A Little "Sweetwater"

Earlier this week I had the 

opportunity to attend a fun 

presentation by one of the Moda dream team designers,

  Karla Eisenach of

 The Sweetwater Co.

Karla lives just 45 minutes from

Fort Collins, down the road and then head east

out into the prairie.  She and her two daughters

have the creative and challenging job

of designing 2-3 lines of fabric each year

along with patterns and other fun things that

so many of us enjoy making and using.

I met Karla a long time along when

she was starting her business under the 

name Farmyard Creations.

Look, I still have some of her first fabric line 

while she was designing for Clothworks.
 (maybe about 1990)

She's had an interesting journey from

making little things, designing scrapbook paper,
 to now working with

one of the most well known companies
 involved in the quilting industry.

 Sweetwater's colors are clear and modern.

She shared what's new  and what will

be coming our way in the near future.

Their newest line being shown to
shop owners now is Boat House.

Their patterns are super cute.

They love creating word fabric.

Here's Hometown.

They asked anyone who followed their blog 

to send in the name of their hometown so it could be 

included on the fabric.

I see my hometown.

  

 One of their newest projects

involves iron on labels,

it's the Sweetwater Label Crew club.

Lots of fun projects with

cute, cute labels.

Maybe the next time

you're fabric shopping

you'll take a closer look 

at the fun and exciting fabric lines

of

"Sweetwater".

Until Next Time-

Softly Spoken and a Giveaway

Yesterday I decided

I needed a little field trip

 and went to check out what was new

at Harriet's Treadle Art.

I don't get to Harriet Hargraves's 

quilt shop located in Wheat Ridge, CO

which is a suburb of Denver, very often,

but when I do, it's always a delight.

Of course, when you first walk in the door

the first thing you see is 

Harriet's latest line of fabric from Marcus Fabrics

called "Softly Spoken".

It's beautiful.

Some did come home with me.

The colors are terracottas, blush,
aqua tones and neutrals.

The line was inspired from a medallion antique

quilt from Virginia, circa 1820-1840's.

The colors are sweet

and yet elegant looking.

And have been accurately

reproduced from the originals.

In celebration of "summer fun",

 I'd like to share a 

fat quarter bundle of this new delicious fabric line

with one of my blog readers.

5 fat quarters

Just leave me a note

letting me know what project or projects

you're trying to concentrate on this summer.

I'll draw somebody's name 

next Monday, July 7th.

(If your comment doesn't include your email
please be sure and include it.)

Until Next Time-

Fiber/ Fabric for Good Health

I think most of us try to live a healthy lifestyle, 

getting plenty of rest, do naps count?, 

enough exercise,

does that include doing the hockey pokey while holding baby Sanford? 

And of course, eating more fiber.

You can't get enough roughage.

 It helps to keep that old digestive track clear. 

Slack off in any of these areas

 and you begin to notice.

Since I retired from the quilt store 

and started caring for my grandson, 

I've noticed a change in one thing: my fabric diet!

 I haven't been keeping up with my fabric intake

 in order to maintain a sense of healthy creativity.

 I've been feeling the effects.

 I've been suffering from creative constipation. 

(can I say that on a blog?)

Last week on my way home, 

I craved the experience of walking into a quilt shop 

and getting rejuvenated. 

 So I drove to Laughing Ladies Quilting in Berthoud, Colorado.

 Believe it or not, when I walked in 

I could hear laughing coming from the back room. 

It's a delightful shop. 

 

  I added the perfect balance 

of Moda and Blue Hill.

This piece has all kinds of possibilities.

Cynthia's Scrap Bag by Carrie Quinn

Sprinkle in some Jo Morton, and I can feel 

the juices flowing again.

 

Ahh, I feel so much better.

Until Next Time-

Just Let It Be

I needed to do some reorganizing

in my sewing room

after my month long sewing marathon.

There were piles of leftovers from the 

three big projects I had worked on.

You know, a little of this and a lot of that.

I had gotten most of it put away when I spied

the pile of leftovers from the fabric line

"Little Gatherings".
It was just sitting there looking as cute as ever.

I had used them in my "Jack the Ripper" quilt.

I had started with a fat quarter of 22 different fabrics

and I still had quite a bit leftover.

I could hear a voice in my head saying 

"Just Let It Be"

"Step Away from the Fabric"

"Don't Even Think About It"

But

I needed to do something with these wonderful fabrics.

New Pattern:

A Little Northwinds by Primitive Gatherings.

The finished size is only 24" x 30"

so the pieces aren't very big.

Perfect for the amounts I had left.

The half square triangles finish at 1 inch and 

the block is a 4" square.

Should be cute.

No, I really didn't have any business starting

this new project.

But I just couldn't  "Let It Be".

Until Next Time-

What's New

I took my camera to work today,

so I thought I'd show a few of the new lines of

fabric that are now on our shelves.

I'm amazed at how many new lines the fabric

companies produce and how often.

Our shop owner, Laura, has to be

selective in what she brings in.

There are just so many styles,

manufacturers, and many of the lines are 

40 - 50 bolts.

That's a lot of fabric even for us 

that have a fabric dependency.

This is our shop hop kit that we featured earlier this spring.

The border batik fabric, as well as the fabric on the bolt,

was designed by Hoffman exclusively for Northern Colorado's

shop hop.  It comes in four different color ways and features

hummingbirds and columbines.

Perfect for a Rocky Mountain High.

Even though it is August and hot, we just received

Moda's Kansas Troubles newest flannel line,

Flannel Days.

Oh, my. It is so soft and the 

colors are so rich.

It won't be long before the weather turns cool and 

flannel becomes the favorite.

Yes, if you must know, I brought some home.

We brought Alexander Henry's The Gastlies

back in this year.

I had made some pillowcases using this delightful, and

creepy fabric and the fabric flew out the door.

The design is a little like the author Roald Dahl, the director, Tim Burton, and 

the illustrator Edward Gorey

Get some before it's gone.

The last group I'll share is the Moda's Amelia, designed

by Me and My Sister

It's flannel.  I hope that it's not a sign of what winter will be like.

The colors are bright and the designs cheer you up.

When the UPS guy shows up in the afternoon, it's
just like Christmas.  What is coming in today?

If you need a fabric fix, I know, the Fig Leaf and
other independent quilt shops can help you out.
What will I need this weekend?

Only For A Friend

One of the great things about making a quilt today is the fact that

there is so many companies producting cotton fabric. 

Each company, with their group of designers,

are producing fabrics that are new and exciting.

That means, of course, there are so many fabrics for quilters to work with.

There's much more to choose from than when I first started

quilting back in the 70's, when calico was queen.

But sometimes you just have to giggle at some of the designs.

And say, "what were they thinking."

Of course, working at a quilt store, has given me an opportunity

over the years to look at a lot of fabric.  

Fabric that's printed and shipped out with the hopes

that "Quilters" will love it, be inspired and buy lots of it.

Quite awhile ago, a fabric came out that was in the 

Art Nouveau style from the end of the nineteenth century.

My dear friend and co-worked sweetly named this 

particular piece "the Armpit Fabric".

Here's a closer look so you can see where she was coming from.

It just tickled her.  And then, of course, it would tickle the rest of us.

Well, needless to say, it was not a big seller and it

was around for a long time.

Eventually, it ended up on the sale table and down to the last 3 yards.

Did I feel a sense of pity for this fabric or a devilish

thought that I should make something out of it just for her.

Yes, I did buy it.

I don't think she knew I was the one who got the last bit.

But, over the years it has continued to sit in my fabric stash.

As her birthday approached each year, I'd carefully consider what to do 

with this very unique fabric.

 But I couldn't think of just the right project.

Finally, this year I did something.

I'm afraid I wasn't too clever,

but she will be getting a pair of pillowcases...

to lay her sweet head on this idyllic woman's delicate armpit.

There's still a yard left and she's getting that too.

Happy Birthday, Becky. 

A special gift

for a very special friend.

Until Next Time-