We’ve been getting in lots of great crafty/sewing loot around the DIYStyle digs, and now seems like a good time to start giving it away! It’s our “TGIF Gifts” contest. So, give a sewing gift to yourself this season–you know you deserve it!

Here’s how it works:

> Every Friday we’ll post a new blog entry, announcing that week’s TGIF Gift.

> To enter, leave us a comment on that blog post, telling us a project, garment, or technique you’d like to see demonstrated on DIYStyle. We’d love to get a peek at your wish list!

> The following Thursday, a winner will be randomly chosen from the entries. We’ll post the winner’s name in a post that night (and drop the winner an email, too).

A new blog post with a new gift will go up each Friday until Christmas. That’s 5 chances to win.

Note: One blog comment per TGIF Gifts post, please.

Here’s today’s TGIF Gift goodie:

A copy of the BRAND NEW
Anna Maria Horner book “Seams to Me”!

Anna did a wonderful interview with DIYStyle, be sure to catch the vodcast if you haven’t yet. This is a really cool book, chock full of great projects and full-size printed patterns.

OK, get those entries (comments) coming…and good luck!

Cindy

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

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

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

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

Hey All…..

You may already know that we held our first DIYStyle Party in Chicago a couple of weeks ago. During all of the commotion, a reporter from the Chicago Tribune visited with us, and several of our sewing fashionistas. Here’s the article that showed up in Sunday’s Trib! For all of you that live in Chicago and get to see the actual newspaper, it had lots of nice pics of everyone making their panties, t-shirt creations and more. It was super cool to see everyone having such a good time, and for the Trib to capture some of that for the world to see (we want to show everyone that sewing can be rewarding AND a lot of fun!). Keep watch as we plan more DIYStyle Parties…and if you have suggestions for where we should go, let us know. And in the meantime, hold your own “Panty Party” with your girlfriends, food, a bottle of wine, and dish. Fun is what this is all about

 Happy Sewing,

Cindy

Hi Creative Chicks!

Hope you are enjoying your summer. We just got back from Chicago, where we held our very first DIYStyle Party. It was a lot of fun, and the energetic folks who attended sewed up a storm. Keep watch for an in-depth update complete with pics coming later this week.

We have posted another Quick Take on the homepage (click on the arrow in the big turquoise box!). This time we show you DIYStyle’s debut on live TV! Allyce and Melissa were guests recently on AM Northwest……..get the insider’s glimpse as to how this all came together.

We’re all gearing up to tape for our Season #3 that will start uploding on September 2nd. We’ll have a new vodcast each Tuesday, so make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed or through iTunes to get the latest episode, and to see all the new projects we’ll be adding. And, stay tuned this sumer, as we keep posting more DIYStyle Quick Takes (and a few bonus projects too!)

 Keep cool………Cindy

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

Melissa and I are proud to announce that the DIYStyle patterns from McCall’s are a success because of you! The May numbers are in and they are awesome! Both of our patterns are in the top 25. The knit top is a top seller and the lingerie has been very popular as well.

Melissa and I are already working on our 2009 patterns, so look for five new patterns to come out in 2009. I know that sounds so far away but don’t be too disappointed….we have two patterns coming out mid-July! Our designs have made it to be on the cover of the McCall’s pattern books in sewing stores…how cool is that??!! I’m particularly excited about our new fall patterns, and can’t wait to make them myself to wear. I hope our patterns, designed with you in mind, will help inspire people our age to sew.

Allyce xxxooo

Hey everyone! My name is Christy Ryan, I’m working with DIYStyle for the summer! I just graduated from Lindenwood University in St.Charles, MO, where I studied Fashion Design. It feels so great to be out! So far this summer I have been working for DIYStyle, in addition to my part time job, and busily preparing for another fashion show. Somehow I find time to relax and hang out with friends, but it’s not always easy!

 The fashion show is called School Daze- The Definition of Fresh: Fashion 101.  It is on July 19th at St.Louis University, and is a charity event for the Ronald McDonald House. I love being a part of fashion shows, especially this one where my garments are being showcased! But first up is the DIYStyle Party in Chicago on July 10th, so I have that to look forward to. I cannot wait to see the designs from Project Design, and I am really looking forward to the Fashion Forecast. Well I’ve got to get sewing, I’m sure you’ll hear from me again this summer! See you at the DIYStyle Party!

Christy

Being in Portland again felt like I was coming back home! Last summer I had an amazing time living there, interning for Pati Palmer and living with Melissa. We were super excited to be back together for the week, in her hometown! I got in on a Wednesday night and the very next morning we had an early appointment!

We were invited to visit a high school in Oregon City where the FACS department (Family and Consumer Science) received a grant for a classroom full of brand new Babylock sewing machines. The teacher had also been using our DIYStyle vodcasts, website and projects to teach the class how to sew.  How exciting! Melissa and I visited and talked to around 30 girls and guys about our experiences working in the sewing industry, what we do in school, and the opportunities you can get in the fashion industry. It was exciting to see a lot of students expressing an interest in design or fashion merchandising after graduating high school. We felt it was also important to talk to them about Melissa’s experience in business school as well as my experience with fashion design school……..every designer has to learn to be a good business person to be successful.

When I was in high school we only had someone come in and talk about fashion design school and not the importance of business school too. I hope that giving them our personal experience about college instead of a school recruiter helped them have a better view of what to expect after graduation.

 Thanks Oregon City High School and Jayne Vetter…..we had a great time……keep watching DIYStyle in the classroom (and at home too!).

 Allyce xxxooo

Hey everyone!
Summer is officially here and our DIYStyle Party in Chicago is right around the corner (10 days ’til the BIG event!). Project Design is one of our features at the party, and we have a “Quick Take” vodcast from the Project Design show held in St. Louis, to give everyone a taste of what is in store for Project Design in Chicago! The indie designers at the show will also be selling some of their creations, so don’t miss out. Tickets are now available online starting today, and are available at the door. The ticket price includes the Project Design show *and* the DIY projects that you create at each of the stitch stations!

We’ll be uploading more “Quick Takes” thru the summer, until Season #3 of DIYStyle goes live in September. So keep watch, and if you can, join us in the Windy City on July 10th.

Keep cool. Cindy

Wow!

Our second season of DIYStyle vodcasts have wrapped, and we are celebrating with a DIYStyle Party in Chicago! We will be having a day long sew-in, at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, right in the open area of the hotel. Join in the fun on July 10th, from noon until 8pm, and create your own DIY fashions. There will be design labs and stitch stations set up with everything you need to make your own goods. Grab your girlfriends and make some Panties from the new DIYStyle Design It Yourself pattern from McCall’s, distress some of your own Denim jeans, perform T-Shirt surgery, and make an Eco-Bag for all your shopping finds. Project Design will take the stage, showcasing Chicago indie designers and a Fall Fashion Forecast will give you the scoop on what’s hot and what’s not! Upbeat music will keep everyone in the party mood. And….here’s the best part………it’s only $20 for everything!

Watch our website for more info to come soon. And, if you live in the Chicago area and want to help us get the word out, drop us a note. We want to show everyone how much fun we can have “Designing It Yourself” with DIYStyle!

 See you in Chicago

Cindy

We just had a fantastic week together in Portland… and boy…was it interesting! Although it was exhausting, we sure did a lot. And here’s our fantastic news: we were on LIVE TV!! On May 16 we had the awesome experience of being featured guests on AM Northwest, Portland’s ABC affiliate, KATU Channel 2. We had so much fun, and the biggest smiles on our faces all day after the show! We were invited by the AM Northwest producer to be interviewed by the host Helen Raptis about our new DIYStyle pattern line with McCall’s. Going to the show we were only told to be at the studio at a certain time and we would then be informed of when to go on. So, we brought samples from our lingerie and knit top patterns and our (out in July) Fall jacket and dress patterns. There was even a live audience, with some kids that giggled (especially the boys) when we talked about how easy it is to sew up panties and bras. And we wore our own knit tops we made from the patterns so we could show the viewers how cute the finished product is and that it REALLY can be done.

I (Allyce) got to talk a little bit about My Style, My Place and explain a few of the featured book projects on air too. Our segment ended up being fairly long, considering the other famous guests that were on the show before and after us. Can you believe we were on the same show as Time Bandit Captains Jon and Andy Hillstrand from “Deadliest Catch” (all of our guy friends thought that was pretty cool!), Dr. Stan Love, astronaut, Oregon Congressman David Wu, and Miss Oregon America?!! We were so honored to be featured on the same show as these prominent people. I (Melissa) unfortunately then had to go to class (Ally is lucky, she just finished her semester–I have a few weeks left this term), and back to reality.

Doing a live television show can be nerve-racking, and definitely not like doing the vodcast where if/when we mess up we can get another chance, but we feel it is a big achievement after having successfully gotten through it. Be sure to check out our interview on AM Northwest’s website. We have more to tell you later about our experiences with at Quilt Market, and something we did with a high school sewing class in Oregon City! So stay posted to DIYStyle!

Allyce and Melissa XXX000

I just got back to Portland from New York. I was there for four fantastic days with my mom. It was also a very productive trip. We initially went so my mom could present her new cookbook, The Food Nanny Rescues Dinner, to IPG (the Independent Publishers Group) representatives. The purpose of presenting it to the reps was for them to learn about the book so they will be able to sell it to the bookstores. We also met with McCall’s so my mom could see their new building and I got to see how a sales meeting works for my mom’s patterns, which is something we have not yet done for our patterns. They also showed me the design picks for DIYStyle’s patterns next year, it was cool to see the direction they wanted. AND the most exiting news from McCall’s…our Fall 2008 patterns are going to be on the COVER of the catalogue!!!! I was so surprised and exited that I screamed!!! It looked fantastic, almost like a high fashion magazine!! I’m still in shock I can’t believe they chose our designs to be on the cover!! So keep your eyes peeled for the Fall 2008 McCall’s catalogue!

I had such a great time with my mom walking around the city, shopping for inspiration, and meeting with old friends. I had a ball walking down Madison Avenue looking and not buying (that’s for sure)! My favorite stores to look in are Dolce & Gabanna, YSL, and I also really enjoy Bergdorf Goodman’s even though it’s a department store. As well as shopping and walking around, we got to go to a show Saturday night, Mamma Mia, it’s based around ABBA music, and the music was great!

Probably the icing on the cake was Monday morning, before we left, I got to see the workings of the fashion house of Jones New York and Anne Klein. It was amazing and also pretty similar to what we do in the pattern industry. I felt right at home! Besides picking the brains of the masterminds of the company, we got a very special treat in seeing the show rooms for next years lines… the clothes were BEAUTIFUL. That part of the trip was an experience in itself! Now before I go let me not forget to mention that… We ate like KINGS!!! Which is something you just do in the city.

Ciao!
Melissa