Behind the Scenes: Volume 106 Sept/Oct

A Piece of Pie!

The latest issue is shipping to stores and mailboxes across the globe and it’s packed with inspiration that we hope you’ll enjoy.  I’m a crazy detail person— it’s the small details that add up to something great in the bigger picture.  Literally speaking it’s why we selected Katherine Artines’ sunflower for the cover – all those chunky stitches, tiny beads and tufts of tulle are a winning combination.

For today’s blog, I thought I’d share some of the wacky details you might not otherwise notice or think about.  It also gives you a glimpse of the day in the life of the Designs magazine team and contributing writers.  We are grateful for everyone who makes the magazine possible.

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High-Tech Meets Handcrafted by Nancy Zieman

Take a look at that beautiful photo put together by our photography team.  Is that pumpkin pie real?  It’s too perfect to be real.  Maybe the whipped cream is shaving cream?  It surely isn’t homemade….

It is, in fact, real!  Editor, Eileen Roche made the pie the night before just for this photo!  Of course, once the photo shoot was complete, we each enjoyed a slice of that delicious pie.  We definitely need to do more food related projects.

Connection Perfection and a Dress Fit for a Princess! By Joanne Banko

Like all of Joanne’s clothing projects, it’s difficult to part with them.  The garments she makes usually fit me and what fun it is to twirl around in this dress!  But it is customary to return all projects to the designers.  (some exceptions do happen!)

If you haven’t visited Joanne’s blog, you need to visit.  She has tip sheets and additional information related to the project, in this case, the dress.  I’m always so impressed with her endless energy and willingness to share her skills with readers.  Be sure to check out her other blog posts with expanded coverage of her projects.

Stylish + Organized by Reen Wilcoxson

If you haven’t seen the article, it’s a must read.  Reen has solved an age-old problem we all have:  getting tangled in cords.  And she’s solved it with such style, creativity and even with cork!  I love our contributing writers – they go above and beyond for our readers and they have fun doing it.  Reen also generously donated the free Cord Wrap designs.  You’ll find them on her website.  The samples below show just how much fun you can have personalizing them.  Glittery vinyl, bright happy colors, monograms and motifs make them unique.  My favorite is the cork set that just happens to have my name on it. 😉

Headrest Covers by Colleen Bell

Join me in wishing a warm welcome to one of our newest contributing writers!  Although I’ve never met Colleen in person, she’s one of the most thoughtful people I’ve had the opportunity to interact with.  Not only that, she’s very talented.  You’ll see what I mean with the headrest covers in the latest issue.

Here’s the behind the scenes look at setting up the shots for the headrest covers.  Creative Director, Samuel Solomon is seen holding a test card for color balancing.

We had a great selection of photos to choose from for all three headrest samples (Texas longhorn, monogram and a mermaid).

What theme would you stitch on your headrest covers?  Choose favorite sports team colors, school colors or go with a new one for every season.

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This is just a small preview of the creativity in the latest issue that is shipping now.  If you have a subscription you can access the digital version online.