Designer Tidbits: Patty Young


The Fat Quarter Shop is excited to welcome Patty Young to the Jolly Jabber. Patty’s latest fabric collection is Lush from Michael Miller Fabrics.




Q: What was the first seed that grew into the Lush collection?
A: My inspirations for Lush were the gorgeous flowers, exotic plants and verdant gardens in the Missouri Botanical Gardens. We visit this beautiful place a couple of times a year and I always draw inspiration from it, but this time, I decided to do a series of colorful floral designs that were drawn directly from the photos I took there.My mood board includes pictures of several of the flowers that ended up taking a major role in the collection, namely, the stargazer lilies, the zinnias and the daffodils.




Q: If your collection had a soundtrack what would be on the list?
A: I listened to a lot of happy, girlie, indie music while I drew this collection, so I'm sure some of those beats and melodies infused themselves into the designs... they always do! I specifically listened to my favorite English alternative rock band from my college days (early 90's), named ... wait for it ... Lush (surprise, surprise!).

Q: What single print/SKU in the collection is your favorite?
A: The strangest thing is that I'm always drawn to a certain print before it goes on fabric, and once I get the fabric in my hands, my eyes wander and sometimes I end up falling in love with something completely different! Case in point, when I turned in the collection, I was smitten with my Stargazer in Raspberry, but when we got the sample yardage in I just couldn't keep my eyes off the Flower Bed in Grass.  In fact, we all loved it so much that we convinced Michael Miller Fabrics to release it in laminated cottons. Note the adorable rain-slicker! Yes, this is a sneak peek of an upcoming MODKID pattern (stay tuned!).




Q: What is your favorite project you have made using this collection?
A: It's got to be my Modern Lotus pillow cover! I love how you can use our six coordinating solids for the background of the pillow and then make the applique flower with just tiny scraps of Lush from the studio. We get so many compliments on these pillows!




Q: If this collection had a scent to it, what would it be?
A: It would definitely be a sweet aroma with a tinge of citrus. I think it would smell just like my favorite perfume, Ange ou Demon Le Secret, by Givenchi. I wear it pretty much every day and I'm sure my whole studio smells like it... haha.

Q: Can you give us a sneak-peek of your next fabric collection?
A: I just turned in the artwork for my Spring collection last week, so it's still a bit too soon to show. It hasn't even gone through the chopping block yet... LOL! But what I can do, is give you a bit of insider information on things to come in the fabric arena. We are re-releasing Andalucia (my first fabric collection) in February. It has been re-colored in all new fresh and gorgeous colors and I cannot wait to be able to show it off! My Spring Market collection will be Scandinavian-inspired, with a nod to mid-century modern art. This collection speaks to the very core of my design style, so I hope you will love it as much as I do!

Q: If you had a mascot, what animal would it be?
A: Well, if I had a mascot it would definitely be a dog, since they are my favorite animals, but more specifically it would be a Weimaraner. We had two of them years ago when we lived in Florida and I still think about them every day. They are kind, loyal, very unusual-looking and absolutely beautiful. If Lush had a mascot it would be the most exotic and colorful bird, the Quetzal, usually found in Central America, where I spent most of my childhood.




Q: Who is your favorite celebrity?
A: Steve Jobs, rest in peace, for having a wonderful dream and the passion to make it happen. I wrote a little bit about him here.

Q: If we were making a movie about your life, who would you want to play you?
A: This is a really tough one, but I think I would choose Maria de Medeiros because she is short like me, has long, dark hair and an exotic appearance. She has appeared in two of my favorite movies of all time... Pulp Fiction and Henry and June. Not sure how this would work out, though, since she is 5 years older than me, so by the time they'd make a movie about me, she might be too old to play me! Maybe they'll have to find a new young Latina to play my early years and Maria could play my elderly years. ;)




Q: Who is your favorite fabric designer not including yourself?
A: I have always been highly inspired by Scandinavian art, pretty much since childhood, as my parents had a lot of Danish furniture in our home. Lately, I have been deeply immersed in Finnish, Danish and Swedish styles since I've been designing my Spring line, so if I had to pick a favorite designer, I'd pick Maija Isola of Marimekko. I feel her modern design style was way ahead of her time. She was a visionary. I remember Marimekko textiles from my early childhood and was so excited when I saw this fresh and modern style pop back up in stores a few years ago.


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