Introducing: Swaddle Fabric

I’m so excited to introduce to you Michael Miller’s newest line of product….swaddle fabric!

Any new mother knows that swaddle blankets are at the top of all their wish lists. 7+ years ago, swaddle blankets became the “must have” for any new mother, and I’m here to attest to that! I’ve swaddled all my babies, with the first two being in a thin flannel because the “swaddle” material wasn’t widely available. Aiden and Anis made it popular, and since then, it’s a product no mother can live without. But now, there is access to this delicious fabric by the yard!! 

Now, technically, it’s double gauze and bubble gauze that I’ll be introducing you to. This fabric is not the double gauze you are used to handling...the linen-like material that is lovely, yet not as soft and supple as this fabric is. This fabric is just so soft, and it truly like the commercial swaddle blankets you are used to handling. I wish there was a “touch and feel” option on the screen!

When I sought out to do swaddle fabric with Michael Miller, they sought out to find the very best quality of fabric...which frankly took years...and I'm so incredibly delighted with the quality. This is a game changer in so many ways! I initially became excited about it because I knew mothers and grandmother and aunts and friends could whip up their own swaddle blankets, and make a personal gift for baby. I didn't realize that the time how versatile  this fabric was going to be! 

And because of it’s softness, clothing and fashion are a must! The bubble gauze, or single ply, is sheer and lovely. It can be worn sheer, or doubled up for opacity and extra softness. The solid colors swaddle fabrics are the Bubble Gauze.

The double gauze is opaque enough for clothing, and makes for such lovely breeze yet soft to the touch clothing. Here you can see the double gauze as shorts, and the top is two layers of the bubble gauze. 

But what I didn’t realize, is that this fabric is perfect for SO many projects besides just swaddle blankets! Because of the width of the fabric (52+ inches) it makes for amazing projects like bedding, quilt backs, and so much more.

Quilting is something we have experimented with the swaddle, and we are so happy with it. There will be more on that later! It does require that you allow for ½ inch seams as the fabric wants to fray after a wash, and you need to allow for that. Serging isn’t required, but it does help if you have one. However, without a serger, a good seam allowance does the trick!

I'm so thrilled for you to get your hands on this wonderful new fabric! 

It's shipping to stores now, and can be ordered wholesale with Michael Miller Fabrics or by emailing them at info@michaelmillerfabrics.com

For retail stores carrying the fabric, you can visit this page and find the nearest store near you or order online! 

For more images of the cotton collection SOMMER that goes with this line of swaddle, visit this blog post.

Stay tuned for more projects and more pictures! 

Enjoy! Happy Sewing! 

xo

Sarah Jane

Introducing: SOMMER fabric collection

Sommer, my latest fabric collection with Michael Miller Fabrics is shipping this week, and I’m so excited! After a long 2 year hiatus (having baby #4 and adjusting to a very new dynamic at work and at home!) I have come out with my 5th fabric collection, and I am so thrilled.

After having Anders, I really needed to create something for ME. My previous textile collections have been inspired by my children, and what they love. But with a difficult pregnancy, and the adjustment to having 4 children, I really wanted to be surrounded by textiles for me....textiles that I could love and wear and use. SOMMER is that collection. What I love about it though, is that I’ve made it sophisticated enough for me, but soft and sweet enough to be used for children as well. The perfect mix.

SOMMER, the Scandinavian word for Summer, is a collection of designs inspired by my Scandinavian heritage. Having just had our little boy, Anders Christensen who we named after my mother’s side of the family, I wanted to create a collection after my love of the landscape, color and culture in that part of the world and that taps into that part of my family heritage. My art has always been inspired by Carl Larsson, Elsa Beskow, Joseph Frank, my grandmothers vintage floral textiles and the intricate carvings in my Great-Great-Grandfathers handiwork.

With the ever growing need for textiles and fabrics in every part of our lives, I wanted to make sure that these fabrics crossed over easily into every day life. The scale and color of these prints were thoughtfully designed with lifestyle in mind. Quilting, bedding, clothings, upholstery, and everything in between. The large florals are big, but not too big for Quiltings. But there are upholstery fabrics that carry these prints even larger. The gingham are big enough for a strong statement, but not too big for smaller projects.

All of these designs have been hand painted in gouache and watercolor which was a new process for me! I do all my illustrations this way, but transferring into fabric was a new challenge, and I’m so happy with how it turned out. I wanted it to feel handmade. Handdrawn. A special vintage feel to it. And I’m so happy with how it turned out.

My first inspiration for Sommer came from the kelly green, vibrant red and blues that make me think of Sweden. In Scandinavia, the winters are so long and white, that traditionally, the architecture, interiors and textiles were vibrant in color to counteract the long dark winters. These colors make me so happy!

Along with the vibrant deep jewel tones, these softer more vintage colors are muted and subdued to reflect the more delicate colors of summer.

And of course, like with every collection, I have a border print that ties all these ideas together, and makes for a wonderful whimsical border. SOMMER BORDER is a scene with traditional images...swans, bicycles, tulips, kite flying and water...with the skyline of Stockholm in the distance.

There will be more to share, and more to show! I hope this little bit gets you excited. SOMMER is distributed by Michael Miller Fabrics, and sold retail in stores worldwide. For a list of retail stores, visit this page. For info on how to order retail, you can visit www.michaelmillerfabrics.com or visit this page to see all the textiles of SOMMER.

Happy Sommer! 

xo

sarah jane

(All photography in this post by Nicole Hill Gerulat)

BLACK FRIDAY SALE

There is SO much to be thankful for this year, and we are so thankful for each of you this holiday season! I don't say that lightly! Every email, every comment, every interaction and every sale has been such a blessing in my life as I've been able to be part of this amazing community! Thank you for all your wonderful support over the years! The face I've been able to support my family doing what I love is such an amazing blessing. So Thank you! And enjoy 30% off your ENTIRE order in the shop this weekend! Biggest sale of the year! 

Have a lovely Holiday weekend, and a Christmas season to come! 

Enjoy! 

xo

Sarah Jane

Petit Paris: Favorite Things

Paris is on all of our minds, and it's my favorite theme to decorate with. Here's a lovely collection of boy must-haves that are making me so happy right now! 

1. Sarah Jane Studios: Salut

2. Noble Carriage: Gray Label Organic Striped Sweater

3. Brimful: Daschund Pull Toy

4. Amazon: The Little Prince 70th Anniversary Gift Set

5. Milk Bots: Annabel Kern Petit Biscuit Soft Musical Toy

6. Star Rite Shoes: Wells Red Canvas T-Bar Canvas Shoes

7. Darling Clementine: Goat Milk, Baby Beanie

8. Smallable: Kiko+ Machi Paris Magnetic Wooden Game

9. Mishalulu: Nino Ponte Doll

10. French Blossom: Children's Accordian

Over the weekend, my heart was consumed like all of yours, over the state of this world. Heartbreaking and confusing on all fronts. There are no words. Yet watching the world POUR their hearts out to people they don't even know, and uniting in love and humanity and compassion was a testimony to me of the goodness in the world. The goodness that wins. Praying for all those suffering from this terrible tragedy, the tragedies in Russia, Beirut, Kenya, all over the world. May we be united in the good that is in all of us. 

Littlest Mermaid Gift Guide

I have two little mermaids at home, and I know a lot of you do too! Here's a lovely gift list for your littlest mermaids. Enjoy!

1. Sarah Jane: The Mermaid & The Octopus

2. Smallable: Garbo&Friends, Fish Baby Sleeping Bag Blue

3. Etsy: Stuff Starfish Pillow

4. Marine Queen Crib Baby Quilt

5. Pottery Barn Kids: Mermaid Plush

6. Blaba Kids: Mermaid Dream Ring Mobile

7. Smallable: Mimi’Lou, Olga the Whale Cushion Toy

8. Gilt: Hape Toyes, Ocean Octpus Mosaic Kit

Alice Alice Alice...

This month marks the 150th Anniversary of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland! 
This story is such a rich piece of magic and to encourage some learning and making at home, I'm offering these puppets at a discount for the month of November! 
 The Alice in Wonderland Puppets are larger than my previous puppets and very friendly for the littlest of hands to play with. Perfect to make ahead of time and place as stocking stuffers or to make together on a dark, cloudy day.

Characters include: Alice, White Rabbit, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, Dormouse, March Hare, and Queen of Hearts and accessories!

Don't forget to tag me @sarahjanestudios with #sarahjanepapertoys on Instagram so we can all share in your magical creations! Have so much fun!

Click here to shop

Mechanically Minded Gift Guide & New Print

I'm just getting back from debuting my latest fabric line at Quilt Market, but before I sit down and share about all that (it was a blast!) I wanted to share with you another darling gift guide for the Little engineer. Ian, my oldest son, has been attracted to building and drafting and anything mechanical since before he could talk. That was my inspiration behind this print...their imaginations just go wild! I love it. Here's a list of where to find all these amazing products! 

1. Sarah Jane: Mechanically Minded

2. Rakuten Global Market: #61 Kids Overall and Roundhouse Hickory Stripes

3. MomaStore: Robot Nightlight

4. Smallable: Large Striped Airplane with Wheels

5. RH Baby & Child: Vintage Race Car Mobile

6. MomaStore: Blockitecture

7. Etsy: Baby Boy Train Engineer Cap

8. Train Party: 4-Tone Wooden Train Whistle

9. Rodale's: Toy Tool Belt

And even more exciting, is I have a girl version of this print as well! I've had SO many requests over the years to make this with a girl, and here we are! 

So here we are....a new print in the shop and I hope your mechanically minded girls will appreciate. 

I'd love to know if there are any prints in the shop you'd like to see with another gender, etc. I can't promise to change all of them, but I'm hoping to have more of that soon. Enjoy!