Hello all! My name is Meghan Petty and I am very excited to be one of the new Creative Chicks on DIYStyle. Just to give you a little bit of background about myself, I grew up in the small town of Pleasant Hope in the very Midwestern state of Missouri…I have always been very musically and artistically inclined through out my life…I proceeded to go to college at the University of Missouri-Columbia for Psychology changing my major officially and un-officially to Graphic Design, Business, Web-Design, and then to Textile and Apparel Management all in four years….hit a wall and knew I needed a more creative type of lifestyle…transferred schools to Stephens College for fashion design…completed a summer internship with SKIF International…graduated in a very full two years of catch up from Stephens College…moved to New York and I am now looking for a job and sorting out all of the possibilities that could be my future!

Along that very busy journey I have been published in Crochet! Magazine for a crochet cocktail dress I hand produced and patterned.  I have also been recognized with many awards for my designs through competitions at Stephens College.  I even had the pleasure of starting an annual fashion show at the University of Kansas with a good friend.  And on top of all of that, I have been keeping up with my own alterations and original designs business on the side.

So what is this small town girl doing in the great metropolis of New York?  This has been a question on my mind for the past three months.  My initial intent was to get a job as an assistant designer with some company but a lot of my being in New York has been turned into a great adventure of finding myself and all the possibilities I have laid out in front of me.  After interviewing with many companies big and small I have not found one that is willing to hire me with only a summers experience in the industry.  Many companies wish for an entry level design employee to have 3 yrs experience coming out of school.  You know how booming the fashion industry is in Missouri!  So, not only is my career choice in a creative field but trying to find a job in it has become a creative task as well. 

Three months and no permanent job…what does one do?  First and foremost, everything happens for a reason and our paths in life are laid out before us in mysterious but very obvious ways.  The first major thing I realized while being the city is you never know who is going to connect you to your next project in life.  I was introduced through a classmate to a new brand called Arcana that wishes to produce high end Men’s Suits.  They needed someone to help design, make patterns, do fittings, and produce the sample garments to be sent to buyers and manufacturers.  This would be great experience and potentially could make me a good chunk of money but all of my hard work to be put in would not reap the benefits until profit is made on the line.  So I now have a job that doesn’t technically pay me!  I then was trying to think of ways to work from home so that I can keep up with the demands of the Men’s line but also make money to pay my rent.  Through random circumstances I was messing around on the internet and found a website that is specifically for selling and buying hand made goods.  Awesome!  So I came up with a business plan for myself to see if I could really make this work and listed some of the garments that I have made just to see how selling could go.  You can now purchase several of my designs on ETSY.  I plan on selling my current designs and then in January starting my FIRST Spring line (to be sold on ETSY)!  This will be an investment of my time as well until I establish some inventory.  So great start for the future but not a great solver of the high cost of living in New York City!

This leaves me at my current state of still trying to find at least part time work in the midst of a falling economy and a tough fashion world.  I have lots of skills in many directions in terms of design so how do I prove that to others in the industry?  Do I just drop all thoughts of working for someone else and try to push through owning my own online business?  My next step is yet to come!!!  

To check out more about me and my designs please visit my website!

 Meghan

I just picked up a new book, perusing the shelves at my local Barnes & Noble, looking for something fashion minded and an easy read. Here’s what I ended up with…..”The One Hundred” is the new book by Nina Garcia, of Project Runway and Elle magazine fame. With the subtitle: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own, I figured I had better get the scoop on what these pieces are, and see how many of them (if any!) I already had in my wardrobe. Even if you don’t read & take to heart Nina’s fashion insight and advice, just the illustrations alone from illustrator Ruben Toledo are entertaining and fun.

To my surprise (and relief) I did have a few of the must have’s on the list in my closet, but I am definitely lacking in several areas. I guess it is time for some revamping on my part, and a good excuse to do some Fall shopping. The Fashion 101 sidebars sprinkled throughout the book give you a bit of fashion history and industry background, tidbits that may help you out the next time you hit that fashion category at Trivia night.

Pretty soon it will be getting cold here, and curling up with a good light read like this one will be a welcome treat. And, be sure to check out the interview we did with Anna Maria Horner that we uploaded on Saturday. Her new book “Seams to Me” is a cute spin from her already super cute fabric line. Find it on the shelves this month, as it makes it’s debut. Congrats Anna….it’s fantastic!

Cindy

I traveled to so many places this summer…it has been exciting and inspiring, getting ideas for my Senior Collection. My favorite place of them all would have to be New York City. The last week of my summer break I took a nine day trip to visit the big city. I had a few goals in mind for the trip. Here is my list”

1.) Shop for senior collection fabric in the garment district.

2.) Have a great meeting with McCalls.

3.) Use what I have learned in my Pre-20th Century Costume class to identify garments on display at the MET museum.

4.) Learn the subway system enough so I will ride it on my own.

5.) Add to my collection of 500 inspiration pictures that was assigned for my senior year (that has not been a huge challenge especially being in so many different places).

Boy was I in for a wild ride. First of all, I stayed with some amazing girlfriends (love ya Julie & Danielle!) who love the fashion industry and were so great about teaching me about the city. My adventure began at the MET museum. It had been recommended by Kathy (at McCall’s) to be sure to see the Super Heros exhibit. It was a very interesting presentation of garments that were inspired by the super hero movies. These were the actual costumes used in the movies. The experience didn’t stop there. I ended up walking around the MET for six hours pointing out to my friend the name of every garment from the Egyptian period through the 19^th century that they had on display. I had just finished taking a summer class in the history of costume, and it was really incredible to see in person what we had been studying in books. A few of my favorites: seeing a sheath dress from the Egyptian period completely constructed out of beads, a Greek Ionic Chiton (modern day tunic) and himations (a large cloth used as a wrap) carved out of stone into amazing statues. You may think I’m crazy but I had fun hunting down 3000 B.C. fibulas (the world’s first ever safety pin–before people even sewed clothing together). I also got to view a few of my favorite painter’s works. I love Andy Warhol and Roy Linchenstein, and seeing their work in person was really cool. One down, four more goals to go.

Next I spent two whole days shopping for fabric in the garment district. The first day was discouraging at first because I didn’t have good direction except that I was looking for knit prints. We went to a ton of stores on 37^th and 38^th street between 7^th and 8^th avenue. They were small “hole in the wall” type stores. It was great to get a lot of good swatches so that I could go back for what I wanted if I needed it for my collection. Towards the end of the day I fell in love with this one piece. Picture this: dusty rose pink tulle with embroidery that totally covered it in sage green, lavender, and dusty rose. Then the piece is covered in black and brown feathers with a natural color bead at the top of each feather. It was an exquisite piece! Feathers are so hot this season and I plan to design a cocktail dress…….this would be perfect. I thought I wasn’t going to get anywhere in these small independent stores but I did, and I bargained with the guy to get a great price. One main collection piece, more to go! After that I went to Mood Fabrics. There I found some notions that could be used on my garments as well as my mood boards for school. I bought a piece of leather that was a pink embossed alligator with a pearlized finish. I plan on using it for the cocktail dress bodice piece or small accent pieces. The next day that I spent in the garment district was with great success. I went to B&J Fabrics and found a great but pricey silk charmeuse print that made my day. It was the perfect color palette and the look I was going for. On this shopping trip I also was able to find my chocolate brown wool coating fabric for my tailored coat.

My next goal was not too hard to achieve. For my senior collection we were assigned to take pictures that would inspire us for our garments. It could be anything from architecture to nature to garments. Walking the streets of New York gave me lots of photo opps. The window displays were incredible. My favorite was Dior’s window! It had a carriage in the window with suits and dresses on display. Being a visual merchandiser would be fun but hard work! I also always get inspiration from Betsey Johnson, so I had to go to her store off of Madison Ave.  I almost camped out on their doorstep for the rest of the trip once I found out that she just lives right around the corner from her store! That would have been too cool to meet her.

I was super excited for our McCalls meeting. I felt like I had been preparing for the meeting for weeks. I prepared boards, sketched, and bought some supportive sample garments. I was so excited how my boards turned out and the great samples I found, I even found some great swatches of the fabric that I thought would be perfect for the garments we were proposing. Everyone seemed pleased with McCall’s decisions, so look forward to more great DIYStyle designs for 2009! Thanks to McCall’s hard work to making our dreams come to life! Only one more goal to achieve!

Julie & Danielle had explained the subway the first day that I arrived, so I was able to take the subway the whole trip. The girls live in the East Village so it was good practice taking the subway all over the city instead of taking cabs. I feel like being in New York for that amount of time helped me to prepare to be a better designer. Through inspiration, great fabrics, seeing in person a history of garments, and working in the offices of McCalls for a day really has helped my creativity and motivation as a design major. I will definitely be back in NYC soon!

Allyce

This New York trip was very special because I actually had time to explore the city! Many call it the city of opportunity, I call it the city of inspiration. It’s everywhere whether you find it in art galleries or museums, fabric stores or retail shopping, even just walking down the street and observing peoples’s outfits! Well the fashion capital of the world never lets me down, and neither do all the exciting people living in it!

I walked around Fashion Avenue, and visited with The Jones Apparel Group and got to see their innerworkings! It was great to see the day in the life of a fashion house! It helps to understand the important factors that go into being a designer. It’s a much larger process than what first comes to mind. But the people who do it, love it!!!

I found many treasures in the city but some that I must mention are the resale consignment stores in NYC. Take note of “A Second Chance” on 78th and Madison and “Michaels” between 80th and 81st and Madison. You can find great deals on the top designer clothes and even inspiration from some of their vintage collections. Even though you sometimes have to dig, it can really be worth it.

After the consignment shopping I headed down to Chelsea where you can find the most amazing art galleries! Galleries are a place where I get my artistic inspiration because I am an artist and painter myself! I saw some fasinating exhibits including pieces from Chuck Close. One of my favorite exhibits was one that was interactive. Besides the fact that you could play pinball and smash rocks that contained hidden treasures inside, I loved the color themes and the geometic shapes within the paintings. One display was done on multipe canvases which were strategically hung creating a beautiful collage of art. Another work that I took inspiration from was a painting of a distorted cityscape, I loved the urban feel and again the bright colors!

A piece I saw that sewers can relate to was embroidered wall art that pieced together differend fabrics. I was thinking of telling the artist about the Quilt Show!! I always hate leaving the city, but I am now returning to Portland fully inspired and full of ideas to be drawing, designing, sewing and painting with! Thank you New York City, I’ll be seeing you again soon!

Love,
Melissa

Wow. I have been just engulfed by design projects from the moment I stepped back in the door at Stephens. This is my senior year, and boy do they have us off and running! I just completed this Rejectamenta project, and thought you would like to take a peek. The challenge is to make a garment from all recycled materials, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness. Our garments will be judged by a jury and some will go on display at the Komen Foundation annual conference.

My theme is “Don’t gamble with your life….get regular mammograms”. Unfortunately the pic does not do it justice, it looks way cooler on a model with the headpiece, necklace and train that makes it all come together. When we get some professional model pics done I’ll be sure to post one.

For now I’m onto finishing a tailored and lined wool coat, and matching dress that is due shortly, sketching hundreds of illustrations for my upcoming Senior Collection, and sewing my heart out at every turn. I’ll try to come up for air once in a while to give everyone a quick up date, but for now just send me lots of positive energy………it’s going to be one challenging and exciting year in fashion design school!

Allyce

Amy Butler is a fab friend of DIYStyle. See what she has been up to…….she’s one busy (and talented) lady!

Cindy

From Amy:

It’s been an incredible summer! The season has been full of many exciting launches and loads of new product development. This is one of my favorite times of year! My gardens explode and I love watching the drama unfold before my eyes, it brings me so much joy, I love hanging in the garden in the evening at the end of a long day. The Lotus bog is soothing and if feels wonderful to be surrounded by lush plants in bloom. All the hard work in the spring nurturing the beds really pays off! I was able to extend my “August experience” this year with the launch of my newest home decor collection of prints for Rowan…. “August Fields”.

The collection is made up of four diverse color stories celebrating the inspiration of gardens and wild fields in high season. Everything peaks in August! Poetic combinations of elegant natural prints and modern textures make it easy to mix and match designs for your next home dec or fashion project. Here’s a sneak peak below with some fun shots of my AF photo shoot last weekend at my friend Brian’s house! I’m using AF for everything! Bedding, pillows, bags, ( of course right?! ) and clothing. My friends here at DIY Style will appreciate the fashion focus with this collection! I’ve made tons of beautiful garments. Check out some of the shots.

In the first shot above my friend Andrew captures Jesse in one of my new dress designs! And his beautiful shots follow!

Drenda is wearing on original necklace made by my dear friend Kim Mettee. You have to check out her Etsy shop…… amazing, crazy cool jewelry. She uses rare materials and gems to create her organic and spirited masterpieces. Thank you Kim! I love to work alongside my friends and loved ones, it makes the creative process even more thrilling and rewarding.

Here’s Mr. Butler caught red handed in one of my sets! We had an incredible day of shooting. Just the night before he had a rock and roll show with his band the Black Owls! I don’t know how he looks so rested…….. he’s my Dave!

Here are my friends Christina and Nichole shot by Mr. Butler just a few minutes later. The girls are wearing my new apron design made out of August Fields!

Here’s the props room with all the details and goodies to embellish my girlfriends.

I’ve staged all of the props and accessories by color stories….. of course! Everything on hand to style my ladies!

The details in and of themselves tell a beautiful story! Color explosions everywhere! I love it!!

Another long awaited addition to my fabric mix has also launched this summer! Amy Butler Solids. The material is beautifully woven with a gorgeous feel, my solids come in both home dec and quilting weights to coordinate with all of my print collections with Rowan. The pretty colors will enhance and compliment any project and are sure to stir your creative passions! I have a fun mix of projects on my web site that feature both the home dec and quilting weight collections. I also have a great free quilt pattern you can try……. I named the quilt after my friend Thea, she’s a wild creative fire! I just love her. You can grab the project as a download under my “free patterns” section on the site.

This month I will be introducing my newest quilting and fashion weight collection for Rowan. The line is called Daisy Chain and it is embellished with artistic flourishes that give a nod to our free spirited past! Daisy Chain is filled with earthy chic prints with a modern folk feel that harmonize in the four zen like color palettes. These romantic prints are perfect for fashion, home dec or quilting projects. I had a blast creating several fashion pieces to show off the range! It’s the best when all of my worlds collide…… color, prints and fashion. Building the story with my style shoots is one of my favorite things to do. This shoot we invited our friend Andrew Baasch to take some pics with Dave. The results are amazing! You’ll have to check back on my web site soon to see all the gorgeous inspirado! Enjoy!!

Drenda above models my Angel Dress and Christina is styling in her Daisy Chain head scarf, lounging on my new Daisy Chain quilt. The quilt will be a FREE pattern on my web site soon! I can’t get over the color of her eyes and how she blends so beautifully with the navy DC palette! These shots were captured by Dave…….. gorgeous Mr. B!

One of my most recent product launches featured my new GIFTWRAP GREEN collection with the Giftwrap Company. The line is made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper and is printed with soy inks. The line includes gift wrap, bags, and giftcard boxes. I’m very proud of this partnership with the Giftwrap Company, we worked very hard to create an ecologically sound line. It’s incredible to be able to offer a green alternative to gift giving and entertaining.

Alongside the gift wrap & bags, we’ve developed an eco line of paper tableware (plates, napkins & guest towels) that coordinate. The plates and napkins are printed with 100% soy ink, plus the plates use a water-soluble coating so that they can be rinsed and recycled too! I had my family for the 4th of July and it was great to rinse the plates and then toss them in the recycle bin. The plates are very sturdy as well as stylish! The perfect combo!

I told ya I have a lot of fun Projects and books releasing this season! I love my new Little Stitches sewing book! It’s lavishly illustrated and inside you’ll find charming and contemporary projects for the nursery, baby wear, soft toys, and many more surprises! The projects are designed for babies 0-12 months and their mothers, featuring beautiful photos of the finished designs by our friend Colin McGuire. It was fun to produce these little treasures, and I think you’ll find many projects in here for all the wee ones in your world.

Here are a couple of my favorite projects……. the Cheeky Monkey Laundry Bag and the Sleepy Snail with removable Shell Pillow. The other detail I love about the book is that I rated the projects by difficulty level so you can ease right into a project that’s perfect for you. This is a keeper! A great book to keep on hand for gift giving!

I wanted to give you a little peek at my upcoming December launch of Midwest Modern 2! This small release includes brand new prints to compliment Midwest Mod 1. Here are a few shots from my camera that I took during our shoot at Brian’s. Luscious and floral inspired! You also get a peek at my new apron pattern for Fall!

I hope you’ve enjoyed our time together. I sure have……. thanks for spending a piece of your day with me and my dear friends at DIY Style! DIY Gals……….Keep doing what you’re doing and sharing all of your lovely inspiration and ideas. What a fun, creative and loving community we work in! Thank you everyone!
XO Amy

Thanks for hanging in there with us……..we had some glitches yesterday that prevented us from uploading our new season DIYStyle vodcasts……sorry! We think we have it all covered now, and they are uploaded and ready to view. And, I’ll be posting Amy Butler’s fab blog later this evening. You’ll want to read and see all the gorgeous pics she sent to all of our DIYStyle creative chicks

Cindy

Hey everyone!I am getting ready to go back to school on Tuesday and have been working all day to get stuff done for McCalls. So far I’m pretty much caught up. I just love the beginning of a new school year, it always feels like a fresh start with so much potential. Now that I have my designs done I am starting to work on a project that my AMA (American Marketing Association) board wants me to put together. It will be an event in the Spring for a fashion show at PSU. I am really exited about the event because it is something that I am very passionate about…..fashion! We will be collaborating with the Art Institute of Portland and my marketing peers at PSU to produce this event, the design students will bring the fashions, we will market & advertise the event, and of course do the necessary fundraising. I think it will be a great experience with something that I am already interested in! I also get to help to bring fashion to my school!!! How fun!!!

Best!

Melissa

Hi All!

I know several of you have asked about the next season of DIYStyle. Drumroll please…………we start upload tomorrow, and subsequent Tuesdays with DIYStyle Projects! AND, since the feedback on the summer Quick Takes was SEW (I couldn’t resist!) positive, we have decided to start delivering DIYStyle to you in smaller bites, 2x a week! So, each week you will get DIYStyle Tuesdays which will focus on a new fab project, and then on Saturday, you will get DIYStyle Weekend, and that will be a selection of sewing tips, exciting places and people we visit, designer interviews, and other surprises to get your weekend off to a creative start. 

Even though September 30th marks the end of National Sewing Month……..we have only just begun to get you lots of inspiration and encouragement to keep on sewing and designing your own fashion. Our first project for the season is part of the Go Green! Sew Green! initiative that National Sewing Month encourages. A super cute purse fashioned from repurposed sweaters (a fall must-have) found at the local resale shop.

And, we have some blog treats in store for you too! Amy Butler has checked back in with DIYStyle after her incredibly busy summer (watch out Martha!!) with a scrapbook of photos and lots to tell. We’ll post that on Wednesday, and we’ll be having other “special guest” bloggers throught this new season.

Just a reminder to subsrcibe to the RSS feeds so that DIYStyle blogs and vodcasts always come straight to you, and if you check email, join as a Creative Chick to start receiving our DIYStyle news updates (more on that later).

It’s a fashion forward Fall ‘08 with the help of your Creative Chicks team at DIYStyle.We’re excited for all the support and notes from our growing community………pass the word to all the other creative chicks in your life about DIYStyle, and let them in on the fun!

Cindy

I’m back from filming the next seasons episodes of DIYStyle in Saint Louis. It was a packed couple of days and it turned out to be really fun! I had prepared for filming by watching some older episodes to see what I could change or improve on. We made some really great projects that will be fun for making presents this winter, and included some creative tips that will help you fashionup your wardrobe.

Something to look for is our “zipper clutch” it turned out to be soooo cute and would be a great Christmas present for your girlfriends. I think I’m going to make all of my roommates one! Another cool thing with the clutch is that you can use lots of different fabrics, we used an inexpensive faux suede, but you can use tapestry fabric, Ultra Suede (as it you don’t need much so it wouldn’t be too pricely, but would look REALLY expensive), a faux leather or faux patent leather. You can also use a nice velour or velveteen (look for non ravelling versions) to make a great holiday bag.

Another super quick project to look for is our poncho! We made one out of a sweater knit and a polar fleece. They made two completely different looks that were equally cute! The one thing you need to keep in mind with this one is the drapiness of the fabric. Get creative with the textiles you choose….you can re-do a project many times and get a different outcome each time! 

Melissa

I have been lucky enough to be able to travel to some popular fashion spots this summer. It was exciting to be able to go to different parts of the US to get a good view of trends for my senior collection. I have been to Portland, Las Vegas, Chicago, and will be going to New York here soon.

Just a few weeks ago I was in Las Vegas for 10 whole days! This meant I could go shopping, sketch, get color ideas, and note the interesting way the designers manipulate the fabric. I went window shopping pretty much everyday. My favorite spot for this kind of “research” shopping is The Fashion Show Mall. With a fashion show that rises out of the floor (everything is a show in Las Vegas!), this place is a mecca of shops. I feel it has the most variety featuring high end to low end stores. When doing research you can’t just relay on the high end stores like Neiman Marcus or designer boutiques to get a complete picture. You have to understand where the trends are going. Whether they are widespread enough to have hit the discount stores like Target, or if they are still in designer stores. A mall like this one has it all, making my research a bit easier.

The Wynn is another fashion sleuthing haven. I found some great inspiration visiting the Chanel store there. They had done some amazing fabric detailing. Some of the sweaters on display had small chain that was woven into the knit fabric so it made the sweater completely two toned. I also tend to get a lot of inspiration from shoes! I don’t know if it’s when I look at shoes I design as if I am making an outfit to match, or if they just set a look. There were SO many garments that used large overwhelming prints combining odd florals and geometric shapes. I was really intrigued by the combination of prints in a really cool dress that had a leopard and floral combination. And animal prints have stuck around and seem to be getting larger! There was this amazing Dior belt that was really inspiring… it was made in a zebra fur print with a huge grommet with a bar and chain to hold the belt closed. Another trend that is sticking around and I feel keeps getting more and more exaggerated are garments constructed in a origami pattern. It seems to be in all the high end clothing, from pockets that look like middle school fortune tellers to interesting design lines with lots of pleats and gathering.

Las Vegas shopping has definitely inspired me to sketch a lot of garments for my senior collection and give me a good view on what trends are hot! If you get to Las Vegas, be sure to fit in some shopping..it’s some of the very best around!

Allyce 

So I’m doing my part to be green! I found this really neat second hand store outside of Portland called “The Dig”. Everything was sooo inexpensive! I bought a cute sweater and a dress that looks like it is from the seventies all for just $9! I like the dress but I am going to restyle it…..I think I am going to make a skirt out of it. It will be so easy because it already has a zipper in it and all I will have to do is make the band! I’m taking this find, and restyling it to make something new…. talk about recycling! Us DIY girls really have a knack for thinking outside the box. So, have you taken something that you bought really cheap and made it into something you wanted?? Let me know!

Love,

Melissa

We have had such a busy summer, including the long awaited trip to Chicago! This event was something that DIYStyle has been planning and looking forward to for months. Our very first DIYStyle party was held during the American Sewing Guild convention…..we thought it would be a great place to debut this new event.

The Chicago trip was a BLAST! At the party there were four different project stations…a panty station, where we had more material than you could have wanted (courtesy of Vogue Fabrics!) including our lingerie pattern for making the scalloped edged panties. Another station was distressing denim using sand paper and everyday objects to create an interesting look. A really popular station involved reconstructing tee’s. Digging into a huge pile of tee shirts, attendees made anything from a purse to a skirt to a tubetop. The last station was our DIYStyle eco friendly tote. Overall, people loved the day long sew-in and we personally think it was a hit with the girls our age who came.

Many girls were combining supplies from different stations to be a creative as possible. We also had a great DJ (thanks Matt–we never knew you could DJ too!) that made the whole event really upbeat. And to make it even more exciting, we had two fashion shows that featured original designs from local Chicago designers. It was so much fun for us to greet people at the door and show off our DIYStyle McCalls patterns (we were wearing our own designs of course). Some at the party had never sewn in their life and they loved the experience! We hope everyone who attended had fun creating and partying. Stay posted…there may be more DIYStyle parties coming to other cities soon.

The rest of the trip was good too. We even watched Pati Palmer (Melissa’s Mom) give a keynote speech to hundreds of people at the convention, where she was also inducted into the ASG Sewing Hall of Fame! All of us had a chance to do the tourist thing too, walking Michigan Avenue and around downtown Chicago. It is a really beautiful historic city and we can’t wait to go back to visit again!!

Thanks to everyone in Chicago and to the people who came to the DIYStyle Party…hope to see you all (sewing) again soon!!

Allyce & Melissa

xxxooo

I had so much fun at this seasons Quilt Market! I have gone to all the quilt markets (two per year) for the past few years and this one was especially interesting. It was also memorable, because I got to spend time with Melissa in her hometown. It was neat to see some “faces” (usually we’re on the phone or email from across the country!) I catch up with only at this show.

My favorite fabric designer, Phillip De Leon from Alexander Henry Fabrics, had some really great prints that were new for the upcoming season…young looking cotton prints great for a little pop in your wardrobe. I was honored to do two demos of projects from my book at Krause Publications and Brewer distributing. I showed buyers the projects from My Style, My Place and gave away signed copies. It was really cool to talk to people about the young customers that come into their stores and what they have to offer our age group.

I also got to catch up with my good friend Mark Lipinski the editor in chief of Quilter’s Home magazine. I’m not skilled at quilting but I love his magazine (if you haven’t checked it out, you should)! I was also really excited that Robert Kaufman debuted their new line of knits! I love working with knit fabric. They are a fabric company that specializes in wovens, (I even used their fabric in my book) and now they make knits too. My favorite part about market was doing my very first schoolhouse presentation! I had the opportunity to present my book to buyers, show the projects, and Melissa and I presented our McCalls patterns.

Market is a great way to connect with what’s new in sewing, and this trip was perfect for that. If you ever get a chance to attend a trade market, GO! It’s really cool to see all the new stuff that will be in the stores in the coming months, and to talk with the people who design all of it. Too cool!

Allyce   XXX, OOO

Last week was the Face Off 3: School Daze fashion show that I was a part of, and I am very relieved to take a short break from sewing! The show was so entertaining and full of energy from start to finish! Since the theme was “School Daze” each designer got to choose a category that went along with the theme, and my category was ‘class flirt’. It was fun to design with a particular theme and concept in mind! I’m looking for more shows to be a part of in the next year, so keep your eyes open for Christy Ryan! You can contact me or check out more of my stuff on MySpace.

I have some great news! I have been accepted as the VP of communications on the board of directors for the AMA (American Marketing Association) chapter at the PSU School of Business. It will be fun next year to be more involved in school and with my fellow marketing peers. I will be in charge of getting the word out for all the events we will put on at Portland State, and I will use my creative touch to make the posters, and talk to business classes helping to get them excited about and coming to our events and speakers.

I did take a break from studying and attended a little party at my mother’s house. She offered the space for a 100 year celebration of the Oregon State University’s (where she went to college) fashion design department. At the party I met this great guy there who will be graduating soon from that department. We sat and talked for awhile about fashion and what we both are doing…he will be going to work for Target very soon. I also got to see some of his designs that he posted on Myspace, including his collection that won the OSU design competition. So cool to meet and be around talented people!

PS. The picture attached is of Ben Moua and his sustainable garment!

Melissa