WEE WANDER BLOG TOUR: Ukulele Cover

 I adore seeing all the inspiration that floods the online world after a fabric line comes out. There are so many amazing projects that just make me smile. This Quilted Ukulele Case Tutorial is so clever. I'm thinking my kids need one of these. We have a "real" case, but doesn't this case just make you want to pick up a Ukulele and play? 

Ashley at Mommy By Day Crafter By Night has created a full step by step tutorial on how to make one.

For the FULL TUTORIAL CLICK HERE. 

Happy Sewing and happy music making! I think I need to put on some of my favorite Hawaiian tunes now.

lighten up

 

{click here to purchase print}

These two popped into my sketch book today, and I thought I'd give them a little bit of screen time.

These days are filled to the brim with deadlines (3 books and some editorial) as well as new products I'm working on getting into the shop (horray!).

But it seems that whenever I'm up to my eyeballs in deadlines, new characters show up in my sketchbook, begging for some attention. Kinda like my kids who would rather have tickle fights than see me working (which I try mightily to only do when they are busy, at school or asleep).

Anyways, say hello and consider this eye candy for a tuesday morning.

Have a good one!

xo

sarah

Story Behind the Art: Marionettes

I didn't get a chance to really talk about my Let's Pretend Collection that came out last spring. Mostly because I was very sick with my pregnancy, and just  little bit preoccupied:)

But I want to share with you the story behind one of the prints that I just love. This print is called Marionettes, and I wanted to create a retro inspired marionette print that felt like something reminiscent of puppets from a little bit of France & Italy but with a taste of retro book illustration with fresh color. When I went looking for inspiration online, I came across this elephant marionette that I just FELL IN LOVE WITH! He is so perfectly perfect. I just had to have him. So I bought it on the spot, and put him in my studio to get inspired.

(image courtesy of Oh Albatross)

I included this print into two of my pieces from Let's Pretend. The Marionettes print, but his shining moment is in my Panel Print that I love so much.

Kids and puppets just make me smile. I wish we had more of a venue for this. Puppets are the best toy. I just love the theatricality behind it, and the endless imagination, coordination and play time. Anyways, I wanted to celebrate this part of childhood, and there he is!

Then, a few months later, while I was waiting for my fabric to be printed, I was watching the BBC Persuasion with my husband (He's a good man. He tolerates my choices:) and I stopped the movie! Look! There was my Elephant! How cool is that?

This little elephant has a fabric collection AND a movie. What a guy.

So that's the story behind this sweet little print. He still hangs in my studio, and I just love him to bits. Maybe he'll find his way into some more art of mine!

Let's Pretend is still available, and can found in any of the stores here. 

Burda Style Magazine

I'm so thrilled to share with you that Wee Wander fabric line has been featured in the Fabric Trends section of Burda Style Magazine. I'm so honored!

I have just loved seeing how well received this latest collection of fabric has been. Creating something so quietly in my studio, and then finally releasing it into the world always gives me butterflies in my stomach. It's like releasing a child off to kindergarten. So scary! But so wonderful to see it take wings.

It's so thrilling to see your excitement for it, and to see all the projects you've been able to share online. Thanks so much for all your feedback and excitement!

And thanks so much Burda Style for the feature!

xo

Sarah

Wee Wander Blog Tour: Pinwheel quilt & Pillow

It's Wednesday, and time for another fantastic Tutorial featuring the Wee Wander Fabric line! 

Stacy, at Freshly Handmade, created this amazing quilt and pillow tutorial. I love the colors she chose, and the pinwheels in the sky. Are you getting inspired?

Her blog is amazing, and full of so much mouth watering loveliness. Her sense of color makes me want to lick the screen. Be sure to spend some time peeking through! She's done an amazing job on this quilt she designed, and I am thrilled to send you her way for this awesome downloadable pattern.

Click Here for the tutorial. 

Happy Sewing, and thanks again Stacy!

xo

Sarah

Room Tours: On Parade

I'm a sucker for really great kids' spaces. There are endless possibilities, and the fun part about decorating kids' rooms is that they are changing so much, that you get to recreate as often as you want!

I love this clean white space featured on Full House Blog....a  lovely blog with great clean design. The On Parade Print is the featured color in the space, and I love the pop!

Thanks for sharing your spaces with me! I love seeing how you've decorated around a Sarah Jane print collection or fabric collection. 

To share your photos, tag me on Facebook,Instagram,Pinterest or email me at hello@sarahjanestudios.com

The Story Behind the Art: Tree Lights

So much of what I create has a story. A story of how it was made, but more so, the story of why I made it. Wee Wander was such a fun collection of fabric prints to create because it was part of MY story. And I wanted to share that with you today. So gather around. I'll tell you a story:)

I lived on the West Coast until I was 6 when our family moved cross country to the East Coast where they are today. We lived first in Massachusetts and then in Maryland. As a child on the West Coast, I remember loving to climb the peach trees in the back yard, and the orange trees. I dreamed of having strong enough legs and feet to climb palm trees someday.

But when our family picked up and moved into the forests of Massachusetts, I knew I found my home. I remember having to stand in the middle of our street and look straight up into the night in order to see any sky at all. Lightning storms were simply flashes of lit up trees from my paned bedroom window. There were so many trees in my yard that we spent at least 2 hours every Saturday as a family raking. I love my trees. So much, that when my husband and I decided to buy a home in desert and rocky mountain Utah, it took us 15 months to find the right house....nestled in the trees.

When we moved to Maryland when I was 9, the trees were a little farther back from our house. The forrest began just past our property line, and I spent many summers wandering in the woods behind our house. In the hot, humid summers, we'd go outside and chase fireflies. There was so much magic in those cricket chirping, frog groaning summer nights....all lit up by lightning bugs. And when I'd finally go to bed at night, I'd look out my window at the forest across the pond, and see the trees literally all lit up from the fireflies. I can still feel the thrill of that scene. It was like fairies, and the trees would wink at me all night....I still marvel at how magical that was. Sometimes we'd sleep outside on the trampoline and I'd watch shooting stars and fireflies in the trees as I'd close my eyes.

So when I knew I wanted to design a collection of children wandering through summer days and nights, I knew I had to illustrate the fireflies in the trees. And children in the trees. That was my childhood.

The best part of debuting this collection has been hearing YOUR stories. When we were at Quilt Market, so many people would stop in the isle and gasp and say, "That was MY childhood! Oh my gosh....summer nights in Illinois were so magical...." and their stories would go on and on. It was so thrilling to see people get nostalgic for their childhood memories outdoors on those hot summer nights. 

The real magic is taking a feeling, putting it in print, and watching someone else share that same feeling in their own way.

I just feel honored.

xo

Sarah

PS: LightningBugs or Fireflies? It's a hot debate.

WEE WANDER BLOG TOUR: X-Large Floor Pillows

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

I've got a wonderful new tutorial for you on how to use the Wee Wander Fabric. 

Two FREE TUTORIALS for x-large floor pillows. One round, and the other square.

Since Wee Wander has some pieces with lovely "landscapes" I knew I wanted to create something that showed off the tapestry of illustrations so children could get the full effect

These pillows are big! Think Doggy Pillows. We originally designed them to fit perfectly underneath a child's Tee Pee. We purchased custom Teepee's from Tnee's Tpee's for our Quilt Market Booth.

Anders was only 2 months old, and no strollers or carseats were allowed on the Tradeshow floor. Only Babies in arms. I knew I couldn't hold him for 8 hours straight, 3 days in a row, so we designed the booth to have these awesome pillows in the Tee Pees so he could sleep in them. Most people thought he was a prop! It was pretty adorable:) And my arms were super happy too! And now I have these awesome pillows for the bigger kids to snuggle on. I love them! 

Carissa at Carissa Miss designed the pillows: two pieces of Wee Wander for the pillow and the piping, 1 piece of coordinating Michael Miller Cotton Couture Solid fabric for the sides, and a hidden zipper along the bottom edge. You'll love these!

Head on over to CARISSAMISS's blog for the full tutorial.

Thanks Carissa for such a great project!

Happy sewing!

Sarah

PS: for a complete list of stores both online and in your home town that carry Sarah Jane Fabric, click here.