"From Paintings to Fabric" Art Show

"Mango Tango" quilt made with
"September Light" fabric by Laurie Shifrin.

Daydreaming of Summer? Come to Island Quilter's new location on Vashon Island this until January 31st to see the original paintings that two quilting fabric collections have been made from. And, get a sneak peek of the art and color ways created for Painted Summer, my newest collection with In The Beginning Fabrics. It's filled with warm, sunshiny images of Summer in full swing and is a good reminder of what's to come.
Also, on display are quilts and samples sewn using my fabric by wonderful local pattern designers and quilters.
Please visit www.islandquilter.com for hours and ferry schedule. Thank you!

"Painted Summer" in the Works!

Now that the dust has settled from the International Quilt Market and Festival in Houston, I have been excitedly finishing up my second fabric collection, named "Painted Summer", which is due in stores in the Summer of 2012.

 

 The digital files of my scanned paintings are currently at In The Beginning Fabrics and are being put into repeat and modified to work for quilters. This next collection is filled with warm, sunshiny joyful images of summer in full swing. A little disclaimer - the color you see in these two "sneak peeks" will likely change.

I look forward to soon posting the link to In The Beginning Fabric's website up so you can see the official collection! Peace, Happiness and Creativity.  Lida

The International Quit Market and Festival is coming up and that means samples! Here are just a few photos of samples that I will have with me or will be at In the Beginning Fabric's booth (Booth/s 2200, 02, 2301). Extra thanks go to Paradiso Designs, Favorite Things Patterns and Anka at West Seattle Fabric Company for sewing some GREAT samples! I will have even more photos soon.

This is a brand new maxi-skirt pattern from Paradiso Designs.
I will list a link to their website once it is online.

I love skirts with pretty pockets. These are scalloped.

Another fun and brand-new pattern from Paradiso Designs. I especially like the removable shoulder strap.

Can you believe this is the back!?

So you can get an idea of size...

Why is this here? Because it's easily 15 feet tall, it's pretty and it's in my back yard - had to share. :)

I sewed this super comfy dress. It is pattern #3856 by Kwik Sew. No zippers. No buttons. Awesome.

This great shopping bag was made by Anka at West Seattle Fabrics. She used a pattern from the book, "One Yard Wonders" - but she doubled it.

It's all in the details. Love the button so the straps stay together.

Jewelry, Perhaps?

So now that I have all this fabric, I am having fun thinking about what to do with it...so many possibilities! One idea - I used to make jewelry and even sold it at a few stores around Seattle - what if I made jewelry with my fabric? Here is a photo of the start of an idea (its all about the process isn't it?). I'll post photos of the jewelry once it's done - and who knows? If it turns out, I might even put a few pieces in my Etsy (currently under construction) shop.

Smock Apron with Big Pockets

Thank you Kathy, for sharing a photo of this super cute apron/smock! She used a great pattern that's easy and includes really big pockets - gotta love the big pockets. The pattern is from the book "The Impatient Patchworker: 20 Great Projects You Can Make in a Hurry" by Jayne Emerson. This book is perfect if all you want is an afternoon project and to go to sleep knowing that you made something great, and it's done. It's also great for using up scraps and making presents - plus - the photos are really pretty.

Mango Tango Quilt

Laurie Shifrin - the first person I posted about on this blog - has done it again! Here is a beautiful quilt she made with her pattern, Mango Tango using my fabric line, September Light. Laurie teaches classes, creates quilt patterns, writes book about quilting and also sells kits - and this is one of them! Click here to get more info about this kit or about Laurie. Thank you, Laurie!

Remember how I was saying I felt a dress coming on? Well, I guess I wasn't kidding - once I started making this dress, yada yada yada it was 1 in the morning!  This little number is the "Wrap Dress" pattern by "Favorite Things". What's nice is that it's pretty and comfortable - and NO ZIPPERS to sew. yay. I adjusted the normally just above the knee pattern a bit to instead fall right below the knee (had to make extra violet "flounce" but I think it worked out just fine).

Folklore Bag

Hello Fabric Friends! Here are photos of my first project. It was so strange and exciting to cut up images of paintings that I worked so hard to put together. But - I'm getting over it... and I feel a dress coming on... :) This bag pattern is called the "Folklore Bag" and is from the fun and funky book, "One Yard Wonders" - where every pattern uses only one yard of fabric. I will be dropping off this bag at West Seattle Fabric Company - my friendly neighborhood fabric shop.

Don't you love it when the inside's pretty, too?

A Great Place to Start

All of a sudden it seems that things have gotten really really busy and really FUN with my fabric line, "September Light" for In the Beginning Fabrics about to hit the stores.

And what's funny is that Laurie Shifrin beat me to the punch when it comes to the first person to actually make something with the fabric! So, I think it's fitting that her beautiful work should be the first in this blog, too. She is a wonderfully talented professional quilt designer who whipped up four placemats and a table runner using her own soon-to-be-released pattern called "Making Waves". Click here if you would like to get more info on her quilt designs, kits, classes and books.

And here's the result of her beautiful work! Thank you, Laurie - I loooove them!