Notes from Moda

Dear Emma,

You and your mommy have so many friends that wrote such nice things about Moda fabrics in my first blog. Thank you for that! In this issue of Notes from Moda, I am introducing you to a friend of mine, Cheryl Freydberg, Vice President of Design. She is going to tell you all about her job and the design process. You will also see a sneak peek of Bistro by Deb Strain that will be delivered to stores later this fall. (See what happens before it happens!)

A Little Bit About Me

I am the design director for Moda fabric. I am the mother of three and I have been working for Moda for over 20 years. Moda fabrics and my twins are both 16 years old – 1991 was a big year for me! I’ve nurtured both over the years and have enjoyed watching both change and grow. I grew up in Michigan sewing with my Mother & Grandmother and I continue to enjoy sewing when time allows. Everyone at Moda thinks that their job is the best, but mine really is the best. I attend trend shows all over the world, work with over 20 talented designers and art studios, and visit our production offices in India, Japan and Korea. It’s my job to make sure that every designer’s vision is met or exceeded.

The Making of a Fabric Collection
Every yard of Moda fabric begins with a simple conversation. I sit with each designer to discuss the three most important things of a fabric collection; color, theme and feel. More than being just a sounding board, it is my job to make sure that every collection has its own unique voice and reinforces the designer’s personal style without overlapping the vision of another.
After the theme and palette of a fabric collection are nailed down, it’s only a matter of time before page after page of intricately hand-painted designs start rolling in. These paintings are then sent overseas to one of Moda’s production offices and the real process of making fabric begins.
The artwork is expertly separated into each print color and burned into separate screens through a photo emulsion process. Each color screen is represented by a dot at the bottom of every yard of fabric. These dots accumulate on the selvage. Moda will often use up to 18 screens to create a single print. This extra expense is what creates the maximum depth and detail that has become Moda’s signature.
It takes roughly 60 days to get everything sorted, burned and printed in all of its many variations. That is when the strike-offs begin landing on my desk. Strike-offs are a small sample swatch of the fabric sent for approval. Sometimes over 100 samples will come in for one collection. Those samples will then be narrowed down to the best of the best, colors will be fine tuned and a sample of the final collection will be compiled. Based on this sampling, an order will be written up and the Mill will begin production on the final collection.

And that’s how it all happens, from my desk to your sewing table.