Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

Aloha Awesome makers!

Today, I bring to you incredible news! I've decided I wanted learn how to sew my own garments! It was hard not to give into sewing being surrounded by tons of beautiful fabrics everyday. I can honestly say that I've always admired fabrics and sewing, but I never took the time to learn...until I met Amantha. She is one of our Product Designers here at AGF and when she over heard me talking about my wishes to make my own clothes, she suggested teaching me how to sew garments. I got so excited that the next day we jumped right into the first lesson.

I wanted to make a top and maxi skirt set because they are one of my favorite things to wear. They are comfy, elegant, and most importantly PERFECT for the Florida weather! What I am most excited about is that I will get to wear my beautiful creation anytime I want! I can already imagine someone asking me "I like your outfit. Where did you get it?" and I'll say "I made it." :)

Now, let me tell you a little bit about the process since we started this new adventure.

First, I went on Pinterest and looked for some inspiration. I must admit that I wanted to make every dress or set I saw (I was really excited), but Amantha guided me until we found a very nice design for my top and skirt set. After finding the dress, I had several options of fabrics that I wanted to use but, my very first choice was always one of the Observer Fabrics prints! Ever since we got the advance yardage of this collection I got obsessed with the Indigo Window Crystal print in Voile fabric! All I thought was that this voile print was perfect for my project! So, I talked to Amantha and she thought it was a cool idea to use this print because of the colors and the unique tie-dye look! It reminds me to the ocean (and who doesn't love the ocean?!). 

After the idea for the set was finalized, we drew a digital sketch of the top and skirt. Next, we are going to take my measurements and start making the pattern so we can cut the fabric and then sew this amazing top and skirt set! Hopefully it will come out beautiful. I'm really excited and I can't wait to show you the next steps.

Stay tuned for the second part of Sewing 101!

Best,

Caro

Hello wonderful makers!

We know how hard it is sometimes to find time to sew. Between work and taking care of your family, it’s difficult sometimes to squeeze in sewing into your busy schedule. Today, we've prepared for you a list of tips to find time for sewing and a few quick sewing projects that you can make in one afternoon!

So lets start with the tips:

• Plan realistically

 If you know that during a particular week you'll be busy with your kid's birthday party or your family is visiting, don't expect to finish a whole quilt in a few days! But remember, you can plan the process step by step. You can set a day for cutting your fabrics and you can set aside one hour a day to piece the quilt. Planning your quilts/projects will give you something to look forward to everyday.

• Let go of the need to have all the housework done before you start sewing

Many of us want to sit at our sewing machines when other housework needs to be "done." There's even times when we make excuses about housework because finishing chores is easier than putting our creativity to work. Since housework is a never ending story, you have to prioritize! Finish the most important chores first and then run to your sewing room. Remember that if you don't make time for sewing, no one else will.

• Learn to understand what really makes you happy

Sometimes it's easy to spend our days on "autopilot" while giving importance to things we don't care about. You might even catch yourself doing something you don't enjoy just to please someone else. When this happens, simply take a deep breath and take a moment to think about what you're doing, and what truly makes you happy. Don't be afraid to say "no" and make time for yourself because the first thing to making great things is being at peace with yourself.

• Schedule it in

Make sure to stay organized and put sewing in your schedule. If you have a date and time dedicated to just sewing, it will be easier to start making. You don't have to do it everyday, but make sure that when it's time to sew you SEW! Think of it like a doctor's appointment, you wouldn't miss it unless you had an emergency. Even if you feel tired that day, I assure you that just a couple stitches will replace the feeling of tiredness with excitement!

• Find a group of people with a similar passion

Gather with friends who like to sew as well. Finishing projects together will be easier and more fun. This will help everyone motivate each other and will encourage everyone to learn new sewing tricks. ;)

• Have a dedicated sewing area

If you put away your sewing machine every time you finish a project, its harder to take it out again. Dedicate a nice sewing area in your home and make sure to keep it organized! 

To get you excited about fitting sewing into your busy schedule, we've prepared a list of quick projects for you! Click the links below to download the free patterns to projects you can sew in one afternoon! We hope you'll enjoy making these quick projects!

1. Petalums Headwrap
2. Handkerchief Skirt
3. Teddy Bear Zippy Bag
4. Panda smiles pillows
5. Ma Petite Bag

Let us know in the comments, what makes it difficult for you to find time for sewing.  For those of you who sew often, feel free to share your tips on finding time to sew!

Happy making!

Ola

Hello wonderful makers!

First off, I just want to say that we are super thankful to be surrounded by so many creative people like yourselves! Here at the studio, we always get excited to see on social media all the beautiful projects that you make with AGF. For me, it’s even more exciting when I’m able to meet makers who love AGF in person.

During Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, I had the opportunity to meet Karly from the blog Paisley Roots. Since it’s always nice to talk to someone face to face (especially since technology is changing the way we interact), I was really happy to chat with Karly about her love for Pandalicious by Katarina Roccella. Hence, we both agreed that it would be great if she hosted a Pandalicious Blog Tour!

So, Karly gathered some talented makers and the blog tour began as soon as we released the collection! Here’s a list of everyone who participated:

• Paisely Roots
• Pear Berry Lane
• Chalk & Notch
• Phat Quarters
• Lil Luxe Collection
• The Crafting Fiend
• Blaverry
• Just Add Fabric
• Craftstorming

I’ve prepared a little video for you that shows off all the projects featured in this tour. Check it out!

I love how everyone’s unique style was showed off with the cute children’s garments that were made. But the garments weren’t the only cool projects in this blog tour! How about that backpack made with the “Pandalings Pod Assured” canvas fabric and the mini quilt made with a variety of prints from the collection? I know, it’s really hard to pick a favorite…

To read about their project ideas and how their little ones were involved, make sure to visit all of the makers’ blogs! Feel free to let me know in the comments, what projects you loved from the blog tour and what you have made with Pandalicious.

As always, stay creative and thanks for inspiring!

Xoxo,

Stephanie

Hey there!

Do you ever get moments where you start remembering how fun it was to be a kid? You reminisce about playing tag in the yard, hand drawing your hopscotch path, and plucking flowers petals determined if your crush really liked you. Those were simpler times where technology didn’t take over our lives and we appreciated going outside with play mates. If all of these memories are close to your heart, you’re going to love Amy Sinibaldi’s newest collection, Playground.

This collection is all about “old school” fun, when kids use to run around, fly kites, and enjoy the smell of the flowers! I truly admire this collection because of the nostalgia behind it, yet it’s still fun and versatile to sew with. I especially like the fact that there’s an interesting array of prints that range from delicate florals, to modern geometric designs, and most importantly has prints that represent child hood such as the “I Spy Friendship” print.

Oh, and the colors are such a nice mix of saturated fuchsias and navy combined with soft pinks, greens, and off white. It’s absolutely lovely! When I saw Amy’s booth at Quilt Market in Salt Lake City, I fell in love with her mini quilt wall right away. The makers that made the minis, beautifully combined the fabrics from the collection and truly brought out its essence.

To take a closer look at these minis and get inspired with tons of projects, check out the Playground lookbook! You’ll find tons of garments, home décor, and accessories.

Don’t forget to download the FREE PATTERN to this Recess quilt! We’re sure it will make any room look extra cozy. ;)

To help you pick the perfect blenders for all your projects made with Playground fabrics, we’ve prepared a cheat sheet just for you. 

Most importantly, if you would like this collection in your stash make sure to enter our GIVEAWAY!

To enter:

Browse through the Playground look book and fill the giveaway form below. 

Giveaway ends Monday, August 1^st at 3pm EST. The winner will be chosen using random.org and will be announced on this post. Good luck!

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And if you just couldn't get enough of this collection with the lookbook, here's a little video we've prepared for you. :)

Happy sewing!

-Stephanie

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

Congrats Christina Settle! You've won the Fat Quarter bundle of Playground Fabrics! Check your email.

Hello!

Steph and Lauv here! As you can see: the very serious teacher, and the very happy student (disclaimer: the serious face is part of the clowning around that went on throughout the lecture). We had a lot of fun with this series. So we had decided to interview each other to end the series about the process, the expectations, and the outcome.

Here are a few questions I asked Steph about the process. 

Lauv: So Steph, are you happy with how your mini turned out?

Steph: Yes! It actually turned out exactly how I imagined it. I’ve been showing it off to all my friends and they’ve been telling me that it turned out really cool.

Lauv: Was there any scary or intimidating part during the process?

Steph: I think the whole process for me was scary at the beginning. Just the idea of doing math intimidated me, but once I learned everything step by step I felt more comfortable with the process.

Lauv: Now that you are done, was it easier or harder that you had expected?

Steph: Once I was done, I realized that quilting is harder than I thought! I think what makes quilting difficult is that you have to have lots of patience. You have to be comfortable with making mistakes and doing things over (especially if you’re a beginner).

Lauv: Do you think you'll keep sewing, and is there a particular area of sewing that you want to try?

Steph: I think it would be fun to venture more into sewing! I want to try to make pillows for my living room next and in the future I would love to learn how to sew my own garments. :)

Steph's turn! 

Hello again! It's one thing when you're the student and you're just absorbing information, but being the teacher is a different story. I was really interested to find out how Lauv figured out what and how she would teach me. Here's what she said. ;) 

Steph: How did you organize yourself to know what to teach me?

Lauv: I tried to go in an order in which I'd like to be taught. First going over what it is, the history, the styles, and then getting into the making, following the usual steps that are taken to sew a quilt.

Steph: What was the most difficult thing to teach?

Lauv: First, it was the way to break down your design to maximize fabric usage. I didn't know what you would design and then having to explain how to compartmentalize it was a bit challenging (as you saw) so that you wouldn't get confused or overwhelmed by the amount of different pieces. Then, I think it was the binding because it involves the calculation, the cutting, turning at the corners, and then finishing it.

Steph: What was your favorite part about making your mini quilt?

Lauv: Seeing the colors come together to create the sensation I had in my mind. It's one thing to see it on paper and another one to see it complete.

Steph: Do you have any advice to encourage me to continue sewing/quilting?

Lauv: Get the best tools you can from the beginning because they will make any design you have in mind a smoother transition into real life, and always keep a good attitude. If you make a mistake, gently go back and fix it. I've seen that most of the time when people get frustrated, all they do is make their projects a complete nightmare, and it's really just sewing. It should be a fun learning experience.

Lauv: It makes me happy to see Steph gain a new set of skills through everything I shared with her. The best part is that she's really happy with how her mini turned out. Our minis are not the most miniature, but they're the perfect size for a first time quilting project. 

I was also happy with my result. I named my mini Showtown (keep reading to know why). As I had mentioned on the last post, I used HST to give the illusion of diagonal rhombi, and I also used appliqué to incorporate my fussy-cut porcelain silhouette from the main print in Pastel Thrift. Since I love red, and it represents well the art-of-the-circus-inspiration (I performed as a clown when I was little) of my mini, I included London Red from Pure Elements, and the neutral Black & White to give it a modern feel (I used Snow & Caviar from Pure Elements).

I went to a town called Gibstonton, also known as Gibtown or Showtown; which is the name I chose to pay homage to this magical place. Many years ago, this town was known for their sideshows and now it's the city of choice for many circus and carnival folk to retire. I took advantage of the trip and brought my mini with me to photograph it around the town. It was very exciting to show the final result!

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Steph: Ok, so the moment I've been waiting for is finally here! Take a look at my completed mini quilt!

Like I mentioned in one of my previous posts, the inspiration for my mini quilt was a giant outdoor sculpture (Spiral Jetty) located in Utah. I couldn't resist using natural colors for my mini! As you can see in the picture, I chose Premium Linen from the Denim Studio for the background, a variety of prints from various AGF collections along with Pure Elements and Solid Smooth Denim for the spiral, and Textured Denim for the binding. 

I must admit, learning how to sew and quilt was definitely a learning curve. In the past I had attempted to hand sew buttons and hem a pair of pants but I never ventured into a full creative project until Lauv lead the way for me. During the process I was frustrated many times, I had to re-do many seams, and I felt like I was never going to finish. But I took things slow, tried to be as patient as possible, and eventually I got the hang of sewing.

Since this project was so involved, I now feel comfortable using a sewing machine and I'm completely satisfied with the result of my mini quilt! I wouldn't have been able to get far in the process if it wasn't for my great teacher, Lauv. She explained everything step by step to make sure that I learned everything correctly the first time (a round of applause for Lauv).

We want to thank everyone who has been part of our sewing journey! We hope we've inspired many of you to pass on your love for sewing by teaching a friend or family member how to sew. To celebrate Steph's first successful mini quilt, she's giving away strips/scraps of the fabrics she used in her project!

To enter the giveaway simply fill out the form below. Three winners will be chosen at random using random.org and will be announced on this post and contacted via email. Giveaway ends Monday, July 25th.

 We can't wait to share more exciting projects with you in the future!

Xoxo,

Stephanie & Lauv

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

Congrats Allison C., Rosemary B., and Corinne O.! Check your email.

 
Hey hey, awesome makers!

Today, I'm excited to show you a little no-sew project I've been working on! Since the kids are out of school, we know that sometimes it can be difficult to keep them entertained. This is why I've created a project that's kid friendly (with parental supervision) and functional. Not to mention, that you can begin to convince your little one to become a maker. ;)

What inspired me to make this project is my new found love for fabrics and the memory of my days in summer camp when I use to make crafty projects with the rest of the kids. Since pouches are great for storing all kinds of goodies and can be made in less than an hour, I thought is would be fun to make a no-sew version. 

Well, let's start making!

Here are a few things you will need.

Materials:

• 15" x 12" rectangle of your favorite AGF print ( I used the print "Ice Cream Shop" from Boardwalk Delight fabrics by Dana Willard)
• 15" x 10" rectangle of Premium Linen from the Denim Studio (lining)
• Velcro
• Iron On Hemming Tape

Tools:

• Pencil
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Iron

1.) Measure and cut a 15 x 12 - inch piece of the fabric you chose for the outside of the pouch.

2.) Measure and cut a 15 by 10 inch piece of the linen that will be used for the lining.

3.) Lay the outer fabric flat (back side facing up) and place the 15" x 10" piece of linen fabric on top (right side up) of the printed fabric. Make sure the linen is centered because this will be the inside cover of the pouch. 

4.) Add a strip of the iron on tape across the bottom of both of the fabrics (Follow the instructions on the back of the package of the tape to glue the fabric together).

5.) While the tape is sticky, fold over about 1.5 inches of the fabric to make a clean edge.

6.) After folding the first side, place two strips of the iron on tape to the back of the linen. I did it this way because it's easier to center the fabric and to avoid making any mistakes when ironing the tape. 

7.) Flip the linen back in place and press over both of the fabrics until they are glued together. Make sure to that the fabrics are smoothe (you don't want undesired wrinkles)! 

8.) Tape, fold, and press the three other sides (Repeat step 4). 

9.)After gluing all the sides together, place about 6 inches of the iron on tape on the longer sides of the fabric (this only needs to be done on two sides). Fold over where you placed the tape and repeat the same steps to glue the two sides together. Wait a few seconds until the fabric cools down.  

Note: For this step I ironed it for more seconds because you are gluing together thick layers.  

10.) Last step, cut a piece of Velcro that's about the same width of the clutch ( i used a 9 3/4 piece of Velcro). Peel the adhesive off the Velcro, press it onto the top flap. Allow the adhesive to set for at least 10 to 15 min. Then pull the flap open and Voila! You have your cute pouch that's ready to use.

You can also decorate it however you want! I made a little bow with the fabric that I had left over. Get creative and try all kinds of decorations for your pouch!

I hope you enjoyed this fun and quick tutorial, let me know if you have any questions. Feel free to share your version of the No Sew Pouch on social media.

Best,

Caro!