Fresh&Vintage

Snapping Spring

The weather is warming, blossoms are blooming
and kiddos are smiling at being able to run free after winter's thaw.
I took my camera out 3 times this week to snap  springtime shots
of these sweet smiling faces and some new design work as well.
Makes me look forward to Spring Break this week and
Easter right around the bend.

I hit the design studio a few days ago. The fruits of my efforts are currently available in  my etsy shop . Spring Pop and Apron Rose are brand-new designs for Spring 2009 and all of the pieces are new patterns I've been working on.  So...what do you think?

 

The Scrappy Apron Skirt is my favorite. I want to make one for myself.
 Chloe says it's very comfy which is always a good thing!

Apron Rose is also listed on ebay right now--if you're the auction bidding type, head on over by clicking here.

I've been wanting to spread my photography wings a bit and am hoping for a successful foray into snapping kids at their happiest.
Here are some shots from the week.

 

Oh how Izzy's sweet,  smooshy lollipop faces make me want to be a kid again.
How  'bout you?

If you live locally and would like me to do a photo shoot of your kids, I'm currently booking Spring Shots at a super reasonable introductory rate. Leave me a comment and I'll email you to set up booking.  Thanks for stopping by.
Act like a kid...make funny faces...have a lollipop for goodness sake!
Enjoy Spring--it has sprung!
~eva

 

This lil (fabric) piggy went to market...

...this lil (fabric) piggy had fun
this lil (fabric) piggy ate chicken korma
this lil (fabric) piggy could never have none
and this lil (fabric) piggy cried "WAH WAH WAH" all the way home!

You'll please excuse the silly nursery rhyme poetry but I'm still on a complete high from my trip to the International Quilt Market in Portland--I'm hoping my recap and these pictures can capture a bit of why the weekend was so much fun, it's left me singing inside my head.  Seeing old friends, making new friends, hobnobbing  with industry insiders, great food, and unprecedented weather all made the trip to Portland
a time to remember.

Wednesday the 14th:

I left for Portland a few days early so that I could meet up with my lovely friend (you know--the BFF kind of friend) Tara for some much needed girl time. After a bit of a traveler's snafu and missing my plane the first night (ask me later) I arrived in the city of roses around noon on Wednesday the 14th.  Tara had driven down from Washington  so with her car (the red caddy) and her keen navigational skills combined, we were ready to hit the Portland  ground running. After a brief stop at the hotel, we had a yummy lunch of lettuce wraps and ginger chicken at PF Chang's followed by dessert (AKA SHOPPING) at this hot spot. I love that both here in Cinti and in Portland these 2 places are adjacent to each other-what more could a girl ask for?! After shopping we had to head back to the hotel to pick up my cell phone (don't worry Patty-you aren't the only one who left things all over Portland-LOL).  I was expecting phone calls and how can a girl be without her phone these days? Cell in hand, we headed back out for more "dessert" and stayed at the mall until they kicked us out at 9. Joel called as we were leaving and we made plans to meet at the Convention Center the next morning.  I couldn't wait to meet up with Mr. Dewberry (Myrinda would refer to him as the fabric pimp- click on the picture of me and Joel below to enlarge it and you might see the  Fabric Pimp pin Myrinda gave to him--LOL)  anyway----couldn't wait to give him the Zen Robe I'd worked so hard to create with his beautiful new fabric.

Thursday the 15th:

Zen Robe in tote and a few wardrobe changes later, Tara and I headed off to the convention center to meet Joel. What a fantastic moment for me. It was like meeting someone you've known forever--I am so happy to report that Joel is absolutely as beautiful a person as his fabrics are--so genuinely real. Everyone loved him--I still need to tell Joel that the fabric gals decided he is kind of a cross between Rami from Project Runway and Dave Matthews from the DMB. Can you see the resemblance?

After giving Joel the robe, he immediately introduced me to his beautiful and talented mom Donna Dewberry and then made her try the robe on right on the spot-I wish I had pictures-she was so cute in it! Donna was at Market with a booth right next to Joel's debuting her first line of fabric for Westminster.  What a talented family.

Once the robe was settled into its place in the booth, Joel took Tara and I to meet the oh so lovely ladies Heather Bailey and AnnaMaria Horner.  I was so thrilled to meet both of these beautiful women. Their talent is utterly obvious. The nice surprise in meeting people you have admired from afar comes when they are as kind and giving as Heather and AnnaMaria were. Thanks to both of you sweethearts for taking the time to chat with me and for personally showing me your new lines of fabric-wow wow wow!
A Pop Garden Party blinged out in graphic bijoux all the way! Hold on to your hats seamstresses and fabric piggies like me--you're in for one amazing ride when these new collections hit retailers. Here's a peek at Heather and AnnaMaria chatting in the blue ribbon prize winning booth by none other than Ms. Horner.  Congratulations AnnaMaria-you so deserve it.

Tara and I were also privileged to meet Heather Ross-what a sweetheart! I've always wondered how Heather's fabrics can be sooooo soft--you guys notice that too? And ... Jennifer Paganelli  has got to be the most loving person I can think of--I adore her fabrics.  After meeting these fantastic designers, I trudged through the huge convention center to find my friend  Chelsea  who was working on her booth for the debut of her new pattern line. Chelsea's booth looked so alive and inviting-I know she'll be a huge success. Just around the corner,  I then found my friend Sandi and her sweet mom knee-deep in 2x4's,  misty seaglass paint, posters, light fixtures, and clothing designs galore. This gal went all out for the debut of her new fabric and pattern line. It all paid off too because she won 2nd prize overall for the booths in her size category.  I can't believe I never got a picture of Sandi's booth but you can visit her blog to see some as soon as she posts.  The booth was always buzzing with buyers that's for sure!

As I'm writing this I cannot believe this was all just Thursday morning--no wonder I'm singing poetic inside my brain! So...Thursday continued with a little more shopping for me and Tara followed by meeting up to chauffeur Patty and Myrinda to the Fabric 2.0 Meet & Greet at Oba hosted by Caroline  (JCaroline Fabrics) and Kathy Miller (the Miller of Michael Miller Fabrics).  The food was yummy and the company present was "star-studded" for a fabric lover like me.  I was able to meet up with old friends and also meet new ones as well. Here's where the pictures really come into play(click them to see them bigger if you'd like)
hope you enjoy all of these:

Me and Joel

Amelia (Intimate Photography), Daria (Boutique Cafe'), Me, and Megan (Brassy Apple)

Oh how I love these gals. I wish so badly we could have had more time together--Houston baby Houston!

Me and Heather Bailey (talented, kind,  AND beautiful)

Patty (ModKid) and Me

Me and Sandi Henderson (Portabellopixie)

Amelia and Me

My new friend Beth (EPD Dolls) and me. I LOVE this chica!

The gals getting chatty

L to R:
Me,  Sandi, Charlotte Barnard (Deputy Editor-Country Living Magazine), Jona (Fabritopia) and Myrinda (Fabrichound)

Sandi was gracious, giving nice hugs and told me I smelled yummy--thanks girl--wild fig has always been my scent of choice. Charlotte was fascinating and showed interest in my work--how cool to have her at the shindig. Jona was pure sweetness and a dessert party coordinator as well. Myrinda was fun, bubbly and full of information-thanks for livening up the weekend.

To see more great pictures from market and the party at Oba (Thank you Caroline, Kathy, and Sandi), check out these blogs here, here, and here. Ohhhhhhhh----and remember this design of mine? In my post, I drooled all over Tina Givens' fabric I used for "Summer Vogue" and hoped so badly to meet Tina in Portland.  So happy to report I did get to meet her--she is a breath of fresh air--a designer with amazing soul.

There's so much more to share and I still have more pictures to post so I'll add a part 2 to this post in a day or two. Hope you've enjoyed so far. This lil (fabric) piggy is off to get some rest for now :)
Much love, Eva

A Zen Moment before Market

Sometimes when the FedEX man comes to the door,  a nearly religious experience occurs. No...it's not that I have a crush on the delivery guy (I've never even seen him).  Again...it's all about the fabric baby...and when you open a package as amazingly beautiful as this one I received from my friend Joel, how can you do anything but stand back in meditative awe.

Mr. Dewberry's new line of fabric is as stunning as the last ones  and I was honored to create the FAV Zen Robe with this fantastic Ginseng sample yardage that Mr. FedEX brought to me.  This Zen beauty will be on display  at Joel's booth at Market in Portland this weekend.  She's nicely folded, wrapped in tissue and waiting to be put into the suitcase.  She and I are flying out tomorrow.  I'm so giddy with excitement I can barely stand it.  Not only do I get to meet up with some fantastically cool fabric and clothing designers while in Oregon (my homestate by the way-I was born, raised, and married in that beautiful land of evergreens and endless water), but I also get to spend time with my dearest friend who's joining me for some girl time,  and  also get to see my mom to boot.  What could be better?! If you're coming to Portland, make sure to drop by Joel's booth
and try the Zen robe on.
My beautiful friend Tracy who modeled for me says it's super cozy comfy!

If you leave  me a comment you'll be entered to win a little surprise made by me in some of these amazing fabrics. I'm off to Portland--I promise to come home and spill the beans with pictures galore.   I hope these pictures bring a little zen to your  day; they did to mine.

Going, going...gone to #113

Auctions seem to be a mainstay in my life right now. Not only do I have my entire "Summer Vogue" collection up for auction on e-bay, but I recently spent the morning at a real estate and personals auction here in town. I love the excitement of the bidding process: spying great items, positioning myself (in this case, #113)  whereas to be within sight of the auctioneer but not in full view of my competing bidders, the musical sound of the auctioneer's song taunting onlookers to "go higher," and just the overall fun of the whole experience. When an auction sign showed up in my neighborhood a few weeks ago, I marked it on my calendar in big red letters. Life's just crazy and busy enough, if I don't put it on the calendar--it may not happen. RED means I'm not missing it for the world (my upcoming trip to Portland is totally in RED by the way...but oh how I wax tangential). Anyway, my real estate agent even dropped by my house a few days before the auction  to make sure I was planning to come--she said she'd been through the house and knew that there would be plenty of the vintage goodies that are right up my alley. Boy was she right.

Look at some of my winnings--this amazing silver pitcher, butter dish and tea set, a vintage aqua jewelry case (lined in pink no less) and the most darling petty cash compact were my favorite of the day's booty.

I find myself mesmerized by the age group of auction hounds--they ranged from 18-80  that day. I love communal experiences like this--the ones when the love of something from the past and the drive to find a good bargain build a conversational bridge between young and old. An older gentleman raises this sweet painting high above his head for all the crowd to see and
the bidding begins...

Look how cute this petty cash compact case is. I've been treasure hunting for years in countless antique stores, flea markets, and auctions and this is the first compact like this I've ever seen. I just love it. As I'm writing this I realize I should have taken a picture of the inside--it's so darling. Maybe I'll fill it up with some change and post a picture in a future post. I have to say...this compact got me thinking about petty cash--ohhhhhhhhhhh how times have changed since this little accessory was made. Petty cash used to be made of metal and jingle in your pocket.

These days it all folds. I try to keep some $5's, $10's, and $20's stored around in various places like my desk and the glove box just in case--
I suppose nickels, dimes and quarters just don't cut it anymore, do they!?

Ps. You can find these pieces of my "Summer Vogue" collection by clicking on the picture below.

By the bolt please...by the bolt

When you're an artistic person, you just can't help but fall head over heels in love sometimes with things like colors, shapes, silhouettes, and in my case today...a FABRIC... that has it all! Sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I can't quite explain how deeply in love I am with this incredible print by Tina Givens. I have often sat in bed at night wishing for a fabric in this exact color scheme. I didn't even bother to take the dream as far as being picky about the shapes or graphic designs on it; I just wanted these colors. I'm happy to say, I got it all when this fabric arrived in the mailbox and I could not wait to design a creation for LimeVine's latest launch:

Vintage Aqua and tomato pinkish red?!! Talk about yesteryear yet so now yummy! This vibrant color scheme "euro- inspired" me to create this new shirred bubble tank design. You can check out the appliqué jeans and peasant blouse here. Thanks for taking a look-see and thank you Miss Tina for being so artistically on my wishful wavelength. I think I need to buy more of this lovely fabric by the bolt baby! Cross your fingers for me that I'll get to meet this wonderful textile designer when I go to Market in Portland  in a few weeks.

And, just to keep you smiling, I thought I'd share a little of what I do to keep Chloe engaged during our long photos shoots (I'm not gonna lie-she was a wee bit cold during this one). Whenever I see her starting to fade (or freeze) on me, I ask her to give me to the goofiest, angriest and/or saddest face she can muster. Here's goofy from yesterday...enjoy sweet readers!

Etsy Etsy bo Betsy...

banana Fanna fo Fetsy me my mo Metsy...ETSY! Wasn't that song so much fun (and ironically, sometimes annoying) to sing when you were a kid?! So...what's all the singing about? Why, it is about ETSY and it's also about a blackout change that's in the air. It seems that we boutique designers and buyers have become a titch annoyed with things on e-bay lately and so have taken what I lovingly call THE ETSY PLUNGE! What is Etsy, you ask? Well, it's an amazing place to soak in endless numbers of beautiful handcrafted items in every artistic medium from fashion to pottery, knitting to blown glass. On a more personal level, it's the perfect place for me to have opened up my own little shop and begin offering my customers NON-AUCTION buy-it-now fresh&vintage clothing designs. I know many of you buyers prefer to be able to buy items at a set price right when you see them. No more competing in auction style bidding and/or having to wait 10 days to see if you've won the item. I've got these sweet little "vintage" tank tops in the shop right now and will be stocking new items regularly. You can click on the picture to go to my storefront:

To make finding my items easy on Etsy, be sure search "Boutique FAV."
Searching "LimeVine" will bring up items from the other fantastic designers in my design guild as well. If you'd like to sign-up for my mailing list, just send me an e-mail and I'll be sure to add you. So...what do you think about the ETSY PLUNGE? I think I'm enjoying the change of scenery so far. Shall we continue singing?

Etsy Etsy bo Betsy....

Cupcakes and Haircuts

I was recently asked by another designer to join in on an e-bay launch celebrating the 2nd anniversary of the design group Ivylane. What an amazing group of talented women. Each guest was asked to design something with the idea in mind of "bringing something to the party." Chloe and I put our heads together and we decided cupcakes were the way to go. Click on the logo below to find this sweet set on e-bay.


A little cupcake set seems the perfect match for a sweetly sassy, new haircut. Last week, Chloe's brothers helped talk her into braving the chair at the salon. When the stylist first cut off the ponytail in the back, she had a look of silent horror on her face for a few seconds but within minutes, she was the happiest little cupcake imaginable. We ended up cutting just over 9 inches off-wow! As we were leaving the salon, Chloe said, "My hair is GOURTIFUL" (her name for something that is both gorgeous and beautiful) and continued, "Mom--I hope it doesn't grow back tonight while I am sleeping!" She later confessed that she was a little scared when the ponytail first hit the floor because with freckles and stringy, uneven hair hanging around her chin, she was afraid she was going to look "like a boy from the olden days!" What a scream she is-always makes me laugh! In the end, everyone is happy with Chloe's new look. Here's the before and after.

Tell me what you think of the new "do" or the design by posting a comment and one of you will win a free CUPCAKE surprise made by me. Have a sweetly frosted day.

Thank You Mr. Dewberry...now come win some FAV!

As some of you may know, I love fabric! It's more than a love really... it's more like a sickening love affair, fascination, and obsession all rolled into one. A few months ago, I had the visual pleasure of having my eyes fall onto the fabric collections of Westminster Fibers newcomer Joel Dewberry. From the graphic designs to the color schemes to Joel's tagline eclectic modern~~I was instantly hooked.

Fast forward a few months to today... I am so proud to share that some of my designs have just been added to the FRESH IDEAS section of Joel's website. The timing of this sweet moment comes exactly one week before the launch of INDELIBLE, wherein I have helped to lead 51 e-bay designers gather in an amazing tribute to these fantastic new fabric collections. To celebrate such a fun moment for me with all of you, I've decided to do a drawing for a 2 piece
skirt and peasant top set up to size 6 made from any 3 Dewberry fabrics. Leave a comment to this post and you will be entered in the drawing. Thanks for being such supportive friends... now let's hear you chat :)
Lots of love,
Eva

 

P.s. Be sure to check out Indelible next week: