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Spring Cleaning

strike-offs

After dedicating way too much time to our school auction, I am finally getting around to getting my house organized so I can get ready for new fabric to arrive! My next collection for Kokka, Monochrome, will be shown at International Quilt Market in Minneapolis in May. I used some touches of gold metallic again, plus there’s silver in this collection as well. The title is Monochrome because each fabric is in shades of one color, but there are a variety of colors in the collection. I’m showing you a few from the neutrals today.

And I finished our school-wide auction project. It turned out much like the plan shown in the previous post, but I layered the leaves a bit. Done is good!

bloom mandala

mandala-detail

 

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Auction Projects

auction-mandala

This year, I’m again working on my daughter’s elementary school auction project. We decided to make a flower mandala, so I designed this to be made with almost 400 children. I made each grade a ring of the mandala (PP-6th grade), so there was math involved. Boo. Each grade is using a different technique on a square piece of paper, then we’re cutting the shapes and mounting them to the white background, which will then be framed. The finished piece will be around 36″ square, so the pieces are pretty tiny. Anyone want to offer framing services? Really.

The kids are doing watercolor with salt, collage and painted paper, styrofoam printing, pastel and watercolor relief, tissue paper collage, zentangle, and cross-hatching. Luckily, our school art teacher makes the art with the kids so all I have to do is assemble the piece. I hope to have the piece ready in a couple of days. Fingers crossed.

auction-project

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Sewing with Double Gauze

charms-double-gauze

Some of the prints from my latest collections are printed on double gauze cotton, so I thought I’d talk a bit about the fabric for those of you who haven’t tried sewing with it yet. Above are the double gauze prints in my Charms collection for Kokka (shipping to stores now).

As you can see in the photos below, double gauze cotton is made of two layers of loosely woven cotton, stitched together every centimeter or so to keep the layers together, which you can see on the back side. These two gauzy layers together make for incredibly soft fabric, perfect for baby items, clothing, or quilts.

double-gauze-detail

When I first bought double gauze for myself, I assumed the layers would make the fabric pucker or be difficult to manage when sewing, but in fact, that’s not the case at all. It sews very well and has a nice drape, perfect for garments. It makes a super soft quilt back and I often mix it with quilting cottons and linen in my quilts. Below are some ideas and links for things you can sew with double gauze cotton. I also created a Pinterest board with more sewing project ideas.

Right now, it looks like you can find my Charms double gauze fabric online at Fabricworm, Imagine Gnats, Pink Castle Fabrics, and Gooba Designs. For wholesale ordering information in the US, contact Seven Islands Fabric.

double-gauze-projects

Sailor Top from Fancy Tiger Crafts.

Double Gauze Scarf from Poppy Makes for The Daily Stitch.

Prefontaine Shorts sewn by SewBon.

Circle Skirt from You and Mie.

Lap Duvet from Purl Soho.

Tunic from Stylish Dress Book sewn by Make Something.

Geranium Dress sewn by Probably Actually.

Infinity Scarf from Imagine Gnats.

Shearwater Kaftan sewn by Skirt as Top.

 

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Charms Collection

My Charms collection for Kokka is in stores now!  Click here for a list of retailers. This collection features three cotton/linen blend prints and three prints in double gauze cotton. See all the prints here.