Introducing “Family Cottage”: my organic fabric collection

I believe there’s a place in everyone’s life
real or imagined
in your mind or in your heart
in your backyard or far far away
where you are truly yourself.
Not defined by what you do or to whom you belong
but by the person you have always been deep down at the core.
The authentic you of your childhood, when long summer days stretched on forever.
When time stood still and there was nowhere to be but right where you were.
Fun and joy and life just happened.

For me that feeling, that place, is what inspired my debut collection, “Family Cottage”. Natural elements and a palette of sun washed colors are reminiscent of warm afternoons and cool evenings spent lakeside at a cottage up north.

I love…
Warm weathered docks on a breezy day
Lawn chairs lining the edge of the shore
Faded life jackets hanging by nails from the porch
The glow from the stone fireplace after a late day swim
Toadstools, dragonflies and wild blueberries discovered during a nature walk
The lake. The mountains. The sky.


The prints…
Sprig and Sprouts – blue/green
Lawn Chair – blue/green
Sprig and Sprouts – coral/poppy
Lawn Chair – coral/poppy
Wood Pile
Hammock Stripe
Picnic Floral


The fabric…
I’ve waited a long time for the day I would have my own print line. While I might’ve been happy to license my designs to a large fabric manufacturer, I didn’t find any that matched my commitment to printing on organics. After much researching and soul searching, I decided to produce the line myself. All of my original fabric designs are professionally printed in the US on an organic cotton and hemp blend canvas. It’s ideal for home décor, craft projects and personal accessories. It has an off-white ground, a hefty feel and is wonderfully textured. The digital printing process utilizes water-based, non-toxic pigment dyes and minimizes waste and water consumption. Heat and pressure are used to finish the fabric instead of harsh chemicals. I've made the choice to print on demand, in an effort to prevent fabric waste.

Now available...
Starting today, July 30, 2009, the "Family Cottage" fabric collection will be available for purchase exclusively through my etsy shop. I've listed hefty 18" x 26" Fat Quarters in each print. I'm also offering 3-packs of 18" x 18" Home Dec Squares in the 3 multicolored prints. These are great for pillow fronts, totes and smaller projects! Yardage is available in the full 54" wide width by request. Please email me or convo me through etsy. Most yardage orders will be printed on demand and will take about 2 weeks for delivery.

My hope...
Thank you for taking this journey with me. Your support, enthusiasm and acceptance means so much to me. I believe that inspiration goes on forever, flowing from one of us to the next. I hope you enjoy using my fabrics as much I did creating them. And I absolutely cannot wait to see what you make with them!

Kanzashi in Bloom: Give-Away!

I'm a lucky girl! Diane Gillelland of Craftypod sent me a copy of her new book, Kansahi in Bloom. Maybe you'll be lucky too: she sent me a second one to give away as part of her book release Blog Tour!

Traditional kanzashi are beautiful Japanese flowers created by folding small squares of silk into petals and then gluing them together. Diane has developed her own method for making these flowers and her book shows you how in clear, simple step-by-step photography.

There is an extensive techniques section followed by projects that vary in materials and ideas for creative embellishment using kansashi. I love the Butterfly Jar Toppers! See below...

Ok, so here's the skinny on the give-away, are you ready? It's going to be a fast one!

Rules:
1) The Kansahi in Bloom book give-away is only open to residents of the USA. Sorry, postage is a bugger.
2) Enter by commenting on this post by 12:00 NOON, EST Wednesday July 29th. (Be sure to leave a means of contacting you in case you win!)
3) A winner will be chosen randomly and contacted by email after the drawing. You can also check back at the bottom of this post to see who won.
4) If I am unable to contact the winner within 2 days, a new winner will be chosen.

Good luck! And be sure to check out the rest of Diane's Blog Tour!

***Comments now closed!*** Congratulations to Ferne, you won!

well, hello there!

We've had a week full of sandy feet, wet bathing suits, swings in the hammock and fishing off the dock. We're home from vacation and those things are being replaced by laundry, grocery shopping and a heap of emails in the In Box. That's ok, it's good to be home...so good!

I'm looking forward to the week as there is much goodness to be had! Please pop by tomorrow for a peek at a new book by Diane Gilleland. It's called Kanzashi in Bloom and I have a copy to give away to you! If you like flowers and beautiful simple crafts, you won't want to miss this. Come back Tuesday to enter the give-away!

happy trails

I'm so happy you're liking what I've shown you so far of my new organic print line. Thank you (again!) for following the little trail of bread crumbs I've sprinkled along for you. Soon, very soon (July 30th!) I'll be sharing the whole enchilada. But now my dear friends...it's time for a break. We're leaving for our annual vacay any day now. I am ready to get out of the studio and into the wood!


While I'm away there will be a little something special going on for you! Check back here on Monday July 20th. I've got a blog post ready-set to pop up here and tell you all the details.
***oopsies! Just got word the "little something" got put on hold, sorry! Talk amongst yourselves...***

Happy trails!

coming together at the seams

Do you know that excited-yet-self-conscious feeling you have when showing off a new haircut you think looks really good on you? That's a little how I feel about my new organic fabric line. After my last sneak peek, you were all so kind, so encouraging. I thought I would give you just a little more of a peek...just because.

I've gotten more strike-offs (test print runs) and have been doing some sewing, seeing how the different prints and colors work together. I so love this process! Playing with trims, mixing and matching...all with my very own fabric designs. Oooh, it's such a thrill. As I've mentioned before, this has been a loooong time aspiration of mine and it is making me very happy.

This week I will be pulling it all together and wrapping up the details before we leave on our annual lakeside vacation. If all goes as planned, I will be back and ready to launch the line last week of July! It will be available for purchase in my etsy shop by staring July 30th.

Until then, I will fill you in on some of the details. There will be five prints available, some in different colorways, printed on a 100% organic cotton and hemp blend. It's a home dec weight canvas suitable for pillows, totes, place mats, hats, etc. The fabric is professionally printed in the USA. In the very near future (September!) I will be offering more prints on different types of fabrics, such as an organic cotton sateen. Let's see, what else? Gosh, there's so much to do! I've got a busy week ahead of me. Plus getting ready for vacation! (Nothing like the feeling of "hurry up so you can relax"!)

Phew...I hope these small insights into my line entice you to come back for the full reveal later this month. And I hope you're as excited about it as I am. :)

the feeling is mutual

I'm anxious to get my August issue of Family Fun. I love this magazine!

Family Fun mag always has such great project ideas for families. I hang onto my copies forever with little corners folded down in each issue to remind me of all the good stuff in there. I was flattered that they asked to feature my " Super Foamerator" that I came up with to entertain the kids last summer. If you get your hands on a copy, you'll see where they credit the idea to me on page 17 along with a little heart that says "blogs we love"! Aw, shucks. The feeling is mutual. (you can also view the project online.)

I hope you try this bubbly project with your kids! Easy, cheap and fun, what's not to love?

brownie blues

Last week I finished some knitting. This is a scarf for the men in the house. (We've plenty of scarves, but most of them are pink and orange and girlie.) I love the blue and browns...and I just might wear it on occasion myself. It's wool and silk from Brooks Farm that I picked up at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.

Now I'm on to a honeycomb patterned hat and scarf for me. The teal-y yarn is wool and mohair from Kid Hollow Farm, dee-lish! The brown is stash yarn. Lots of brown in the stash for some reason...

The pattern is from Loop-d-loop by Teva Durham, fall Winter 2007. I hope when I am done with mine I look happier than that model wearing it. Maybe she has the brownie blues, too...or just the blues. Not me, though, I'm happy knittin'.

What's on your needles? Anything?

ladybug ladybug...

New, in the shop! Ladybug Tape Measure and Leaf Scissor Case Pattern. Available in a handy PDF that I will happily email to you upon purchase. 

The Ladybug is sewn with a retractable tape measure inside. To extend the tape, just give her antennae a little tug. Be gentle! :) The Leaf Scissor Case is sized just right to hold your 4" embroidery scissors. Both can be made with any kind of felt (shown here in recycled sweater felt and wool felt) and can be sewn by hand. Great to make as a gift or to keep for yourself. 

Enjoy!

Sewing Green Flickr Group

1. lounge pants, 2. Bottle Holder for Claire, 3. skirt , 4. Produce bags from Betz White's book Sewing Green, 5. A quickie birthday gift, 6. water bottle sling from Sewing Green, 7. sewing green baby quilt, 8. leaves, 9. sewing green luxe baby toy

Have you seen what you crafty folks are making from Sewing Green? If not, please visit the Sewing Green Flickr Group and have a look-see. You guys rock!

Keep it comin', I love seeing what you're making. :)