Hi friends! Today we are excited to announce our next fabric line called Delightful Department Store from Amy Jordan! We will be kicking off our fabric tour tomorrow and wanted to share a little more about Amy for all of us to get to know her, especially with this being her first fabric line! Enjoy reading the conversation, then head over to our giveaway post on Instagram to enter to win a fat quarter bundle of Delightful Department store!
First up let’s talk Delightful Department Store! We asked Amy about her inspiration behind this line and she said, “I love all things vintage and have always loved vintage sewing patterns! I love the style of the illustrated ladies used to model the clothes… especially those from the the 1950s and 1960s. I wish I could dress like that! While I often use that style of Retro Girls in my designs, this particular fabric line is inspired by a time when you went out for the day to a department store to find all your treasures! I’ve always loved fabrics from this time period too and I imagine those fashionable ladies selecting their bright cheery florals, checks, and calicos from the fabric department!”. Amy has been drawing as long as she can remember, she says ” In elementary school, my brother and I would often sit and draw animals together and I was always frustrated that he could draw better than I could! In middle school I loved drawing flowers, cute animals, and vintage looking fashion ladies. My sketchbooks and class notes were covered with them all through high school!”
We asked Amy about her family/work/life balance and here’s what she had to say: “I have five kiddos and homeschool them! My oldest just graduated from high school this year, but I’ve still got four more to go, haha! My husband is a pastor of a small church, in which our whole family is very involved. So we are busy in general. But also around the time I stopped popping out babies, I decided I needed to amp up my business efforts and dive into multiple realms of the Amy J. Delightful brand. I currently have three Etsy shops and multiple other side hustles. All to say! … I don’t really manage it that well, I just try not to drown as I ride the waves! I like a challenge and I need goals to push towards. My advice to mamas who are juggling work and kids…adjust your standards to what’s most important. Love those babies well, let the dishes pile up a bit, and embrace the chaos. Also when they’re old enough, get those kiddos involved any way you can! My kids feel a certain amount of ownership in my business endeavors. When they were small I created printable activities, coloring pages, and play sets that they helped design. Now they help in numerous very significant ways…anything from filling and sending out orders, to helping me sort or organize, and even giving me feedback on my new designs! They also each have their chores and responsibilities that keep things semi under control in the house. I’m not the only one who cooks (husband loves to cook!) and cleans.. there’s no way I could do it all! I have also learned over the years that quiet time alone is essential to my sanity…even just 10 minutes a day. Time in scripture, time with my husband, or just shutting the door to my room and listening to music keeps me sane!”. Amy, we couldn’t agree more with your sentiments of loving the babies well and letting the dishes pile up! A girl after my own heart! Thank you for your honesty and insight to what’s most important, that is so refreshing!
As for new designers hoping to have their own fabric lines, Amy says “Pay attention to what makes you smile and inspires you. Don’t worry as much about the trends, but rather develop a style that you can get passionate about. Start creating patterns that you love, and find a way to get them out there in some form or another! Maybe sell on Etsy, Spoonflower, or post pretty pictures on Instagram and Pinterest. And luckily, there are plenty of tutorials to help get you started if you need help with the technical skills. I personally use Adobe Illustrator with a Wacom tablet and love it. Just dive in and see where it all takes you!”.
Since there are many new faces here, we just had to ask Amy about working with Poppie Cotton! Amy said “I love the aesthetic of Poppie Cotton! They have a very feminine and often vintage vibe that goes very well with my own personal taste! It was an easy fit for me to design with them!” And as for another fabric line? “Yes, I do have another line coming! And it’s going to be super sweet… it’s a fabric line reminiscent of my personal vintage fabric stash…lots of dainty cheery florals.”
A little more about Delightful Department Store, 1950’S ladies all dressed up for the day and ready to head out on the town. This is going to be a glorious day of shopping, looking at pretty things and having lunch with the girlfriends. There is nothing better than spending a day filled with laughter and good cheer. This beautiful collection has mixed yellows, mints, teals and all shades of pinks to create a colorful color palette. The fabric collection includes 1950’s dresses on lovely ladies, roses, ginghams, tiny tossed roses, receipts for the shopping day and all over flower dots. There is also a panel to sew up some fun projects with!
So fun to learn more about Amy and get a peak into her life and family, thank you so much for sharing with us! Be sure to check out Amy’s website and follow her on Instagram to see what’s coming next! And now head over to our giveaway post and stay tuned for our Delightful Department Store Fabric Tour starting right back here tomorrow! We cant wait to see what our makers have been working on and as fabric starts to ship this month, we look forward to seeing what you all make with this adorable line!
