Photo shoots are one of my favorite parts of my job. From coming up with concepts to figuring out the palette to gathering all the props, I love every ounce of hard work that goes into them. And then there is the big pay off of seeing it all come together on big day. For …

After going back and forth on different palette combinations for our fall photo shoot, Sarai and I finally settled on seafoam, cream, black and ballet pink. One of the fabrics is extra special because Sarai designed it! She used Spoonflower, which is an excellent tool for anyone interested in printing their own designs on fabric. …

From what I understand, there are two main ways to get a craft book published. Method one is to create a book proposal and shop it around to publishers, perhaps with the help of an agent. Method two is to be very lucky and have a publisher contact you. I fell into the “very lucky” …

Many of you have said that you’re interested in hearing about how we decide on what patterns to make. In other words, how do I go from inspiration to concrete ideas? I thought I’d use the upcoming Fall patterns as an example, and tell you a little about my design process. Last week, I shared …

Everyone loves Audrey Hepburn. It was about the time we were doing a brainstorm of ideas for the upcoming Fall patterns, and I happened to get a copy of Funny Face in the mail from Netflix. I happen to love both Audrey and Fred Astaire, but I hadn’t seen Funny Face in years. When I …

Ever since I made a pair of gingham shorts a month or so ago, Caitlin has lived in fear that we would both come in one day wearing matching pairs. She once almost texted me to tell me not to wear mine, because she was going to wear hers. Well, the dreaded day finally came. …

Ida was born in Stockholm Sweden, but her clothes aren’t what you would expect when you imagine Swedish fashion. Ida studied fashion design in London at University of Westminster and then returned to Sweden in 2001 to launch her own line and has been producing her elegant but fun collections ever since. Ida’s clothes are meant for a woman …

Last week, I threw out my back and hip. Those of you who follow me on twitter might have heard me complaining about it. I try to complain as little as possible about this kind of thing normally, but… wow! It hurt. Now, this wasn’t a sewing related injury. In fact, I’m not 100% sure …

Sandra Murphy’s website sums up her vintage inspired line, Recollection, in one phrase: “New Clothes With Old Soul.” Sandra grew up in Ireland, where she learned to sew from her mother and grandmother who inspired her to go to fashion school. Upon graduation she came to the US and worked for several large American brands …

Do you find yourself turning to the same colors over and over in your wardrobe (like I do)? Do you think the colors you choose say something about you… your style or your personality? I’m a very color-oriented person. I tend to go for very specific colors. You might remember my hemming and hawing about …

Just about every week, Caitlin is kind enough to bring flowers from her garden for my desk. On Monday, she came in with this gorgeous bouquet of roses and irises. I’d brought flowers that day too. Mine were poppies and a peony from my garden. I love having flowers around the studio every week in …

ERMIE started out as a blog, named after Jennifer Parry Dodge’s great aunt who encouraged Jennifer’s creativity. ERMIE then developed into a clothing line defined by Jennifer’s beautiful prints and modern but simple lines. Jennifer designs and creates the prints for all the ERMIE pieces that are then hand-made in Los Angeles, CA where she …

I first saw Holly Stalder’s work at Seaplane, the Portland boutique that she co-owned with Kate Towers that closed in 2008. But she has not slowed down at all since then as she opened another shop called Haunt, also in Portland, with fellow Portland designers Laura Irwin and Rachael Donaldson. Holly’s designs are dramatic, vintage-inspired …

I have a little treat for you today: the Sorbetto top, a brand new free downloadable pattern! Several weeks ago, Kathleen of grosgrain asked me to participate in a little something she put together called free pattern month. I thought it would be a great opportunity to put together another freebie pattern for you all, …

Teo Griscom is part of the trio that creates the womenswear label Jackon, Johnson & Roe that was founded in 2004. In 2009 Teo launched Unforeseen Circumstances, a brand that focuses solely on creating beautiful undergarments that are produced in US. Her pieces stand out because of their impeccable details and vibrant colors and are …

Whimsical British label Nadinoo is the creation of designer Nadia Izruna, who I recently had the pleasure of interviewing. Nadia left her job at a large brand in 2009 to launch her first Nadinoo line with her last paycheck. Nadinoo has an enchantingly retro and very feminine feel that heavily features Liberty of London fabrics. …

Kate Towers was a founder and co-owner of one of my favorite Portland shops in High School—Seaplane was open 2000-2008 and carried a variety of handmade garments from a variety of local designers. Kate’s collections are non-seasonal and often more akin to art than mainstream fashion. Since Seaplane, Kate has focused exclusively on custom items …

Behind the scenes photo by Anja Louise Verdugo. Interning at Colette Patterns is a dream come true. I feel so lucky to spend two days a week playing with fabric, ogling vintage notions, planning photo shoots, modeling dainties, testing new patterns, chatting with Sarai, creating sewing tutorials, blogging and providing input on many aspects of …

Katie-Louise is a young designer from Melbourne Australia, who makes frocks reminiscent of the 1950s and 60s. Katie also strives to lessen her impact on the environment by using recycled and vintage fabric and notions where she can. When she’s not sewing she can be found riding her bicycle, drawing, baking scones,  and having long …

Kristina Angelozzi is not exactly a newcomer to fashion, having worked for The Gap and Hanes for many years. But Kristina decided it was time to break out on her own and launched Fischer, her own sportswear line for men and women. The first gorgeously photographed Fischer collection came out in Spring of 2010, and …

Dace is a brand based out of Vancouver B.C. that Dace Moore started back in 2002. Dace learned to love clothes from a young age when her mom would give her and her sibling each $100 to buy new clothes, and Dace would carefully select high quality pieces. Her clothes have a flow about them, …