Designer Tidbits: Sheri Berry


The Fat Quarter Shop is excited to welcome Sheri Berry to the Jolly Jabber! Sheri’s latest fabric collection is Mod Tod from Riley Blake Designs.


Q: What was the first seed that grew into the Mod Tod collection?
A: Having a boy. My mechanically minded husband and I guessed our newborn would be somewhat technical. When he was born, I created his birth announcement with a vintage illustration of a toddler examining the mechanics of a kitchen egg beater. We thought it the perfect icon for what we imagined our boy might be about as he grew older.

Q: If your collection had a soundtrack what would be on the list?
A: Soundtrack from “The Incredibles,” a movie filled with modern architecture.

Q: What single print/SKU in the collection is your favorite (can only pick one!)?
A: I’m a fan of circular shapes, and am especially happy with how the composition and colors of “Mod Tod Gears” turned out.


Q: What is your favorite project you have made using this collection?
A: I actually don’t sew, but I did design a baby onesie that incorporates the gear motif. Know anyone who wants to manufacture it along with a Mod Tod diaper bag and bottle?


Q: What is your favorite part of working in the fabric industry?
A: The best part is knowing you’re helping make someone’s everyday home life a little better. When I was a girl, my heroes were Betsy Clark, Holly Hobbie, and Charles Schulz. I always wanted to create art that could be mass-produced and reach as many people as possible. I love the idea of a child being as excited to have a new pillowcase with one of my designs on it as I was when I was ten and my mom sewed me a pillowcase out of Holly Hobbie fabric!

Q: Can you give us a sneak-peek of your next fabric collection?
A: Up next is a collection that offers something for girls as well as boys: “Woodland Tails.” It features a menagerie of woodland creatures, in three colorways, who have happy adventures in their natural surroundings. I expect the collections will show up in your favorite fabric shops by February 2012.


Q: What is your absolute favorite thing in your house?
A: I love the 1960s-era “Dream Pets” I’ve collected, which were originally used as packing material in Japanese shipments of model railroad pieces, until the factory realized the pets were more popular than the trains!


Q: Which project stands out in your memory as your all-time favorite?
A: I don’t really have an all-time favorite, but every time I design a new collection, it becomes my favorite!

Q: Where do you do your best thinking? Can we see a photo of your studio?
A: As my family can attest, my clipboard is with me pretty much around the clock and in every room of the house, because I can’t seem to shut off the thinking when it comes to new collections. Most of my workday is spent in the studio we built over a new detached garage several years ago, which inspires me far more than the dark basement I used to work in!


Q: What is your favorite snack food? Can we see a photo of your fridge or pantry?
A: My husband says I need to tell the truth on this one: I pretty much live on Dr. Pepper, coffee, and candy. Kids, this is not a good idea unless you want to end up 4’11” like me.

Q: What is your one guilty pleasure in life?
A: I always feel I should be doing something “useful,” so watching TV makes me feel like a slug. However, I do take one midweek break for thirty minutes to watch “Modern Family.”




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