Designer Tidbits: Kim Diehl


The Fat Quarter Shop is excited to welcome Kim Diehl to the Jolly Jabber. Kim’s latest fabric collection is Walk in the Park for Henry Glass Fabrics.




Q: What was the first seed that grew into the Walk in the Park collection?
A: My country-style garden is my biggest inspiration when I design both my fabrics and my quilts, along with things that have a vintage feel to them...I love little sprigs and petals and leaves, and of course, the rich colors that I see in nature, along with the warm patina of cherished antiques. My goal is to use these inspirational ideas in such a way that will make my fabric designs both classic and versatile, as this enables them to be used in many different types of projects.




Q: If your collection had a soundtrack what would be on the list?
A: I like my collections to be like me -- a little bit traditional, but with a bit of a modern edge. So there would be some Celine Dion, a little Josh Groban, and a sprinkling of Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga for good measure.

Q: What single print/SKU in the collection is your favorite?
A: This is such a hard question, because it's almost like picking a favorite child! If someone twisted my arm, I would have to say the blue version of 5746. This print is small enough that it works beautifully when used for smaller scale patchwork, but it's also large enough to make a whole-cloth border sparkle.




Q: What is your favorite project you have made using this collection?
A: I'm currently recuperating from surgery, so I've not been able to machine piece for a while...but here's a peek at a sweet little yo-yo project using the Walk in the Park prints that I'm currently hand appliquéing. Love 'em!




Q: If this collection had a scent to it, what would it be?
A: This collection would most definitely smell like all the rich, spicy scents of autumn...cinnamon sticks and pumpkins, garlands of greenery, and juicy red pomegranates.

Q: Can you give us a sneak-peek of your next fabric collection?
A: Since I've been under the weather and on the mend, I've had to hold off on sketching designs for the next collection, but ideas are definitely percolating and dancing around my mind like crazy. I'm sure it will be lots of "blendable" prints that can work well alone or with an existing stash and lots of rich, vivid colors. Just talking about it makes me want to grab my sketch pad!

Q: If you had a mascot, what animal would it be?
A: I actually do have a mascot, three of them in fact. They are my pack of three little dogs, and my 4 lb Yorkie, Cooper, has declared himself the leader...they love to patrol my sewing room while I work, and occasionally they nap on my quilting fabrics until I politely boot them off to do my cutting.




Q: Who is your favorite celebrity?
A: I don't really follow celebrities very much, but I would have to say that I'm a tiny bit smitten with Scotty McCreery from American Idol. He truly is the boy next door, with an amazing voice, and it seems that his parents have raised him to have his feet firmly on the ground.




Q: If we were making a movie about your life, who would you want to play you?
A: Paula Deen, hands down! She is a self-made woman with an infectious laugh, you can't help but like her, and she doesn't take herself too seriously.

Q: Who is your favorite fabric designer not including yourself?
A: Easy question...Jo Morton! I've admired Jo's fabric and quilt designs for years, and I use many of her prints in my quilts because they mingle so well with my own fabrics. I had the chance to meet Jo a few years ago when we taught at a quilting event together, and I was so beside myself with excitement I nearly hyperventilated.


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