How to plan the perfect princess party!

*Princess Tea Party Set designed by Marinda Stewart

 Start by transforming a room with color- lots of pink, purple, yellow... and every color in the rainbow! Need some color inspiration? Check out our Happy Tones collection... 

We thought that each little chair should be fit for a princess and that each little princess needs a colorful crown!

I wouldn't advise a pinata for an indoor princess party :) but if your party is outside, why wouldn't you have a unicorn pinata?!

We've created a free pattern for the Enchanted Castle Tablecloth, the chair covers, the adorable crowns and the magic wands- just click here. 

 
Tissue paper garland is a great way to decorate a space- I actually used it to decorate for my wedding reception. I had a post-rehearsal-dinner craft & tassel making party with all of my friends and family. This may have been my favorite part of the wedding weekend (besides the actual getting married part :)

If you'd like to try your hand at tissue paper garland, Tomkat Studio has a wonderful tutorial.
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Our Enchanted Castle quilt pattern could be the ultimate centerpiece for a princess picnic at the park. Click here or on the actual quilt below for the instructions.

 To complete the perfect princess party, you'll need cupcakes! I couldn't pick a favorite... so they're all listed below~
1. Strawberry Cupcakes
2. Boston Cream Pie Cupcakes
3. Confetti Party Cupcakes
4. Ice Cream Cupcakes! OMG... yummmm!!
 5. Coconut Cupcakes

Ok, now I'm starving... but not for a salad! I see cupcakes in my near future...

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* Enchanted Castles and Happy Tones are available at your LQS now!

Have a color (and cupcake) filled weekend!

xo,
kait

Making it fun with Owlery!

When Owlery arrived in the office I immediately thought, Growth Chart! It's so perfect since it has a linear layout... all you need to do is add height measurements and a border. It's a step up from writing directly on the wall or putting notches in your molding :)

 

*We used Owlery in canary, Clown Stripe in Luna, Cora in green

The free pattern for the growth chart pictured above can be found on our website (just click here.)

And, would a room be complete without a matching quilt? I think not. Ellen Maxwell created a patchwork quilt using Owlery and some other Happy Tones. 

Add a pop of whimsy and color to your kid's room with this matching quilt!

Do you love owls or do you know someone who does? If the owls in Owlery don't satisfy your owlish desires, we have a stuffed owl tutorial which would be amazing made with some Happy Tones. Click here for the free tutorial.

Post your pictures on our facebook page or tag us on Instagram (#michaelmillerfabrics)

We love to see what you make!

xo,
kait

MMF & the MQG Challenge!

We're so excited to sponsor the 4th annual Modern Quilt Guild Members Fabric Challenge! It will feature our Petal Pinwheels collection.

I've listed the guidelines below but please visit the MQG website for more information- just click here.

:: Fabric patterns pictured above ::

Tile Pile in Canary, Pegs A Plenty in Multi, Star Jacks in Gray, Petal Garland in Seafoam, Cotton Couture in Coral, Petal Pinwheels in Canary

 Guidelines

• The challenge runs from March 2014-June 23, 2014.
• Winners announced July 8, 2014
• Members may make anything they want as long as it is quilted!
• Add in any solid or Michael Miller printed fabric.
• You do not need to use all the fabrics given to you.
• Upload and share your photos to the Fabric Challenge Forum on the Community site.
• MQGs can create guild specific challenges, as long as the other guidelines are upheld.
• Don’t forget to use the #mqgfabricchallenge on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
• See the members Community site for sign ups.
• Fabric sign ups end Feb 28th, 2014

There will be three winners. Each one will receive a posting on our blog (Making It Fun) and “A year of Free Fabric”.  Every month for a year we will send you a “Goody Box”  filled with fabric from our newest collections.

Here's a link to last years winners of the MQG Madrona Road Challenge.

We can't wait to see what you create!

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If you'd like some practice using the Petal Pinwheel collection, we have a free pattern on our website. Click on the image below for the pattern and instructions.

Happy sewing and good luck with the MQG Challenge!

 

xo,

kait and the mmf team

 

The Littles Continued :)

I thought I would wrap up our two part Littles and Lesley Poole Post with some of our own MMF Littles projects.

This collection lends itself well to accessory projects like the amazing Lesley Poole demonstrated... But, it's also great for quilts! Heidi Pridemore designed the nautically inspired quilt below.

*free quilt pattern coming soon!

How perfect would this quilt be in a seaside cottage? I can make the quilt... now I just need a seaside cottage!

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When I love a collection, I can't stop making garments. For the Littles, I went a little bit crazy- four dresses, one jacket and a bunch of bunting! Naturally, I wanted Little Miss O to model the dresses but this time, I enlisted her brother and Little Miss E to join the fun. Three kids who all wanted to be the boss. What a day! I admit, I had to use some lollipop bribery...

Here are the girls, doing their own thing :)

~ Miss E is wearing the Sally Dress in Little Sailboats

~Miss O is wearing Little Bow Pleat in Little Whales 

(the bow is Which Way Stripe)

Little O's brother, Charlie, has always been so curious about the photoshoots so I thought he would love being a part of one. He spent the whole time trying to check out the lights and wandering behind the backdrop. He wasn't happy about sitting on the bench until I said the magic word... Little E wasn't happy about the bench either (as you can see by her adorable frown-y face...

(before bribery)

...and then, the magic word, **Lollipop**

(after bribery)

Charlie is wearing the Puperita Jacket in Little Sailboats & Little Anchors

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~ Miss O is wearing the Sally Dress in Little Sailboats & Little Lifesavers

~Miss E is wearing the Sunshine Dress in Clown Stripe & Little Anchors

And finally, SUCCESS! The girls were actually holding hands and spinning! It took all day but it was totally worth it. Little Miss O said that she loved teaching Charlie and Miss E the ropes. Gotta love that girl! 

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The Littles is available in stores now! We'd love to see what you make... Post your pictures and projects on our facebook page!

 Have a great weekend and happy sewing!

xo,

kait


 MMF Pinterest 

Lesley Poole & the Littles Part 2!

Hi again, Lesley Poole here. What is it about March that makes me think of heading to the pool? I’ve got swimming and summer on my mind. Maybe it's all the "cruise season" catalogs arriving in my mailbox, or quite possibly I am just feeling a little deprived of Vitamin D at this point in our Seattle winter.
 

The Littles collection simply says “family vacation” to me. There is an element of classic kid fun in bright colors and whimsical, nautically inspired patterns. And with all these anchors, whales, and sailboats, who can help but dream of warmer weather? Whether you are heading on vacation or just to the local pool, these vibrant prints will definitely add some sunshine to the day. 

*pictured above ~ Little Lifesavers

I don’t know about you, but when our “Poole Party of 5” heads to the water we always bring loads of stuff - towels, goggles, and pool toys to name only a few! It seemed only natural to sew up a tote bag that could carry it all! This simple, lined tote is the perfect accessory for taking poolside. I used Michael Miller’s Cotton Sateen in navy and lined it with “little whales” in coral. The bright coral is such a nice pop of color inside this classic bag and I love seeing those cute little whales peeking out. 

The next thing to sew was a set of mix-and-match drawstring sacks to keep all our treasures organized. With three kids, it seems everyone has items that are absolute necessities for each and every trip out the door. “Little anchors”, “little whales”, and “ ta dot” were the fabric choices here. (Note: The patterns for both the tote and accessory sacks came from a couple of make*do*mend sewing workshops I attended. Even if you already know how to sew, taking a class can be a great way to learn some new tips and tricks.)  

And the last items on my list were some embellished towels. As I mentioned above, when we head to the pool, it feels like we are planning to go for a week, even if it is only for a few hours. I decided to make some pint-sized towels, to cut down on the bulk. For this project, I used navy cotton terry cloth and chose the vibrant and crisp “little lifesavers” in coral to back the terry and add some pop to this poolside staple. I also appliquéd a seahorse design and a letter "P" on classic white towels for another fun and simple way to use this lively fabric. 

*pictured above ~ Ta Dot, Little Lifesavers

Thanks so much, Michael Miller, for letting me play with this vibrant new collection. I had a fantastic time imagining the sunny days of summer that are just a project or daydream away! 

 ~ Lesley (Poole Party of 5)