Designer Tidbits: Horizon by Kate Spain (Plus Giveaway!)

Hi everyone! Kate Spain is here today to chat about her newest collection for Moda Fabrics, Horizon. This sea glass inspired collection is filled with cool blues and soft lavenders and is a twist from Kate's previous collections. Read on to find out more!

Q: Tell us a little about the Horizon collection. What were you inspired by?
A: Thanks for having me on the Jolly Jabber! I'm so happy to share a little more about Horizon with your readers. For much of my life, I've lived close to the water (still do) and one of my favorite things to do in any season is to take walks along the shore. Even from day-to-day,  there are noticeable changes in the scenery...whether it's the sun illuminating bright green sea grasses, or shorebirds diving and bobbing on the waves, or the blend of colors in the sky at different times of day. I love to notice these shifts and that they're all set against a single, tranquil constant; the horizon line. Here is a photo taken from the end of our street:

And this photo is of sand at low tide that I took on Christmas Day last year.

There is always something to be inspired by!

Horizon is a bit of a departure from my usual style in that I began by hand-carving blocks and printing them to create the repeat patterns. It was the first time I'd ever tried to do this and really had no idea how the process would translate to fabric. But I am so happy with how it turned out! I love that the irregularity, imperfection and handmade quality of the block prints remains intact in the finished fabric. Here are several of the blocks I hand-carved and some of the patterns I created from these blocks

The color palette for Horizon was inspired by bits of beautiful, luminous sea glass I've collected from many shores over the years — in hues of bright green, crystal blue, turquoise, and brilliant cobalt. These are some of my favorite colors and I love the way they resonate harmoniously with the textural designs of the block prints.

Q: What is your design process when beginning a new collection?
A: I really love the freedom of being consumed by the creative process so I typically start with either a color palette or a very simple, unrefined idea or area of interest: woodland gardens, ceramic tiles, Caribbean blossoms etc. Then I usually draw or paint or as with Horizon, carve. This gives way to exploring how colors interact, seeing how the scale and rhythm of patterns play together, and then composing and refining these elements to balance the collection as a whole. I guess it's a bit like sailing where you can be drifting along and then suddenly a gust of wind fills your sails and off you go! I love the creative process because you never really know when the wind of inspiration will arrive or which direction it'll come from. It could happen early on at the beginning of a project, or somewhere else. The thing you can be sure of is that once it arrives, you get completely swept up and carried away toward a new creative horizon!

Q: What is your favorite part about being a designer?

A: Every single part of it. It’s what I love to do. Working with my hands is definitely a big part of it for me. The process of carving blocks was so inspiring to me that I may have to do it again. If anyone is interested, we're going to be offering a limited edition of my woodblock prints on our shop site. Each one was hand-printed by me and a wonderfully skilled neighbor did all the framing. Both framed and unframed prints are available.

Q: What projects do you hope to see made with Horizon?

A: I've already seen some amazing quilts being made with Horizon and will keep my eyes peeled for others! Also, I teamed up with a wonderful sewist/photographer, Becca DuVal  who has brought her amazing talents to creating three "looks" for children's outfits and a small "Day Tripper" bag. We're featuring her projects, the patterns she used and her photos on my blog now, so please come for a visit! Here's an adorable peek:

And what's on my creative horizon? Maybe some of this.

It's called Paradiso and will be shown at the International Quilt Market this October. 

SURPRISE! We have not one but TWO special giveaways with Kate today! 
First, we're giving away a Horizon fat quarter bundle to one lucky winner. All you have to do is to comment below and let us know what you would like to make with the Horizon collection and we will announce the winner on September 26th, 2014. 

And the winner is...
Anita

Our second giveaway is our most exciting one yet! 
We want you to show your love for Horizon with a video review. All you need to do to is ... 

1. Purchase a yard or more of Horizon fabric or a jelly roll, layer cake, fat eighth bundle or fat quarter bundle between now and October 15th, 
2. Record a video review of yourself reviewing the fabric.
3. Post the video review on our Facebook wall, tag @fatquartershop, @KateSpain and use #fqsloveshorizon. 
4. And that's it! You're on your way to winning a $100 Fat Quarter Shop gift certificate.   

The winner of the Horizon video review giveaway will be randomly selected and announced Thursday, October 30th on our blog and Facebook! Good luck everyone!