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

Hey there!

There’s a new season bursting forth around here, so I thought I would start fresh. With my sewing room, that is! I don’t know about the area you sew in, but mine is small. Granted it is a room, not just the kitchen table. Even though the kitchen table is still a fresh memory…. Anyway, I’m not very neat when I sew and picking up after myself, well, need I say more? I usually continue from one project to the next, mess on mess.

I wanted to show you a snap shot of what I call my “studio” (doesn’t that sound so much more fabulous then the corner of the basement that I happen to sew in?). I had to take the photo quickly because once I get sewing again–you know–disaster!

I love the color of the room, geranium pink, with accents of black and white. But, check out the ceiling…it has a harlequin design that I painted. The center of the ceiling is metallic gold. The killer, I put upholstery tacks at each intersection of the ribbon that outline the black and white diamonds. My thumb was sore for a week from pushing pins in the ceiling.

All that may sound a little over the top, but I love it! When I go to sew, the color inspires me, even on the gloomiest of days. I can escape, surrounded by what I delight in!

So, if you can, carve out a little niche for yourself and be inspired. For me it is back to the studio…

Elizabeth

A very wise friend of mine once told me, “Having style and being fashionable does not have to be expensive”. It all has to do with what you choose to buy and the way you wear your clothes. That is another reason I choose to shop at these stores, because I can get by financially as well as getting in my shopping fix. I think you can make anything look rich even if it only costs ten dollars! And style is a state of mind, you either have it or not…and it also is continually learned through studying fashion history and design, and being an avid magazine subscriber. Any other fashion/style ideas…send them this way!!!

Always,
Melissa

The annual Stephens College fashion show was this past weekend. Our theme was Reflection, in honor of our school’s 175^th Anniversary (Stephens College has quite a history!). The intro garments depicted the different decades in fashion, with a bit of a twist. Personally, I was really excited to see my garment on the runway.

As a student in the fashion show production class, and with all of us being responsible for the show, I was extremely busy. We had a total of five shows in two nights! It was a wonderful show, but I am happy the time crunch for that is over. Now I only have a week left of school…so I need to get back to my coat fittings and my tailored jacket. I’m almost there…YEAH!!!

Allyce

I’m getting excited about some things coming up for us. Ally and I are going to be in Portland together in a couple weeks. We’ll be going to Quilt Market and giving a big presentation called “Schoolhouse”. We are also getting the opportunity to speak to high school students in Oregon City. Their fashion and textile classes have been watching our DIYStyle vodcasts while learning how to sew. We will be talking to them about our designs, sewing, and what we do on DIYStyle. Kind of a nice change of pace, we’re looking forward to it! And I can’t wait to run around Portland with Ally. We had a blast last summer when she was here.

 photo: Travel Portland

The debut of our patterns in Vegas was more than anyone could hope for in introducing a new pattern line. We had such a buzz the whole show with peoples’ positive reactions. I’m still reeling! Being in the fashion show was one thing–but that McCall’s booth was equally fantastic. I have never seen a larger picture of myself, and my mom is going around with the picture of Allyce and me sitting in front of our booth, showing it to everyone! Looking back I remember how SOOO very nervous I was to be on stage modeling our designs but now looking at the vodcast, I think we both did pretty well! All I can say is at least I didn’t trip and fall. That must be a model’s nightmare, and when it happens, it seems to show up on YouTube.

Now I’m going to go make up a few more pieces of lingerie from our DIYStyle pattern!!!
XO Melissa

I can’t believe the day is actually HERE! Our long-awaited DIYStyle patterns from McCall’s go on sale TODAY! We call them Design It Yourself, because you can take our basic look and tweak it any number of ways to suit YOUR style. Totally flexible, wearable, and dare we say, chic? Pick them up at any fabric store that carries McCall’s patterns, or click here to order directly from our friends at McCall’s.

Melissa and I designed a line of knit tops: McCall’s 5662, plus sexy but sweet lingerie: McCall’s 5651. Hope you love them as much as we do, and see something that makes you want to grab your sewing machine and get started! I’m so excited to be able to walk into a store, open the big pattern book, and see our designs…. as a matter of fact, I’m heading there now! Let us know what you think, we’ll be anxious to get your reactions, so do tell.

As a special treat, in tonight’s vodcast, we’ll share a project with a few great ways to personalize one of the designs in our knit top pattern — OK, sorry, that’s next week! Tonight we’re showing clips from our fashion show in Vegas where we debuted the DIYStyle patterns, and you’ll get to see the different views of the knit top pattern. Next week we’ll share some creative options for the hardware on the knit top from our pattern, or you can use our tips on another project you may be conjuring up.

Thanks to everyone for your enthusiastic support. It means a lot to Melissa and me!

xoxo
Allyce

I still have a few major projects to complete before the school year is over. I’m working on a tailored jacket with pad stitching and twill tape, and on the patternmaking and fitting for my tailored coat and dress (this one was chosen by one of the industry critics). I’ll be sure to post the design that the critic chooses!

And tomorrow: Melissa’s and my DIYStyle patterns go on sale across the country! Yay! We’ll be posting a new vodcast tomorrow, too … lots of excitement!

Allyce

Hey from Sarah Cecchettini! I’m guest blogging again today, and let me tell you, Heidi Klum doesn’t have anything on us. Give me a magazine, some tape, scissors, and a plastic bag and I’ll give you a whole new designer outfit! That is what happened here recently on campus with our production of “Project Greenway”. The program was to help make students aware and excited about recycling.

The participating halls made outfits from whatever recyclable things they could find. The supplies ranged from newspapers and cardboard to Capri Sun juice boxes and soda cans. And let me tell you, we looked…so fine!

I modelled a wedding dress designed by my roommate Mi. It was made from trash bags, fishing line, and magazine pages. My shoes were cardboard, my ring was a bottle cap and I made my bouquet with origami flowers. It was a pretty amazing outfit, but extremely hot to wear.

The night of the show everyone brought their creations to the stage for judging. As each model was being announced, we strutted all we had on stage. It was so much fun. As I was turning in the middle of the stage I accidentally stepped on one of the pages of my dress and tore it off, but fortunately, I was not over exposed! During the remainder of the show, my dress was in everyone’s way. Don’t they know they should be watching out for the recycle-savvy diva? All went well though and no one slipped on it.

The evening was highlighted by an eco-friendly organization that came to the stage and told about upcoming events and ways to recycle. I think it also made everyone more aware ways to bring fashion into all aspects of life, even recycling!

To help out the world around you, you may want to whip up an eco-friendly grocery tote project. It not only saves on the amount of bags you would normally use when shopping, but also uses recycled juice envelopes, and it’s darn cute. (That always helps.)

Till next time…
Sarah

xoxo
Allyce

Amy Butler’s Fabric Assortment goes to Bridget Cook of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Already a big fan, “Amy Butler’s designs are so awesome!” she emailed when she found out she’d won. But the timing couldn’t be better, as “I have been going nuts about handbags. I am one of these people who always carries the same bag everywhere and now I have several in production so I can “wear” a bag with each outfit.” I think people around town may soon spot Bridget with an Amy Butler-style handbag, don’t you? She’s pictured above with daughter Syd–who also likes to sew.

And the GRAND PRIZE of a Baby Lock Creative Pro Sewing Machine goes to Brittany Osmulski of Peoria, Illinois. Congratulations!! We were dying to ask, how does DIYStyle play in Peoria? “I love to watch Allyce and Melissa on the DIYStyle vodcasts!” Brittany says. “They always have creative ideas on new projects and they make it so easy for the viewer. DIY has given me some great ideas.” Awwww! Sew on with your new machine, Brittany, and we hope you’ll send us some pix of things you make with it.

Thanks to EVERYONE who entered, and for taking the time to give us some terrific feedback in the survey you filled out. (At least one of our winners entered the contest almost every day that it was running! That is determination!) We always love to get ideas for things/people/places you’d like to see on the vodcast.

Watch for another contest … coming soon!

Cindy

We got back from the International Textiles Show in Las Vegas last week. I think I’m still exhausted. We had the big release of our DIYStyle pattern line with McCall’s Pattern Company and it went beyond our expectations! There is a mix of feelings of total excitement and joy to major relief to see all this hard work come to fruition. When you work really long and hard on something — and with a pattern, there are SO many elements, it takes 6 to 7 months for a pattern to be published and distributed to the public — it’s hard to imagine how you’ll feel when it’s completed.

But there we were at a huge trade show with tons of people, and our faces were larger than life on blow-up banners of the pattern envelope covers for the new DIYStyle “Design It Yourself” line of patterns. (Look for them around April 15th in stores, and they’ll have it online at McCall’s, too!) We also played the DIYStyle vodcasts for visitors, and talked to a lot of wonderful shop owners, textile manufacturers, designers, costumers, and other folks. It went over great, and all the hard work was totally worth it!

The second day we were in town, Melissa and I spoke on a panel with two other women in the sewing industry, Amy Stalp from Sew News mag, and Jessica Johnson from American Sewing Expos. Cindy Cummins (our head Creative Chick, and my very own mom) lead the discussion and we talked about sewing from a 20-something point of view.

Bright and early next day (our call time was 5:30am — yawn), was the BIG International Textiles Fashion Show, and we got to kick if off! It was an opportunity to showcase our pattern line in high style for everyone! We modeled the pieces from all four of our patterns (two are coming out for summer and two more for fall). Melissa and I spent a lot of time choreographing our segment of the fashion show and helping pick out the music. (I’d had great practice in this from my fashion show production class a few weeks before!) We wanted to make a statement that this pattern line is fashion forward and geared to a younger generation of hip chicks! Wait until you see the adorable lingerie we’ve done. Too cute. Everyone loved it and we had the time of our lives! I can’t wait to see the McCall’s pattern book in stores with our designs in it. Just a few more days….. eeee!

While walking the show I found wayyyy too many cool fabrics to use in projects for design school as well as for our own DIYStyle pattern line, and on the vodcasts. I spied some great cashmeres and wool blends for my critic presentation this week. Right now I am in hand-tailoring class with all the “hair canvas”. Tons of fun, right! (psst — only five more weeks to go and the school year is over.)

In our vodcast this Tuesday (same day as our patterns debut!) we’re doing a recap and special up-close view of the Textile Show. Be sure to check it out to see all the behind-the-scenes drama, and as always, we love to hear what you think, so don’t be shy!

xoxox
Allyce

As I write this Allyce and I are in the airport waiting to get on a plane to Las Vegas. This is the most exiting part of my spring break; we get to model our DIYStyle designs for McCall’s Pattern Company in a fashion show at the International Textiles Expo. Over spring break we filmed more vodcast segments, caught up on some of Ally’s homework, and rehearsed for our BIG fashion show. I am very excited to be getting a nice little break in Vegas. I’m planning to go to the Fashion Show Mall and look around, maybe some shopping for pattern ideas. Vegas is an exiting and outrageous place to be, their fashion “idea” is absolutely one of a kind, sometimes so original that it could not be worn outside the city limits of Las Vegas!

I’m hoping to meet lots of interesting people at the expo and get them interested in participating in DIYStyle. I know Ally and I can work a crowd, so this event is going to be a groundbreaking one for all of us. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for us girls and I think it’s a great way to introduce our new DIYStyle pattern line from McCall’s. We’ll be showing the patterns in some up-and-coming vodcasts, including tips on making the sewing go really easy, and how to make it a “Design It Yourself” garment. I hope you all will go out and try one of our new patterns, and tell your friends! Our first two patterns will be out April 15, and (guess what!?) one of them is LINGERIE!!! Its SOOO fun to SEW! The other pattern features CUTE knit tops.

Stay tuned for more posts when we report back to you on our Vegas experience!

Always,
Melissa

We recently produced our first project for my fashion show production class: a preview fashion show for students looking to attend Stephens College. First we got into groups and created mood boards to display ideas for our theme. Our group’s theme was futuristic with a very metallic looking stage. After all the groups presented their ideas, the class voted, and we all decided to go with another group’s idea, a fashion-forward Alice in Wonderland. I have to say, it was really enchanting! Since we were gearing this show to high school students, we wanted it to be very bubbly and use bright colors.

Our class split into three groups to help with the show; model garments, public relations, and set and sound. I was in the model garment group. Five of us were designers and we got the job of creating and sewing the intro garments. The garments could be made from scratch or we could take existing garments and redesign them.

I was assigned the “Rose Dress” so I took a prom dress that I wore in high school and transformed it into the finale dress. I clipped up the front of the dress so it created a poof. Then I sewed ribbons in between the layers, affixed roses to the ribbons, created a belt, and glued roses to a headband. The pic shows the final intro garments on the stage of the fashion show. My garment is the pink puffy tulle dress. The whole fashion show went really well and I was so proud of the intro and how it turned out!

Our BIG production showcasing the Senior Collections and designers is coming up very soon, April 26th. It will be a challenge to get through that show and finish up the semester. If all goes well and I pass critique, some of my Junior collection may be in the show as well. Five more weeks to go…and I’m excited to get to the end of my junior year!

Allyce

I must say I’m feeling a bit envious of our readers from south of the equator. I know you all are in the throes of summer. Enjoying the warmth of the sun, wearing cute little outfits…and no coats!

While here in the Midwest, we are having our typical unpredictable weather. Last week, Sunday was 70 degrees. Then on Tuesday, we had 6 inches of snow! Ahhh!!! Then some major flooding after that. So, just when I’m ready to dance out in my flip flops, I have to throw on a heavy winter coat, and then find the rain gear. I’m so tired of black, brown, and heavy! I want light and airy! I know we are getting close.

To get through this crazy weather and add a little bit of excitement to my black and brown, I went to my stash (see photo of one miniscule part of said stash). We all have one, whether we admit it or not. Mine just happens to be very large. Should I admit that? Well, anyway, I picked out a couple of really pretty, bright pieces of fabric.

I cut the fabrics into 10″ x 72″ scarves. Next, roll-hem the edges with a contrast thread, loop the finished scarf around your neck and you will look fabulous!

Part of the “look” is in the “looping” this season, not just wrapping the scarf. So, you heard me, loop it around your neck. Fold the scarf in half, toss around your neck, holding the loop in your left hand and the ends in your right hand. Now, tuck the ends through the loop in your left hand. Oh, you are sooo very chic.

Now, I think I can make it to spring and my flip flops.

So, as I long for warmer days, I will not be as envious of those south of the equator. For that matter, you all can get a head start on making fabulous scarves for your cold days ahead! Or, make one in a sheer silk and let it dance in the soft summer breezes.

Burrr…for now and take care,
Elizabeth

The bonus of being sick in bed for two days is — you guessed it — I got to catch up on my favorite reads, the current fashion mags. I rummaged thru the March issue of Vogue, the hefty volume of fashion, celebrities, socialites, designers and artists, in one day. It took a bit of concentration. But if there is one volume you need to pay attention to, it’s the spring Vogue, setting the mood for the season. It’s practically my bible! Another interesting source I have been tapping into is the NY Times. They have a fab Fashion & Style section, including articles about new and seasoned designers.

What magazines and websites are you guys looking at for inspiration this season? Do dish on some of your must-reads!

Hope you are all checking out Season #2 of our vodcasts and getting into the projects and interviews. I’m getting back to finals. I’m so excited for this term to come to an end! So what’s up for Spring break?!

Melissa

A few notes on Melissa…

“I’ve been sewing for a couple years now but I’ve been doing lots more since we moved onto the boat and I have my own little sewing room. I’m just finishing up an 11 piece Fall/Winter collection, and I made a silk blouse out of some looooovely charmeuse that I just need to photograph and put up on my site!”

Melissa’s site keeps up with her sewing projects–even a cleverly cute dress out of an Ikea shower curtain!–check it out at www.fehrtrade.com.