Fabric Flair

Featured Fabric Friday ~ Sweet Divinity by The Quilted Fish

Even though the Sweet Divinity fabric collection by The Quilted Fish for Riley Blake was released last fall, I am still as enchanted with it today as the day it arrived.

Enchanted. That's the perfect word.  Or maybe divine but since that's in the title, it's a given.  The photos online are pretty, but you really do not get an appreciation of the detail and beauty of this fabric until you see it in person. 

The intricate details and so sweet colors are just waiting to be made into a something for the little girl in your life!  Just take a look! 
Soft Blocks from Lovin' Ewe

 

    

Pillowcase Dress by Lovin' Ewe             Patchwork Blanket by Made by Mum

 

   

Bonnet by Little Betty Designs               Pinwheel Quilt by Love the Baby

 

  

Pleated Wristlet by Cathy's Totes          Reversible Headband by Little Birds Boutique

 

Pillowcase Dress by ThreeSisterz    Burp Cloth Set by Mom N Mia Quilts

 

I have a selection of Sweet Divinity prints in blue and pink in the shop, so stop by and take a look if you haven't yet!

 

 

Free Soul Blossoms quilt patterns

I really love seeing the very creative patterns that fabric designers create when their new fabric lines are released.  Amy Butler's website has 2 quilt patterns available designed to use her Soul Blossoms collection.  The Bloom quilt is my favorite, but I'd certainly enjoy a little Sunshine as well!  Whether you use them to sew those exact quilts or just use them as inspiration, they certainly sweet eye candy!

 

Pretty bedding pattern from Poppy Patterns

Have you seen that Poppy Patterns has a free downloadable PDF pattern for the Poppy Bedding that we've drooled over for months?  This so very pretty bedding set pattern features instructions for making a king or queen duvet and euro shams. 

Some of the Poppy collection prints work well with the new Magnolia Lane collection.  I particularly like the olive paired with it.  It would be so pretty to mix and match the prints from both collections for this pretty bedding!  Now I'm longing to redecorate my bedroom....or maybe my guest bedroom!

 

My Magnolia Lane Bag

Magnolia Lane by Laura Gunn was on my shelves but a few hours before it began calling my name to use for a project.  After much consideration, I decided to use it to make a sturdy tote bag.  I've made basic tote bags without interfacing, but I wanted something with strength that could possibly stand on its own.

I love the Magnolia Branches print the most, so that was an easy choice for the outside of the bag.  The Painter's Canvas in brown seemed like a perfect compliment for the bottom and handles.  I used the Scattered Buds for the lining, and while I sort of wish I had made a different choice, it's like finding sunshine inside the bag each time I open it!

 

Okay, so the shadows in my photo do not make it look overly sunshiney, but trust me, it is!

When I cut the panels for the outside, I sewed heavyweight stabilizer to them before stitching them together to form the shell.  I also sandwhiched the stabilizer in the handles, which makes it a little stiff, but still, I like the strength of it.

 

Now I just need to find a project to make with the Blooming Tulips.  It's such a fresh, cheerful, sunny print and so pretty that it, too, is calling my name.  I had better decide on a project before it sells out, as it has been the most popular fabric in the collection so far! 

 

Bloom by CP Designs for Studio e Fabrics

When I was a little girl, my grandmother always told me stories about the cherry  blossoms in Washington, DC in the spring.  It was a fond and beautiful memory for her that clearly took her back in time when she thought about them.  I've never seen them in person, but when I unpacked the boxes from Studio e containing their Bloom collection in early December, I got an overwhelming "grandma feeling".

The shop and the holiday was so busy that I didn't have time to post about it then, but because the collection warmed my heart, I wanted to take a moment and share it with you now.

Bloom by CP Designs for Studio e Fabrics comes in 2 colorways 

a pink/melon/brown combination

and a green/purple/grey combination

Magnificent Magnolias! Laura Gunn's new collection arrives early!

Is there any smell as recognizable as a magnolia tree in full bloom?  We have a sweet little magnolia tree planted outside our family room window and sadly last year a frost in the spring did some serious damage.  We were without our beautiful blooms and scintillating scents last summer.  As advised, we cut the tree way back to allow room for new growth this year.  We have high hopes that our little tree just might make it!

It's a good thing they'll be plenty of beautiful magnolias inside this year, as marked by the arrival of Laura Gunn's latest collection Magnolia Lane for Michael Miller Fabrics.  Just look at how beautifully Michael Miller is able to capture Laura's oil on canvas artwork in textile form.  It's as if you could reach out and feel the brush strokes!

Blue Magnolias painting by Laura Gunn

 

Magnolia Lane fabric collection by Laura Gunn 

The vibrant yellows and greens combined with the cool turquoise blues and warm browns makes this a wonderfully serene collection that is also full of life. 

And what better way to ground those beautiful floral prints than with a textured solid that appears exactly like what it's named from....Painter's Canvas!

And now I'm off to try to figure out for which new sewing or decorating project I'm going to use Magnolia Lane!

Weekend Sale and Lots of Updates!

I came home late last night to find a substantial delivery at my doorstep.  UPS must have come after we left Wed to visit family out of town.  Of course I didn't wait until morning to get all those great fabrics loaded into the shop.  I wanted them to be ready for the big weekend sale! Here's what's new:

 

Sweet Divinity is on sale for $6.50/yard!  Sweet Divinity in Blue by The Quilted Fish

Sweet Divinity in Pink by The Quilted Fish

 

Domestic Diva is on sale for $6.50/yard!
Domestic Diva by Emily Taylor

 

Hooty Hoot is on sale for $6.50/yard!

Hooty Hoot by Doohickey Designs

 

Wheels is on sale with the manufacturer, and you can find select prints now for $5/yard!

Wheels by My Mind's Eye

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Other limited time sale pricing on your favorite collections include:

Parisville ~ $7/yard!

 

Innocent Crush ~ $7/yard!

 

High Society ~ $6.75/yard

 

All Star 2 ~ $7/yard!

 

Visit the shop this weekend to see all the collections that are on sale and to take advantage of this great sale!

Ooh La La! Parisville is here!

No words needed for this much anticipated fabric collection!  Oh, well, maybe a few.  Tula Pink's attention to design detail is superb.  The color palettes are amazing.  Parisville is just beautiful!

Parisville in Mist

  

 

Parisville in Pomegranate

 

The only rats welcome in Paris!

 

Here's all of the Parisville prints you will find

available in the shop!  Enjoy!

 

 

If I can do it, sew can you - Amy Butler's Style Stitches

I pre-ordered Amy Butler's newest book "Style Stitches: 12 easy ways to 26 wonderful bags" as soon as I saw it on Amazon, months before it was to be released.  When it came in at the end of summer, I eagerly flipped through it and drooled over all the beautiful bags made from her even more beautiful fabrics.  Then, as is typical for me, I put on the shelf and was too busy with other things to try out any of the patterns.

This week I decided not to wait any longer, that I just HAD to make the "Reversible  Everyday Shopper".  Why this one?  Well, for 2 reasons.  I love market style tote bags and it appeared to be the easiest pattern in the book!  The book is arranged from projects that are "easy" and require just some basic sewing knowledge to "experienced" which, let's face it, I'll never be able to complete!

 

The pattern indicates using home decor weight fabrics, but I didn't have any on hand that I wanted to use.  Instead, I chose 2 Sandi Henderson fabrics, Daisy Path in celery and Henna Garden in brown.  I ordered the interfacing and fusible fleece suggested by Amy because I wanted to make sure I had the right materials for the project.

 

 

I must have read and re-read the pattern directions 20 times before I began because I'm extremely novice at using patterns and following directions.  After some frustration with figuring out how to cut the pattern pieces from the fabric, it dawned on me that home decor fabric has a greater width than quilting weight cotton, so I couldn't quite do it according to the directions.  By the time I finished cutting all the pieces from the fabric and the fleece and the interfacing, I was exhausted!  I didn't realize that it would take me more time to cut than to sew!  But once I started the actual sewing I really enjoyed it.

 

The directions were clear and fairly easy to follow.  The bag design is simple.  It is reversible and features large pockets on the outside and inside.

 

What I learned from this process:

Read the dimensions for the finished size, don't just rely on the pictures!  The bag is a little too big for everyday use.

Following a pattern prevents reinventing the wheel, especially when you are inexperienced!

Interfacing should be exactly the same size as the fabric and not stick out at all on the edges.  It will melt and make a mess on the iron and fuse to the ironing board cover!

And the biggest lesson of all -- I can actually complete a project without a complete meltdown or breaking down into tears along the way!

 

    

Pick up Amy Butler's Style Stitches: 12 easy ways to 26 wonderful bags, or wait until Soul Blossoms arrives in December for your chance to win a copy!

High marks for High Society

Having a background in decorating, I truly appreciate when a fabric collection like High Society comes along. This sophisticated ensemble by Khristian A. Howell for Anthology Fabrics displays refined design that makes this fabric perfect for home decorating projects.  From pillows and throws, to accessories and wall decor, High Society offers unlimited decorating inspiration.

With 3 color palettes, there's sure to be something to please everyone. Safari offers an earthy autumn palette in warm oranges, browns, gold, and even gray.

 

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The Victoria color palette offers regal purples and striking greens for a cool and modern look.

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And new to the shop this week is the Hannah color palette, which includes oh-so-sweet pink, coral, and aqua blue.

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Anthology Fabrics may be new on the scene with quilting weight cotton fabrics, but they are making quite an impression!  I've already had to reorder a few prints!