Art Gallery Fabrics - The Creative Blog

Hello, fab makers! 

As you all saw, this week was super exciting because we released April Rhodes’ two new collections: Arizona After and Heritage fabrics! April has us swooning again with her signature style filled with earthy colors and southwestern flair. We definitely had tons of fun making all the inspirational products and quilts for the lookbook.

Take a quick glimpse of some of the things we made in this video:

To make things even more exciting, we’ve invited April to takeover our Instagram this weekend! She’ll be sharing all the things she loves, the inspiration behind her collections, and so much more. Trust me, she is so much fun! During Quilt Market we had the opportunity to hang out and somehow we went down a 10 story slide...yes 10 stories!

So, stay tuned from Friday evening, June 30th to Sunday, July 2nd to see all the things April has prepared for you. ;)

Til next time,

Stephanie

Hello AGF Lovers!

Have you been watching all the fun little projects that we've come up with for our new video series, Sew Crafty?  They're the perfect thing for when you don't have time to quilt, but just want to make a small fabric project as a change of pace.  Many of them are also great scrap-busters! 

Last post I wrote I showed you how to sew a nursing pillow cover as a gift, but today's gift idea could realistically be made in less time than it takes to watch your favorite TV show! It is actually a variation of the necklace that we featured in this Sew Crafty Video Tutorial! 

Most of the baby shower gifts a new mom to be receives will be for the newborn to 3 month stage.  You are well prepared with clothes and toys for the first few months, but then the baby shower supplies start to dwindle. When my little guy started teething (seemingly overnight!) I was thankfully prepared due to the foresight of someone that had gifted me teethers.

I quickly learned that a chewing baby was a happier baby so I made my own teething necklaces as well so I always had something on hand to soothe baby's little gums.  Why not stand out from the crowd, look a couple months to the future and gift a teething basket featuring some cute teething necklaces? 

Check out the quick Sew Crafty video below and follow my modifications for this simple teething necklace.

Modifications Made From the Video:

• I used a 3" x Width of Fabric strip in Cotton.  (Make sure fabric has been washed since baby will be placing in his mouth.  I did once in regular detergent and once in baby safe detergent.)
• I sewed the seam with TWO of reinforced stitching (the triple straight stitch).
• I looped the fabric around a 2.5" wooden ring I bought on Etsy.
• I added 5 wooden beads to either side as in the video.
• I sewed the ends closed together, tucking one end into the other and turning the raw edges in by 1/4"
• Ta-da! Finished already!

Search your stash for some great necklace-worthy AGF prints.  Here are couple of my favorites chosen from our beautiful Fusions collections:

This guy can't get enough, haha!

Edited to Add: A quick note on safety- I recommend always checking the fabric and stitches for any wear and tear before giving to baby and only letting baby play with this necklace while you're wearing it or under parental supervision.  I feel confident letting my baby chew on this necklace during our outings as it's not one of his heavily used teething toys, but you know your baby best and if you feel it's safest to omit the wooden beads the necklace would still be cute with just the wooden ring and knots.  Another great option would be to use two layers of fabrics when making the fabric loop so that you can feel extra confident while baby gnaws away like no tomorrow. 

Well, that's all for today but I'll be back with more projects from Babyland. 

Until then, Happy Sewing!

-Christine

Hey there, fab makers!

I hope your summer is going well. This is such a great season because the days are longer, you can do all kinds of outdoor activities and you can take adventurous family trips! One place I’ve always wanted to explore in the summer is the southwest region of the U.S. There’s something about the golden sunsets and vast deserts of this region that peak my curiosity.

Until I plan my trip, I’ll vicariously visit the southwest with the beautiful prints in April Rhodes’ new collection: Arizona After. This collection revisit many of the signature designs in April’s first limited edition collection, Arizona fabrics while expanding the range with new colors and prints. Each print is enhanced with April’s earthy style and warm colors that are completely mesmerizing.

To complement this range, April is also releasing a second collection called Heritage. This collection consists of only rayon and knit fabrics for all kinds of garment sewing! But what excites me about this collection the most is the beautiful story behind it. Heritage is about April’s biggest inspirations, her father and grandmother. Each print brings to life family mementos that create a story on fabrics.

Check out this interview with April to hear the lovely story.

Well, now that you’re completely immersed in April’s world I invite you to explore the Arizona After and Heritage lookbook. Get inspired with beautiful garments, bold quilts, and tons of home decor accessories.

What did you think? You can add this modern quilt to your collection by downloading the “Hinterland” free quilt pattern.

Combine your favorite prints from this collection with a few blenders! Check out the coordinating colors that we chose for you. :)

And...last but not least, make sure to enter the giveaway!

Fill the form below for a chance to win a bundle of Arizona After. Giveaway ends July 5th at 3:00pm EST. Good luck!

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I hope you enjoyed exploring April’s new collections. Stay tuned for the next release!

Happy sewing!

Stephanie

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

Congratulations, Bethany Mochal! You've won the bundle of Arizona After fabrics. Check your email.   

Hello Dear Makers!

Do you remember our series of blog post where we explain in detail each AGF substrate? We are sure you mastered already sewing with voile and canvas , so now it's time to learn all tips and tricks to succeed with knit fabric! We created a little cheat sheet for you that you can bookmark and go back to it whenever you want. The good news is you don't need a serger to sew with AGF knits! Just follow the tips below and you will fall in love with this substrate! 

I hope these tips will be useful for you. Let us know in comments if you have ever sewn with AGF knits, and if yes, how was your experience. :)

Happy Sewing!

Ola

Hello, fabulous makers!

Today, I’m going to keep it short and sweet but exciting! I’m happy to announce a new Instagram contest you’ll love. As fabric enthusiasts we know that you probably have a stash of fabrics you haven’t looked at in a while. This is why we want you to dig through your stash and create a bundle of your AGF prints to win a new bundle from us! You'll get to rediscover all the beauties in your stash while getting new fabrics. Hence, show us a bundle to win a bundle!

Here’s how to enter:

• Create a fun bundle of at least 6 AGF prints (bundles made with only AGF will be considered for the contest. Old and new fabric collections are welcomed.)

• Take a picture of the bundle. The fabrics can be stacked, in a circle, folded in a basket or any way you like. Have fun and don’t be afraid to get creative! Remember to take the picture in good lighting! ;)

• Post the picture of your bundle with the hashtags #ShowAndGetAGF and #ArtGalleryFabrics

Need a little inspiration? Check out our "Bundles of Joy" Pinterest board filled with pictures of fabric bundles. Every week we’ll be choosing the winning bundle and we’ll showcase it as the bundle of the week on our Instagram. The winners will get to choose a fat quarter bundle from one of our recently released collections. We hope you’re as excited as we are about this contest!

Now, show us your bundle!

-Stephanie

Hi crafty friends!

Aren't you excited about the new AGF Lookbook coming out? April Rhodes is stealing our hearts again with her magical southwestern inspired prints in Arizona After. We couldn't resist making a sew crafty video for this collection! If you have been following the projects in our Lookbooks you might have noticed that we recently started adding cute fabric jewelry like this Mini Hexie necklace, these fabric earrings or this jewelry set.

Today we want to share with you a video tutorial showing you how to make fabric earrings using an English Paper Piecing method. Follow along and add a new craft to your creative menu. :)

Do you like these boho earrings? We think they are going to add extra stylish touch to your outfit. Watch the tutorial and let us know in comments if you are going to try it out.;) 

Download fabric earrings pattern.

Happy Sewing!

Ola