Happy Spring

I sure hope it's warming up for those of you who are eagerly awaiting the onset of spring! It's still a bit chilly around here, but there are little signs popping up each day and that alone is warming my spirits.

Early Bird, my new fabric collection for Moda is now in stores and I wanted to give you some cute and fun Easter-ie project ideas. The first are these adorable love birds. Tutorial and templates can be found here. I used fabric strips to wrap a wooden embroidery hoop, sewed the birds on and added a looped fabric strip to the top to make this sweet bird mobile!

Next is this fun fabric nest/basket/bowl. Tutorial can be found here. One tip (i learned the hard way), do not use hot glue to tack the ends of each fabric strip to the cording. I use mine as a catch all for large-ish scraps. All the other scraps get tossed on the floor ;)

Here is another bird style. This was infamously known as the "Spool Bird" and was designed by Michael Fulkerson. The template can be found on Pinterest, and you can visit Michael's Etsy shop to purchase his whimsical bird mobiles.

The next one is this super cute fabric Easter basket. It was designed by Amy Smart whose blog Diary of a Quilter has loads of creative sewing projects of all kinds! The basket is a free tutorial complete with templates and easy-to-follow instructions. And what would an Easter basket be without...

... Easter eggs! Kim Kruzich has templates and a tutorial over on her blog Retro Mama. 

They were so fun to make, i couldn't stop!

If you have any favorite Easter/spring projects you'd like to share, please leave a comment and link us up to more great ideas! Thank you.

And lastly, our Morning Glory and Nest patterns are available on our website!

Happy Spring! (and happy Autumn for our friends in other parts of the globe)

XO,

kate

Latitude Batiks

Keeping a secret like this is so hard, but at last, i'm happy
to introduce Latitude Batiks.

In creating my first line of batiks with Moda Fabrics and their artisans on the island of Java, i was reminded of hand-spinning the world globe in my grade school library. I'd close my eyes and spin the globe then stop it with my index finger. Wherever it landed, i'd zoom off to colorful, exotic places i could only begin to imagine. Those horizontal lines of latitude around the belly of the world were the guides i'd follow to find my way back to home. I've always loved maps for the dreams and journeys they inspire. And in collaborating on this fabric collection, some of all that came to life.

Section of a 17th century map of Java and Surrounding Areas

I had a feeling you'd scroll down to the fabric photos (am i right?), but wanted to share how interested i was to learn that Java is home to about 150 million people, or about half the number of us in the United States, and it's just a bit bigger than Pennsylvania. Surakarta (also known as Solo) in central Java is where the Latitude batiks were made by hand. Surakarta is not only a major center for dyed batik fabric, but also the historic royal capital of Java. There is a batik museum there. On October 2, 2009, UNESCO designated the art of batik-making on Java as a "Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity." Since then, October 2nd has become National Batik Day in Indonesia. I hope to get there some day to thank the team who did such great work in making these for me, Moda, and, I hope, for you!

Having never designed batiks before – other than as part of a summer camp project – i thought a good place to start would be "at home" with familiar prints and colors so i could see what happens to the designs and colors throughout the process. Because of this, Latitude includes some favorite prints from my previous Moda collections including Fandango, Terrain, Sunnyside, and Paradiso, along with some new ones, that i interpreted and simplified for batik. The artisans in Java took it from there and brought their incredible talents and skill to our collaboration. I specially selected the palette to include colors that will coordinate with almost all of my collections, including the most recent ones, Canyon and Aria.

 I have also never tried to use batiks in my quilting before. Have you? It's probably because i felt somewhat intimidated by not having a sense of how they can work together. So i figured i'd better get busy and dip a toe in. I picked out a range of blues and intended to make only a small block of 1.5" squares, but ended up quadrupling it and making this block because i wanted to see the full effect of the gradient created by the color placement. Now i can see a whole quilt – but these pieces are way too small! Maybe this will become a pillow... or...?

I'd love to see what you make with Latitude! Please hashtag #LatitudeBatiks when you post on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. I look forward to seeing the special places that you take these fabrics to, to color your world.

P.S.: Latitude will also coordinate with a future line that I'll be telling you about in May ;)

Blog Hop is Hopping!

It's day 3 of the Moda/Martingale All in a Row blog hop!

In case you haven't heard about it, you can jump in anytime.

Here's the lineup:

January 18: Brenda Riddle & Carrie Nelson

January 19: Corey Yoder & Janet Clare

January 20: Me & My Sister & Barbara Brackman

January 21: Pat Sloan & Edyta Sitar

January 22: Camille Roskelley & Kathy Schmitz

January 23: Sweetwater & Blackbird Designs

January 24: Anne Sutton & Laurie Simpson

January 25: Lisa Bongean & Joanna Figueroa

January 26: Betsy Chutchian & Jen Kingwell

January 27: Me! & Sandy Gervais

January 28: Kaari Meng & Kansas Troubles

Have fun and see you back here soon!

~ Kate

Pantone's 2016 Colors of the Year

Sweet serendipity! Pantone just announced its 2016 Colors of the Year. It's the first time ever that there are two: Rose Quartz and Serenity Blue. Looks like someone *eh hem, wink wink, toot toot* saw these colors coming!

(Aria ships in February)

And then, to my surprise, i pulled out my elements thread collection for Aurifil and noticed that two of the thread colors matched too (2410, 2710)! Here are some additional coordinating Moda Bella Solids and Aurifil embroidery floss colors if you're looking to do some trend-on sewing in 2016! (Sisters Pink is also a Bella option for rose quartz).

Your color-loving friend,

Kate

Seven Scrappy Projects for Fall

Today i am thrilled to turn my blog over to the super-talented Becca, who will share some great scrap-busting projects with you. If you've been following along here, you have already been treated to her sewing talents, fantastic photography and adorable kids — on this post as well as this one, this one, this one, and this one. For my newsletter, Becca was kind enough to select and sew some clothes and accessories that complemented my new Canyon fabrics for Moda. I'll share those on here a little later this week, but right now, please welcome Becca and let's see what she did with her scraps!

Hi there! I'm Becca, Sew-Blogger and Photographer at Free Notion. I have been fortunate enough to work with Kate on many of her fabric releases, and Canyon - like all the rest - has been an absolute joy! My projects left me with oodles of scraps of all sizes, and I'm excited to share some fun projects to put those scraps to good use! Take a look:

What? Free Motion Applique 

Who is it for? Kids of all ages! You can jazz up a tote (like this free one!), a store-bought shirt, or on your favorite boy’s or girl’s knit t-shirt pattern. You can draw your own design, download free ones (like the pumpkin applique shown above!), or peruse applique patterns like the ones available from StitchArt.

What size scraps do I need? ANY! The pumpkin is about 8 x 10 inches, but the leaf and stem were each cut from those really small, and really random shaped scraps leftover from mine and my kids’ apparel projects.

What? Sweet Grace Ruffle Headband

Who is it for? The darling in your life! Perfect stocking stuffer, or kick up your wrapped-gift presentation a notch - use the headband in place of a ribbon to jazz up a medium sized gift this holiday season.

What size scraps do I need? 10 inch strips at various widths (3 inches or less)

Feeling ambitious?? COVER your headband in ~9 of these “Tentacular Dahlia Fabric Flowers.” My 4 year old calls this her Fairy Flower Crown. Bonus: They look just like the flowers featured in the larger Canyon line prints!

What? Scrappy Bookmark 

Who is it for? Everyone! I monogramed this set for my kid’s teachers. But I come from a family of readers, and know it’d be a hit for many of my relatives! 

What size scraps do I need? Various size squares - max dimension 9 x 3.5 inches

What? All-Purpose Zipper Pouch

Who is it for? This would also be a great teacher gift, though admittedly this one is for my daughter’s growing, broken crayon collection. (Note to self: do NOT leave this sitting in the car!) It’d also be a great traveling bag, for collecting small items like jewelry. And yes, the cat embroidery IS a nod to Kate’s kitty love ;)

What size scraps do I need? Four (4), 9 x 7 inch pieces (two for the exterior pouch, two for the interior)

What? Teething Ring & Burp Cloth Baby Gift Set

Who is it for? Mom & Baby (though not in that order!). These make great scrappy gifts for a baby shower; and the back side of my teether is made with a new, super soft wash cloth. Throw it in the freezer (damp) and it’ll be perfect relief for sore, teething gums to chomp on.

What size scraps do I need? Apx 20 x 4 inches (Teether) ; 24 x 8 inches (Burp Cloth)

What? Fall-Friendly Coasters

Who is it for? This would make a great hostess gift! Throw these in the tote with a bottle of wine and thank whoever is cooking for you this holiday season with a colorful coaster set for their Fall tablescape. Admittedly, the tutorial is Canadian-themed, but I couldn’t help but translate it for the beautiful season at hand! (The back, not pictured, happens to be the same wool felt I used in this Horizon line hat project!)

What size scrap do I need? Depending on the size leaf you find, it could fit on charm squares. Mine are a little bit bigger, maybe 6 inch squares.

I also wanted to mention that I used a mix of colors from Kate's "Elements" thread collection for Aurifil on all of the top stitching and embroidery in these projects. The colors are beautiful and match Canyon perfectly!
I hope you're inspired to make some fun scrappy gifts for your loved ones this Fall! And thanks so much to Kate for having me guest post for her today. It's an honor and a pleasure!

WOW! How fun are those! Thanks so much to Becca for sharing all these inspiring projects. I can't wait to try them out. How about you? And it's perfect timing with quilt market coming up next week and a big pile of scraps on my floor!

Have a beautifully scrap-happy day!
xo,
Kate

Moda Blog Hop: Spell It With Fabric

Happy Monday! Today begins the Moda Designer Blog Hop that's sure to be abundant with lots of sewing ideas, patterns, giveaways and more! Here's the schedule so you can hop along:

FEBRUARY 17

American Jane

Aneela Hoey

Bunny Hill

Cotton Way

FEBRUARY 18

Piecing Directions

Deb Strain

Kathy Schmitz

Fig Tree and Co. 

FEBRUARY 19

French General

Janet Clare

Basic Grey

FEBRUARY 20

Lauren + Jessi Jung

Kansas Troubles

Laundry Basket Quilts

Lily Ashbury

FEBRUARY 21

Me and My Sister Designs

 Me!

Jan Patek

Pat Sloan

FEBRUARY 24

Primitive Gatherings

Minick and Simpson

Lissa Alexander

FEBRUARY 25

Sweetwater

Thimbleblossoms

Sandy Gervais

FEBRUARY 26

Vanessa Christenson

Malka Dubrawski

Blackbird Designs

FEBRUARY 27

Barbara Brackman

Zen Chic

Gina Martin

FEBRUARY 28

Setting Directions

Hope you'll join us for lots of F-U-N !

Blast(s) from the Past and a Survey

One of my favorite parts of each day is when i happen upon an inspiring fabric-ie project that someone made using their creativity, imagination, unique perspective, talents and their two hands. Sometimes the projects might even include fabrics i've designed for Moda Fabrics...and let me say that the excitement i feel when i discover your beautiful work does not get old! It's an immeasurable joy for me and if i've left a comment on your blog that's maybe verging on "gush-ie", i'm sorry but i just can't help it. If i've missed finding/seeing any of your projects and you'd like to share, please consider doing so on my Facebook page. I'll definitely see it there — and will probably gush over it! 

A few recent highlights included seeing a free quilt pattern using Daydream (shipping now), a beautiful window display Joyce put together with all sorts of projects using Sunnyside, a cute quilt on Etsy using mixed-lines, as well as quilts made with Joy and my next winter line, Solstice.

Sometimes i come across a project that uses fabric from an out-of-print line like these from Verna, Fandango, Central Park, Terrain, and Good Fortune. Remember them!? Seems like so long ago...

Meredith F. made this delightful decorative pillow using Verna.

Paisley Crazy made this “Senior Year” Quilt for her daughter in college using the “CharmingStars” pattern, designed by Stefanie Roman of Little LadyPatchwork, and fabrics from Fandango.

Gretchen of Stella Bella Quilts created this Schnibbles quilt using the “Four Corners” pattern by Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co. and fabrics from Central Park.

Misa Martin made this Supernova quilt using fabrics from Terrain. 

Sue Pfau of Sweet Jane’s Quilting created this quilt using the “Journey” pattern by Sweet Jane’s and fabrics from Good Fortune.

We get lots of emails from people hoping we might know where they can still find cuts from some of these lines and much of the time we have no idea...until now. We've decided to start stocking limited-edition-specially-selected bundles of out-of-print lines in our online shop. What we'd like to know from you is: which fabric line would you like us to stock next? Please click here to take a quick survey to let us know your favorites. We appreciate your help so much.

Have a beautiful weekend!
xo,
kate

Sewing, sewing

Happy Monday! Already off to a fun-filled week of sewing here in my studio. The International Quilt Market  is coming up in a couple weeks and i've been working away on a quilt to bring. This one will feature my upcoming fabric line for Moda called, Daydream. Here's a peek:

It's a good thing i don't have to use this kind of sewing machine:

Copyright American Society of Mechanical Engineers 

That's a drawing of the first U.S. lockstitch sewing machine that was patented by this man (or rather, a statue of him) in our hometown, Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Photo from CT Monuments.net

"Elias Howe, Jr., (1819 – 1867) obtained a patent for the first practical sewing machine in 1845. In 1865, Howe opened a sewing machine factory on the Pequonnock River in eastern Bridgeport, where as many as 400 machines were manufactured a day." -Excerpt from Images of America: Bridgeport on the Sound by Bruce Williams and Mary K. Witkowski, Arcadia Publishing.

Though Elias Howe, Jr. was not the first to invent the sewing machine, he refined the machinery significantly. He was the one who put the eye of the needle at the point (instead of at the back like on hand sewing needles). And i'd have to say my favorite part of his contribution is the automatic feed. Without that, i'd never get this quilt done in time for quilt market!

An aside ... three cheers for our neighbor Bruce Williams. Bruce recently gave us signed copies of two terrific books: his Images of America: Bridgeport on the Sound book and another on his father, Man of the Waterfront: The Story of Kaye Williams and Captain’s Cove by Ralph Harvey (self-published). In addition to being an author, historian, and nature painter, Bruce continues to manage Captain’s Cove Seaport in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport. It’s a marvelously unique place that Bruce’s dad, Kaye Williams, envisioned, while he was a lobsterman out of Black Rock Harbor, and then built piece by piece. A good chunk of the Story of Kaye Williams book is about this. Some other funny stories on Kaye and his adventures were in a Connecticut Post article from last year, just a couple days before Hurricane Sandy hit in October: Captain's Cove founder no stranger to storms.

Back to Elias Howe, Jr.. Here’s how the Howe “Sewing Machine Manufactory” appeared:

This page came from a circa 1870 history of the State of Connecticut. My parents happened to give us a few already-separated pages from the old book last December. And, from the same book, a close-up of a map of Bridgeport showing the multi-block “E. Howe” plant and facilities around Noble St. and Howe St.

Today, the locale is...a parking lot. Sad! But you'll notice in the lower right corner that Howe St. is still there.

Photo from Google Maps

For more on Elias Howe, Jr., check out:

• Alex I. Askeroff’s history of Howe . Points out a funny fact that at end of the Beatles film, Help, there is a dedication to Elias Howe, Jr.

• The American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ brief bio of Howe

Ok, back to sewing. Thank you, Mr. Howe! And thanks to my assistant too:

B r r r . . .

Is it me or is it getting cold out there?? If you live in the southern hemisphere, you may be getting your winter boots out...while the rest of us put our flip flops on. But whether you're sipping hot tea or iced tea, you must be gearing up for some Christmas in July sewing, right?! Just in the (St.) Nick of time, my newest holiday fabric collection, In from the Cold, is starting to ship! Here's a look at the color range:

 If you have any Joy scraps in your stash, this collection will coordinate with it perfectly. And if you're looking for some holiday sewing projects to get started on, here are a few ideas.

I designed this quilt as a free project that you can download here. It has lots of steps, but think of it as a block-or-two-of-the-month and you can easily finish it by Christmas. You can also order a kit —including a printed version of the pattern — from Fat Quarter Shop. 

We've also seen some fun projects popping up on the Moda Cutting Table recently. Tammy at Moda made the mugs even cuter by making mini versions of them.

 She created tutorials for making this sweet gift bag ...

... and festive placemat ...

 ... as well as this table runner (i hope a tutorial will be posted for this too. If it is, i'll be sure to link it up). **Update** here's the tutorial for the table runner!

 So we thought it would be a perfect time to give some fabric away to get you started on your holiday sewing! We'll be divvying up this giant pile and sending packages off to 6 lucky winners.

To enter, here's the thing. I have finished designing next year's wintery collection and have a possible name for it in mind, but i'm just not 100% sure about it. *hint** it's less whimsical than the last two collections, and a little more "pretty" and  "wintery". All you have to do is leave a comment with a suggested name (one entry per person, please). Put your thinking hat, mittens and scarves on and get creative! Winners will be announced next Monday the 24th.

Sew Merry and Bright Giveaway

Thanks so much for stopping by on my day on the Sew Merry and Bright book tour. Such a perfect title, wouldn't you say? Just look at this colorful cover!

This latest book by Linda Lum DeBono, is a fresh, creative celebration of festive, colorful sewing projects for the Christmas/winter holiday season. It includes 21 (twenty-one!) sewing projects, with very clearly written and illustrated instructions: from whimsical stockings, to tree skirts, pillows, placemats, table runners, an assortment of lovely tree ornaments, and several adorable quilt patterns. And, for new sewists, Linda has included a helpful “basics” page, to provide “some essential techniques and product information” for her outstanding projects.

 I was so inspired by many of Linda's creative patterns and had ambitious hopes to sew up a couple of the projects using Joy. But by the time i reached for my scissors and thread, they had already been packed and stored! Once i dig them out, i plan on making some of the "It's a Green Christmas" placemats...with a little red thrown in. Maybe something like these?

from left: tannenbaum in holly, winter garden in snow, winter garden in holly, winter garden in snow and peace in holly 

from left: peace in berry, winter garden in snow, treeline in holly, winter garden in snow and winter garden in berry 

 You could also make some matching napkins, roll them together with the placemats, tie with a ribbon and make one of Linda's fun stockings to stuff them into:

design©Linda Lum DeBono photo©Brent Kane

What a cute gift that would be!

Sew Merry and Bright is a book worth giving and a book worth keeping. Want one?! Many thanks to Linda and her publisher, Martingale, who were so generous to share the fun and have provided two signed copies to giveaway. Not only that, i'd love to give you a head start on some of the projects, so i'm also giving away a layer cake of Joy with each book! 

Just leave a comment below and i'll pick two lucky winners tomorrow.

And don't forget to keep hopping along...up tomorrow is Lee of Freshly Pieced. Merry merry early holidays to you!
*** Thanks for stopping by, alas, this giveaway is closed.***