Cotton + Steel Collection: Moonlit by Rashida Coleman-Hale

We hope everyone is having a great weekend. Today, we are featuring Rashida Coleman-Hale of I Heart Linen's new Moonlit Collection for Cotton + Steel. Rashida is a well-known blogger and fabric designer who has been in the quilt scene for some years. Moonlit is her sixth fabric collection but the first for Cotton + Steel. She's here today on the Jolly Jabber to chat about her inspirations and collection. 

Q: Tell us about your collection. What were you inspired by?
A: My collections typically have a Japanese influence, but I decided to step outside of my comfort zone a bit and explore a little. My collection, Moonlit, drew inspiration from a Summer night in Little Italy. I truly enjoy a warm Summer evening out in Manhattan. A candlelit dinner outside, with the twinkle of the city lights above you, pennants waving over head, sparklers and luminescence. There are many simpler, geometric prints in this group that not only support my collections, but the rest of the C+S groups as well. 

Q: What is your background in design?
A: My background is in Fashion Design, but I also spent several years doing freelance graphic design. I'm so crazy happy that I've been able to combine my two great loves of sewing and graphic design as a career. My first fabric collection was with Timeless Treasures in 2011, Moonlit makes collection number six for me! (I'm currently working on collection number eight!) 

Q: What projects do hope to see made with your collection?
A: Any and everything!! The biggest joy for me is seeing how people use my prints and I'm so intrigued by it. I truly enjoy discovering the different and fun ways that sewists interpret your collections. It's an ongoing puzzle and sometimes you don't see how two pieces fit until someone else points it out. Such an amazing thing to witness!! 

Q: How do you describe your style?
A: I'm not sure I could think of a single word to describe my style. I'm always influenced by Japanese and vintage design. I enjoy clean design, with simple motifs, bold graphics, and lots of geometric shapes. Taking traditional Japanese motifs and giving them a little modern twist I suppose.  

Q: What does Cotton +Steel mean to you?
A: Cotton +Steel has been life changing and reinvigorating!  I loved designing before, but I'm drunk in love with it now. I've made life long friends that I always look forward to working with and never thought that I would make such relationships as a designer. We live such solitary lives as designers sometimes and I feel so lucky to have these ladies for inspiration, feedback, to bounce ideas off of, and to just chat with day to day.  And laugh. Lots of laughing! We each bring a different skillset to the table, and it's been so fantastic learning from each of them the wealth of knowledge they have to offer, as well as learning about myself as a designer and a person. I'm grateful. 

SURPRISE! RJR and Cotton+Steel have graciously donated fat quarter bundles for us to giveaway! Today, we are giving away Rashida Coleman-Hale's Moonlit Fat Quarter Bundle to one lucky winner. Just enter the giveaway through Rafflecopter below! The more entries you complete, the more chances you have to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway