Brenda Riddle on "Mrs. March" and "Pastel Antique Flowers"

We have two new collections in our store that may seem like old favorites--Mrs. March's Antique Rose Collection and Pastel Antique Flower Collection by Lecien. Our good friend Brenda Riddle of Acorn Quilt & Gift Company adores these fabrics, and today she tells us why.

I realized the other day that there is a question that I ask Kimberly sometime after every Quilt Market, and that question is:

“What Lecien fabrics did you order?”

And each and every time...without fail...I wait with anticipation for their arrival.

I just can’t help myself! Even though, as a quilt designer, I have access to many fabric lines, I find that one of my personal stashes that I love to add to are my fabrics from Lecien.

Why Lecien? Well, those who know me well know that I love a vintage look and with many of the Lecien fabrics, from the Durham lines to Mrs. March’s Antiques, working with these lines creates a quilt that has that very special look, as if it has been a treasured heirloom for years. It is as if it has a softness already built into the fabric. I am known for the ‘soft’ look that my quilt designs evoke – but when I used some of the darker fabrics (burgundies & greens) from one of the Mrs. March lines for my quilt ‘Bittersweet’ – it still came off as a softer version of dark, and I just loved that! It can take years for a quilt to get that softer patina (and often with that comes wear & tear on a quilt), but with the Lecien fabrics – that looks seems to come automatically.

There is also the reminder – when I use the Lecien fabrics – that it is a Japanese fabric, and that means quality. I am a huge fan of the incredible workmanship that I see in Japanese quilters and in the items that I see using these fabrics. (I even have started a collection of Japanese quilt & craft books...even though I can’t read them!) I find such inspiration in them!

Even though I have just (“ahem”) ‘added’ to my Lecien stash with the new Mrs. March’s Antique line, I have to admit that I am also in love with the new Pastel Antique Flower collection. I got a bit of it at Sample Spree at last fall’s Quilt Market - and it is one of the sweetest lines of fabric that I have seen in a long time. (And yes, my own ‘collection’ of that line has grown recently too!)

All in all, no matter what Lecien line or collection it is – they will remain a favorite of mine for years to come. If you haven’t tried any of them yet – I encourage you to give yourself the treat of a little bit of Lecien too!

Brenda Riddle
Little Acorns Blog

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