The Lorax Milestone!

As March comes to a close, we thought we'd give you an update on our furry little friend The Lorax, who has been capturing the hearts of moviegoers all month. Since its release, the film has earned close to $200 million at the worldwide box office!

With that milestone fast approaching, this is as good a time as any to remind you all that our Lorax fabrics are available for purchase in shops around the country! These are just some of the designs in the collection:

The Lorax Panel in Bright

We think this collection is super cute, super vibrant, and can be used for all kinds of projects and ocassions! Do you agree? Leave us a comment! We'd love to hear from you if you've featured the Lorax in one of your projects, have an awesome idea that you want to share, or just loved the movie!

Meet Mary Lake-Thompson!

Describe your background in design. When did you start applying your artwork to fabric?

I have been involved in art my whole life. I had formal training at the San Francisco Art Institute. I started my business as a greeting card company in the early 80s. When computers and email took over the greeting card business, we shifted gears and looked for a new product to put our art on. Flour sack tea towels were perfect. We could design and print our towels locally in Northern California rather than sending them overseas to be produced.

Where do you find inspiration, and how does that translate into your work?

After creating art for so many years, the inspiration builds on itself. One design leads to another design. I really live the life that I portray in the art…gardening, cooking, etc. I live in a very rural town, we don’t even have a Starbucks. I travel a lot so it’s always nice to be here where life is easy.

Describe your design process. What usually comes to your mind first – a color palette, a particular image, or an overall theme?

An overall theme is where my design process begins. I frequently develop ideas and images while doing my normal daily tasks. I could be gardening or playing with my dogs in the orchard…the design process really can happen anywhere from anything.

You’ve managed to build quite a successful company. How much perseverance did that take?

From the beginning I had a lot of support from my family. I really believe you need this much support in order to survive, starting and building a company. It is very demanding and time consuming, but in the end it’s all worth it because I have been able to do what I always wanted to do…create.

Have you learned any valuable lessons that might be useful to other designers trying to make a name for themselves in the industry?

My advice to other designers would be to never give up. Somewhere there is a need for creativity. I always tell people to think out of the box. I really believe if you can figure out another angle you can make it work. Go down a path that hasn’t been tread upon.

What does the future look like for you? Is there anything you hope to accomplish?

Right now we are developing a whole new world for us…ceramics! It’s always fun to develop a new product that has never been done before. It’s a different kind of energy from what we are used to.

Mary's Cottage Flowers collection (left) is available now! You can see all of her designs and products at her online store.

Giveaway Winners!

Today is the day! Three random winners have been selected and will receive signed copies of Laurie Wisbrun's new book, Mastering the Art of Fabric Printing and Design. So, congratulations to them!

The first winner is...

Dorothy, who posted this comment on March 5th:

"Always looking for inspiration, and I love Kaufman fabrics. I'm using the Dr. Seuss Thing 1 and Thing 2 fabric to make a Hawaiian shirt for my husband for Father's Day this year as it falls on our twin boys' birthday."

The second winner is...

Jessica, who posted this comment on March 7th:

"I love Laurie Wisbrun's fabric designs and I can only imagine the book is wonderful!"

And the third winner is...

cherly hammond, who posted this comment on March 5th:

"Just the cover alone makes me want to read this book. Fabulous!!!"

Congratulations to those lucky three! For those who didn't win, all hope is not lost! Laurie's blog tour is just getting started, and more copies will be given out at various stops along the way.

Our Trip to Sew Modern

Ever been to Sew Modern in L.A.? 

A few of us recently stopped by the shop to see our friend Lauren Hawley and the rest of the Sew Modern team, and we had just the most wonderful experience! They were all so nice and really made us feel right at home, taking the time to talk with us about new trends and to give much-valued suggestions about our fabric lines.

For those of you who haven't been there yet, Sew Modern is a super-hip fabric store on Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles that has adopted a very innovative business strategy. Not only do they sell fabric, they also host regular in-store classes for people of all ages as well as a wide variety of events like birthday parties, baby showers, and even bachelorette parties!

Here are some pictures from our visit:

We must admit, we also snuck a pic of Lauren's beyond adorable shoes!

Suffice it to say that we were very impressed with the pleasant atmosphere and everything Sew Modern had to offer. To learn more about their fabric selection, classes, and events, visit the Sew Modern website or their blog!

Laurie Wisbrun Book Giveaway!

It's giveaway time again! Fabric designer Laurie Wisbrun, the creative mind behind such lines as Jack & Jenny, Tufted Tweets, and Modern Whimsy, has published a new instructional book, and we have three - I repeat, THREE - copies to give away!

The book, Mastering the Art of Fabric Printing and Design, is a must-have for anyone with any interest in creating beautiful fabrics. Publisher Chronicle Books hails it as "a key resource for anyone looking to learn the basics, expand their skill set, or find design inspiration." Beautifully illustrated with hundreds of photos, Laurie's book contains step-by-step tutorials for designing patterns, advice on printing techniques, and insider tips for bringing your designs to the marketplace.

For a chance to win a free copy, just leave a friendly comment on this post! It's that simple! Three people with be selected at random from the comments, and the winners will be announced next Monday, March 12th.

In the event that you are not one of our lucky winners, both the US edition and UK edition are available for purchase at Amazon. And don't forget to visit Laurie's blog, Scarlet Fig, to see more of her fabulous work!