Calling all sewing enthusiasts! This fun collection is for you! Pat Sloan is bringing you playful sewing motifs in bright colors with her new collection, Bobbins & Bits for Moda Fabrics. With a healthy mix of prints and batiks, there is something for every sewist in this collection! Pat is here on the Jolly Jabber to give you an inside look at Bobbins & Bits. Keep reading for a closer look!
Q:
Where did you find your original inspiration for Bobbins & Bits?
A:
One of my favorite flowers to sketch and appliqué is a daisy. I was playing around a bit with drawing daisies and I thought, what if I put a little bobbin in the center. Kind of a hidden message of sorts. I liked it so decided to sketch a few other sewing inspired prints to go with it. Picking the sayings for the selvedge print might have been the most fun of the entire process!
Q:
This collection features both prints and batiks. How did you design each side of the collection?
A:
The prints are my hand drawings. The batiks are a different manufacturing process, so Moda works with me to develop the designs that can be physically translated onto a batik print. You will notice they are less detailed and have that beautiful handmade touch to them.
Q:
Tell me about your sewing machines. What kinds do you have and how many.
A:
I like to sew on just one machine. I do OWN more than one, but I don't use the others (mmmm.. let's not go there). My machine is a
Janome 8900 QCP and I love it!
Q:
What is your favorite part of the fabric industry?
A:
I love the community of designers and I love the chatting with Quilt shop owners. It's heaven to be able to talk to people who also adore fabric as much as I do.
Q:
From what aspect of your life do you draw creativity?
A:
My creativity builds off of a layering of visual items. Anything in nature will catch my attention. Flowers, stones, water. I marry these in my head with the look and feel of antique quilts. I adore old quilts. The mix is completed with wonderful folk art images. I'm always on the lookout for images that are simple and effective.
Q:
What is your design process?
A:
I do little tiny sketches on paper with a rolling pen, not an ink pen, not a pencil. And they are smallish. Then I take those and put them in the computer once I'm ready to work on a fabric line. They don't become digital until I want to actually use them.
Q:
What is your favorite print in the collection?
A:
That changes daily, but I'm drawn again and again to the
Pins in Nickel. I want to make a top out of it to wear. I also love
Flowers & Berries in Nickel.
Q:
What is the most challenging part of the design process?
A:
For me the most challenging part is getting the group design started. I have so many ideas that I have to narrow it down to the theme/look/style. Once I'm selected that I'm off and running!
Q:
What are your favorite and least favorite colors and why?
A:
My favorite color since childhood has been yellow, with red a close second. No wait, aqua. Hmmm... too hard to choose! My least favorite at the moment might be a light lavender. Although I'm sure the next quilt I make will NEED a light lavender and there you go. The truth is I love it all!
Labels: Batiks, Designer Interview, Designer Tidbits, Moda Fabric, Quilt Patterns
