Sneak Peek | simpatico

Just in: strike-offs of our June '12 release.

simpatico :: GOTS certified organic cotton

 

Press!

Some recent press to add to our scrapbook. In addition to this, we were featured in two UK mags-  an interview in Sew Hip's Holiday issue and Maman was featured in Mollie Makes late last year, but we're not sure of the issue... if anyone knows, fill us in!

Smattering of recent magazines!

Great knitting needle case tutorial from Ruth Singer in Stitch's Gift issue (I really need one of these, too!)

Elephants are all the rage according to Melanie O'Brien in Feb's Fab Shop News- this features our upcoming Ed Emberley Elephants print in top right.

Fiona Pullen did a lovely interview with us late last year in UK's Sewing World. I've blogged about this before, but it's worth repeating.

Vick Gutherie interviewed us for the holiday issue of UK's Sew Hip.

Preview | Hey, That's Swell!

June Craft is a crafty, whimsical world created by designer Kayanna Nelson to express her love of vintage design from a fresh and modern perspective. Her debut fabric collection, Hey, That's Swell! is full of retro-modern cuteness and bursting with sweet and simple projects.

Project Panel in Pink

Right On Angels in Pink

Blowing Bubbles in Pink

Itsy Bitsy Ditsy in Gold

Sweet & Swell Floral

Itsy Bitsy Ditsy in Pink

Super Swell Patchwork

Long Dogs in the Garden

Blowing Bubbles in Blue

Itsy Bitsy Ditsy in Blue

Right On Angles in Blue

Project Panel in Blue

Meet the Designer | 10 Questions with Michéle Brummer-Everett

Introducing a new (and hopefully ongoing) segment on our blog: Meet the Designer. This is a little opportunity to get to know some of the talented ladies and gentlemen whose work we are proud to produce.

We'll kick it off with the delightful Michéle Brummer-Everett. Michéle has created 2 collections with us: Monsterz, which should hit stores within a month and the upcoming Seven Seas, due this summer.

Where were you born?

I was born in a place called Sandton. This is a suburb just outside of Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Where are you living today and what brought you here?
I currently live in Provo, Utah. We had been living in Chicago for almost 10 years but my husband got a fantastic job as an art professor out here. It was a bit of a difficult move for me but I am liking it more than I ever thought I could. We have 2 giant stags that "live" in our back garden and a little chipmunk that runs up and down our fence. As a South African I find these animals very intriguing and am forever running to the window to catch a glimpse of these exotic creatures.

Michéle and her husband Daniel recently bought a home and have been polishing up their once-neglected mid-century home to its original splendor.

What was your most memorable art or craft project when you were a kid?

Much to my parent's "delight" I was forever gathering weaver bird nests, decorating them and hanging them all over the house. Weaver birds' nests are like small hanging baskets and if the male doesn't make a satisfactory one the female will tear it down. They are really beautiful all on their own sans glitter and pom poms. I would gather these rejects, make paper bird families to go inside and go to town with the decorating. 

image courtesy of Michéle Brummer-Everett

A prestigious art museum will give you any piece in their collection- which would you choose?

This is such a difficult question. Only one? I recently saw Andreas Gursky's Ocean pictures and they really took my breath away. Imagine massive (i felt like an ant standing next to one) satelite photographs of our oceans with little pieces of land visable here and there. I love the one with the tip of Africa, Madagascar and Antarctica just barely making an appearance. 

image courtesy of Michéle Brummer-Everett

What's your current color obsession?
Chartreuse... in a big way I'm afraid. I usually wear a lot of black or grey but all my scarves, jewelry, handbags, etc. have a lot of greens or chartreuse. I love it!

image courtesy of Michéle Brummer-Everett

If you could could hop on a plane today, where would you go?
I would love to go to Scandanavia. Fjords, cabins, the aurora borealis, and let's not forget a quick tour of the Marimeko factory. 

What is your most productive time of the day?

As soon as I wake up and late at night. I am trying to be better at having a set schedule that includes breakfast and some exercise...Just Dance 3 is the only thing that can trick me into working out.

image courtesy of Michéle Brummer-Everett

What is the one creative tool or supply that you cannot live without?

I would have to say my Wacom tablet. My husband bought it for me for my birthday and I freaked out! I have a mental block when it comes to new technology so I thought there was no way I was going to figure out how to use it. I set a goal to practice using it for an hour a day and within a few weeks I felt far more confident. Now I kiss it goodnight.

Who is one of your favorite fictional characters?

Uncle. Uncle is the main character in a series of books by J.P.Martin and illustrated by Quentin Blake (who illustrated most of the Roald Dahl books). J.P. Martin was a Methodist minister who made up a series of stories for his children where Uncle, an elephant, is the main character. The books were published when he was well into his 80's after his children begged him to do so. The book's tone is very particular and all the characters have wonderful names like Beaver Hateman, Jelly Tussle and Hitmouse. It's almost as if you've been plopped into the mind of a wildly funny little kid who has created a very strange and entertaining world for themselves.

image courtesy of Michéle Brummer-Everett

Coffee or tea?
Rooibos/Bush tea. This is a red South African tea. South Africans will wax lyrical about how incredibly healthy and beneficial it is...I am no exception. I usually drink it with a rusk which is almost like biscotti but looks like a little, dried-out bread roll made with buttermilk. mmmmmm!

Thanks for playing along Michéle! xo

There's A Square in There Quilt

Our friend Kate Conklin, who created the lovely Sea Views quilt for our early Beyond the Sea range, has created this magnificent Miscellany quilt based on her pattern There's A Square in There. The collection set against black is so dramatic- we love it!

Giveaway | Monsterz Fat Quarter Bundle

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALLI! Thanks to everyone for entering.

Alli - These are so cute! I think I'd make a quilt or bags with these! :) 

•••••••••••••••••••

Monsterz are coming! They are on a big ship, crossing a vast ocean, and no doubt having all sorts of fantastic adventurez. In preparation for their long overdue arrival, we're going to throw a little pre-arrival celebration for them.

Enter to win a fat quarter bundle of cuteness by leaving a comment for us below and tell us what sort of sewing adventurez you'd have if you won this lot.

Contest runs until Sunday, Feb 26th, 5pm EST.
Anyone in world can enter.
Only one comment per person.
Please leave contact info.

We will chose person via random number generator and contact the winner via email.

Good luck!!

Headquarters Update

We've been pretty quiet on the updates to our headquarters- mainly because we're completely entrenched in the progress. Every day we move things in, arrange things where they need to be and ponder what else we need. We've been back and forth to IKEA more times than we have cared to... with another trip scheduled for later this week.

Sewing area and the all-important coffee and snack station.

Gina's office

Michelle's office

It didn't take us long to fall in love with our new space. Not only is it fresh and new and just what we hoped it would be, it's OURS. And that is a really great feeling!