaking of Hope Chest, I'm SO excited for this collection to hit, and to see what you do with it. I'm hearing here and there that it's already available at some shops - so be on the look-out! AND, I don't know if you've had a chance to feel the fabric that Blend uses, but it is like butter - seriously. Smooth & delicious...I can't even feel the fabric warp and weft threads when I run my hand across the top - it's THAT kind of awesome. I think you will enjoy it!

I'm planning away for my upcoming inspirational Hope Chest photo shoot that I can't wait to share with you in July - stay tuned!

Spring Quilt Market 2012: Kansas City, Missouri

{My Hope Chest section at the Anna Griffin & Blend Fabrics booth}

Wow! What a whirlwind of awesomeness I just came out of! Quilt Market in Kansas City, MO and then straight to NYC for Surtex! After a few days of sleeping in, unpacking suitcases and boxes (and a little weekend getaway at a local resort thanks to my husband), I am finally fully functioning. It's amazing how 2 weeks out of my element while doing things I really enjoy can be so exhausting.

This was the first time I'd ever attended Quilt Market. I've wanted to go for such a long time! I was extra excited to attend this year because I got to meet the fabulous Blend Fabrics team in person as well as because I spent 2 years at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City and have a lot of friends still there that I had the chance to catch-up with. So I added on a few days, brought my husband with me, and we made a little vacation out of it too! = BEST decision ever!

 {My Hope Chest section at the Anna Griffin & Blend Fabrics booth}

The Anna Griffin & Blend Fabrics booth was absolutely spectacular. The large columns, lights, clear designer chairs and soft color of the walls and carpet just made this booth glow! Completely gorgeous!

 {Esperer quilt in Hope Chest, Heirloom Combo by Metropolitan Quilt}

In addition to seeing my Hope Chest fabric collection draped across a ladder that stretched up the walls, I also got to see it made up in 2 fabulous and beautiful large quilts! Each quilt is made up of one colorway of Hope Chest and both of the quilts were made by Metropolitan Quilt. This 'Esperer' Quilt is made up in my 'Heirloom' color combo. I just love the hits of the rusty red in my Cross Stitch Roses fabric!

 {'Stripe Soiree' quilt in Hope Chest, Bliss Combo by Metropolitan Quilt}

The next quilt is called 'Stripe Soiree' which is based off my 'Stripe Soiree' fabric and created in my 'Bliss' color combo. You can download this quilt pattern for free on the Blend Fabrics website! Didn't Metropolitan Quilt do an amazing job!! WOW! LOVE!!

 {Anna Griffin and I at the Anna Griffin & Blend Fabrics booth at Quilt Market}

Thanks so much for all of you who stopped by to say 'hello' and to check out the beautiful fabric collections at Anna Griffin and Blend Fabrics! I had such a great time meeting each and every one of you as well as the fabulous team at Blend! And I must say I was extra-super excited to meet the fabulous Anna Griffin herself. What an amazing woman!

Next up, I'll be sewing away to prepare for my Hope Chest photo shoot! I'm SO EXCITED for this one and can't wait to have it and share it with you! There's some fun things cooking up...stay tuned!

My Print on American Idol Judge Randy Jackson

OK, this is kinda fun. Wednesday night I was watching to Top 10 perform on American Idol, and as Randy Jackson (one of the judges) was talking I'm looking at his shirt and thinking....that print....looks familiar.....it's MY print!!! So I pull up my iPad and find the print I have posted on Flickr to show my husband to make sure I wasn't crazy...and crazy I was not! SO FUN!

I tweeted about it, but thought I'd send you guys a picture too for fun.

 {Screenshot from the American Idol video 'Top 10 Perform' - Randy & J.Lo}

It's funny because when I designed this navy/gold/brown colorway for my 'Dot Tac Toe' print, I was thinking of how it would work awesome for a guy. For my Just Dandy photo shoot I SO wanted to have a tie or a button-up shirt made out of it for a little boy, but just didn't get around to it. So here it is! Awesome! Made my evening for sure!

My New Fabric Line: Hope Chest

 {My mood board for my Hope Chest fabric collection. All images from various magazines.}

Happy Friday everyone!
Well, I have a little news for you...I am really excited to say that I am now a part of the Blend Fabrics team of designers! My new fabric collection, Hope Chest {see the artwork image in the top corner for a sneak peak!} will be debuting at Quilt Market in May. And to top it all off, I'll be attending Quilt Market for the first time on Friday, May 18th! I thought I'd give you a little sneak peek into my fabric collection with images from my mood board, which I create to help keep me on track with my over all theme when designing.

Blend is the new licensing division of Anna Griffin, Inc. I've been a long time admirer Anna Griffin's work for as long as I can remember..years!...back in the days when I was designing wedding invitations on the side and dreaming I would do that for a living......{well, until I met a bride-zilla and realized I liked creating beauty but not dealing with the beast! But that's another story!}

I've always loved Anna's take on product. Her designs are timeless and beautiful and have always been pushing the envelope and paving new paths. I'm just so overjoyed to be a part of such a company and to be a part of such a wonderful team of people. So going forward, my fabric collections with be with Blend Fabrics. Exciting!!

Also, I'm SO excited to attend and experience Quilt Market! I've always wanted to attend, so I'm really excited for the chance to go and be surrounded by pattern, fabric and people. Please do stop by the Blend Fabrics booth to say 'hello' on Friday, May 18th. I'd LOVE to meet you!

Just Dandy Interview & Give Away at Fat Quarterly Blog!

{Blog header I designed for Fat Quarterly Blog for the spirit of the interview & give away}

Head on over to the Fat Quarterly Blog to read my latest interview and to enter to win Just Dandy fabric bundles! Robert Kaufman is giving away Just Dandy bundles to a few lucky readers. All you have to do head over to the Fat Quarterly Blog and leave a comment, letting them know which is your favorite print from my Just Dandy collection. They will randomly select a winner some time next week.

If you aren't familiar with Fat Quarterly, it is a new e-magazine written by modern sewists for modern sewists. Fat Quarterly is released 4 times per year, and each issue features a vibrant mix of content by some of today's most exciting sewists. Fat Quarterly has a blog, an e-magazine and a newsletter. Pretty fun stuff, don't you think?

With the interview, I was asked to design their blog header, which was a lot of fun! Head over to learn more about my design process & to enter to win!

Good luck everyone!!!

Just Dandy! on Print & Pattern Blog

HUGE thanks to Bowie Style at her fabulous Print & Pattern blog for posting about Just Dandy! Head on over to her blog for some luscious pattern inspiration and to see all the Just Dandy images!

Just Dandy! Project Ideas

I've uploaded the patterns I've used for my 'Just Dandy!' photo shoot to my website's inspiration page, and I thought I'd share with you the details in a blog post. This way you could hear a little bit more about the patterns I chose, and have the links to click on in case you wanted to find the patterns quickly. Are you ready for some spring sewing?

To get ready for my 'Just Dandy!' photo shoot, I researched the web for some cute patterns for kiddo's. This is my first photo shoot with kids, and let me just tell you - they are SO fun and balls of energy! The funnest part was having one of the girls put on her outfits and say 'I just feel so cute'! That right there is what makes this so fun and rewarding!

As I was madly preparing for Surtex, and working full-time at the time, my wonderful friend Karin sewed all of the garments for me, which enabled the photo shoot to actually happen and be successful.

I found a lot of the patterns on Etsy, and I wanted to share them with you today.

{'Darla Jumper' by Kati Cupcake Pattern Co}

First up, one of my absolute favorites, the 'Darla Jumper' by Kati Cupcake Pattern Co. We used my Just Dandy! fabrics in the 'Blue Jay' color combo for this beauty. I just love how it turned out in the blue and green color story! Perfect for Spring.

{'Rosie Posie Ruffle Pants & Top' Sewing Pattern by Pink Fig}

The second pattern I want to share with you is the 'Rosie Posie Ruffle Pants & Top' Sewing Pattern by Pink Fig. I bought the light pink tank at Old Navy and we applied the ruffles to it. The ruffled bell-bottoms are just so gorgeous!

{Romper by Simplicity, pattern #2380}

{Jumper by Simplicity, pattern #2380}
Next up are the romper and jumper by Simplicity, pattern #2380. These styles are just so on trend right right now, so I was really happy to find a pattern for them! The romper being in the dark navy color really looks stylish - I just love that navy and gold dot as an accent! For the jumper, we used my ditsy floral and a hot pink grosgrain ribbon, which I think keeps the jumper looking pretty cool.

{'The Stripwork Skirt' by Pink Fig}

Another of my fave's is the 'The Stripwork Skirt' by Pink Fig. This skirt just turned out so cute! My friend Karin hand-stitched the athletic numbers 23 on the front of an aqua colored tee, to pull the outfit together. I just love the mix of sporty and girly together!

{Drop waist dress Simplicity pattern #2574}

{Modified dress using Simplicity pattern #5243}

Out of the last three dresses, the two drop-waist dresses are made using Simplicity pattern #2574. The last dress is made using Simplicity pattern #5243 which Karin used as a base and applied ruffles all around the dress to add a bit more interest to it.

{Drop waist dress Simplicity pattern #2574}

Just Dandy! is now in stores and ready to be used for your Spring and Summer sewing projects! You can find the Just Dandy! fabric line at these e-tailers:

www.fabricworm.com
www.hawthornethreads.com
www.pinkchalkfabrics.com
www.sewmamasew.com

Happy Sewing!!