The Artist UnSEWn Featuring English Garden by Snow Leopard Designs

"The English Garden Collection" from Snow Leopard designs is inspired by my deep love for English gardens and English garden plants. For the inspiration for the collection I drew on a number of sources including 19th century botanical illustrations from my archive, as well as antique seed packets and catalogues and antique floral fabrics also from my archives.

The design: "Vegetable Garden" was directly inspired by antique and vintage seed packets. I have always found the style of these designs so visually pleasing and I wanted to try to convey this rich fullness of form, texture and colour directly to fabric.

"Strawberry Fields" was inspired by an illustration of strawberries in an antique volume in my collection called "The Floral World". I had bought a whole set of these books in the late 1980s and had often thought how wonderfully the strawberry print would transfer to fabric to make a simple and striking design.

"Begonias" was developed from an antique English textile document in my archive that was first printed in the 1890s. I loved the crisp sharpness of the drawing and the outline so reminiscent of late Victorian England.

 

Pelargonium was also developed from a late 19th century textile document in my archive. I have always had a passion for Pelargoniums and geraniums with their amazingly patterned leaves and jump at any chance to include them in my designs. I also developed an all over pelargonium leaf pattern to lie under the different blooms as a background texture. This pattern was then also produced as a separate semi plain fabric: "Pelargonium Leaves" where it works as solid colour to co-ordinate with the other designs in the collection.

"Garden Peonies" was inspired by a selection of antique woodblock prints in my archive that I put together to create a dense and lush all over texture of exuberance. I just love painting up this type of design and the satisfaction I get as each new colour is added from my paintbrush to the paper is hard to describe.

"Rose Bower" is a lovely little classic English rose print that I found in the late 1980s in a large old leather bound volume of English fabrics from the 1850s. It`s the sort of "filler" design that works so well with the larger patterns in quilts and on it`s own for multiple other uses such as bags and clothing etc.

Finally to round the collection off I included "Cherry Tomatoes". It is based on a lovely little woodblock print from the 1920s that I found recently. I thought that it would work so well in quilts as another texture to both frame and complement the larger prints.

For the colourways. I wanted fresh and vibrant colours that were also naturalistic and where every design and colour would work well with every pattern in the collection. I see the collection being used for a number of craft and furnishing projects including full blown flamboyant quilts that are literally full of the perfume of English gardens, to clothing, bags and all manner of household furnishings including curtains, cushions and bedding. I just hope that you have as much fun working with them as I did painting them.

National Sewing Month Featuring Tina Givens

Tina Givens shares her sewing story for National Sewing Month! 

My first memories of needle and thread was 12” talking doll. She was beautiful but her clothes were shockingly ugly to me. So I planned and proceeded to remove her clothes and remade them in my own ‘style’. I stitched each garment by hand and was delighted at my work. I started dreaming of the way a needle can magically go in and out of cloth, and piece parts together. This thrilled me and after begging my grandmother and mother to let me learn on the machine, they finally sat me down and taught me the basics. All to happy to provide me with a new hobby! I was so excited I almost passed out. Once I’d experienced the machine there was no stopping me. They ensured I had a stock of fabric when I was young to prevent me from cutting up the curtains, sheets and anything else I could find!

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from Tina Givens along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine!

ENTER TO WIN HERE!

National Sewing Month Featuring Amy Reber

Amy Reber shares her sewing story for National Sewing Month!

I'm going back in time about seven years....as the wife of a United States Marine and mother to three young children, I found myself craving a creative - almost therapeutic - outlet to help get me through deployments, moves and just the day-to-day roller coaster of being a stay-at-home mom. Despite what might be going on during a particular day, I challenged myself to pick up a sketch pad daily and so my rhythm as an artist was born; I still strive to sketch at least ten minutes each day.....I tell people it's free therapy!

As my collection of sketches grew, I started to wonder what my work would look like on “product” and realized that I needed to teach myself some graphic design skills on the computer. I opened up Adobe Illustrator one day during summer vacation. I made my first "repeat” that day using one of my sketches and immediately I knew I had found what my gift of art was meant to be used for. Though fabric was not on my radar at that moment, my art organically involved into designs that work beautifully on fabric and that sewers and quilters are drawn to.

Every time I see a creation made with my FreeSpirit fabrics, I get a similar adrenaline rush from when I made my first repeat! To look at a particular fabric and reflect upon when I drew the flower or shape is truly satisfying, and then to share this with others is the cherry on top! When I saw the quilt that I commissioned to be made using my first FreeSpirit Fabrics line POSY for my daughter, it was such a beautiful moment because not only did I get to give the quilt to her, but I got to show her what her mom could do outside of “mom/wife duties.” It was a powerful moment I will never forget! And now, I get to see how sewers and quilters use my designs to create their own beautiful works of art using thread and needle. I am honored and humbled to play a role in their passion and and I love seeing how others interpret my designs, and that with their creations they breathe new life into the art I originally brought to life with my sketchpad!

Make sure to sign up for a chance to win fabric from Amy Reber along with our Coats Quilt+ thread! You will also be entered for a chance to win our Grand Prize giveaway featuring SEW many goodies including a Janome AMH-100 Machine!

ENTER TO WIN HERE!

The Artist UnSEWn Series presents Posy by Amy Reber

Crisp mornings in the Pacific Northwest with dew drops kissing the grass, majestic evergreen trees reaching for the sky, the smell of salt in the air when on a ferry in the Puget Sound and rugged, white-capped mountains that seem to hug you from every angle, are the framework for the place I am proud to call home.

Some of my fondest memories growing up in Washington are the times spent in the yard of my childhood home.  Even as a young child I can distinctly remember being aware of its beauty, and I

always felt we had the best yard around! The sheer size of the yard made it an incredible place to play. In addition to size, it had a stream, a bridge and waterfalls which added so much to the hours I played outside with my twin brother and our friends, ah the 1970s!

As an adult, looking back, it was truly a masterpiece of color, design and inspiration.  Willow trees, dogwood trees (my favorite flowering tree to this day), cherry blossoms, purple irises, azaleas, rhododendrons, roses….I could go on and on.

But what makes it so special for me is that this richly-hued landscape was entirely the handiwork of my exceptionally talented mom. Donning her rubber boots, which are a must in WA, and with her basic metal watering can, spade and shears, she’d lovingly tend to the leaves and blooms of her treasured garden nearly every day, rain or shine.  

The pride she took in cultivating such beauty and joy was really inspiring and it has very much influenced the designs I create as an artist. Though none of the designs in Posy are directly taken from the garden of my childhood, they do reflect the vibrancy and joy that mom’s garden evoked.

Color is incredibly important to me and the original palette for Posy are the Rosa colors with the bright red, yellow, green and black. The yellow is a special homage to the yellow rose bush that my mom took with her from her Mom’s garden when she and my father retired to the San Juan Islands where she has created a new garden that my children now enjoy and will  -  I hope - one day remember with fondness just as I remember the garden of my youth.

As I think about quilting and how designs are created and color schemes are formed, I think of how my mom planned her organic quilt of sorts. She took great care in considering color, placement and plant size and much like quilters love to shop for fabric, my mom gets the same joy out of shopping for the perfect flower or shrub to add to her “outdoor quilt.”

The Artist UnSEWn Series presents Sunny Isle by Jennifer Paganelli

So picture an Island in the Caribbean surrounded by beautiful beaches and miles of ocean to forever and sometimes the shape of another island appears on the horizon or a ships silhouette and we all get excited and stand on the balcony or our home and the one who spotted it gets all the kudos.  

What we don’t realize is that we live differently from most folks and sometimes the extraordinary vision becomes everyday common place.  Its those memories of wonder that have seared into my memory and come through every time I sit down in my studio to create a collection. Sunny Isle is no different. It was the place we went to see a movie at the local theatre or shop at Woolworths.  It was on the other side of the island and felt so far away. I have never left there. St. Croix has never left me.  Salt water patinas on everything . Faded fabrics from the sun with highlights of their originality tucked into the folds of the fabric. That’s what I try to capture that faded piece with the unseen actual color way on the underside. The one that didn’t see the sun.  I like fabrics to glow that’s where I find the best of me.

So for quilters these fabrics and their resulting quilts love to make you happy.  I start with a happy heart and add joy. These colors burst on the scene with sunshine at their backs.  These colors inspired by the islands of my early childhood will take you places its almost like “vacation was woven into the fabric”  You begin thinking bright beach chairs,sun umbrellas, swimsuits and beach towels when you see these designs, its if we took your memories of all your vacations and wove them up.  So go ahead Welcome a baby, snuggle a pet , stay warm with your loved one, let it spark happiness in your mind. Let the fabric evoke that place in you where you first felt loved.  I hope I get to be that quilt. 

Sunny Stars Quilt designed by Monique Reynolds

Artist UnSEWn Series-TokyoMilk presents Neptune & the Mermaid by Margot Elena

Q&A with Margot Elena!  A fun chat discussing her TokyoMilk presents Neptune & the Mermaid collection.  

Q: You are an internationally known Perfumer & Packaging Designer know for sophisticated layered fragrances and beautiful products. That's drawn you to design fabric?

A: When I design a new collection, I design in four senses. First, the visual, how your eye is drawn to the sparkle of a glass bubble bath bottle. The way the product feels when you pick it up. I use a range of materials in my lines from crystals, embossed linen papers, to natural wood boxes, like in Library of Flowers. I think about the way a product sounds as someone engages with it. Lollia candles have cut-glass crystals hanging from the side that tap against the luminary. Our bath salt sachets have paper wrapped in soft fabric that crinkles when held. And of course, the fragrances are the final piece of the puzzle.

I say all of this to preface the fact that my collections are often inspired by the warmth and texture of fabrics. Both fragrance and fabric can capture ones imagination. They are invitations to immerse into a moment.

I have stacks of beautiful vintage textile design books that I've collected over the years, filled with original gouache paintings and printed samples. Some of those one-of-a-kind patterns have inspired my packaging designs, and the patterns I am creating for textiles. I am so excited to finally be designing fabric - I have wanted to do this forever!

Q: TokyoMilk by Margot Elena is a cult-classic fragrance brand, including TokyoMilk Dark,

TokyoMilk Light, and now Neptune & the Mermaid. Do each of these collections speak to different audiences?

A: I believe fragrance is so powerful - one scent is never the same on two wearers, and it's never exactly the same scent day-to-day. Fragrance is alive and evolves with our body chemistry and our mood - it's the most intimate "accessory" we can select.

While the collections within TokyoMilk, such as Dark & Light, each tell different stories, they are not meant for one specific audience. The wearer chooses their own path moment-to-moment. Perhaps a woman wears TokyoMilk Light in the morning, Neptune & The Mermaid perfume for lunch with friends, and TokyoMilk Dark for a date night - she decides what her story will be.

Q: Neptune & The Mermaid is full of bright punked-up classic patterns paired with surreal scenes of mermaids, octopods, and guardian goldfish. Is there a story you're telling through this collection?

There's always something curious and unexpected to TokyoMilk - and that's represented in this fabric line. I had such a great time dreaming up the patterns for Neptune & The Mermaid fabric, where you have to look twice to see all that there is to see.

A: Similar to creating a fragrance story with top, middle, and bottom notes, the fabric line is a visual narrative told in dreamlike ephemeral collages. By mixing & matching patterns, it becomes a choose your own adventure, inspiring creations that are as pretty as you please, or as unexpected as you dare. I want the person shopping at their local fabric store to feel like they can create their own story. My patterns are just the beginning of the tale.

The Artist UnSEWn presents Love & Friendship by Verna Mosquera

20 years ago I began two romances. One was my love with my husband, Miguel and the other my love of quilting. They both started at the same time. I took my first quilting class the month I got married back in 1996. It seemed only fitting that in 2016, which marked the 20 year anniversary of both I’d commemorate my journey through a fabric collection. These romances both inspired LOVE & FRIENDSHIP.

I truly believe that one thing cannot exist with out the other. You find a certain friendship in those you love and often a love for those you are friends with. Miguel and quilting were no exception. With both, it started as an interest, then soon became a friendship and not long after a love to last the ages.

I met Miguel walking down the street in a beautiful place called Punta Del Este, Uruguay. We became fast friends sharing stories of our childhoods, the places we had visited and those we longed to discover. For years we corresponded through letters until I returned to Uruguay in the early nineties and lived there for over a year. Our friendship consisted of walks on the beach, dinners at outdoor cafes on hot summer nights and winter afternoons watching foreign films. He was very well read, so articulate, quite brilliant, extremely witty and pretty darn handsome too! It was not a wonder after a year our friendship turned to love, one that has endured. I was so lucky to marry my best friend.

My romance with Miguel brought tremendous travel. The places we longed to discover became reality as we began to travel the world together. We visited so many cities in Europe, Canada, South America and eventually the United States. With each trip our love and friendship grew and I gathered artistic inspirations in color and design.

Just a few of my favorite moments:

Indulging in flan on a rainy afternoon on the beaches of Punta Del Diablo, Uruguay

Renting and riding bikes through the trails in Whistler, Canada

Sight seeing and enjoying tea in the Cotswalds, England

Summer evenings eating gelato as we crossed the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy

Enjoying tapas and taking pictures in beautiful San Sebastian, Spain

Not long after we returned to the US, I took a quilting class as a New Years resolution to learn something new in my artistic life. What began as a curiosity, quickly turned to passion and the creative fire has never stopped. It led me to work in a quilting store, teach classes & eventually start my own pattern company, The Vintage Spool. When I attended my first quilt market I met Donna Wilder, founder of FreeSpirit and have been designing fabric for FreeSpirit Fabrics ever since.

With Miguel by my side I have had the opportunity to work as an artist while we raise our two boys Milo, 15 & Nico, 12. Starting my own business with Miguel as my partner has allowed me to be with my children every step of their young lives. Days can often get crazy as I wear many hats but my friendship with Miguel has endured and without him it could have never happened. He’s always been supportive in any way I needed. Doing everything from the books for The Vintage Spool, to loading vans for trade shows, to being Mr. Mom while I have traveled to teach.

While our recent journeys are closer to home we still often enjoy a day out antiquing together. He gets a kick out of old tools and I go crazy over vintage quilts, French ribbon and unique glass buttons. Our home is an eclectic mix of treasures usually up-cycled that we have found and spruced into something fresh and new. We never tire of being together. He is usually sitting alongside me on the couch as I stitch my newest designs in the evening. 

It’s amazing how far we have come in our romantic and creative journey. Miguel still makes me laugh, his shoulder is always there to lean on when times are tough and I haven’t gotten tired of looking at his handsome face. The love and friendship we have shared has been the most amazing gift in my life. It has been with his support that I have grown into the artist that I am today. Because of our love I am empowered to share my creativity with others through my Vintage Spool patterns and my collections for FreeSpirit.

LOVE & FRIENDSHIP is available from your favorite local quilt shop or online retailer in eight different prints and three color ways. I hope it will inspire the romantic in all of you.

View Love & Friendship HERE. Download our free Quilt Pattern HERE.

The Artist UnSEWn - FreeSpirit Presents Erin McMorris' Intermix

I always dread it when someone asks where I got my inspiration. I know, I know, it sounds strange—I mean, the question should be easy, right? After all, I designed it! I was there when I put pencil to paper for that first sketch. Yet for some reason, it is SO hard for me to articulate. I guess it’s because I get my inspiration from…everywhere!

Intermix by Erin McMorris

Perhaps I’m just embarrassed to admit that many times an idea just pops into my head as I’m watching cat videos. But typically, collections are a snapshot of what was happening in my life: what vacations I drew inspiration from, what trend was interesting to me in the design world, or even what colors I was missing in my own stash. My new collection, Intermix, is one of my favorites so far is drawn from all of the above. Here’s how it started…

Intermix by Erin McMorris

I was hiking in the Arizona mountains with my sister, and while she was probably feigning interest in my work, I explained to her that cacti and succulents are a big print trend in both home dec and fashion. That got me thinking. While enjoying the scenic view of the crazy-shaped cacti, I thought about doing an eclectic scenic leafy print that is more in line with the Pacific Northwest, where I live. Using different brushes and textures as well as solid line work, I drew Britta, where I tried to show the textural qualities of the plants, and making it as packed as a landscape would be. And then to co-ordinate, I decided to show those textured leaves and plants in rows of potted plants. My latest obsession is ceramics, and I’ve been making a ton of vessels for my own plants, so I thought it would be nice to make it more personal and draw the pots as some of the shapes I’ve been throwing on the wheel. 

Intermix by Erin McMorris

Finn is a slight homage to the Memphis Milano Group whose graphic style has made a return as a print trend (yay...hello 80’s!!)  and is yet another reference to a pattern I’ve painted on my ceramics. No collection would be complete with some sort of dotted pattern, and Quimby is a raindrop allover is covered by the gridded dot.  I love blending structured and organic patterns.  Helix is a pattern which started out as a doodle probably while watching an aforementioned cat video (see, I wasn’t joking!). Because my doodles looked like crazy colorful crystals, I started thinking of geology and the hard and soft of natural elements, and decided to make a blender print of Granite.  Granite is a marble-type pattern that I drew by hand, which took forever while binge-watching the entire mini-series “Making of a Murderer”on Netflix.  It’s weird how some prints become cemented with whatever podcast, or tv show I was listening to at the time. The show is very bleak and takes place in Wisconsin and got me thinking about icy, stark contrasts and winter landscapes as I was drawing tiny gray lines. So I used a lot of black and white and some icy or earthy colors with my usual aqua/pink (to make me happy again).  I’m always going to try and make a collection look happy regardless of my viewing preferences and think the quilt that I designed looks like shears of a springtime mountain cliff.  

Intermix by Erin McMorris

Which sort of brings us full circle!

Intermix by Erin McMorris

So you can see that answering the “where do you get your inspiration from” question isn’t necessarily going to result in an exotic answer.  It might just come from items I come across in my everyday life, a bleak TV mini-series or even a baby goat video!

Erin McMorris

The Artist UnSEWn - FreeSpirit Presents Tanya Whelan's Rambling Rose

"Hygge is in the Air"

Tanya Whelan's Rambling Rose

You may have heard the term "hygge" a lot lately. It seems to be everywhere this year and especially this time of year. Hygge is a Danish concept that is often translated as coziness in English. From what I understand it basically just describes a feeling or atmosphere where the small, simple things in life like warmth, good food, family and friends are appreciated and celebrated. Though the Scandinavians undoubtedly do coziness incredibly well, I think every culture and perhaps even every person has their own version of what makes for coziness and warmth in a home. Maybe it's a New England cottage by the sea on a snowy day with a roaring fire, or a little log cabin in the mountains with pot belly stove, or even a walk up brownstone apartment in New York City with a perfect little Christmas tree with it's twinkling lights that represents a refuge of warmth and coziness to you.

Tanya Whelan's Rambling Rose

For me, where ever I happen to be, quilts have always brought home the feeling of coziness. I loved the quilts I would see in antique stores when I was growing up. I loved the bright colours and floral patterns pieced into intricate designs. But I especially loved the idea that these beautiful quilts were put together over time using leftover fabric from worn clothing or feedsacks out of necessity and that they were made by hard working women to keep their families warm and safe. I loved the quilt that my mom made in the seventies out of leftover fabric from sewing projects. Though she always intended to, my mom never got around to actually quilting it. The top was pieced and tied to keep the batting in place but it made no difference to me as a little kid. It simply made me feel safe and warm. Years later I wrapped my own baby boy in that same quilt. Similarly the baby quilts my mom made for each of my children still bring me that sense of warmth and love. As does the perfect pink, expertly hand quilted quilt my grandmother made me which kept me warm in my first apartment New York City as a young adult.

Tnaya Whelan's Rambling Rose

I think all of my fabric collections are inspired by my love of homeyness, of coziness, of hygge and this newest collection, Rambling Rose, is no exception. So, at this coldest time of year I just want to wish you lots of hygge and lots of snuggling under that perfect quilt.

xoxo

Tanya

The Artist UnSEWn - FreeSpirit presents Jane Sassaman's Scandia

Hello! My name is Jane Sassaman and I am a FreeSpirit designer. I am happy to be here today to tell you a little bit about myself and my latest collection of designs called Scandia! 

My love affair with fabric began early. I grew up in a time when fashions lavish use of rich velvets, brocades and lace acted as a counterpoint to space age vinyl and Mylar. Color was wild then, too; Betsey Johnson pink, Beatles psychedelic and Peter Max rainbows were all the rage. And it is during this period, as an art student, that I fell under the influence of the English Arts and Crafts Movement. Consequently, my passion for the decorative arts and handwork have been the seeds from which my career as a quilter and fabric designer has grown.

Scandia

Every fabric collection is held together by a over riding theme or mood. Scandia, as the name implies, is influenced by the crisp clean look of modern Scandinavian design, for which I have a great affinity. So I wanted this line to have the essence of all the things that I love in this design culture… color, textiles, folk art, interior decoration, etc. 

But even though the spirit is Scandinavian, the motifs usually have some personal significance, as the flora and fauna are often modeled after those in my own Midwestern environment. So it is a very subjective interpretation. 

Within that theme, I begin by working on a nature inspired design to be the centerpiece of the collection and usually the most elaborate one, as well. In this case, the Vineyard design (with the birds) became the heart from which all the other designs evolved. And so the drawing continues by adding simple supporting characters, which are usually the most practical and hardest working fabrics in the line. I always include some contrasting geometrics and simple prints as nice foils for the flowers and leaves, plus some contrasting color for drama. 

Pillowcases

One of the nicest perks of the job is actually living with the samples that get made to showcase the collections every season! My home is the living laboratory for Sassaman fabrics… shower curtains, table cloths, duvet covers and PILLOWCASES! I have the greatest collection of pillowcases on the planet! It is a joy to go to bed in my house. 

Scandia Quilts - 3 Colorways

 And quilts are everywhere, of course! I am especially delighted to share one of the new Scandia quilts today. It is called Finlandia and I think it really has the flavor of Northern European folk art. Here it is made up in the Red colorway, but is also very fetching in the Purple and Blue versions. Each has it’s own ambiance and graphic temperament. You can download the free pattern here. To make your quilt larger than lap size, simply multiply the number if center blocks. 

If you would like to read more about my life in design and how to use these wonderful printed fabrics please pick up a copy of my book Patchwork Sassaman Style. 

I am a FreeSpirit!

FreeSpirit presents Angela Lan!

We are so delighted to be working with Angela Lan! This young fashion designer will be blogging monthly for our Sewing Secrets blog using our FreeSpirit fabric and Coats threads in her educational series for young readers! She brings a youthful approach to sewing education with her trendy fashion sense and her easy to follow sewing style! Read more from Angela below!

Hello! I’m Angela, a 14 year-old fashion designer and blogger from lovespunk.com. I’m also the author of the newly released teen fashion design/sewing book #OOTD Sew & Style: Make Your Dream Wardrobe with Angela. Wow, that was a mouthful. Well when I’m not busy playing the aforementioned roles above, I’m a 9th grader in the Bay Area of California attending online school. I love to travel, read, shop, jam out to pop-rock and 80’s-early 00s music (Bon Jovi anyone?), and go on Instagram too often like any other teenager.

I would describe my style as a clean-cut version of street style with a touch of sophistication. Leather jackets, ripped jeans, and white tees are musts, but keeping it minimal and fresh.

How did you get started with sewing?

While my mom doesn't sew, I was a really crafty kid and wanted to be an artist when I grew up. I was introduced to knitting at the age of 4 by a friend and also crocheted, painted, and made jewelry. I made scarves, blankets, hats, earrings, sweaters, and more. Books were my go-to source and one day, while I was around browsing the knitting books at the library at age 9, I found the sewing books right next to the craft books and picked one up, thinking hey, this is something I should try.

Favorite sewing project?

My favorite and most proud project I've ever completed was a sleeping bag I made when I was 10 years old. It was for science camp and I was determined to make my own so I didn't have to bring my dad's. I probably did the most research I've ever did on a project and what do you know, there's not much information on the internet about how to make a sleeping bag. So I decided to design a layout for myself on graph paper, wrote myself some instructions using logic, and guess what materials I should use. It was just me, 5 layers and 15 yards of fabric including batting, waterproof rip-stop nylon, heat-reflective material, fleece, and Amy Butler’s cotton sateen. Sewing that thing was tough, just pushing the gigantic thing through the sewing machine was insane.

But in the end, at camp I had the prettiest sleeping bag that included a removable blanket and pillow that kept me warm in the mountains in mid-January. I still love that thing today.

How do you find trends? Where do you seek your inspirations?

Trends are all around us and existing in our daily lives; I usually like to seek out what’s popular right now, what others are wearing, what stores are coming out with, what popular bloggers are wearing, what I’m currently drawn to, etc. For me, I like to keep it realistic and in reality if that makes any sense. Sometimes there are trends that walk the runways that just won’t work for ready-to-wear (which is what I mostly design for) and I have this gut feeling when I see a piece/trend/design come out prior to its season. There’s a natural instinct to immediately know that that’s going to be the trend for the upcoming season. It all flows together in my mind.

For inspiration on my designs, I just design what I would like to wear, sometimes following the trends I find. It’s practical that way and since I’m a teen, it’s not hard to create garments that other teens would want to wear if it’s something I personally like in the first place. There’s gotta be someone else out there with a similar style, you know?

How was it writing your first book?

It was definitely a learning experience and a lot more work than I had imagined. The process was enjoyable though; I had a lot of fun doing what I loved and got to work with some amazing people along the way. I’m so grateful for the opportunity given by C&T Publishing.

Why did you write this book? Is there any “back story” that inspired you to write this book?

When I first started making my own clothes, I was still a relatively beginning and young sewer. I was mostly teaching myself, reading books and watching Youtube videos. However, while I wanted to dive into the world of self-made fashion, there was no "go-to" book or resource that could teach me the basics of sewing while creating clothes at the same time. There were the kid sewing books that taught me how to make potholders and pillows, but I wanted to make, well, clothes. Something that I could wear on a daily basis and show off. Then there were the beginner garment sewing books that were geared towards adults, so none of the included patterns were in my size and the wording was too complicated for my 10 year old brain. A couple years after my experience, I realized that the huge market of sewing books still lacks a complete, from start to finish, "design and sew your own clothes while learning how to sew" kind of book targeted towards teens.

What do you want readers of your book to learn? Any specific goals?

#OOTD Sew & Style is a fashion design and sewing book for tween and teen teaching them the basics of sewing while creating garments at the same time. My goal with this book is to teach

teens how to make store-bought looking clothes in the easiest way possible, step-by-step. The book starts off with the foundations of sewing, such as fabric types, types of stitches, basic sewing techniques, and then moves on into more garment-based techniques such as zippers and darts. From cutting fabric to zippers to french seams, it's a skill-building book that teaches the reader new techniques and helps her to practices these skills by making a new clothing item at the end of each chapter. After a making a couple of projects, teens can learn how to modify basic patterns to create totally different looks, such as turning a shorts pattern into a pair of pants.

Outside of sewing and looking at the bigger picture, I really want to inspire others to pursue their passion whatever it may be. Just go for it! You'll never know if you don't try, and if you do, you may end up with some amazing opportunities or accomplishments you can truly be proud of.

Where can people purchase your book?

My book is available in most bookstores and book retailers worldwide, both online and in-stores and available in paperback and e-book formats, including C&T Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indigo/Chapters, Target, Walmart, and iBooks (Apple Store).

Where do you see yourself going with sewing in the future? Is this something you are going to continue as hobby or would you like to be a fabric designer one day?

I definitely would want to continue with fashion and textile related works in the future, although I’m not exactly sure what I want to do yet. About being a fabric designer, that’s actually a funny question, haha since I was about to pursue textile design before deciding to write a book instead. I guess I found out you have to be able to get the idea from your head onto paper of some sort and I wasn’t the best at drawing. Writing, however, came naturally to me.

What types of fabrics do you like working with best?

I love working with out-of-the box textiles including home decor air mesh and nylon. Finding ways to make these fabrics wearable and practical while looking chic is a fun challenge for me. I also love any fabrics that press well (who doesn’t?) and air-y fabrics like voile and challis.

Anything that you haven’t learned in sewing or quilting that you are eager to do?

I think that technique and precision specifically in garment construction is something that I could always work on.

Any advice to other young people like you who are looking to start sewing?

Always finish your projects before starting another one! Kidding, haha. I have way too many unfinished projects sitting in my closet not to joke about it, but just take things at your own pace. Sewing is really creative outlet and meant to be a fun process.