Portabellopixie

Better Homes & Gardens - THE Test Gardens

Like I mentioned, I was graciously given a tour of Meredith Corporations a few weeks ago and they let me take as many photos as my finger could keep up with.  I'm going to share the test gardens first, because honestly-what is more gorgeous than a garden?

 

The gardens are in Des Moines, Iowa and they are gorgeous!  I could have spent ALL day there..

   

 

They use the gardens to test different plants-I found everything so thoroughly fascinating and impressive.  They don't just test one brand of fertilizer / barbecue / cooking ingredients, but collect a huge sampling of brands for their research so they can have the best testing environment similar to what their readers have.

 

I took enough photos in this here garden to inspire 4 or 5 fabric collections.  I told the editors as much and they got this giddy look on their faces like I had just made their day.  Other way around, I assure you.

 
 Look at the petals on this orange flower up there.. the way they bend and turn.  Awe inspiring I tell you.  

And this plant below-I tried and tried to capture its beauty, but knew I wouldn't get it quite right.  It was stunning- tons of little budding flowers all over the place.

   

And this little cropping of flowers - the coloration is what really attracted me here.  I had this defining moment many years back before I had any true plans on a career in design.  I was watching Trading Spaces and Genevieve Gorder made a comment about if you pull colors from Mother Nature, you will never go wrong.  It really struck me then and has stayed with me ever since.

 
 

I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!

Winner Winner & Market Show

The winner of the goodies goes to Andrea, who said:

I love your fabric lines! I'm VERY excited for meadowsweet 2! I'm all about that awesome greyish color you included with this line. Something happy.....I am expecting our 4th awesome little babe due in mid November!!! And an awesome quote I love (may favorite) "Be happy in this moment....because this moment is your life" not sure of the author. I just love it and find myself saying/thinking it often. Andrea :-) 

Send me an email with your address Andrea!!

My very calculated method of picking a winner came from hollering at Dustin in the other room to pick a page number and I randomly picked a winner off of that page. The first one that popped onto my eye.

I love that Andrea mentioned the gray-ish color (this is probably why her comment popped to me) because I LOVE this color. It's a 50/50 chance that people call it brown or gray. I call is sepia, or as it is referred to on the selvage - speckle.

Again and again at market - "I love that brown-I love that gray-I love that brown-I love that gray.."  So Market!  Here is my little show n' tell-

Flowers- (you gotta have 'em!)

 

When I was coming up with the new colors, soothing just kept coming to mind.  In the past, I have gone all out with saturated brights, fun and happy pinks, reds and bright greens.  This collection is a warm take on my favorite colors.  Aqua, coral, yellow and of course - green.  I wanted the booth for market to really show off the colors of the collection, so we painted large section in the main tones of the group.  I loved how it turned out-

   

Of course I covered some surfaces in my fabrics-I seem to keep reverting to this technique again and again.  If you guys want my "formula" that I use to adhere the fabric to the wall, let me know.

 
The new groups harmonizes quite happily with the original Meadowsweet group, so we brought back some of our samples from that group.  The fabulous chairs that Caroline created for us-

   

My mom whipped up some fantastic pillows (that fit my couch perfectly-how great is that?)

   

Now comes the part of the post where I shamelessly steal photos from others people sites.  Stolen from Chelsea - a picture of me, signing copies of my book. 
   

A couple photos stolen from Melissa!  This was at our par-tay hosted by our publisher, Wiley.  It was fabulous fun-celebrating MY book, Melissa book, and Anna Maria's book.  All three books are in the top ten list over on Amazon - woo hoo!!

OKay, so a story from the party-  At one point I looked for Dustin and saw him chatting with Michael (of Michael Miller) and they looked deep and happily in conversation.  I smiled to myself, sending heartfelt thanks up to heaven again for sending me to a company that we get along so well with.  I went back to my business and forgot about them.  (I mean, there were press, fellow designers, work friends and family galore all over the place.  The WAS my first book LAUNCH party!)

A few minutes later, Dustin saunters over with a slightly sheepish look on his face and mumbled something along the lines of "the guys are going to a baseball game and want to know if I can come?  Umm..  so can I?"

Scuze me?

:)  I let him go, and do know that if I truly had the slightest inclination to not having him leave the party, I would have said as much, but even more-he would have known and never even asked.  But doesn't it make a great story?  I can forever give him (and Michael) grief about leaving my book party for a baseball game.  Ah, the gift that keeps on giving.  Which meant I got to spend more time with a different male, of whom I wanted to steal away and snuggle with all night long.

 

Don't Melissa and I look like we just really enjoy each other to pieces?  It's not even a pose.  Love that girl-she's off in London right now which I'm thinking about through a green tinged brain goggle, but I'm still happy for her.

So there is the quick and dirty guide to the market half of my travels.  Up next!  The test gardens of Better Homes & Gardens..

To Toi, from Moi

Hello everybody! How have you all been in my absence? The flurry of market prep, sample sewing, booth building, photo taking, fabric designing and a whole host of other things has kept me away. It's time for major catch up, but I'm going to start with giveaway. 'Cause it's been awhile, hasn't it?

 

I started pulling things off the shelves and just kept pulling until the box was full!  One lucky winner shall receive the following:

1 Medallion Bloom Home Storage box

3 Textile Gift Box sets

1 Rag & Bone Bindery photo album in Blush Vintage Dot

A set of Meadowsweet 2, in random chunks.  (I told you I was pulling at random!)

4 Mini Soaks (we're going to be selling Soak on our site just as soon as we get them put on, so excited!!)

1 copy of MY BOOK (!!) Sewing Bits & Pieces, autographed by Moi.

To enter?  Just leave me a happy comment.  Tell me what you think of the new stuff, new site, what you're making for dinner (this may be the best, as I haven't cooked in 2 weeks and now that I am home, I'm having a slump getting back into the rhythm) or anything happy and smile worthy.  Having a baby?  I want to know.  Going on a fun trip?  Tell me about it.

I'll announce a winner on Monday!  And over the next week-ish-I have a ton of things to catch you up on!  Market, fun projects, new patterns and a super fun trip I was able to take.  Meredith Corporation (mother ship to the Better Homes & Gardens brand) invited me and some other fabulous designers on a three day creative journey.  It was fabulous-I got to photograph the test gardens, kitchens and studios.  They said I was welcome to share the pictures on my blog, so hooray!  All that to come.

Before I go, here is a pretty fabric stack shot of Meadowsweet 2, some have asked for it.  I love these shots-stacked fabric is just so appealing, yes?