the Creative Thursday blog

The Tinies Takeover!

 

We released a collection of Tinies creations at our online shop!

This is not only to share beautiful creations made with "the tinies" to give you ideas on all of the ways you can use the fabric, but also as an experiment. I like the idea of releasing entire designed collections a few times a year. We shall see if this is a new direction for Creative Thursday or not? As you know, I always have the right to change my mind, and sometimes I do ;)

So much has shifted in the way our economy perceives retail, especially over the past few years, that honestly it has me re-evaluating the direction I want to go in regards to designing products....I'll keep you posted about what I'm learning and ultimately what I decide to do.

 

Enjoy "the tinies"! and happy weekend!

 

the tinies are here & in shops! + a contest & a giveaway!!

So excited to start seeing  the "tinies" hitting shops! Even more excited to see what you all are going to make with them!

If you aren't yet familiar with the "tinies"? They are the characters and story behind my newest fabric collection, also my first with Kokka Fabrics in Japan. If you want to know more about the story? You can read about it in this post. But to sum it up, "in a world that encourages BIG, sometimes it's {also} ok to be small". 

With this theme in mind, all of the designs are a small, tiny scale! Perfect for quilting and patchwork, and bags and apparel, and everything I personally love to sew. I promise to have more photos of "the tinies" in use and in the wild soon.

In fact! Momen + - one of my favorite fabric stores in the L.A. area, especially for Japanese fabric, is hosting a contest using the "tinies". And those of you not local can participate too!

Here are all the details:

Bring anything you've made using the "Creative Thursday" collection for Kokka Fabrics by Friday, August 28. Entries will be on display August 22 - 29. Contest participants will receive a 20% discount on Creative Thursday/Kokka fabric. Entries must use Marisa's fabric only. Solids can be used. Marisa {that's me!} will judge the entries and select the top five winners. Winners will receive a Momen+ gift certificate. **This contest is limited to ages 16 years and up. For Non-Local Entries, send in a photo or mail in the entries including a self-addressed and self-stamped return envelope.**

If you are local and want to join us in person! Momen+ is hosting a special reception on Saturday August, 29 from 12 - 2 pm with sandwiches and drinks. This is when I will also be announcing the winners to the Momen+ contest.

1323 El Prado Avenue Torrance, CA 90501

For even more sewing encouragement! I'm also going to give away a fat quarter bundle in the color way of your choice.  Just leave a comment below telling me what you are going to make with "the tinies" fabric before this Sunday @ 11:59 pm PST and I'll choose a random winner on Monday. This contest is open to fabric lovers worldwide. 

I've been wanting to share a list of shops carrying my fabric FOREVER. Please send some love and buy things! at your favorite local and online fabric shops. To get you started here's a list of shops carrying "the tinies" so far. 

• Bunny Designs
• Country Fabrics and Quilting
• Craft South
• Crimson State
• Dragonfly Quilt Shop
• Fabricate in Boulder
• Fabric Spark
• Fabric Worm
• Fancy Tiger Crafts
• Gooba Designs
• In Town Quilters
• Modern Domestic PDX
• Pink Castle Fabrics
• Treadle Yard Goods
• Whimsodoodle

See you back here on Monday! with the fat quarter bundle winner. 

And the winner IS #4! Caroline!! Congratulations! I'll be in touch with you via email to get your fat quarter bundle to you! 

'Thriving Artist' cups back for a limited time

Due to multiple requests to bring these back after seeing the photo of them in the book, and the fact that I still love this design, I'm taking special orders for you to have one! now through June 8. In fact I think I will be making myself one too.

We also created some pretty summer bundles for you in the shop.

hope you are enjoying your long holiday weekend!

Fabric Extravaganza! sale happening now!

Ok, so I've been quietly holding on to my fabric and while I do plan to save some of each design, I don't need to actually be saving it all :-)

And finishing the colors on my 8th collection last week, I'm realizing that the studio needs to make room once again = biggest destash to date.

Two big boxes, a 10 yd and a 20 yd, of Creative Thursday are available at the shop. And as of this post! one more scrap bag.

{sweet, tiny baby not included!} {she is my studio assistant Rachel's daughter}

{easter} bunnies & giraffes

Something happens when April rolls around. Bunnies, lots of bunnies. 

And giraffes, who doesn't need an {easter} giraffe?

At the time of this post, there are just 2 bunnies and 1 giraffe left. If you had your heart set on one, let me know as I might be adding a few more to the shop.

bunnies no.1 and no. 2

As I shared earlier on Instagram~

These bunnies were sewn from my fabric. They became a photograph, and now they are paintings. One medium always influences the other, which means you never have to choose just one creative focus. 

 

{click here to purchase originals - also available as prints}

if I had a little girl

This is a dress I'd want to make for her. 

Remember my chicken bag? This is a new pattern from Lynn @ Handmaiden's Cottage,  and this image features a collection of designs from Just For Fun.

So sweet, I had to share.

refuse to settle for anything less than the zaza zoo

This is indeed a blog post announcing the launch of my newest fabric collection, however I shared something in my email newsletter that I would like to share with you here as well. I'm anticipating {big} changes in the way my business is going to evolve this year.

Remember that episode of Sex and the City, the one where Carrie talks about what happens when you experience the 'zsa zsa zsu'? That butterflies in your stomach feeling...  Carrie was talking specifically about the excitement that happens when you meet someone, you fall in love and you know it's right. So how am I relating this to fabric with my animals on it, exactly?  Here's how: I've been thinking a lot about my business lately, why I create what I do and continue to add my art and design into what is beginning to feel like an overly saturated marketplace. First; because I still love being creative {let's just say, at this stage of the game. it's a must. i am and will always be an artist.} and second because I want what I create and choose to share with the world to be more than just another thing you collect. I want it to be meaningful. I want it to be as meaningful for you to own as it is for me to make. I want it to have that feeling of what I'm calling the zaza zoo. Every time you look at it, {or use it to sew with} I want it to bring you joy, comfort and inspiration, butterflies in your stomach, excitement and anticipation of all that's possible. My animal characters were the beginning of this for me, so it seems appropriate to call them the zaza zoo.  In the last lines of that Sex and the City episode, Carrie says, "Some people are settling down. Some people are settling. And some people refuse to settle for anything less...than butterflies"    Refuse to settle for anything less...than the zaza zoo.

And that is all;  zaza zoo is at a store near you, and I've also listed bundles in the shop.

I'm obsessed with the yellow zebras, and then the lavender giraffes and then the black and white monkeys and then the snow leopard....

animals

Word on the street {or rather word from Andover} is that ZaZaZoo is shipping now. This means that soon, you can make some of these little fellows for yourself!

I made these for my niece and nephew last week and you should know; a highlight is that they are very trampoline friendly.

my present bag of choice by Handmaiden's Cottage

Thought I'd share my favorite bag these days. I get compliments on it all the time. People always asking "where did you get it?"

Well it's one of those special, handmade items that you can't just get but you can make it!

Lynn offered to sew this bag for me to share at quilt market earlier this year and since then I haven't been able to put it down. It goes with me everywhere,  from the grocery store, to dance class to the airplane {it happens to be the perfect size to hold my 15" laptop for travel} and I love the long strap so it doesn't constantly slide off my shoulder even in winter wear. You can even cross it over your body. This version features the prosperity hens and red stripe from my 'Locally Grown' collection that was out in the spring. I know she titled it Sandy's Beach Bag, which it's of course, perfect for; I will also be calling it Sandy's Everywhere Bag. 

And the pockets...lots of choices for your Iphone and keys, including a beautiful deep pocket on the inside. 

Maybe you want to make one for you? or a Christmas gift?

thank you again Lynn

Lynn's shop and the Bag Pattern