I’m feeling nostalgic for the days of crafting with these little hands. Summers have changed as my kids are getting older, but there are still a few crafty messes around the house. Read my latest newsletter here to find a lunch sack tutorial, plus links. Click subscribe in the upper left hand corner to get the newsletter delivered to your inbox every month.
I’ve been busy moving my sewing room downstairs into a new space, which gives my 12 and 14-year-old daughters a space of their own. Of course this project bled into every room of our house and turned into a major purge and attic clearing. Whew. I’ve moved my desk and computer into a different room so that it won’t distract me from sewing, but so far, I’m just spending more time at the computer. I’m still thinking about my next idea and looking for meaningful freelance projects. I’m also planning to get back on track with my monthly newsletters soon!
Quilt Market was in St. Louis a few weeks ago, and although I didn’t attend, I heard it was pretty slow. Perhaps it’s time for a change in the industry? My new PAINT collection for Kokka was there and I made these inflatable ottomans again, which are perfect for easy shipping. The fabric here is Brushstrokes in blue/red and Beads in charcoal/natural.
And a few zippered pouches in the Flower pattern.
I also made a larger variation of my Simple Tote pattern with the Brushstrokes fabric in black/natural.
In addition to these cotton/linen blends above, the collection also features three designs in double gauze cotton, including these metallics in the Texture pattern.
Coming to a fabric shop near you soon! See photos of the full collection and colorways.
Introducing Paint for Kokka! With three double gauze prints and three cotton/linen blends, this collection is inspired by my painting experiments with a rich palette and metallic touches. This collection is available for wholesale ordering from these distributors.
Brushstrokes in teal, blue, and black (cotton/linen).
Flowers in charcoal, yellow, and blue (cotton/linen).
Beads in green, charcoal, and blue (cotton/linen).
Loops in taupe, gray, and blue (double gauze cotton).
Darts in teal, red, and black (double gauze cotton).
Texture in silver metallic/mint, gold metallic/navy, black/natural (double gauze cotton).
Okay, it is still March and I finally squeezed in a newsletter for this month. You can read it here and subscribe to get the newsletter delivered to your inbox every month. I’ve been experimenting more with painted and pieced fabric, but still working through ideas.
This weekend I’ll be leading a quilt workshop at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in conjunction with Sewn Together: Two Centuries of Alabama Quilts. This exhibition features nineteenth and twentieth century quilts from the collections of the Alabama Department of Archives and History and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts presented in pairs for comparison. If you can’t make it to the exhibition, be sure to spend some time on the interactive website.
On Saturday we’ll walk through the galleries to study quilt techniques, then sit down for a hands-on sewing workshop to explore both traditional and improvisational techniques using various materials. We’ll compare the motivating factors for quilt makers during the past two centuries and discuss the relevance of quilting in today’s cultural landscape. No prior sewing experience required! Find more information here.
Pictured above (left to right):
Center Medallion, ca. 1930, Unknown American Maker.
Grandma’s Favorite Block, ca. 1990, Jannie Avant (American, born 1921).
Star Puzzle, 2001, Nora Ezell (American, 1919–2007).
