It’s finally happened. After years of work (literally), we finally have all of the Colette Patterns available in our shop for digital download! Most of the thanks goes to Sheli, who has been working tirelessly on the tedious job of laying everything out. It’s a huge job, and she’s been a trooper, as always. We’ve …

We decided to get a tree for the studio this year. But what to use for decorations? It didn’t make sense to go out and buy a lot of ornaments and things when our studio is chock full of pretty trims and doodads. So we decided to decorate a sewing-themed christmas tree with spools of …

We’ve decided to give you the weekend to finish your Cooper bag and enter to win the contest. Enter by Dec 16 So this is just a friendly reminder to finish up your beautiful bags and post them with the right tags in our Flickr group by December 15 at midnight PST for your chance …

We’re back in action after a relaxing Thanksgiving here in the US. I had an amazing time in sunny southern california, and even got to do some fabric shopping with my friend Christine Haynes (more on that later). It’s always a little weird to come back to work in the middle of the week. I …

I’ve owned a lot of sewing machines. Maybe it’s because I’ve moved around a lot (Los Angeles, New York, LA again, all around the SF bay area before settling in Portland), but I never really invested in a great machine until a few years ago. I’ll be honest. Until that time, my sewing machine purchases …

The weeks before the holidays always seem funny. Everything feels in upheaval as we decompress from the recent launch, start making plans for future projects, and tentatively pick up everything we’d dropped. After a big project or event, do you ever feel strange that you’re NOT going crazy any more? I think this is a …

Did I mention how busy we have been the past few months? I’m so excited Walden and Gifts for Crafters are no longer a secret. It means I can share these photos with you! Gifts for Crafters Rachel & Sheli Screen Printing I only helped one day. All of the rest of the Cooper hardware …

We first experimented with men’s patterns a few years ago when Negroni came out. I’ve always meant to do more, and people have certainly asked for them. But I’ve never quite felt right about the way it mixes with the ladies’ patterns. I mean, the packaging was pink. NOT that there is anything wrong with …

Thanks to all the locals who made it to our Needlework Night last night! And I think your suggestion of a virtual needlework night is a great idea! We would love to include everyone outside of our area. I’ll keep you posted as we figure out what that might look like.

Dear Readers, This week we received boxes upon boxes of goodies. And they’re all for YOU! On Wednesday, our UPS guy joked that his goal was to fill our entire meeting table with boxes. That happened pretty darn quick. What is it all for? Well, we are still working on putting everything together and tying …

This week on Instagram: Pretty fall roses on my walk to work, Sheli’s cat was surprised by her freshly cleaned room, Kristen had an awesome duck embroidered on her vintage button-up, and I visited some goats who live near our office. Dear Readers, this week has been all about project management. It’s easy to come …

We have been so busy cooking up new stuff these past few months that we let Needlework Night fall by the wayside. But we are bringing it back this month, just in time to put the finishing touches on your Halloween costumes. Or maybe even begin some holiday gifts, if you’re really good at planning …

As we explore the details of creating some patterns above our current size range, we’d like to hear from you about your fit challenges in your own words. If you are a size 16 or above, would you take about five minutes to fill out our survey on sizing? This survey is for anyone who …

Wow, can it really be October already? Here at CPHQ we are focused on getting our office re-organized (photos to come). We are also  putting the finishing touches on two exciting new projects, including doing our own screen print labeling! Expect more hints as we go through the month, and a big reveal in mid-November. …

Photo shoot days at the studio are always a little hectic, but lots of fun, too. Zinnia went off almost without a hitch, and it was the first shoot with all five of the current Colette employees! Credits and details: Model: Jade Sheldon Photography assistants: Sheli Ben-Ner and Kristen Blackmore Jewelry: Tiro Tiro Set: Home …

Another image from our pattern photo shoot… we shot it at a friend’s beautiful home. Are you ready to see this lovely pattern revealed? It’s guaranteed to get you in the mood for some fall sewing. Tune in tomorrow at 10am PST!

Just a few images from the set of our last photo shoot. Don’t those piles of books make you want to cozy up and get ready for Fall? The pattern will be unveiled at 10am PST Tuesday!

Our friend Rachel Rector has offered us two Portland Fashion Week general admission tickets to give away. How nice is she? The tickets are good for any of the 6 runway shows. Check out the schedule. Will you be in Portland this Thursday, Friday or Saturday and are be interested in attending one? Leave a …

Get your countdown clocks ready, we have a new pattern releasing on September 17th!

I had a bright idea. We really want to win this contest so we can give the $10,000 prize to our staff. And we need your help to do that. So let’s start a street team to make this happen. I figure, there’s no way each of us will remember to vote every day without …

A couple weeks ago, we got an unusual card in the mail. It was an anonymous thank you note for one of our tutorials, along with a $10 bill. We were all so excited about this card (and almost as excited to eat the tacos we bought with the tip money). As a business owner, …