Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

Hey there!

Hope everyone is having an awesome day. So far, we are having a good time at the AGF HQ because it’s our favorite time of the week. It’s collection release day! We are happy to present Chalk and Paint by Sew Caroline.

This collection is inspired by art-covered streets and the various mediums that crafters and artists use to create beautiful work. Chalk and Paint is filled with bright yet soothing colors that are reminiscent of brushstrokes and simple lines that will enhance your sewing projects with a unique touch. Get ready to unleash your inner artist with Sew Caroline’s newest collection!

I’m particularly fond of this collection because it reminds of art supply stores filled with bright paint, beautiful brushes, calligraphy sets, and all kinds of artsy things. Better yet, it gets my mind thinking of all the creative projects that could be made.

Thinking of sewing something new? Check out the lookbook filled with patterns + instructions and all kinds of inspirational projects.

Add subtle color and a whimsical touch to any room with this “Palette” quilt. Click here, for the FREE PATTERN.

Don’t forget to mix and match all of your Chalk and Paint fabrics with a few coordinating elements. They’ll add that extra “pop” you’ve been looking for.

Remember to enter our giveaway! WIN this fat quarter bundle and do a little selfish sewing or make a few things for all of your artsy friends!

*****GIVEAWAY CLOSED*****

CONGRATULATIONS Sarah, you've won the bundle of Chalk and Paint! Check your email.

You can enter the giveaway by simply:

• Browsing the Chalk and Paint lookbook and leaving a comment below telling us the project you would like to make with this collection.

Giveaway ends March 3rd at 3pm EST and the winner will be chosen using random.org and announced on this very post.

Happy Sewing!

Stephanie

Hello Fabric Lovers,

Need a project that is fun and takes almost no time at all to complete? Well I got the perfect project for you then! This project is great for beginner quilters who want to practice there sewing and quilting but also for the more advanced who need gift for a upcoming birthday or just for anyone who wants to make something new to brighten up their home. I created a table runner called Frolic featuring the Chalk and Paint fabric collection by Sew Caroline. This collection is playful, cheery and full of warm soothing colors! 

Here is what you will need to get started!

Fabric Requirements 

Finished Size: 16" x 48" 

Fabric A- CHP-50208 - 1 FQ.
Fabric B- CHP-40205- 1 FQ.
Fabric C-CHP-40209- 1 FQ.
Fabric D- CHP-40200- 1 FQ.
Fabric E- CHP- 50206- 1 FQ.
Fabric F- CHP-50201- 1 FQ.
Fabric G- PE-433- 1 FQ.

Binding- CHP-40206- 138” long - 4 strips- 1/4 yd.
Backing- CHP-40207- 1 5/8 yds

Cutting Directions

Two (2) 4 7/8” squares from Fabric A,C,E
Four (4) 4 1/2” x 8 1/2” strips from Fabric A,C,E
One (1) 8 1/2”square from Fabric B,D, and F
Six (6) 4 7/8” squares from Fabric G

Step 1: To create Half Square Triangles

To create two half square triangle with Fabric A and Fabric G, take 4 7/8” x 47/8” squares from both fabrics. Place on top with right sides together! Draw a diagonal line from one corner to the other. Sew on each side of the line you drew at 1 /4”. Cut on your diagonal line. Press seams open 

You will need a total of four HST’s from A/G, C/G and E/G.

Step 2: Creating the Block

Sew the following rows together :
Row 1: Sew a A/G HST to another A/G HST to a 4 1/2” x 8 1/2” strip .
Row 2: Sew a 4 1/2” x 8 1/2” strip from Fabric A to a 8 1/2” square from Fabric B to another 2 1/2 “x 8 1/2” strip from Fabric A
Row 3: Sew a 2 1/2” x 4 1/2” strip from Fabric A to a A?G HST to another A/G HST.

Follow Diagram 2 as a guide for fabric placement.

Step 3: Sewing the Rows

Next sew all three rows together to complete your first block. Repeat this same process for the remaining two blocks. For your center block follow table runner illustration as a guide the block is a mirror image of the top and bottom block. Sew all three blocks together and you ready to quilt and bind!

Table Runner Quilting Assembly 

• Place BACKING FABRIC on a large surface wrong side up. Stretch it with masking tape against that surface. Place batting on top of backing fabric. Place quilt top on top of the batting with right side facing up. Smooth away wrinkles using your hands. Pin all layers together and baste with basting thread, using long stitches. You can also use safety pins to join the layers.

• Machine or hand quilt starting at the center and working towards the corners. Remember that quilting motifs are a matter of personal preference. Have fun choosing yours! After you finish, trim excess of any fabric batting, squaring the quilt to proceed to bind it.

Binding

• Cut enough strips 1 ½” wide by the width of CHP-40206  to make a final strip of 138” long. Start sewing the binding strip in the middle of one of the sides of the quilt, placing the strip right side down and leaving an approximate 5” tail. Sew with ¼” seam allowance (using straight stitch), aligning the strip’s raw edge with the quilt top’s raw edge.

• Stop stitching ¼” before the edge of the quilt (Diagram B1). Clip the threads. Remove the quilt from under the machine presser foot. Fold the strip in a motion of 45 degrees and upward, pressing with your fingers. (Diagram B2) Hold this fold with your finger; bring the strip down in line with the next edge, making a horizontal fold that aligns with the top edge of the quilt (Diagram B3). Start sewing at ½” of the border, stitching all the layers. Do the same in the four corners of the quilt.

• Stop stitching before you reach the last 5 or 6 inches. Cut the threads and remove the quilt from under the machine presser foot. Lay the loose ends of the binding flat along the quilt edge, folding the ends back on themselves where they meet. Press them together to form a crease. Using this crease as the stitching line, sew the two open ends of the binding with right sides together (you can help yourself by marking with a pencil if the crease is difficult to see).Trim seam to ¼” and press open. Complete the sewing. Turn binding to back of the quilt, turn raw edge inside and stitch by hand using blind stitch.

Hope the Frolic table runner brightened your day! For more fun projects from the Chalk and Paint fabric collection stay tuned for our Fabric Project Catalog coming out shortly! 

Happy Sewing,

Melissa 

Hey beautiful makers!

I hope everyone has been having tons of fun seeing all of our newest collections! So far, my favorite release has been The Denim Studio because this new substrate has tons of possibilities (and I love imagining all the pretty clothes I could make). But enough about me, let’s talk a bit about how using a little technology with your quilting can make life a bit easier.

A few months ago, I told you about Electric Quilt 7, an amazing software that lets you plan out your quilt designs (you can read more here). EQ7 can help you save money and time by accurately calculating all the fabrics you’ll need for your favorite quilts. Better yet, the software comes with an extension program that has tons of pre-scanned fabrics made to scale, so you can import them into your custom designs. The extension is called EQ Stash Online and it’s released four times a year.

Purchase EQ Stash here

Today, we’re featuring the latest 2016 download of EQ stash! Get ready to design beautiful quilts with some of our lovely AGF collections! Here is a list of the collections included in the download:

• Anna Elise by Bari J.
• Artisan and DARE by Pat Bravo
• Sketchbook by Sharon Holland
• Succulence by Bonnie Christine
• Playing Pop by AGF Studio
• Imprint by Katarina Roccella

For those of you who can't wait to sew a denim quilt, The Electric Quilt Company has shared a free download of The Denim Studio (Denim Prints only) just for you! Simply follow the directions below to install the extension into EQ7.

1. Download the .fab file
2. Copy the .fab file and paste it to My Documents>My EQ7> User
3. Once you see the .fab file appear in your User folder, you can open EQ7 and the fabrics will be in the “My Library” section of the Fabric Library.

I hope everyone has tons of fun planning out new quilts with EQ! As always, stay creative and thanks for inspiring!

Xoxo,

Stephanie

Creating outfits is awesome. Creating miniature outfits is awesome and adorable. I do not have children, nor do I see myself having one now, but I love them. They're fun, and make conversations refreshing. They also make clothes look MUCH cooler, and I've always liked designing for them. Tiny skinny jeans and vests (see below)? Ahh yes! I'd also like to make a pair for my niece with Puzzle Sandblast which is my favourite print from The Denim Studio. 

For the past months, I have had the pleasure of working with various children's wear pattern-designers & makers. Most of them collaborate in our lookbooks and bring so much sweetness with their creations. It is amazing, most of them are mums, and simultaneously follow their dream of a creative hand-crafted life.

With the launch of The Denim Studio, a lot of makers were really excited to try it out and make it their own. Of course we were excited as well, designing and sewing so many new products that our lookbook was about twice the size of a regular one. Because of that, I wanted to share a few of the photos of denim products that some of these awesome ladies have made for their little ones.

Katie Skoog (Simple Life Co).

Katie worked with some of our Solid Smooth denims in the lighter colours (Frosted Sage & Infused Hydrangea), and made delicate garments that would also be comfortable for the girls- who by the way are awesome models.

Here she paired it with some Paperie knit & soft lace:

Laura Scaramella (Simple Life Co)

Laura's twins have made an appearance in a few lookbooks, and they're always so much fun and have this nonchalant way about them, it must come from having a twin.

Alison Brorsen (Because of Brenna)

Ali's daughter, Brenna, always brings softness to all photos, even in Avantgarde she displayed such calm. Here, the Painterly Wash maxi dress plays perfectly with that.

Alexis Wright (My Sweet Sunshine Studio)

Alexis made two different versions of a shorts pattern, one with a Solid Smooth, and the other one with Casted Loops (printed) - Miss T (her daughter) is a bit older, but she still looks awesome.

We also made other tiny garments, like this one below which is plain awesome - i realise i've over-used the word, but really, isn't it awesome?

Of course i'd love to see what you make, or read what you'd like to make for your little ones (whether they're your own, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, best friend's babies) - share away!

/ Lauv /

Hi makers! 

Hope everyone had an amazing day so far! Do you ever get those urges where you want to sew with every AGF collection that’s released, but you just can’t choose one? Well, today I’m here to make your life easier, at least when it comes to choosing fabrics.

Have you ever heard of Pat's Faves over at Fat Quarter Shop? These are specially curated bundles by our designer Pat Bravo exclusively for FQS. These pretty little bundles feature various AGF collections in a unified theme which make picking fabrics A LOT easier. Plus, it's a great way to keep your stash up to date!

The latest Pat’s Faves bundles is “By the Lake” and it’s so dreamy. It’s filled with beautiful blue and green hues from collections like DARE, ETNO, Coastline, Imprint, and many more. The best thing about this bundle is that these prints look great mixed with The Denim Studio!

But, don’t just take my word for it. Visit FatQuarterShop.com and check out Pat’s Faves. Remember, don't be afraid to mix and match! As always stay creative and thanks for inspiring!

Xoxo,

Stephanie

Hello Fabric Lovers,

Are you enjoying the beautiful pages of The Denim Studio Fabric Project Catalog?! I know I enjoyed designing and sewing so many of these lovely projects and let me tell you, it was so much fun working with such amazing fabrics. Today I want to share with you a super easy and fun coaster tutorial! I used the blue shades of the solid smooth denims for this project! 

  I paired these wonderful denim fabrics with Aurifil Lana Wool Threads:

            

#8174 - Used on Fabric A    #8930 - Used on Fabric B       #8782 - Used on Fabric C

Fabrics Used:
Fabric A- DEN-S-2001- Indigo Shadow
Fabric B-DEN-S-2003-Afternoon Sail
Fabric C-DEN-S-2004- Infused Hydrangea

Cutting Directions
Makes 3 Coasters

Click Here for Hexagon Template!

Cut Two (2) Hexagon Templates from Fabric A, B, and C
Cut Three (3) 8” squares from Batting

Additional Materials
White Marking Pencil

Aurifil Lana Wool Threads:
# 8174 - Used on Fabric A
# 8930 - Used on Fabric B
# 8782 - Used on Fabric C

Step 1:
Take one set of hexagons from each fabric and place them on top of a 8” square of batting. Starting from the center of your hexagon draw a small hexagon. Echo this small hexagon, making sure to space at least 1/4” between each line. Eye ball it, it is ok if the spacing isn’t perfect it adds to the rustic charm and feel of the coaster.

(Diagram 1)

Step 2:
Hand stitch starting from the center of your coaster out, stitching 1/8” stitches.

Step 3:
For the backing of each coaster I used a different color solid denim then I used for the front. Have fun picking which backing you prefer.

Square off your coaster and place the front and back coaster right sides together and sew at 1/4” all the way around
your piece leaving a small unsewn portion to flip the right side of your coaster out.

Flip right side of your coaster out through the unsewn portion and press. Hand stitch unsewn portion closed!

And Viola you are finished with the Hand Stitched Coaster made with AGF Solid Smooth Denim!

These coasters would make for a great hostess gift or house warming gift! Or just make them for yourself! Have fun sewing with our Solid Smooth Denims! We love to see all the wonderful projects you make with AGF Fabrics so be sure to share with us and tell us about your experience sewing with The Denim Studio Fabrics! 

Still Next Time,

Melissa