Gobble Gobble by Sandy Gervais

To continue our unofficial Fall-during-Summer theme, Sandy Gervais of Pieces from My Heart has written about her favorite holiday, Thanksgiving! That feeling of fall festivity really translates into her newest collection, Gobble Gobble for Moda Fabrics. Don't forget to check the Presidential Pardon Quilt Kit featuring this line and one her pattern by the same name. This kit is definitely a holiday keeper! We also have all the Pieces from My Heart patterns featuring Gobble Gobble, perfect for enjoying during that post-Thanksgiving dinner nap!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. You can eat all you want for one day. It doesn’t drag on for a month like Christmas. (You don’t gain weight with just one day of overeating.) Decorating is pretty simple – just set out a few pumpkins. You don’t have to fight crowds in department stores looking for a gift for that “impossible to buy for” person. You don’t have to wrap any packages. You can make pie instead of tediously making 10 kinds of cookies. You get together with family. When it is over – no fighting the crowds to return a gift that does not fit. Thanksgiving – it’s the perfect holiday!

I hope you're enjoying my new blog. My latest post was about my fabric design process with tidbits on a future Christmas line!

Sandy Gervais
Pieces From My Heart
Sandy Gervais' blog

$50 Gift Certificate at P.S. I Quilt!

** Edit: Make sure you enter your comments over at Rachel's blog to be eligible for the gift certificate!! **



Over at P.S. I Quilt, Rachel Griffith is giving away a $50 gift certificate for the Fat Quarter Shop. All you have to do is comment on what your favorite color combination to work with is! So far she's received an outstanding response! Get your answer in before the winner of the giveaway is announced on August 1st.

Rachel was featured on the Moda Bake Shop a few weeks ago with a great Christmas project, so check that out if you haven't already! A big thanks to Rachel, from the whole crew here at the Fat Quarter Shop for mentioning us in your blog!

Pumpkin and Spice by Deb Strain

Last time we checked, it's still summer. When you can go outside and roast within the first five minutes, it's still summer, right? Nonetheless Deb Strain is here to talk about her newest Fall collection for Moda, Pumpkin and Spice. It's luscious, capital "L". It's got all the rich colors and beautiful illustrations Deb is famous for, in delectable colors of fall. Cinnamon red, pumpkin orange, creamy vanilla, nutmeg brown and verdant green. The two panels make easy, perfect wall hangings and panel quilts, complemented with crisp leaves, acorns, medallions and more. See all the bundles and cuts available at FQS!

Hello Friends!

Thank you for inviting me to introduce my newest fabric line, Pumpkin and Spice for Moda Fabrics -- such rich, warm colors! Flowers are vibrant in strong reds, oranges and golden yellows. Inside, thoughts turn to cozy fires, warm blankets and favorite "comfort foods."

Memories of autumn always include that incredible aroma of spices from the kitchen . . . cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. Spices from far away places are loving reminders of happy, content times with family and friends.

Pumpkin and Spice combines the rich, far eastern patterns and colors I associate with spices with my favorite icons of harvest and fall. I hope that you enjoy this line as much as I enjoyed designing it. I think that I'll end now though . . . somehow, I'm hungry for pumpkin pie!

Look for my next line of fabric due out in November, called Love U. Very different from this line since it's more for children, but hope you'll love it too!

Happy Fall!

Deb Strain
Saltbox Illustrations

The Morris Workshop by Barbara Brackman

Barbara Brackman, quilt historian and fabric designer for Moda, is with us today to talk about her latest release, The Morris Workshop. Naturalistic prints range from light to dark, from soft and subdued to warm and rich, with all sorts of whispering, arching floral blooms and leaves. We recently featured our quilt kit Morris' Butterfly, which I think showcases the range of depth in this line. The Morris Workshop exudes an air of refinement that everyone can appreciate and admire. Another gorgeous classic from Barbara for sure!

I am a designer for Moda and a quilt historian. I live in Lawrence, Kansas, in a Victorian cottage with a small dachshund named Dottie Barker, named after a poet from the 1920s. She hasn't come up with any poetry yet but she loves to nap on my fabric.My latest Moda collection is called The Morris Workshop. It features late 19th-century designs from England's William Morris and his associates, who were among the most accomplished designers of the British Arts & Crafts movement.

I have lots of pre-cuts to work with (a real perk for being a designer) and I've been playing around with the new pre-cut half square triangles from Moda called Turnovers. Here are just three possible compositions I've played with using a pack of Turnovers.



I've been fascinated by the Arts & Crafts movement for several years. My sister has a California bungalow and we are always looking for period fabric for her house, which led to the first Morris collection I did a few years ago called A Morris Garden. These designs are all in the public domain so the main difficulty is coloring them correctly and giving quilters four or five colorways that are all consistent with Arts & Crafts philosophy. This collection has some good copies of the indigo that Morris liked so much. I called it Kelmscott Indigo after the printing house that he ran. A lighter blue colorway (below) is named Wardle's Sky Blue after Thomas Wardle, a dyer who worked with Morris.
Civil War Homefront is my next collection, due out this Fall, and it will have individual prints named for the make-do recipes from Southern homes during the war. Turkey Tail Fan, Cracker Pie & Hickory Hoops are some of the substitutions that Southern women invented. I made Cracker Pie myself when I was a poor college student. You make an apple pie but instead of using apples you use crackers. With enough cinnamon and sugar, it's pretty good. The collection will feature paisleys and stripes and lots of small prints in madder reds and browns and indigo blues. Below is a picture of the quilt top that was the inspiration for several of the fabrics and the colors.
Check out my blog for more info on my work!

Barbara Brackman
Barbara Brackman's Material Culture

Tyler's New Dress: Giveaway Winner!

Hi again, guys! We are so ready to announce the winner of the Claire pattern by Portabello Pixie that, which Debbie used to make a sweet gift for her sweetie Tyler.

And it is...

Peanut Blossom!
"I've had my eye on that pattern for a while! I would LOVE to win it. The dress is absolutely adorable!"

Hope it brings your own peanut oodles of joy! Send your mailing info to Jocelyn(at)FatQuarterShop(dot)com and we'll get this pattern out to you!

I don't know, little Tyler seems pretty happy to me, ya think so too? :)

Summer Soiree by Paula Prass

Summer Soiree is the newest from Paula Prass for Michael Miller Fabrics. These fabrics are aptly named; they bring "soiree" to the table in a big way! Paula, with her background as interior decorator /home decor diva/ artist (yeah, we're pretty sure she can do anything), knows how to infuse glamour and drama into her designs with the details. Swirling filigrees, bouquets on doilies, and whimsical blooms lend elegance, while houndstooth and zebra textures add a "yowza" factor. Bright aquas, pinks and yellows make it fun, anchored by the classic black and white. Glamour, drama and so much fun!

Hello everyone,

What an honor to have a guest post on such a popular site! I still consider myself the new kid (at least I'd like to think I'm a new kid) on the block, even though I'm thrilled that my second collection of fabrics, called Summer Soiree for Michael Miller, is rolling into stores now.

If you're the curious type, let me share a little about myself. While my career choice centered on interior design, art and fashion have always been a close second. I see many similarities between fashion and upholstery design. I consider black and white to be staples, and I think classic with a twist is the way to go.

The new Summer Soiree fabric is my version of a fabulous party in three locations (colorways). Imagine an evening in Manhattan with the night lights, a garden party in Nantucket or a Miami pool party. Lots of flowers, canopy stripes, and some party animals (zebra prints in wild colors) to spice things up. Then there's cufflinks, diamonds (a girl's best friend, you know?), bold houndstooth chevrons, topped off with party mints in fun colors. I surely do hope working with these fabrics will put you in a festive mood.

So, what else am I up to? Well, I am working on a variety of sewing patterns. My Jackie handbag was a real hit at Spring Market, so that's a definite, but I'm sketching and experimenting and should debut my latest creations before the Fall Quilt Market. I'm aiming for that classic with a twist look, so stay tuned. I also have my third collection of fabrics already complete with a possible summer release. Keep your fingers crossed!

Paula Prass
Show + Tell blog
Paula Prass website

Emma Takes Over

Fat Quarter Shop is an exciting place to be right now. Kimberly is only 2 weeks away from the Big Day! So while Mommy is busy working and napping and packing, soon-to-be-Big-Sis Emma decided to step in for her at the Jolly Jabber and update us on her whirlwind life today :) The itty bitty girl sure is growing up and has plenty to say!

I haven’t blogged in awhile because I have been very busy! Let’s see…where do I start? Well, you can see that I have grown quite a bit! Jocelyn was at my house the other day, and she took this picture of me in my front yard. I was wearing this dress Debbie's girlfriend Mette made for me. I think I'm pretty stylin' in it!

I turned two this Spring and had my birthday party at the Dell Children’s Museum downtown! I love that place! I can count to twenty in English and ten in Spanish (gracias, Dora!), and I know my alphabet! I also love going to Goin’ Bananas, an indoor play gym. It's about the only place to play that's cool right now. And every time I go, I make new friends. My cousins from Dallas visited a couple weeks ago, and we got to eat pizza, ride a train and play “kitchen”! It's one of my favorite things to do. I’ve also been playing soccer on Saturday mornings, and Daddy goes with me!

There's also been this other activity going on, called “potty training”, which Mommy and Daddy tell me is going great! They say three in diapers is NOT going to happen, so I get to be the “one less”.

Which reminds me... I have a feeling that things are about to get interesting here at my house. Mommy has been staying home lately, doing all her work here, which I don't mind! She uses a laptop which used to sit on her lap, but not any more. It's a knee-top now because that's where she balances it. Her tummy sure got big!

They tell me that there are two babies in her tummy; I’m not too sure what that means, but I think I’m about to find out! And…these two babies are boys! So I am going to be a big sister and have two little brothers…can any of you help me out here and let me know what that means??

Mommy and Daddy have painted the room next to mine blue, and it has two cribs and lots of little blue clothes hanging in the closet. I saw Mommy packing a suitcase the other day. I wonder where she is going. I bet it has something to do with these two brother boy babies!

Well, I have to go now! When my new brothers get here, I will send more pictures! Bye!

Love, Emma

Mezzanine by Patty Young

We are pleased to have the amazing Patty Young writing about her newest collection, Mezzanine, for Michael Miller Fabrics. It's a bright, fun new collection with strong architectural details and graphic patterns--just as spicy as her previous line Andalucia, with sweet cotton candy tones jazzed up in lime and raspberry. If you're looking for projects, hot off the press are Patty's two newest MODKID Boutique sewing patterns, Sydney and Sophie!

Hello, hello!

I am so happy to be hanging out here again in the jolliest place of all!

The past 12 months have been an absolute dream for me, with two fabric lines and a sewing pattern collection... what more could a sewing mama ask for? It's also meant lots of late, sleepless nights followed by cranky mornings filled with caffeine. But ya gotta do what ya gotta do, right?

Today I'm happy to be jolly jabbering about Mezzanine, my newest fabric line with Michael Miller Fabrics. The artwork for Mezzanine was inspired by a work-related trip I took about 12 years ago to northern Europe. After working for three long months in a small city south of Amsterdam, I decided to take a two-week vacation and travel through the Netherlands, Belgium and France, documenting my travels with black and white photographs of all the amazing architecture I stumbled across.

In Mezzanine, you can see designs inspired by stained glass windows, intricate stone carvings, ironwork gates and even the gorgeous gardens and terraces surrounding these amazing buildings. That trip was something I will never forget and I am so happy I was able to record my memories in a format that we can all enjoy!

And speaking of things we can all enjoy, I've recently opened a Flickr group for everyone to share their amazing creations with Mezzanine. So please come on and join the fun! Also, don't forget to check my blog from time to time . . . I always have fun reveals, sneak-peeks, contests and just wacky things going on! And lastly, if you tweet (and who doesn't these days?) follow me on Twitter!

Before I finish I'd like to thank Kimberly, Jocelyn, Debbie and the whole Fat Quarter Shop team for your great support. Love you, ladies!

Patty Young
Modkid Boutique
Modkid Blog

Christmas Snowflower by Dena Designs

I've always wanted to see inside Dena Fishbein's head. Designer, TV host, and entrepreneur of Dena Designs always comes out with collections for Free Spirit Fabrics that are colorful, original, and immediately identifiable as Dena. We asked her about her latest collection, Christmas Snow Flower, and about how she got started designing fabric. Well! Talk about a lady destined for design greatness! And psst, there's a free quilt pattern available for Christmas Snow Flower, shown below!

DENA'S STORY
It was an accident really, just a twist of fate that got me in to the design business. Let’s just say I’m no Picasso. As a little girl I never even liked drawing or painting…but I did love to create, to make things, to design and construct entire environments that would bubble up in my imagination. There were miniature villages made from paper and cardboard, complete with houses, furniture, and blooming gardens. My trolls were the best-dressed toys in town, decked out in my own clothing lines and accessories. Born to create, I guess you could say! I got a special thrill from making things, or thinking of services that people would actually want and need.

By college graduation, I had notched four fantastic years and learned loads about design. And there was this really cute guy, Danny, who was living in New York; my high school sweetheart in fact. (The same man is now my husband and father of our three wonderful kids.) So, I packed up my designs and sewing machine, put grad school plans on hold, and headed east. I knew New York was a tough town, but figured there would be some sort of entry-level job in the design industry with my name on it.

The ad in the paper said, “Textile Designer Wanted at Sales Agency”. I called, said that would be me, arranged a meeting, and panicked. I had never designed a textile and had three days to come up with a presentable portfolio. As it turned out the bar for acceptance at the agency could not have been lower. The compensation was based completely on commissions. What did they have to lose?

Almost immediately another long-dormant fire was rekindled…the joy of being involved in the market place, of making things that, somehow, spoke to someone else’s taste and needs. Since then I’ve been licensing my work to manufacturers all over the world. It seems that my work stands out because, in part, I was never fully trained as a painter and never possessed a talent for realistic rendering. What I do simply comes from my heart. I’m back creating worlds…and loving it. The amazing part is that it all somehow resonates with a large number of people from all walks of life around the world.

Much of my inspiration comes from the things I surround myself with: a home that is bursting with children, pets, friends and of course our flea market finds. Our garden is a favorite source for ideas about color, color and more color! Danny and I spend one day each month scouring flea markets and tag sales looking for old items that inspire me. I love to combine that vintage feel with a whimsical twist in my designs. I’m always looking for some unique way to create something that is simultaneously modern and nostalgic.

ABOUT CHRISTMAS SNOWFLOWER
I’ve always loved the combination of florals and geometrics. I’ve been designing fabric for over 20 years now and it’s something I try to incorporate into every collection. When designing the Christmas Snowflower group, I wanted the designs to look Christmas-y and cheerful while having a modern, fresh feel.

Usually, I’ll start a collection by very roughly pencil sketching some ideas onto plain paper. The pattern mix is usually a combination of large and small florals and geometrics. Once I’m pleased with these quick sketches I’ll lightly pencil in the designs onto watercolor paper. I use designers gouache to hand color each design. We’ll weed out some prints and add others as necessary. Once everyone is really happy with the mix, it’s off to the printer with Free Spirit Fabrics.

Our next collection, which is in the process of being printed right now, is called Leanika. It has a wonderful vintage feel combined with a modern twist that keeps the collection looking very fresh.

Dena Fishbein
Dena Designs

Coming Soon...

...but not soon enough. The new Moda lines on our Coming Soon page, I mean. Eight wonderful new lines to pore over and plan for. Each so different and incredible! Which ones speak to you?

Starting with... Attitude Girls by Mary Engelbreit. All the trademark colors of THE Mary Engelbreit, coupled with some awesome panels. Sassy girls talkin' back. "Well ain't you somethin!" and "Let's put the FUN back in dysfunctional" for example... :) Now that is something to look forward to!

Boutique by Chez Moi is next on our Coming Soon list ...mmmm! If you craved Swanky, then Boutique is the one for you. All the usual Chez Moi swirly twirly elegance, spiced up with fun, tropical colors.

Civil War Homefront by Barbara Brackman is a beautiful reproduction line, classic and true to the era (but when has Barbara ever not been?). The colors and prints really speak of that starker, older era, and are all the more gorgeous for it! Let's see some hands, how many Civil War repro fans do we have out there?

Ah, L'Amour by Sandy Gervais. Classic Sandy--big, bold, bright and fun! This palette is a smidgen brighter than her last Valentine line, Candy Kisses, and the panels are simply awesome!! Hearts, flowers, flourishes, geometrics, stripes and tone-on-tones -- it's got great feature and little coordinating prints for whatever romantic project you undertake.

Love U by Deb Strain is a cutie-cute-patootie line for the little ones. And ultra awesome -- because of the yellow, pink, orange, blue, AND green in the prints, you can use it for boys and girls! Yay, thanks Deb! Little snails, turtles, owls, alphabets, and flowers -- what's not to love? And various polka dots to coordinate!

Another new favorite...Nature's Notebook by April Cornell! If you've been pining and searching for her old line Sunshine, Nature's Notebook is the follow-up. Same palette -- creamy butter yellows and soft bright blues, with Victorian florals and a bit of East Asian influence. So April!

Old Primrose Inn is Blackbird Designs' latest venture into vintage. It still has their soft, muted pastels, but with more country flair this time. Elegant florals coordinate with country stars on antiqued tans, blues, yellows, creams and reds. An excellent marriage of the two styles!

Finally, Sent With Love, also by Deb Strain. Her Valentine collection is strong, punchy and vibrant with hot pink, scarlet red, and lime. It will make some fantastic creations, especially for teens! Really looking forward to seeing this here!

Tyler Katelynn's New Dress

Debbie showed us a little dress she made this past weekend for her grandbaby Tyler, and it. Is. The. Cutest. Thing. We want to share the cuteness, so comment on this post to win a copy of the pattern she used, Claire by Portabello Pixie! We'll post a winner next Thursday!

I had one of those marathon sewing weekends planned with two major projects to work on. One was a quilt kit for our website that just needed putting together and the other was to make a cute little dress for my granddaughter, Tyler Katelynn. I am going to San Anselmo, CA, to visit her this weekend and just wanted to take a little something to her! You know how Grandmas are; there always needs to be a surprise in the suitcase!

With some help from Jocelyn, I chose the pattern called “Claire” by Portabellopixie! I could not resist that darling little girl pictured on the cover, and the dress she is modeling is just what I had in mind. It also helped that Sandi Henderson, the pattern designer, sized this pattern for little girls from 6-12 months up to size 8. Tyler Katelynn could virtually have this dress in different fabrics until she reaches size 8! I also loved that I had four different choices of styles in which to make this little dress; short, long, with or without sleeves, and with or without an apron. So many choices; which one to choose this time around?

Then there was the decision of fabrics! The possibilities were endless and I could have dwelled on that decision forever! You know the saying, “So many fabrics and so little time”? Well, that was me! One collection that recently caught my eye is from Riley Blake Designs, a new manufacturer to the Fat Quarter Shop. It’s called Just Dreamy! And believe me, it is just dreamy!

For the bodice, I used the Pink Tone on Tone (C7005-PINK), for the sleeves the Pink Small Floral (C7004-PINK). The skirt is the Rose Medium Floral (C7008-ROSE), and the apron is the Cream Tone on Tone (C7005-CREAM). The skirt and apron bands are the Pink Stripe (C7003-PINK). The yo-yo flowers I made with the extra fabric, and the leaves from my Lake House stash.

I started working on this project early Saturday morning with the intent of just getting it cut out... then I thought, well I’ll just put the bodice together and see how it looks... then it was, I’ll just work on the apron and make those cute little yo-yo flowers with rick-rack stems... then I’ll just gather together the skirt and apron and attach it to the bodice... Before I knew it, it was early afternoon and the dress was almost completely finished! I could not stop working on this project. The instructions were easy to follow and it was a breeze to put together! I kept thinking of the endless possibilities of fabrics and styles, and my mind was racing way ahead of my sewing capability!


Anyway, Tyler Katelynn will get this dress on Friday, and I hope it fits! I haven’t seen her since March, but her mom reassured me that one of the size options would work for her little body! I’ll definitely be bringing back photos of her in the dress, and I’m sure you will get to see those! So stay tuned!

Debbie
Fat Quarter Shop

Robyn Pandolph's Bespoke Blooms BOM

When we saw this quilt at Market, we were captivated. Robyn Pandolph's upcoming block-of-the-month, titled Bespoke Blooms, uses her own line Somerset Cottage, wonderfully light, airy and romantic. This quilt has appliqué in every block and finishes at 74" x 98.5". We are offering the pieced-border version, which has the buttercup yellow border as shown, and the program will run from October 2009 to September 2010. We asked Robyn about her inspiration, and this what she told us. I hope you enjoy what you see as much as we do and join us for the Bespoke Blooms BOM!

"Bespoke Blooms" was inspired by my visit to Southwest England in June of 2008. Martin and I traveled around Devon, Dorset, the New Forest and Somerset for about 5 weeks. It is a truly beautiful part of the country and the villages are full of history and character. We visited seaside villages and country villages, many of the homes are surrounded by my favorite kind of gardens, the English Cottage garden. These gardens, no matter how small the space, are filled with color, texture and inspiration.

Each of the twelve blocks have been named after one of the little villages (and some not so little, like Bath) found in Somerset. I felt that this was appropriate because the fabric line came from the same inspiration, Somerset. Each pattern gives a bit of history about each of these places, many of which I have visited myself, and it is interesting to discover that many of them have a history of textiles in their past.

The bespoke part of "Bespoke Blooms" is the fact that I designed each block uniquely in my own folk art look. I also added an embroidered crown as a type of "watermark" in the background of the block. This part, of course, is optional. My dad use to call me "princess" so I like to think that a crown is a part of my heritage and it is definitely an English symbol.

As we continue to travel along the canals in a narrow boat, I hope to continue to be inspired by the beauty of such a rich and historical land. You never know what might come next...

Robyn Pandolph
RobynPandolph.com

Debbie's Recipe Box: Beaujolais Buttermilk Coffee Cake

Beaujolais Buttermilk Coffee Cake from Beaujolais Cafe. Click on the image for a printable PDF!

P.S. Don't forget about our first Jolly Jabber Block Lottery! Send us a block and you might win a smorgasbord of blocks right back!

Pennsylvania Dutch BOM

Happy Friday!

We posted a little bit about this BOM a few weeks ago, but now the ball is really rolling! The quilt is complete, instructions are done, photos finished, and drafts finalized. SO excited!

This Pennsylvania Dutch quilt is one that we, everyone single one of us, is in love with. And it's a quilt one will stay in love with forever.

For the time-pressed, each block is easy and done in about 1 hour. The instructions, from Starwood Patterns, are clear and thorough. (Quite seriously, Kimberly was whipping out perfect blocks each night!)

And the Wiscasset fabric by Minick & Simpson is so gorgeous and absolutely perfect. (Speaking of Polly & Laurie, have you seen Laurie's first quilt post? It's definitely gonna make you smile!)

Comment with any questions you have! Sign-ups are open, and so are backing reservations. We hope you love it as much as we do!

Debbie's First Quilt

Debbie brought in her first quilt for the Parade of Quilts that Camille and Carrie concocted. Not too shabby, eh? What can I say, the lady was destined to make great quilts!

DEBBIE
The quilt bug bite me about 22 years ago as I was anticipating making a quilt for the daybed in my soon-to-be new baby daughters nursery. I’ve been sewing all my life, including making my own clothes as well as my kids' clothing. So how hard could it be to follow a quilt pattern and make a quilt? Problem was, the pattern I chose was very difficult with lots of little triangles. But, I started in and soon found out that I needed some “tips”. I made the phone call to my local quilt shop, signed up for a beginning quilting class, and the rest is history. The quilt I made in class is the one pictured.

After I mastered the techniques, then I went back to the quilt for the daybed and had no problem finishing it. I vowed to save this “first” quilt forever because I just knew that someday someone would want to know where I “started”. I’m so glad I did, because now is the opportunity to show you! Good news is, I have aspired to bigger and better things! Who would have thought that I would be working for an online fabric company someday doing what I now do. So here is the “after” quilt 21 years later.

I love batiks and paper-piecing and have taught this class many times! I attribute my quilting ability to my very first beginning quilt teacher in Davis, California, and my mom who taught me how to sew!

Debbie Taylor
Fat Quarter Shop