Sis Boom Super Fan: Rachel Berwick Hodges

Rachel is a long time fan of Sis Boom and one of our most positive, vocal supporters online. Jennifer loves reading her positive comments and seeing what Rachel designs and sews using Sis Boom fabric so much, she named the Rachel fabric in the new Color Brigade line after her! You can follow Rachel on her sewing adventures on her blog, Mrs Podge.

Rachel in a Shana Tunic she sewed herself in Kitty in Green from the Nostalgia line.
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My name is Rachel Berwick Hodges. I live in Massachusetts with my husband and two young children. My mother taught me how to sew by hand when I was nine, and I learned how to use a machine in my junior high home economics class. I was constantly trying to find little short-cuts so I could hurry up and have a finished product, much to the despair of my teacher, Mrs. Thatcher! Thanks to her patience, I learned to pay attention to the little details that make a garment look truly finished.

When my children arrived, I put sewing on the back burner for a couple years, and missed it horribly. When I returned to my favorite pastime, I came across the “Crazy Love” line in an online quilt shop, and was hooked!

Jennifer’s fabrics are unique, in that they seem to be infused with a kind of tangible joy. The “Nostalgia” line is no exception. I bought a few yards, and enjoyed working with them so much, I ordered even more! Everything I made seemed even more lovely because of the softly faded colors and vintage-inspired designs!

Though very much an amateur, I love to dress my friends up and play “fashion photographer”. How fortunate that they are as obliging as they are photogenic! I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them.

Below are pictures of dresses and tops Rachel sewed herself for friends and family using fabric from the Nostalgia line. Patterns are from Sis Boom Pattern Co and include the Cathy, the Jenny, the Leighanna, and the Angie.

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Sis Boom Super Fan Tangled Blossom Designs

Talented Fiona Kelly makes vegan-friendly bags among other things for her business, Tangled Blossom Designs. Her lovely bags have popped up on our Instagram feed several times and we had to know more! Make sure to visit her website for Sis Boom fabric and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Etsy (Etsy shop on vacation as Fiona prepares for a craft market in May). Thanks so much for sharing what you do with us, Fiona!

I’ve been into sewing for as long as I can remember. One of my favourite things to do as a very young child was to sit on the floor with a pile of paper, my scissors, glue and sticky tape and make clothes for my dolls and myself. As I grew older the paper was replaced by fabric and the glue and sticky tape was no longer needed when at the age of about 7yrs my parents bought me my very first sewing machine – a little hand crank black and gold Singer. My love of sewing and textiles continued to grow throughout my teens and culminated in my completing a Bachelor of Design Degree in Constructed Textiles in 1993. I studied knitting, weaving and tapestry during my degree and won the Rowan Yarns Designer knitting competition in my first year for a cable look sweater I designed. After graduating, I worked in the knitwear industry for a time before starting out on my own making my own range of clothes and bridal wear on request but when our first child came along I quickly realized making big dresses with little ones around was not going to be very practical. All those sparkly beads, silks, satins and lace are just too tempting for little fingers to touch, so in 2006 I decided to take a break from my sewing business and just sew for us as a family instead. In May 2012 my hubby, I and our now 2 children emigrated from the UK across the Atlantic to Nova Scotia, Canada and it wasn’t long after our move that I started to feel my sewing mojo come back! After struggling to find the fabrics I wanted to sew with anywhere in Nova Scotia I took the plunge and started my current business Tangled Blossoms Design. So now I get to look after our family in this beautiful part of the world, sew my new passion of making handbags in all the fabrics I love while selling it by the yard to customers all over the world.

The two lovely carpet bag shown below are made with Sewing Patterns by Mrs. H, Emmaline Bags hardware and of course fabric by Sis Boom.

Fiona’s first stunning bag is in Melody in green on the outside and Linky Love on the inside from the Beauty Queen line.

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Second bag is Bonnie in purple on the outside from the Caravelle Arcade line and the inside fabric is by Tula Pink. Fiona has an eye for the little details and fussy cuts the fabric so the fabric prints match up or cuts to mirror image the print on bag gusset bottoms if it’s a directional print like Bonnie in purple. Just lovely!

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It’s Almost Time For Color Brigade!

Color Brigade is starting to ship and we couldn’t be more excited. It should be hitting your favorite fabric stores and online retailers in the next few weeks. If  you receive a shipment of Color Brigade be sure to tag us on Facebook and Instagram and we’ll help you get the word out!

Lots of bold colors in this line after the soft romantic pastels of Nostalgia! A very personal collection for Jennifer, she writes: Happy is the moniker of this lovely selection. Large florals with deep colored backgrounds lay the foundation for this strong Island vibe that once again has that “take me away” vacation vibe.  Having grown up in the Virgin Islands and embracing the world of mismatched pattern on all the lovely people that resided there is where the foundation for my textiles begins.  Layers of different cloths and head wraps are the origins of my homeland and the cruzan culture of my sensibility. Textiles played a huge roll in my early aesthetic development.  These florals come alive with the saturated colors of Sis Boom. Coordinates and color mixed with these florals or the huge Fluer de lis and this wonderful check will look as though you threw it all together when in actuality there is a color harmony that keeps the fluidity intact. Two toned wood cuts, and rhythmic lines keep it all cohesive.  I can see amazing quilts and gorgeous dresses and products crafted from these amazing designs. Cabanas and beach umbrellas dot the beaches, and the bathing suits and trunks all cohabit  here to bring you another resort vibe from none other than me.

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What are you planning on making with Color Brigade? We can’t wait for you to share with us.

 

Girl’s World Revisited

We love when classic Sis Boom looks meets new Sis Boom. The super talented Merav Ruthman of Baby Hobbes Designs, created 2 dresses from our book, Girl’s World, with fabric from Color Brigade due out May 2016 and Nostalgia from Fall 2015. If you don’t have a copy of Girl’s World, check it out; it was published 5 years ago but all 21 projects are still as fresh and modern as ever.

Hobbes and her 2 friends enjoyed sweet treats at Vanielle Chicago while wearing the Tallulah Halter Dress and Mary’s Fancy Sash Dress. Both dress patterns are available only in Girl’s World as paper patterns, so order your copy today!gw5

Hobbes (below, left) is wearing the timeless Mary’s Fancy Sash Dress in Rachel in Blue from Color Brigade on the skirt, with the bodice in Jimmy in Green and the sash in Jackson in Green from the Nostalgia line. Dress it up with a crinoline underneath for extra fun! Hobbes’ BFF (right) from preschool is wearing the cool and comfortable Tallulah Halter Dress in Rachel in Blue. This fun and versatile dress slips on and ties behind the neck. Two side vents on the dress hem makes it easy to jump and play all day long.

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Little sis (middle) is also wearing the Tallulah with Rachel in Blue on the bodice and Figgy in Pink on the skirt. We love these looks and hope they inspire you to purchase fabric now from the Nostalgia line and Color Brigade when it comes out in May.

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Special thanks to Little Sparrow Boutique for the stunning hair accessories and TK Photography for taking these lovely photographs.